Starting Honda cafe bike build today

I am working on my engine test stand now.
Oil tank mounts. Gas tank mount. Exhausts bolted on.
Carbs on and fuel line connected.
Next is electrical and plug wires.

 

I am working on my engine test stand now.
Oil tank mounts. Gas tank mount. Exhausts bolted on.
Carbs on and fuel line connected.
Next is electrical and plug wires.

I had a Honda fuel tank that came off of a small Honda 5.5 horse engine.
That saved some money and time. Glad I had not thrown it out.

 

ohboyohboyohboyohboy.... you gonna shoot a vid of that beauty running on the stand?

please?

 

Of coarse I will FoothillRyder!

 

I tried starting it up today. First thing the float bowls start leaking.... I tapped on them with a wrench and in a minute or so they stopped leaking. GOOD. They all had brand new float needles after all.
Then It would turn over but I was not seeing any oil pressure. Started to freak out a little.

I went down to the store and got ........wait for it, STARTING FLUID!!! Oh yeah.
Came back and gave it a couple toots of that. Bang! it ran for 15 seconds then quit.
My old tired car battery in the shop, was so weak it would hardly turn the engine over. I had oil pressure too now. GOOD. Feel'n better already.

I will wait till tomorrow and let the battery fully charge up.

 

+1 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Plus ONE. Thanks

Maybe I should put +1 graphic on my bike? Like Mobile 1 oil?
Or....Plus One

 

Or maybe create a graphic that has 'CB750' on one line, and 'Plus One' below it! :lol:

 

Today I took the carbs off because I felt that the engine just was not getting any gas.
plugs dry.
When I had worked over the carbs one of the most important issues is the idle jets. Making sure they are not clogged. I was afraid to take them out because they were the press in type.(I hate those). Anyway I was told by others how to get them out so I took a chance and got them out and they were all clogged. I had cleaned them out previously with a .010 guitar string but they must have got clogged up again.

I put it all back together hit the intakes with some starter fluid and it started and I was able to keep it running until it got hot. Now after I wait for my old shop battery to charge up I will start it again and try to get the carbs synched.

Then I will post a video for you. One small oil leak by the oil pressure guage I installed. Common. Other than that it seems good.

Vacuum sync next.

 

It's ALIIIIIIVE!!!!!!!arty2::whoo:

 

Yes..thanks that IS the way I felt. A little payback for my hard work.

 

Now that it starts and will run I want to get the carbs to really respond.

I am taking them off and I am going to do 4 things to them.
I am going to drill the pressed in pilot jets from #35's to #40's
Otherwise about .013 to .014 approximately.
I am going to put one .030 shim under each slide needle.
I am going to have the slides machined on the bottom just .007 (Cycle-X recommendation).
I am going to cut a coil off of the return spring on the throttle. Way too much spring pressure on it.
Then I will re synch and see where we are.

Here are the so-called "keyhole"carbs. I hate these because the slide linkages are a nightmare. And when you remove the slides you have to re sync the carbs.
The pilot jets are pressed in and the needles on the slides have no adjustment.

Someone made a career at Honda designing these abortions.
The early model "roundtop" carbs were much easier to work on.
If they do not want people to do any work on them at all then just design motorcycle right in the first place.
Make the motorcycle look good,and sound good.
There are some motorcycles that no one makes any changes to. They were good when they left the factory.

 

I remember helping a friend with an early CB750 rebuild. We spent a month of occasional evenings trying to get those dang carbs right and never did. Sent 'em to a shop that specialized in those carbs (amongst other things) and when they came back they bolted up and the bike ran perfectly. But it was expensive.

 

I have never failed to get a set of carbs or even a single carb to respond correctly.
Some are easier than others thats for sure.
I have been seeing a LOT of carbs lately that the factory has thrown all kinds of road blocks in my way though. Like the pressed in jets. fuel enrichment circuits with reed valve exhaust port pieces etc,etc. Names like (auto deceleration enrichment) blah...blah blah... crap like that.

They just do not like people making their things better. Many improvements in the auto and motorcycle world were developed by hot rodders. Not professional engineers.

On my VF1000R I had to add two .030 shims under the needles, increase pilot jet size, and mainjet size, to get the the thing to wake up.

That VF1000R really responded to getting more fuel in every part of the throttle range. On my racing motorcycle I would always go with a 1/4 turn throttle instead of a street bike 1/2 turn throttle. That helps a lot too.

 

Stuck in mail hell now.
If I do not get carb parts today then I have to wait until Monday or Tuesday.
Damn. I guess it is worth waiting for.

LOL...lol..lol

 

Don,

Any updates? Did the good looking UPS lady show up?

 

My neighbors said she came but I was not home! Always happens to me.

Anyway I am working on a problem on the carbs. One of the accelerator pump
check valves will not work and I have cleaned it 3 times. So I had to buy a new one.




You can see the spray nozzles sticking up inside the air intake passage.
The nozzle sprays straight back into the engine.


Meanwhile I am doing something I do not usually do. I am getting the engine rebuilt but I am not doing it. I just do not have all the tools it would take. I could get the machine work done but there are other pullers and things needed.
I am embarrassed to tell you but I am having Cycle-X rebuild my engine.
The rubber rollers for the cam chain are 33 years old and one person reported that they came apart while the engine was running and they showed photos of all the pieces in the oil sump.

Cycle-X is in Wisconsin they build Honda CB750 engines. I had to build a special wooden crate to ship the engine, and then it has to come back in the same crate. Sorry no photos of that special engine crate. I will get photos on the return trip.
Meanwhile the frame is still at the powder coaters.

I guess the assembly will not get started until Christmas.

Speaking of Christmas...I have a little gift for all of you.
I found out a way you can get your carbs to look absolutely brand new.
Some people were calling it micro polishing but after doing research I found out that what it is ,is a vibratory process where they use little pins and rods to vibrate against the irregular shapes of the carb parts to remove the oxide layers.

I will post a link and photo ....hold on.

Many cities would have machine shops or plating business that may have these vibratory machines and offer this service.
Here is one:http://www.paltech1.com/

 

What?? You sent your engine out to be rebuilt? Somebody drop the ban-hammer on this guy. He's obviously a slacker with no pride in his work. :wink:

 

There will come a time in everyones life that they must delegate authority to others to be a success.
Sounds good doesn't it. LOL...