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Cb550K3 The Mini Series - chrisr - 19-06-2020
After the reaction to my postings on 1977 Honda CB550 A tale of lies, engineering incompetence and fraud I thought I would share the correspondence between Master Mechanic and TV personality Peter Thorne and myself I hope you enjoy it.
On Thu, 11 Jun 2020, 20:23 chris racki, wrote:
Hi Pete, hope you got home ok, I transferred the final payment after you left. I cant seem to get the bike to tick over properly, it starts ok on the choke but without the choke keeps cutting out, any ideas? Also I noticed, as you said, that the front brake is still binding. I hope to get out on it in the next couple of days so will report back then, but just thought I should let you know.
Chris
Reply from Pete Thorne:
How long were you letting the engine warm up for, it appears to need choke for quite a while before the choke can be let off. I don't recall rebuilding the master cylinder, but the caliper was stripped painted and rebuilt.
On Fri, 12 June 20.20 13.03 Chris Racki wrote:
Hi Peter, I have just managed to complete 12 miles on the bike, was all going well at first then the revs went up to 3000 and wouldnt come down, I stopped and adjusted the throttle stop then it wouldnt restart for ages, so I had to put the revs back up. Then the front brake started dragging until I almost came to a stop. Managed to eventually get home but it wont tick over and is very noisy. I noticed there was smoke coming from the right lower exhaust while it was ticking over at 3000 revs.
Let me know what you want to do.
Chris
Sent from my iPad
Cb550K3 The Mini Series - Andy25 - 19-06-2020
I don't recall rebuilding the master cylinder, but the caliper was stripped painted and rebuilt.
Is it just Me reading this wrong or would anyone else expect to see the word 'Cleaned 'used ?
Chris
As you have found out to your cost Pete's a Chancing Bar steward .I've no doubt he has previous form
Tread carefully
ATB
Andy
Cb550K3 The Mini Series - chrisr - 19-06-2020
Thereâs more to come but as I expected Iâm having some technical issues.......
Cb550K3 The Mini Series - chrisr - 19-06-2020
12June 20.20 13.41 From Chris Racki
Peter
I have attached a few photos, there is petrol running out of the carbs onto the engine when the petrol is turned on, there is an oil leak underneath the engine, it looks like there should be a cover over the wires beneath the rear light that is missing and I nearly lost the near side footrest rubber as neither of the rubbers had anything to secure them to the footrests. I put the Allen bolts in.
12 June 2020 14.16 From Chris Racki
Peter,
One more photo, as you saw me looking at it yesterday, the scratch on the tank, anything that can be done about this?
14 June 2020 21.15 From Chris Racki
Peter, please can you contact me by e-mail or phone xxxxxxxxxxx to discuss the problems I am having with the Honda.
16 June 2020 10.53 From Chris Racki
Peter, just to let you know the Honda is now in the hands of a competent engineer who is going through the bike and reporting on its condition, he will then be putting it right. I will be forwarding the bill to you for payment. May I suggest you dont spend the £xxx I sent as a final payment after you dropped the bike off. I note that you have not replied to my previous e-mails and your phone number seems to be out of action.
Chris Racki
Sent from my iPad
From 12-18 nothing heard, then:
From Peter Thorne 18 June 2020 23.08
I have looked at you pics, and I am sure the problem is rust or muck in the petrol tank, this would cause the bad running and carbs overflowing. What looks like an oil leak from the engine is probably only the dirty fuel running down the engine from the carbs. The fix is to remove and clean the carbs, clean the inside of the tank and line it with a sealant.
Annoyed you have taken it elsewhere, I was waiting for some sealer kits to arrive before arranging to sort things out.
Cb550K3 The Mini Series - chrisr - 20-06-2020
18 June 2020 23.42 From Chris Racki
Peter, I have been told that this bike was in a dangerous condition, the headstock pinchbolt was only 2 threads into the nut. The footrest rubbers did not have any bolts attaching them to the foot pegs and I nearly lost the near side one. The foot pegs themselves were not tightened up and moved around. The front brake seized on as I was riding, the ârebuilt calliperâ was found to be corroded inside, the carbs all had rust inside and had definitely not been rebuilt as requested, two out of four pilot screw tips were broken off in the jet. There were no clips holding the petrol pipe on and it was the wrong size, allowing petrol to leak out on to the engine. Hardly any nuts and bolts were done up, let alone torqued up, the tappers and camchain were not adjusted properIy, I could go on but there was so much wrong it would take too long. You didnât fit electronic ignition as requested and you didnât change the engine bolts for Allen bolts. Oh yes, and itâs been painted black when it was originally the dark brown model. Sorry, I gave you numerous opportunities to reply to e-mails or answer your phone. I hope you will now have the decency to reimburse me for what it will cost to do what you should have done in the first place. I will forward you the bill when it arrives. I will cover the cost of the electronic ignition.
Sent from my iPad
Cb550K3 The Mini Series - chrisr - 20-06-2020
19 June 09.27 From Chris Racki
Peter, as my engineer is now having to buy further parts to complete the restoration could you give me a copy of receipts for parts you purchased for the project.
