Ignition Rebuild Kit | Honda CB500K / CB550 / CB750
Most ignition problems on the CB500K, CB550, and CB750 come down to the same three wear parts: the contact points, the condensers, and the rusted Phillips screws holding everything together. This kit replaces all three in one purchase so you can do a complete ignition tune-up in one afternoon instead of ordering parts three times.
Why You Need This
The ignition system on the four-cylinder CB500K/CB550/CB750 is a simple mechanical points setup — two contact breakers driven off the crankshaft, two condensers, and two coils firing four plugs. Simple doesn't mean maintenance-free. Contact points wear down, condensers fail electrically, and the original JIS Phillips mounting screws strip out after decades of weekend-mechanic attention. Any one of those failures will send you to the shop with a bike that won't idle, won't rev past 5,000 RPM, or won't run on all four cylinders.
Buying the components one at a time costs more and forces you to wait on multiple orders. This kit bundles all three together so you open one box and have everything on the bench: both contact points, both condensers, and our allen-head mounting screw conversion to replace the factory Phillips screws with stainless allen bolts you can actually get a wrench on.
Specifications
| Spec | Detail |
|---|
| Replaces OEM Part Numbers | 30203-300-154, 30203-300-005, 30204-300-154, 30204-300-005 (points), 30250-300-154, 30250-300-005 (condensers), 93500-06012-0A, 94101-06800 (allen bolts), 30701-323-013, 30701-323-023, 30700-300-010, 30700-390-153, 30700-390-163, 30700-405-153, 30700-405-163, 30700-GAR-000, 30700-MC8-000 |
| Fits Models | CB500K (1971–1973), CB550K (1974–1978), CB550F (1975–1977), CB750A (1976–1978), CB750KA (1977–1978), CB750FA (1977–1978) |
| Sold As | Complete kit — everything needed for one full ignition tune-up |
| Point Gap Spec | 0.012"–0.016" (0.3–0.4 mm) |
| Service Interval | Inspect and adjust every 1,500 mi; plan to replace around 6,000 mi |
Note: This kit fits the four-cylinder Honda family only. It does not fit the CB500T parallel twin, which uses a completely different ignition points assembly shared with the CB450 and CL450.
What's in the Kit
- Contact point — cylinders 1 & 4 (left point) — OEM 30203-300-154 / 30203-300-005
- Contact point — cylinders 2 & 3 (right point) — OEM 30204-300-154 / 30204-300-005
- 2 × Ignition condensers — OEM 30250-300-154 / 30250-300-005. One per contact breaker.
- Allen-head mounting bolt kit — replaces the factory Phillips screws for points, condensers, shift plate, and base plate. OEM 93500-06012-0A, 94101-06800.
Each component is also sold individually if you only need one thing — see the "You Might Also Need" section below.
Model-Specific Notes
- CB500K (1971–1973): The four-cylinder CB500K. Not to be confused with the CB500T twin.
- CB550K (1974–1978) & CB550F (1975–1977): Same ignition system as the CB500K.
- CB750 (1976–1978 A, KA, FA models): The CB750 uses the same contact points, condensers, and mounting hardware as the CB550 family for the model years in our fitment chart.
- CB500T (parallel twin): Does NOT fit. The CB500T shares its ignition with the CB450/CL450 twin. If you have a CB500T, order the CB450/CB500T points and condenser set separately.
Installation
Difficulty: Intermediate
Tools needed: 12V test lamp (for static timing), feeler gauge (0.012" leaf), screwdriver, and — for dynamic timing — a stroboscopic timing light.
The installation order matters. Swap the old points for new ones first, set the gap, run through static timing with a test lamp, then do a final dynamic adjustment with a strobe timing light. The condensers are a simple screw-off / screw-on swap on the outside of each breaker plate. The allen-head bolts replace the factory Phillips screws as you reassemble — once they're in, you'll never curse the stripped heads again.
- Pull the spark plugs so the engine turns over easily by hand.
- Remove the point cover on the left side of the engine at the crankshaft to expose the two contact breakers.
