Yo thank you both for taking time out of your day to help me with the bike! We've made so much progress and I think it'll run in the near future! I owe ya! - pennypincher's brother
I have a cb400 and a cm400 and worked at a local bike shop that has a lot of parts for old Honda's. Bout an hour north of butler. Let me know if you need parts I can see what they got. Also are your intake boots in good condition? And did you maybe accidentally time it 180 out?
I would cleanse the valves that may keep them from closing all the way if there is too much carbon. Could explain the fireball if the exhaust valves aren’t closing all the way due to carbon
I've dealt with a lot of CDI box failures and the way this thing is acting I think it is definitely a timing issue or low voltage to the coils, my CB650 will run with a eighth inch Valve clearance gap or 3 cylinders. My dad's Suzuki 1000 started just fine on 2 cylinders, the guy before him rode it like that for who-knows-how-long, his bike just needed a new CDI.
@@mechanicalking CDI box...that's exactly what I thought. I had to replace one on an ATV when I was a teenager. It was a pain for me to troubleshoot it back then with no internet...lol... But once determined it was a very easy fix.
I’ve worked on many carbs on many different bikes. Normally you can bench sync carbs and get them pretty spot on, I highly doubt that is the issue here. Since the beginning of the video I would’ve suspected a carb problem due to the bike firing on starting fluid. Bypass the petcock and feed the carbs fuel using a funnel see if there’s any difference. Also spray carb cleaner around the intake boots while cranking and see if she fires up. If nothing works recheck the vacuum slides/needles and make sure they were re assembled correctly and there is no issue with vacuum leaks. The way it was running in the video it really sounded like fuel starvation. Best of luck!
Also, I heard you say the bike was leaking gas- this could be a sign that one of the carb floats is sticking. Which would absolutely cause these symptoms. I’ve gotten lucky previously and was able to unstick them by using a rubber mallet and tapping on the body of the carbs while cranking the bike over. Try it out!
As someone who's owned many of these old Honda Bikes over the years the Carbs are a serious pain in the ass and have to be sink'd using a vacuum gauge setup to do it. You can guess'timate but you'll end up running on one cylinder most times or with one constantly dropping out. Great job on the rebuild for a couple guys who've never had one apart, very well done ya'll should be proud and know there's no shame in having to have the carbs sink'd because without the proper tools it's damned near impossible. Even counting turns and going with the number of turns the manual tells you to without that gauge setup they just won't be right due to tolerances in the carbs that are just slightly different using or not using the same vacuum. At least that's what I've always ran into and it's always been cheaper when I considered my time to just pay to have it done. You missed a couple steps that may come back to bite you later like lapping the valves and cleaning the pistons a bit better I'd also be sure to check timing but again great job guys and way to restore an old bike that's in to good of condition to just scrap...
I LOL'd at that too. Cringed most of the video, and they consider a backfire as success. Spent more on manuals, gaskets, carb cleaner, shitty rags and rings rather than a decent compression gauge. Fuck it gotta learn some how.
When problem solving you need to be methodical and work with one thing at a time, it's also rare to have to replace rings on a Japanese bike of that size, it really appears to be a fueling issue.
@@ojaichuck chill out. Its the cheapest bike he could find, its not ment to be a good restoration. Its about having fun and doing the minimum to get it fixed
15 or 20 years ago I bought a SnapOn pistol styled compression gauge and in the kit it came with a rubber tip that all you have to do is pull a plug and hold the tip in the hole it makes doing a compression check on engines very fast and simple I’ve always tested every engine before I bought it and that’s given me A lot of knowledge as to what I’m buying I don’t know the model number of the kit yet ironically one time on vacation I needed to check a personal watercraft of mine and I didn’t have my gauge so I bought a screw in one with all the adapters from whatever parts store was close and boy what a pain in the ass that thing was ! I wound up giving the thing to my brother-in-law law lol btw I think it was a Napa parts store but I’m not positive as I was in a area I wasn’t familiar with when I gave it to my brother-in-law the receipt was in the packaging And it happened to be his jet ski I was working on that vacation i wound up buying that machine from him eventually as well I guess the gauge worked okay it was just a pain in the ass compared to that Snap On unit I still use plus that one has its own nice metal case To it I do remember it being expensive but not sure how much I paid back then ?
Even though you guys didn't get it to idle on its own, still started and great views of inside the motor and good example of properly using the torque wrench! First video I've seen from you guys but like what you're doing so I subscribed and going to check out more of your videos!
