CB500 Restoration: Discovering engine damage 

Absolute shame that you wasted that cylinder. It was absolutely usable with patience. There was no need to destroy it like that.

That was a good salvageable engine. New pistons and rings, cylinders re-bored, crank an conrod bearings, timing chain and gasket set. And the engine was like new. The parts that he destroys are very hard to find and very expensive here in Europe. I wonder what his customers have to say after seeing this video

I'd have cleaned the piston crowns and poured in light oil dilluted with celullose thinners which seeps in and penetrates like nothing comercially avalable but keep it away from paintwork and plastics. Repeat this for days if necessary. Sledge hammers are for demolition Not motorcycle restoration!.

Seeing that poor, salvageable engine being repeatedly clubbed with that sledge hammer was like watching the torture scene in Reservoir Dogs for the first time. But without the fun music.

Doesn’t want to break the rotor bolt, takes a hammer to the engine?

Should have been a butcher. The majority of these YT "builders" only know how to assemble and not build bikes. I certainly wouldn't pay too much attention to what they do. They have no patience and lack the engineering skills to work on engines. This was a perfectly salvageable engine but needed some time and money spent on it. Unfortunately in today's society, everyone wants instant gratification, pretty sad really.

That motor was rebuildable, I've never seen a motorcycle shop use a club hammer like that. Obviously not a lot of knowledge with engine builds such a shame to destroy that engine. Should have kept a matching numbers bike. Just my opinion.

I'm an old Honda mechanic. I have done almost the same for a customer of mine. He left the spark plugs out all winter in Oregon. I had to chisel out all of the pistons and bore the cylinders. Complete rebuild.

I have been looking for cb500/550 bike for couple years, but even bad ones cost here thousands.. I wish I could have that bike. You thrashed that engine.. makes me feel cry. Next time open bottom end, open rods and penetrating oil for pistons and try to get them out.. probably need to go 0.5-1mm over drill, but still you'd working engine. You thrashed that engine, man..

Well that was heart stopping!! for such a clean original bike to have a 2lb mash hammer taken to it, may as well used a stick of dynamite. beats me how people with no skill nor care get the gems and the people who would love these things till death get all the butchered crap and do they're best to caress life back into them. so sad.

Such a shame to see someone with so little patience set to on a seized engine. It was salvageable but it's now ruined.

Mate do me a favor DO NOT TRASH THE MOTOR , sell it to some one who will Fix it please .

Holy shit !!! The way you treat that bike is infamous. I am currently rebuilding a cb500 and tried desperatly to find a skilled mechanics. Only find one but is too far from my home (garage70 france). I am doing it on my own and love every minute. It takes some time but i know now how to deassemble a cam without cutting a 100$ chain ^^. The amount you must charged for that bike if you replace every piece will be insane. pretty sure someone poured oil in those cylinders in order to protect them from rusting. It was totally salvegeable. obviously after many years without care and due to the opening of cylinder 2 (valve not locked) oil turned to mud with humidity. Sad to see that

Guys!. Never ever strike alloy castings with a steel hammer!. Cut a short length of broom stave, put one end of it in an exhaust port ( usually the thickest part of the casting) and strike upward in alternate ports. With barrels, cut the stave into a chissel shape and strike upwards in an area without fins. It works on singles, triples and four's. I had a 500/4 back in the eighties, took me from Birmingham (UK) to the south of france and back without missing a beat. This bike has stood complete and restorable since the late seventies. A couple of hours with this guy and major engine parts are total scrap!!.This vid makes me cringe!!.

you need to heat up the cylinders and pour it oil to try to ease the jammed. not a hammer. silly.

Doesn't anyone rebuild engines anymore, these old honda's are fairly simple to do. if you really want to you can double the hp & maintain reliability

Are you being ironic?. This bike has stood complete and restorable since the late seventies. A couple of hours with this guy and major engine parts are total scrap!!.

Seeing how he takes off yhe cylinderblock makes me shiver and cosy me five years of my live. I have no words for this lack of respect and skills.

Keep it as original as possible!!!!!!👍💪🙏

Why you did that to the cylinder block???? 😳

This is the same sort of chap that takes a rare bike and turns it into a bobber or cafe racer. You should have just sold it to someone who actually wants a project. You obviously have no experience of old Hondas. The camchain comes out without splitting it, just take the sprocket off and the tensioner should be removed before you take the head off. As for walloping the barrels or anything with a lump hammer! !!!