- Rotate the crankshaft until the slipper on the 1-4 contact breaker sits on the highest point of the cam lobe. Swap in the new 1-4 point and set the gap to 0.012"–0.016" (0.3–0.4 mm) with a feeler gauge.
- Repeat for the 2-3 contact breaker on the other side of the point plate.
- Replace both condensers while you have the point plate exposed — they mount on the back of each breaker and the old ones have almost certainly been in there longer than the bike has been running.
- Replace the factory Phillips mounting screws with the allen-head bolts from the kit as you reassemble. Use your 5mm allen key.
- Static-time the 1-4 side with a 12V test lamp clipped to the primary cord connection, aligning the "F" (1-4) mark with the timing mark when the lamp lights.
- Do the same for the 2-3 side using the opposite contact breaker's primary cord.
- Dynamic-time with a stroboscopic timing light once the engine is warmed up. We recommend a strobe for the most accurate timing — at full advance, the timing mark should sit between the two index lines (23.5°–26.5° BTDC).
Keep your kill switch OFF between checks. If the kill switch is ON and the points happen to be closed, you'll be running continuous current through the coils and you can cook them. The test lamp procedure is quick — only power the coils when you're actively reading the lamp.
Advance mechanism: Before you button everything back up, pull the mechanical advance mechanism under the point plate, clean it, and re-grease it. A gummed-up advancer will throw your dynamic timing off no matter how carefully you set the static gap. A small dab of white grease on the felt wick keeps the followers lubricated after install.
Our full walkthrough on static and dynamic timing for the CB500K, CB550, CB750, CB350F, and CB400F four-cylinders — same process for all of them. Watch it once all the way through before you pop the point cover.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is this different from just buying the points set?
Our Ignition Point Set is just the contact points — both 1-4 and 2-3. This rebuild kit adds the two condensers and the allen-bolt conversion on top of the points. If your condensers are still healthy and your Phillips screws are in good shape, the points-only set is fine. If you're doing a full tune-up, the rebuild kit is everything in one purchase and saves a second order.
Why the allen-head bolt conversion? What's wrong with the factory Phillips screws?
The original Honda screws are JIS (Japanese Industrial Standard) cross-head, not Phillips. They look similar but the drive angles are different, and a Phillips screwdriver will strip a JIS head almost every time. After 40+ years of well-intentioned owners putting a Phillips driver into a JIS screw, most of these bikes have rounded-out screw heads that are hell to remove. The allen-bolt conversion replaces them all with stainless steel allen bolts so the next guy — including future you — can get them out with a wrench.
How do I know if my condensers are bad?
Classic symptom: the bike idles fine but hits a wall around 5,000 RPM and bogs down, or runs on three cylinders with one cylinder dropping out. You can also test it by running the bike with the points cover off in a dark area — a failing condenser will show a bright, persistent spark at the points every time they open, instead of the small intermittent spark a healthy condenser allows. See our knowledge base articles on engine fires on one cylinder and the bad condenser test for the full procedure.
Will this fit my CB500T?
No. The CB500T is a parallel twin that shares its ignition points with the CB450 and CL450 — a completely different assembly. This rebuild kit is for the four-cylinder CB500K (1971–1973), not the CB500T.
Does this include spark plugs?
No. Spark plugs aren't in the kit — if you're doing a full tune-up, grab a set of our NGK D7EA spark plugs at the same time. Fresh plugs, fresh points, fresh condensers, and a clean advance mechanism is about as complete a tune-up as these bikes can get.
What about the coils — should I replace those too?
Only if they're measurably weak. Ignition coils can last decades if they haven't been overheated, so most bikes don't need them during a routine tune-up. If you're chasing a misfire that survives fresh points and condensers, the ignition coil is the next place to look. Coils usually fail one side at a time (the 1-4 side or the 2-3 side), so a cylinder-specific misfire after a clean ignition rebuild is a strong coil-failure symptom.
You Might Also Need
For the full timing procedure with photos and a written walkthrough, see our How to set the ignition timing on the Honda CB500K / CB550 knowledge base article.
Last updated: April 2026