What's the compression on the bike now? A few suggestions. Bottle feed the carburetors, plug off all vacuums. Use a fuel filter inline so you can see the fuel flow. Also put a meter on the battery while cranking the bike. If it's dropping below 10 volts the bike will be hard to start. You should have like new compression. I didn't notice in the video if you checked the valve seating. Just a thought.
Those carbs can be finicky, if the black knob between the carbs is too far off it won't start, if the sync screw is way off it won't start, if there's a vacuum leak at the carb boots it won't want to start. I set it at 1 turn in from where turning it out further stops changing the throttle linkage and usually get a good start with full choke. Then you can fine tune it.
Wouldn't want these guys anywhere near my bike. Using regular paper towel on the pistons, not using piston ring pliers or a piston ring compressor, testing the spark plug on the gas tank. Not to mention doing all that work even when you know you probably have a bad compression gauge.
Sonic clean the carbs, I made one out of a container and a orbital sander and used it for a year then bought a real sonic cleaner. I’ve bought 7 gold wings from the market place and it was the carbs every single time. Did the carbs put new tires on them and sold them. Have a 83 wing I’m doing right now.
LOL! I had a 1984 CB 750SC that had one of those sensors on the kick stand too that killed the motor when you put it down unless it was in neutral or the clutch was pulled in and I was on the Ortega Highway in California and I was taking long corners cafe race style grinding the pegs and actually grinded through the part of the kick stand that engag'd that little switch,......... the bike shut off mid corner stood straight up and almost went off a cliff!!!! I got it rigged together, rode home, bypassed that switch and threw it as far as🤬 I could!!!!
@@vancemacd6315 Yeah thanks man! Well they say a before you become slow and wise you have to be fast and stupid...... unfortunately I still have a couple cases a stupid I haven't gotten into yet.🙄 Take care.👍
@@skeetermcswagger0U812 Glad you were able to keep her rubber sided down, I bet you had to pull the seat our of your ass shortly after that experience from the pucker factor alone...LOL
Definitely a timing issue. Maybe the cam is off by a tooth, but check the ignition timing before checking cam timing...I can`t wait to see the follow up vid!
Watched the video then just knew the comments would be chock full of experts bagging on these lads just tinkering, learning and having fun. You'd all rather they were out being porch pirates? 🤦♂️😂 Keep at it, chaps!! 👍
Lots of experience with those old Honda 400's and 450's and those VM/VB Keihin carbs. The sync won't cause an issue like that. It's possible that they're not in sync, but it's not why it's not starting, unless they're so out of whack that one butterfly isn't opening at all or something of that nature, but even then I'd still expect it to idle. Those things are a dick to dial in perfectly, but they're easy to get running. I'd say just take them apart, clean them, make sure the jets are clear and there's no build-up at the bottom of the bowls, make sure throttles open at about the same time & that the slides move up easily (but not as-if there's no spring) and FFS cut that fuel hose, it's supposed to be a short distance, like 3", not 10, lol. Do that, and I can pretty much guarantee it'll run - that is of course assuming the carb is the issue. As I said, they're difficult to dial in perfectly, but very easy to get an idle. Even with a horrible sync, wrong jets, and no A/F screws it'll still most likely idle.
so today i found your video and i have the similar problem with my old kawasaki my engine seems good and i can get it to idle with the choke open. As usual i went down the research rabbit hole but today i found something that might work. When i was cleaning the carbs i did not find the idle adjusting thingy and it turns out they capped them for emissions and you have to drill the caps out to get to them i will try this out this weekend to see if this changes anything.
Just goes to show that with sheer determination, people with no mechanical ability whatsoever can eventually conquer the vast unknown...mechanically speaking, of course!! lol
Check the fuel pitcock, see if it's plugged. Did you do a valve job when the engine was down? Also check the timing. I would almost bet it's just the timing.
Seemed OK before the rebuild, I bet it was a carb problem all along. I sure would like to see the next vid when you get it running AND discover what the problem was!
I was thinking you had the wrong leads on the plugs but I’d guess it’s the stator or leaky carb floats. Hopefully you get it going and put us out of our misery!
Did anyone comment on how “the valve clearance got tight on us” ? Did you check the valve clearance before determining it was rings? Probably all you needed to do. Possible the valves were pre-loaded on the tappets. You should always do a leak down. You’ll hear and see bubbles if your spray oil on the intake and exhaust valves before making this determination.
An old trick that lots of people use is they take the spark plug wire, put a screwdriver in the socket portion of the wire then have it really close to something metal so you can see the spark. I assume he was doing that, I’m not sure.
