[letters4jeff]

i have a 1975 (76 motor) cb550k. the plug wires which are permanently attached to the coils are mis firing. the wire on the #4 cylinder has a bulge and thin spot on it and the cap seperated from one of the other wires. i have reattached the cap but what i am wondering is if the #4 wire can be spliced some how as the price for a new coil/wires is about 160 dollars. also it runs horrible in hot humid weather, like its running on 2 or 3 cylinders, hardly has power to pull from a light, cools down and its better im thinking its getting too much fuel and there is hardly any vacume (suction) at the carb inlets. this bike looks great ive done lots of cosmetic work polished the entire engine ect but i need it to run right. its abit noisy in the top end, maybe a cam chain adjustment? valves? could the coils run hot causing it to run rough? i dont know and dont have much money to let a mechanic guess at it.

 

[Rob Lloyd]

More than likely the coils/wires are bad. You can get decent used coils/wires on eBay for less than $30. Or, if you want new, you can get Dyna coils for about $100 (and they use replaceable wires).

You'd have to pull the plugs to really tell if it's too rich or not. Are the plugs black and sooty? Which plugs?

The 550 is noisy compared to, well, just about anything but a lawnmower. But, you can make it better by syncing the carbs and adjusting the camchain.

So, basically, you need a full tune-up:
1) Clean and sync the carbs.
2) Check valve clearance.
3) Set the camchain tension.
4) Replace the coils.
5) Set the ignition timing.
6) Clean/replace the plugs.


Rob Lloyd
SOHC4 #174
VJMC #7013

 

[Chikor]

you may not want to do the tune up in that order...<img src=icon_smile_blackeye.gif border=0 align=middle>

"Ride Fast and Take Chances"

 

[Rob Lloyd]

Yeah, OK. Put "Sync the carbs" at the end of the list.

Rob Lloyd
SOHC4 #174
VJMC #7013

 

[JD]

rob, you have to forgive corey. he's got know-it-all-joe-itis as he's becoming a highly trained AMI tech. <img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>

don't get mad corey, just messin with ya. you done gettin' learned in the art of motorcycle mechanicing yet?

 

[Rob Lloyd]

Actually, it's an honest mistake on my part. I always sync the carbs on the bench with a drill bit before I put them on the bike. It at least makes the carbs very close before they ever get on the bike. It's definitely easier than chasing the adjuster screws all day trying to get them sync'd.

Rob Lloyd
SOHC4 #174
VJMC #7013

 

[Chikor]

yeah bech syncing is great....and JD this is the biggest waste of money i have ever been through i have not learned square on about the new bikes out there.....well a little bit but if i knew nothing before i came here i would not feel prepared to enter a dealership even as an entry level position, yeah i'm getting in touch with a lawyer next week and seeing what i can do about theft of services.......i wish they still offered triumph!!!! i heard from the old teacher that most of what they did was restoration work, oh yeah i bought the kawasaki W1 off him.....cheers...

"Ride Fast and Take Chances"

 

[aaron]

I've never seen restorations done by AMI. I'd like to see one, especially a Brit one.

Aaron