19 June 12.39 From Peter Thorne
What parts does he say need buying.
19 June From Chris Racki
Up to now, he has bought
Fork cap bolts x2
Stainless port plugs.
Choke & Tach Cables.
NRP carbs rebuild kit
X 4.
M6 x 65 cap screws.
Engine cap screw kit.
Cap nut M6 stainless.
HEL brake line kit.
I have also supplied him with:
Throttle tube
Brake master cylinder
assembly.
I do not expect you to pay for these as they are all new parts, but you should have fitted them to complete the restoration that he is having to do now. From your earlier reply I note that you did not check the inside of the tank before fitting it or do anything to the carbs.
The bill I will be expecting you to cover is for the labour to put this bike in the condition that you were asked to put it in in the first place.
I also think that your failure to give the bike a test ride is incredible, after all, I rode it for only 12 miles to discover that it wasnât running properly.
The fact that the front brake seized on in this time, something you say you noticed there was a problem with when you turned the steering, and the fact that the rear brake hadnât been adjusted, with the adjusting nut at the end of the rod, and the headstock pinchbolt only being 2 threads into the nut made my engineer wonder about the validity of the mot, as he thought these three things alone should mean a failure.
Sent from my iPad
Cb550K3 The Mini Series - Catteeclan - 20-06-2020
popcorn eating emoji.
 Your replies are calm and controlled Chris, well done.
Cb550K3 The Mini Series - dablik - 20-06-2020
Yea good on you Chris for keeping your head, your going about it the right way, pretty sure i would be all fire and brimstone in your shoes matey and also pretty sure i would be paying a visit to him...
Cb550K3 The Mini Series - chrisr - 22-06-2020
From Chris Racki June 22 18.22
Peter, my engineer has now got into the engine which you told me you had looked at and was fine, he has found rocker pads with the hardening worn through and the new cam chain you fitted, which he says if done properly would mean splitting the crankcase and fitting a new endless one, has been fitted using a split link which has been riveted badly. We now have to try and source replacement rockers.
Would you care to comment? Also, I note you havent as yet e-mailed me the list of parts you replaced on the bike.
Regards
Chris Racki
Sent from my iPad[attachment=o13371][attachment=o13372][attachment=o13373]
Cb550K3 The Mini Series - catsbum - 23-06-2020
Cat's pops out for more Coke & Popcorn........
Cb550K3 The Mini Series - leehenty - 23-06-2020
Going to rename this Honda LOTUS.
Loads Of Trouble Usually Serious
Cb550K3 The Mini Series - Snowbird - 23-06-2020
On the camchain front was endless chain actually specified? If not then it can't really be held against him.
Cb550K3 The Mini Series - chrisr - 23-06-2020
As I was never contacted, let alone consulted as to what was required, no it was not specified, what was specified was a full restoration. I wouldnât know the difference, and if itâs ok to do this thatâs fine. Itâs not ok to leave the rockers like that though. Lee is keeping in contact, showing me photos with the problems and his progress and consulting me, I believe this is how it should be done?
Cb550K3 The Mini Series - TKH - 24-06-2020
Wonder if he'll bother toturn up at small claims court when you make your claim? Think I can see a second part to this saga unfortunately.
Â
Does anyone have a recording of this joker being recommended on tellie? Maybe worth a letter the the company who made the episode for recompense?
Cb550K3 The Mini Series - leehenty - 24-06-2020
Soft linking is done quite a lot, and if riveted squarely, quite serviceable. This one hasn't been done very well.
Cb550K3 The Mini Series - drewpy - 24-06-2020
I took a guy to small claims court for £100 I think it was.
Â
He refused to recompense me, the court found in my favour.
The bailiffs visited him 3 times (twice during the day when he's at work) the third time I had to guarantee their costs up front and I wasn't for backing down.
They visited him in the evening and it cost him £225 in all
Cb550K3 The Mini Series - Oafski - 26-06-2020
Quote:Wonder if he'll bother toturn up at small claims court when you make your claim? Think I can see a second part to this saga unfortunately.
Â
Does anyone have a recording of this joker being recommended on tellie? Maybe worth a letter the the company who made the episode for recompense?
Think that the Production Company that makes all these programmes is Henry Cole's own company.
Cb550K3 The Mini Series - dapleb - 26-06-2020
And recommending someone, if he did, makes him liable for noubt. Plus a recommendation from someone who has zero clue aint really worth a lot!
The boike which oafski remembered much better than me which Pete failed to rebuild correctly. Had components fouling each other and they wheeled it out (due to it not being able to do it under its own power) and presented as a brilliant restoration said it all to me! Boddddddggggersssss.
Cb550K3 The Mini Series - Studley Ramrod - 26-06-2020
Is that the one they pushed/freewheeled from the workplace down to the local pub because he couldn't start it ?
Cb550K3 The Mini Series - dapleb - 26-06-2020
Yes