I would almost place this in the 'so bad it's good' category, but the sad thing is people are going to watch this and think that's how you do things and "learn" from it.
check the stator.i had a cb 250t similar to that had issues with the stator.even though i got a spark it didnt ran properly.check the wiring for loose connections .adjust the spark plug clearances..check weather ignition coil is grounded properly. finally check the fuel tap .may be its clogged from the inside.use new fuel.check the engine kill switch may be its faulty.
That looks like a hawk ii, the standard cb400 hawk had wire spoke wheels and front drum brake. I think only the hawk ii had electric start, but I could be wrong. Regardless the cb400 is a great bike.
Good old plastic float and non removable pilot jets. I have tricks to remedy all issues with these years carbs! Also carb scyn doesnt cause back fires. Check the pilot jets that are pressed in. I have done about 300 sets of carbs like these and they need to have new floats put in them. They make modern floats that you can adjust the float height instead of the plastic non adjustable type.
Clean all of your jets again its possible you still have some junk in there... Did you check the points? sounds like the timing might be off a bit... as far as the gas leaking out that is usually a float adjustment issue or needle not seating properly issue... make sure there isn't any fuel in the floats and bend the float tab to make sure it is pushing the needle into the seat with a little more force if it keeps leaking once fully cleaned... ultrasonic cleaner is a life saver when cleaning old carbs with stubborn crust :)
Could also be it's been sitting for awhile and the rings and valves have crud in them not allowing them to seal. A dry/wet compression test could tell you something but, 10 times out of 9, compression improves dramatically after the engine runs for a while.
Yeah I had a 05 ninja 250 that was laid down and the kick stand had a sensor that cut spark. So yeah since the kick stand and sensor were both ripped off that took forever for me to figure out.
First thing to do with those Honda 250/400s is take the headlamp out and disconnect the black and white kill switch wire. This will save a lot of head scratching when (not if) it runs badly after a rain shower and..... while you have the top end off fit a new cam chain. You can split these and rejoin them. If the bike has been sitting for a while drain and flush the tank, don't forget to take off the fuel tap and clean that too.
I think your vids are awesome and I subscribed and have notifications on and you guys have helped get me through some really bored times and you even inspired me to start saving for my first quad but sadly I never got to it that’s ok Tho your vids are still awesome
I did not see you check the ring end gap before installing them on the pistons. WOW ! Did you take a chance. I saw where it bit a guy in the ass one time, many years ago. You are lucky. Barry
So I have 3 of these motors sitting in my back yard and 3 bikes that have this same motor that all run perfectly. First off low compression? Must of been beat up or deprived of oil for a long long time. As for the carbs, There is Several things that really matter, the air cut off valves on the side of each carb, they need to be in good condition, not torn not solidified. Then you have the Diaphragm, it's on only one carburetor attached to the float bowl, make sure its good, not torn, and all the holes in and around that area are clean and clear. Another thing is there is an extremely small o-ring on the carb with the diaphragm next to the float bowl gasket, if that's missing it will leak fuel from around the float bowl, and if you just use any old o-ring you will seal the holes that the diaphragm sprays fuel out of. As for syncing the carbs, this can be done a variety of ways. I do it by sight, there are extremely tiny holes under the throttle flaps, if you get the flaps to both line up with the holes the same they will be in sync.
You need to throw those carbs into an ultra sonic cleaner with some carb cleaner. Its not good enough to just do it by hand. Theres more going on than just jets
@@EpilepsyWarning how am i wrong. Some carbs are so sensitive with super thin gasgets they almost require a rebuild kit just for taking them apart. You get one spec of dirt or varnish in your needle and seat or around the fuel needle its not going to run right. If theres an air leak anywhere in the intakes from say a torn gasket it wont run right. If the fuel cant get to the carb from cracked lines or old fuel filters they wont run. If the tiny mesh screens are clogged they wont fill the bowls fast enough. You may get lucky just cleaning out the jets with a wire brissle but there are still many more variables that can and will cause you headaches and eventually you will replace a carb that only needed a rebuild
Pro tip: Two of the most common causes of weak/intermittent/no spark situations when resurrecting a bike are corroded contacts in the handlebar kill switch and/or rust on the pick up coil poles. Both problems can be solved with a little emory cloth. Do yourself a favor and buy some mercury sticks, you guys have enough intelligence to learn how to sync carbs in a couple of hours and they are also useful diagnostic tool. (I'm a 25 year motorcycle industry veteran who has lost count of how many bikes I've resurrected and restored)
I don't know what you paid for it but I bought a FZR 600 Yamaha for 100$ on Craigslist and had it running before sundown...the same day. It's just fun doing something like this, I don't blame yall. Next time though, check compression out before committing to a project. Last thing you want to discover is crack in the block or a siezed up motor.
