My 82 550 Seca project

I thought I would share what is going on with my 550 Seca project. I want to thank all of you for the help and guidance I have received in my bike's rebirth. I started it at the end of last month and have made a ton of progress.

I started with this:

By zombiehouse at 2010-08-24

First I stripped it of its ugliness and gave it a quick cleaning.

By zombiehouse at 2010-08-24

Next I acquired a wreck for parts and started putting her back together. I replaced the front and rear brakes. I also gave her some new tires both front and back. Ebay was also definitely my friend for this. I got a new ignition. Emgo ignitions are nice but the keys are crap. The tops broke off both while in my pocket. Also acquired gauges, swingarm, chrome fender and chrome shocks on Ebay. The wreck I got had a Supertrapp exhaust which was installed but unfortunately has a bent mounting flange on the number 4 cylinder which causes a bad exhaust leak.

By zombiehouse at 2010-09-02

Got her running on Sunday. I took her for her first ride in almost 14 years. Here is how she is looking now. I had to install my FZ600 exhaust due to the leak I mentioned before. A really big thank you to Bigfitz for all his help. She wouldn't be looking this good without his help.


By zombiehouse at 2010-09-27

Now I am waiting on side covers and tail piece to arrive. Won those on Ebay. Scored all 3 pieces for $13.50. I am also in the process of repairing my badly damaged tank. The white one on the bike is smashed on the left side. Pulling the dents on the original tank now. I mounted the tank on the wreck so I would have a solid mount to hold the tank while I pull the dents.

Beginning

By zombiehouse at 2010-09-17

Right now

By zombiehouse at 2010-09-17

 

Nice. Really bringing this one back from the dead.

 

Bike is lookin' good, difference between night and day. You could install the old tank for halloween and call it the Hellraiser Bike! :lol:

 

I had the same problem with bending flanges on my old Yosh pipe. I wound up making a tool to straighten it out. I wound up making a two piece that goes around the downtube on theexhaust and uses the screws through the flanges to flatten them back down. You are welcome to come over and use it if you need to.. I am in Riverside. Also purchase new exhaust gaskets, I think they were ten bucks for a set of four.

Sean

 

Thanks for the compliments guys. This bike has been through a lot with me. Dinoracer, I think I may have to take you up on your offer. I like the way the Supertrapp exhaust looks a lot better. Do you ride a 550 Seca also?

 

dino: do you have a pic of the flange flattening tool? Having the same problem.

 

Damn that's a big project...you're a better man than me.

Coming along nicely! Looks good. SuperTrapps sound great, had one like that on a GS750.

 

Once I get the right side cover, I am going to start making her look pretty again. Need some money before I can tune her properly. She still will be sitting for a while unfortunately.

 

Yeah the bike in my avatar is a Seca 550 at Willow Springs

 

Dinoracer, I was just looking at your gallery. What fairing and front end is on your bike? Years ago I saw a 550 with and early Suzuki Katana front end and a full fairing. The dealer couldn't tell me what it was off of though.

 

Zombie, I gots a stock 550 fairing if you might be interested. I need my 750 Seca tank pulled out and a 650 Maxim tank pulled out too... Interested?

 

I will take pics when I get back on either Saturday or Sunday. Its really not much, just something I made up years ago.

If it was the pink one, then it is off of a gsxr I think. I found it in bad shape and cut it so it would work. Really upset the guy that I was racing with. He used to draft by me :lol:
The front end is off of a FZ600. I went to the local salvage yard and asked about a different front end. He sold it to me for 75 bucks and got the rest of the bike. Wish I would have kept it, was only a rolling chassis though. Funny thing is, I spent 1200 bucks on a engine rebuild and go a half second faster on the track. I spent 75 bucks on the front end and went two seconds faster.

Sean

 

Robert, how much you want for the fairing? Mine is in bad shape but repairable. I would help you out with your tanks but I think you would spend more in gas to bring them here to work on or more in shipping to send them than what it cost for the stud welder. I got mine for $35 off Ebay.

Dinoracer, when you put on the FX600 front end, did you use the FX600 triple tree and bars too? How about the front wheel? This is a swap I have been considering.

 

Yeah I usd the FZ not the FX triple trees. For bars I just used clip ons. As for the front wheel, I believe that I have a front wheel from the Sr500 single, it had the 18 inch front wheel with the option for dual discs on the rim.

Sean

 

Sorry Dinoracer. FX was a typo. I meant FZ. Does the full FZ600 triple tree mount up or only the top? Will the 550 Seca front wheel mount up? I am thinking that the fender is a no go. I like the look of the clipon bars.

 

Still working on this baby. Finally got the BB size holes welded up in the top of the tank. Welding on a thin tank is not easy at all. Gonna hit it with a thin coat of Bondo tomorrow hopefully. Then it will be time to figure out what color I want it. Tail and side covers are shot in white primer right now. When the tank is done all that will be left is to adjust the valves and carbs.

 

nice repair work.. Zombiehouse is right, really bringing it back!
I'm a sheetmetal worker / welder, but never attempted a fuel tank.. did you flush it and then run car exhaust into it?

 

I drained the tank a few months ago and removed the cap, petcock and sending unit at the same time. Then I rinsed it with soapy water. It has been sitting so long I wasn't worried about fumes inside anymore. The hardest part about welding the tank was the blow through. Took a bit of practice to get the holes sealed back up.

 

yeah, and it's not like you can clamp a flatbar of copper to the inside of a tank to weld over! all you can do is turn the power and wire speed right down on a mig and hope for the best.. tig's the best way to go with sheetmetal.

 

I wish I could afford the TIG. I got lucky and got the MIG for Christmas. I am happy with the final results though. The holes are all sealed up.