|
 Two bikes for 300 bucks was a deal too good to resist.
Sure, only one of the motorcycles had an engine, but the other was a 1974 Honda
CB550. This 544-cc four-cylinder motorbike needed serious work, but sxecafe of Do The Ton
set a budget and build a parts list.
During the 1950s, British bikers tuned
their café racers to reach 100 mph, or "the ton" in U.K. slang. Although most
modern sports motorcycles can reach triple digits in third gear, Do The Tonners
are old-school tuners, but with new-school tools such as flexible
hones, honing oil, and cylinder wash brushes.
The
Honda CB550
"It's a great
day when it finally happens, the tools arriving I mean", explained sxecafe while
describing his engine rebuild. With its air-cooled, eight-valve, SOHC
transverse four, the Honda CB550 motorcycle once delivered 50 bhp at 8,500 rpm,
30.4 lbf at 7,500 rpm, and a blazing 102 mph. These
power and speed specifications surely seemed a thing of the past, however, as sxecafe examined each "dirty nasty bore wall" in the 35 year-old motorcycle
engine.
Hand
Drills, Hones, and Hobbyists
First, he attached his flex hone to a hand drill and then
loaded the abrasive "dingle berries" with a high-quality honing oil.
These "dingle berries", as the abrasive globules on flexible hones are known,
produce a controlled surface finish that's free of cut, torn, or folded metal.
Flex hones work better when wet, but best of all with a high-quality honing
oil. Although hobbyists have used flexible hones when dry, this can result in
decreased tool life and the embedding of cast-off material into the workpiece.
For best results, always use a blend of oils and wetting agents such as those
found in Flex-Hone Oil.
Then see the job through. As a final step, sxecafe
used warm water, a mild detergent, and a cylindrical wash brush
to clean the cylinder walls. Made with 6-12 nylon for efficient cleaning after
honing, these wash brushes are available in standard diameters ranging from
3.5" to 6.5", but also in special diameters to 14". By using new-school tools
to restore old-school motorcycle engines, hobbyists like sxecafe may one day
"do the ton" on their rebuilt rides.
Additional Reading
Doing The
Ton
Honda
CB550
| 
Re: Flex Hones and Motorcycle Engines – Rebuilding a Honda CB550