There is no time that a motorcycle engine is beyond repair.

OMG Your a HAMMER MECHANIC

Interesting video content on your channel. I got a 74 550 four with a side car from my Dad with 372 original miles on it. I've enjoyed watching your videos to learn more about these older bikes. Thanks for all your hard work making these videos.

I'm not overly versed in single cam hondas, but is it commonplace to have to brake the cam chain to get the camshaft out? I would have thought you'd back the tensioner off and have it slip out.

My wife and I drove a Honda 500 4 cylinder and Honda 350 4 cylinder from 1976 to 1983 changing over to the 650 and 750 4 cylinder customs. We both enjoyed seeing these old bikes and the video. Looking forward to the next video.

Lot work good luck I think some pb blast and use a wood block is better to hit metal parts with since you went that far I would have split the cases and bored clylenders. That me

Looking forward to this one!

Looked really clean otherwise! So cool you found that old registration card. Love those history tidbits! Look forward to seeing this progress.

Why trash the cylinder block? It's obviously still on factory bore. Surely a rebore and piston kit would have been a better way to go?

Undo 2 bolts on the camshaft sprocket and slide the cam out . Why split the chain ?

Very good video, thanks. I just picked up a complete 74 CB550 that was stored for a long time in a garage. The engine was also locked up. The number 4 cylinder turned out to be the culprit. It was stuck in the bore due from moisture and rust. I also ended up punching a hole in the #4 piston trying to get it out. Once out, the cylinders were inspected and looked relatively good. I may be able to just hone the cylinders....we will see. The mains bearings looked good and appeared to have low miles on them. The rod bearings also looked like they had low miles, but had some scoring through the top coating and will be replaced.

With new crank shell bearings and a rebore, all of that engine was rebiuldable. That was before you got you're sledge hammer out!!.

Sad to see the head ruined now. There are only so many of them left. Put a 550 engine in it. I suspect you will cut and weld on the frame to put the 500 in there, ugh. Please don't.

I don’t understand why everyone is crying about this , that motor is trash and that bike is not worth the time it would take to rebuild the motor , must of been a flood bike.... great video bud let me know if you ever need help I live by Dallas and have a shop over here in Lewisville!

I would love to find one of those old 750`s, I had the pleasure of having to ride one for a few years. Such a dependable ride and reminds me of my dad.

Cowboy, absolute cowboy

So even keeled during the surprise. Enjoying all of your videos.

RHS passed away on March 22, 2013. Bike last registered when he was 40 years old. Most likely are the 2nd owner of the bike. As for the bike, maybe a vinyl stripe over the letters on the tank to just cover it up? A repaint would be hard to match the original, especilly with the patina it has. Also the white panniers look horrible, but either color match or black would look better, keeping them if they are easy to take off and on so you can use it to carry little bits of stuff if needed.

you need to rebuild that motor! Then you get to keep a nice stock bike and that'll be a great experience for you and a great playlist for the channel.

Really like to see you do something with that motor and keep that bike stuck condition

Damn. Reminds me of when I had a spark plug get stuck in my head of my CB750. I took the head off and gently chipped away at the existing plug that corrosion-welded itself to my threads. It wasn’t perfect, but I did everything I can to save the head and it payed off. I would have taken a heat gun to the stuck jugs on your build and honed ‘em out for more giddy-up, but it’s your build! Ride safe and wrench on!

You can unstick a motor with a hydraulic coupler made out of a spark Plug and a Porta Power

OH YES! Great channel to stumble across!

Thanks, as always, for taking us along.

This thing was only scrap the moment you used incorrect tools in removing the head or cylinders. This is like cutting off a starter motor because it's bad - only to replace the engine because it is scrap as well.

At 19.05 is that damage from a flat head pounded between the head where the gasket is all damaged.

Probably a salvageable block until he took a hammer to it?

Awesome videos dude! Very informative and educational. Keep it up!

rebuild the existing engine if the frame and engine numbers match. its not often you get a bike with the original bits

That valve dropped after the keeper spit out. Is there makes on the top of that piston where the valve hit it?

Im in San Antonio TX. I have a 75 CB550F and oil is leaking slowly from the gasket below the cam chain and valve springs. Never done it before. Im going to try it in a few months when i have time and money. Would rather pay to have it done honestly. Good video.

