$500 '86 vf 500f

My son found a $500 CRAIGSLIST 500. I have experience doing my own wrenching on the bikes i have now and ones past but all were in line air cooled fours or parallel twins or singles. I told him if it runs and had clear title we could get it for him and fix it up to use while at college (he still has a ford explorer but with a v8 that is not fuel efficient). Well when we went to get it it would start but only with starter fluid sprayed into the air box an only cyl. 1 and 2 were firing-headers hot to the touch. The petcock vacuum was plugged and there was a funky array of fuel lines and elbows with a huge in line valve. The tank has no mounting grommets or bolts and it is missing the right side rubber frame mounted tank bushing thingy. It has aftermarket turn signals that sometimes work and the brake lights and horn don't work. Headlights and tail light work. We got it home late Friday night and started checking things out Saturday afternoon. The #3 spark plug wire was pulled partway out of its sheath so I just cut a wire from an old coil I had and reused the flange and screw cap and we had spark, actually had good spark in all other leads. I pulled the carbs and cleaned everything thoroughly, set the float hights and found that the #4 and #1 carbs had 95 main jet and the 2 and 3 had 92's. I moved the 95's to the rears and 92 to the fronts. I drilled out the air mix screw caps and found the #2 carb was only 3/4 turns out and the #4 was at 1/2 turn out, 1 and 3 were close to 2 1/4 out this was odd as they had to have come from the factory like that unless someone recapped them and I don't see that happening. we found 3 springs in the vee of the engine when I realized I could not bench set the butter flys as there were springs missing to adjust #1 to # 3 and 2 to 4. but only one of the three was small like the ones the adjustment screw fits through the other two were big? I had some old carb bodies from an fj600 yamaha and canibalized a spring from it s synch screw set up. Once back on the bike it started right up firing on all cylinders but idle was about 3000 rpm and would not pull past 7K. I fiddled with the synch screws on the 1-3 carbs as they were the ones I had turned the most to get new springs in. Blipping the throttle still had the tach hanging up around 2500 rpm before settling to about 1200. I turned the mixture screws out to 3- 3 1/4. Now it will start first push of the starter button it revs freely to 11K and idle drops to about 1200 with just a slight hang up at about 1800 rpm. I have a dial vacuum gague but not the screw in nipples I need to actually synch the carbs. I still have a lot to do I am going to put the F1 slip ons I have for a non running FJ1200 on. They fit except there is a metal sleeve that fits in the end of the stock exhaust pipes that fit over the ends coming off the collector the F1's have this and need that stock one in place to seal tightly as the F1's are a slightly larger diameter. On the right hand side the stock sleeve/gasket is mostly there and the f1 fits snugly the left hand side is rusted away, is there some where to source these ? I have some pics now that I did not have in my intro post. I'll post more as I work through this project. Have never had a honda nor worked on a v4 so i'm excited. I have little to no $$$ to be spending so will make do as i go along.

 

Nice thread neo, where are you located?

 

70 miles south east of Dallas- Athens Tx

 

Ok here goes...... The Tank "bumpers" you can make from a small piece if 1/2" rubber (cut up car exhaust hanger). Just cut the rubber the same size as the 2 square brackets at the top of the frame and contact them on.The lower tank rubber is no longer available so you can cut a piece of 1/4" rubber and glue it onto the bottom side of the flange.The gasket for the mufflers are still available from Honda (think they still use them on the CB250). The front tank mount is the same grommet as the ones that hold in the rear tail light and the washer/stand off is the same as the small ones holding on the inner rear fender. I got a box of bits from E-bay when I was restoring my 500 and got all the small bits and pieces for $25.

 

Neo I was curious because your skills seem very good, and I have been trying for years to get my '86 running. Probably going to sell it :-(

 

I enjoy working on my own stuff and with 3 kids the bikes were always an "extra" I could not afford to pay to have things done so had to learn. Plus i can be very cynical and don't trust others to work on my stuff. I try to take repairs/trouble shooting in small bits. On the vf 2 cylinders were not getting hot, we checked spark first #3 wire and cap were toast after fixing that we checked and had spark then fuel and even with the rigged fuel lines we had fuel to the carbs cleaned them and we had it running. I just work through each issue until I figure it out.Sometimes i find a part that can't be fixed and have to source a new one or used replacement I'll do clutches, valves pistons etc. but have never done trans work. I always like to have a spares bike since all my bikes have been older and most dealers don't stock parts I need but $$ and distance would make it hard for me to consider yours or a another right now. I wish I was closer so I could help I hate to see someone get rid of a car or bike cause they can't get it running. I have spent many a late night working on bikes with friends drinking coffee and bullshitting. There is a go to business for my yamaha FJ parts as the owners support the old Fj11/1200 but also the legend race cars that use that motor so they actually manufacture hard to find parts and sell about anything FJ related - www.rpmracingca.com, I was not sure if there was someone/somewhere that catered to specifically to vf owners. I am comfortable making things from stuff I have laying around. My wife and kids always bitch cause my shed/shop is full crap from bikes i had 20 years ago but then I find a use for some old nut bolt or bit that I and they see the method to my madness.

 

Neo if you want to read my thread its called "rode hard & hung up wet".

 

Yes I will thanks

 

Update so far. As of now I have found the screw in tubes for my carb sync tool so I could sync the carbs. I replaced and rerouted the fuel lines and gotten rid of that nasty in line valve. I fixed the petcock where the rubber gasket with the 4 holes had a piece missing allowing fuel to flow past when the valve was off. Each opening has a slight lip and there was a section missing only on one hole and only side so I simply turned it over and moved the broken section to the solid nub. The vacuum diaphragm portion was toast. The previous owner had plugged the vent port taken the springs out but I got it to work not realizing if the port was plugged the small diaphragm would tear and it did. For now without the vacuum it works on reserve or on and does not flow when on off. I have not had any issues with carbs flooding or leaking when I've been out ridding. I fabricated new fuel tank mounting grommets I've replaced the rear brake light actuator, replaced the turn signals and I took the braided steel brake and clutch lines off my old FJ1100 and cleaned the master cylinders. They were horrifically crusted. But I found the worst dumb PO f**k up yet when I was investigating why the rear tire/swing arm had 1 1/2 inches of free vertical play, thankfully no lateral movement. The showa shock is 3-4 inches short of the upper shock mount on the frame. They took a piece of "pipe" more like chain link fence post cut a u shaped notch to fit over the top of the shock and drilled a hole through the two "tabs" they drilled a hole through the top and fit it between the stock upper tabs on the frame to use as a spacer they had some type of lag bolts that were so loose it scared me to think of someone riding it this way. I don't have pics of it yet but i'll post some when I get to that project. I did pull the mounting bolts off the rear shock on an old xt 350 dirt bike frame I had and they fit perfectly so at least the shock is tight with quality bolts and has no play in it. I want to pull the front end off to check and re grease the steering head bearings and replace the rear shock or fabricate a better spacer. I made my own exhaust gaskets so I was able to put the F1 slipons on. Still more to do but getting it to start run and go up and down the street is a victory to me.

 

Sounds like you are having a lot of fun and success all in one!!

 

Yes since this bike is for my son I won't let him have it until I've thoroughly gone over it. So far nothing has beaten me and I have had the parts needed on hand or things I could make work. Fingers crossed the remaining issues go as well. Total spent to date $ 540. It is a running bike that could pass inspection and be out on the road tomorrow so initial investment so far is awesome. I just wish it could look like some of the members bikes I have seen here some are just immaculate.