Nice shop buddy. I may have used a little more finesse in my approach and tried to save the motor for a rebuild... but to each his own. I have a CL200 that the motor is locked up on. It was my late father in laws and the motor has been seized for 30 years. It's not going to be easy, but I want to restore it to original in his memory.

Running the motor with minimum wiring would be wonderful. Be great to see what is needed to get a motor running on the bench. Thank you so much for your videos. I am enjoying them as much as I enjoy Mustie1's videos.

Awesome video dude! Hey, does removing the resonators from a Honda exhaust do any harm to the engine? A 2014 Honda shadow spirit fuel injected. Thanks

I love the faded gas tank! I'd say try to lightly sand those letters out before you re paint it or something. Even if you can't get them out then I think it adds character lol

Try rocking the bike on its wheels, in gear to loosen a frozen motor next time. Doesnt always work of course, but it give you alot mechanical advantage.

I have been watching this channel for the last month and I am very surprised there aren't more subscribers! I'll be very surprised if this doesn't blow up. This is definitely my favorite motorcycle channel on RU-vid now. I didn't think I would find something I liked better than FortNine.

Thanks, and I hope you will video the finished bike,

You have got to be joking, do you know nothing of how to remove the barrels from such an engine without mullering it? This engine was imminently salvageable and is now scrap....read the comments - I am not the only one who cringed at watching this fool at work.

As much as we enjoy doing this work ourselves, I would have been tempted to send the engine out to one of the CB engine shops and let them have a look at it. A second opinion on the crank, cylinders and head would be nice. I would bet they could have saved much of it. Wouldn’t have been cheap, but, like someone said, these parts are getting more rare by the year.

Well, you guys, you had a hint of what was to come when you heard, "I think I'll put a quick top end on it." Given the dearth of good parts available for these, and the usual condition of the cylinders and valves, and the ignorance with which most folks approach machining on these machines...no such thing as "a quick top end".

Please run the engine on the stand!!! That would be awesome to learn about

Hey Taylor, you mentioned it towards the end of this video but that engine stand minimal wire start up would be an awesome video. I hope the new shop is treating you well, it’s pretty cool to see how far you’ve come since I started watching this channel.

I right now have a nerve in my lower back causing pain and discomfort at times. But seeing you take that hammer to the cylinders was the absolute most painful thing I experienced today.

I would love a project like that but I would have spent a lot longer on disassembly and saving every part possible, the hammer is a tool of last resort for me.

You got your work cut out for you with this one, looking forward to seeing it come on. Good luck man

Odd question, what material are you using on the top of your work bench?

This could be great candidate for stock showroom resto, all your chrome looks in great condition and apart form the paint damage on the top of the tank it looks great too, i know you can save this thing , the 500 is my favorite bike i did one but it was far to used to do make it show room condition so i went matt black everything. i rebuilt my engine completely, Im in Australia so parts were a lot harder to come by, but i love my CB500. It could actually make good video on the engine rebuild process . If i wasn't on the other side of the world id be volunteering to come help you.

The hammer! Actually, even though CB500 parts are harder to find than 550, at least in the US, I can't blame him for scrapping the rotten parts. The cylinder might not have been salvageable after a dropped valve, even with oversize pistons. Finding a better 500 cylinder and head for cheap isn't impossible yet. The head was probably 100% toast, anyway. With the plugs out and the bike stood out in the rain for maybe 40+ years, I'll say the valves and seats are corroded way beyond a simple valve job. I have a CBX head where the corrosion on one cylinder is so bad, what's left of the seats are 0.050" (2+ mm) proud of what's left of the casting. I'm only saving it to put on a heavily modified CBX engine, so it won't matter if I have to weld and re-machine the hell out of it and replace the valve seat inserts. I am going to machine off the intake ports, too, and do a bunch of other mods to it, so it doesn't matter. Otherwise, it is $50 of scrap cast aluminum. The 500's cam looked like it had some rust on it. That's a bad sign! I'd guess the dropped valve is why the owner parked it and it just was too damaged to be economically repaired at the time. Then left outside w/o plugs. The economical and practical way would be to e-bay or wrecking yard an entire 500 top end. I do think the bottom end is salvageable, though. But it still has to be split and checked over....BTW - the top end castings have date codes only, so there is no 'matching numbers' for those. The case no. should match the serial no. to Honda's records, but the numbers themselves don't usually match. And don't count on it making a difference on most Honda's.... most people wouldn't know or care on a 500 Four. Not a $100 000 CB750K0 or 73 Z-1, here.

Hey man I live in ceader Park Texas, I have a 1972 cb500f engine. Currently with the top end removed, the bottom end spins and has no transmission damage. If your interested cool if not cool 👍

About the gas tank, I restored (preserved) my Z1b tank that had similar damage by carefully masking at the original pin stripes and repainting tat section. The rest of the tank and stripes are original. Finish with 2k clear.

You should try evaporust/vapor blasting the seized engine parts.

I sewed my '71 seat and all I can add is that you should use some clear flexible adhesive on top of that that, like shoe goo.

I love that paint combo on the 500… there’s an exact 72 500 green and black version looks beautiful. In fb marketplace in Louisville ky for about 3900 …

the hammer scene was awful ......

Its been under water, in a flood zone or some such

Great video

You had a good original bike with a siezed motor. A bit of time and effort would have seen it repaired. You took a sledge hammer to it instead. I know America has more of these than Europe and so they are worth less but that was what I expect from a teenager with no skills. You could have removed the cam chain tensioner and drilled out the centre of the stuck piston. Butcher not mechanic. Tempted to unsubscribe.

Good luck believe it would be an awesome bike for you to have in your collection it could get well used

Well, that motor is stuffed!! What about a performance modified motor from a 1982 CB650, would it fit? CR carbs and a neat Yoshi 4/1 pipe.

It takes longer than an hour to free off seized pistons !! That is why u screwed it up !!

Hey, I'm a fan of you vlogs so much so I have been looking at CB's. I like the way you go through with detail and ask for suggestions. I do not know much about motorcycles and that being said I found a 73 cb750 so the seller says. I am going to look at it this fri. The tank doesn't look like the 73 tanks I've seen, no air box, crazy seat. So nothing seems original, could I send you a picture, maybe you can tell me something about it ?? Maybe email a pic of the bike. Look forward to hearing from you

Keeping one original bike would be fun. I'm not a purist but not every bike has to be a cafe racer?

Just a few years back if somebody saw you "repairing" engines this way your shop would loose all customers, now clueless millenials thinks it is OK even to video it. Horrible. Hammers are for carpenters. Unsubscribed.

Gonna be a fun build to see what is up with the motor. Auction bike is like a box of chocolates, never know what you get. Nothing sweet about that motor.

Hi Taylor what size Ultrasonic cleaner do you use 6 or 10litre ?? Keep up the good work you videos are great 👍👍

This is the kind of videos I really enjoy to see ! Good work!

Just an off topic question. I have a cb550 that I’m restoring. I need a new gas tank as the old one is rusted right through. Problem is I live in Hong Kong. Anybody have any tips on the best place to find one? Thanks Jon

Yet another hacker.

Plus are there kits available to upgrade to disc brakes???

What a shame the original engine was toast. It looked so clean . . . I guess there might be some parts that could be salvaged for later use. I can't imagine how someone managed to get all that dirt, dust and goop into the engine. Glad you decided to keep it stock and more correct.

Génial, une version sous-titrée! Depuis que je suis ta chaîne, c'est la 1ère fois que je peux avoir une traduction!!!

Great vid. Any chance you could explain how you would attach the motor to that engine stand? Wouldn't mind trying that for the xs400 I'm rebuilding currently.

Would really love to see your videos show a rebuild thru to riding!

It's your bike, your shop so its your way. After all the hype about it being a original bike that you wanted to keep it s such and you do that too it. Wish we could buy another for $200 here.

Hi,if you heat the cylinder block ,the liners will push out

I had one like that in 1979, I love it as much as I had it, then I trade it for a Ducati Scrambler 450 from 1969 that was sleeping in a barn. Btw, the first time I see a Honda with two WC ..... lol...

GAS engine....ELECTRIC MOTOR!!

15:26 i think if you just pulled the chain tensioner you might have been able to jump teeth on the sprocket until you could get the other cam sprocket bolt. Or just reached in with an open end wrench possibly bent custom with a torch... I think every can chain I've replaced was endless and required crank removal to install.