I just did the carbs on a 82 Honda CB650, it has 4 carbs, and I sync them mechanically and apparently its close enough. Just look up UA-cam videos on how to do it. Its not rocket surgery.
I would cleanse the valves that may keep them from closing all the way if there is too much carbon. Could explain the fireball if the exhaust valves aren’t closing all the way due to carbon
lol when he checked the spark against the gas tank I chuckled.
yeah.. tank sits on rubber fittings
Yeah even with rubber not a great idea
@@ClintE55 You'd really freak out watching helicopter pilots connecting to live high power wires then....
@@ProfessionalPilot seen that but they are not grounded. To the ground. So... My dad use to repair helis
@@ProfessionalPilot you might not be understanding how electricity works.
Always check the valves, timing and cam chain tension when you get an old bike.
Yo thank you both for taking time out of your day to help me with the bike! We've made so much progress and I think it'll run in the near future! I owe ya! - pennypincher's brother
I have a cb400 and a cm400 and worked at a local bike shop that has a lot of parts for old Honda's. Bout an hour north of butler. Let me know if you need parts I can see what they got. Also are your intake boots in good condition? And did you maybe accidentally time it 180 out?
I would cleanse the valves that may keep them from closing all the way if there is too much carbon. Could explain the fireball if the exhaust valves aren’t closing all the way due to carbon
I've dealt with a lot of CDI box failures and the way this thing is acting I think it is definitely a timing issue or low voltage to the coils, my CB650 will run with a eighth inch Valve clearance gap or 3 cylinders. My dad's Suzuki 1000 started just fine on 2 cylinders, the guy before him rode it like that for who-knows-how-long, his bike just needed a new CDI.
@@mechanicalking CDI box...that's exactly what I thought. I had to replace one on an ATV when I was a teenager. It was a pain for me to troubleshoot it back then with no internet...lol... But once determined it was a very easy fix.
@@MISTERR0BOT0 yeah definitely sounds like timing 180 degrees out of sink or if it's old enough points
I believe it is both the timing and the carb, it is hard to diagnose because the two issues are compounding each other
I’ve worked on many carbs on many different bikes. Normally you can bench sync carbs and get them pretty spot on, I highly doubt that is the issue here. Since the beginning of the video I would’ve suspected a carb problem due to the bike firing on starting fluid. Bypass the petcock and feed the carbs fuel using a funnel see if there’s any difference. Also spray carb cleaner around the intake boots while cranking and see if she fires up. If nothing works recheck the vacuum slides/needles and make sure they were re assembled correctly and there is no issue with vacuum leaks. The way it was running in the video it really sounded like fuel starvation. Best of luck!
Also, I heard you say the bike was leaking gas- this could be a sign that one of the carb floats is sticking. Which would absolutely cause these symptoms. I’ve gotten lucky previously and was able to unstick them by using a rubber mallet and tapping on the body of the carbs while cranking the bike over. Try it out!
Chris Creasy Thanks for the insight! We’ll try your methods out and see what happens👍
break 1 of the old rings in half and use it to clean out grooves for new rings.
As someone who's owned many of these old Honda Bikes over the years the Carbs are a serious pain in the ass and have to be sink'd using a vacuum gauge setup to do it. You can guess'timate but you'll end up running on one cylinder most times or with one constantly dropping out. Great job on the rebuild for a couple guys who've never had one apart, very well done ya'll should be proud and know there's no shame in having to have the carbs sink'd because without the proper tools it's damned near impossible. Even counting turns and going with the number of turns the manual tells you to without that gauge setup they just won't be right due to tolerances in the carbs that are just slightly different using or not using the same vacuum. At least that's what I've always ran into and it's always been cheaper when I considered my time to just pay to have it done. You missed a couple steps that may come back to bite you later like lapping the valves and cleaning the pistons a bit better I'd also be sure to check timing but again great job guys and way to restore an old bike that's in to good of condition to just scrap...
love your guys videos. i’ve been watching them for about 2 years now. 🔥
Eli Cannon same
That poor starter 🤦🏼♂️
Just ran across this video. I've had about 5 of these Honda 400/450s. They are ironically fickle, did you guys ever get it running?
Cool video I grew up in the 70/80s these bikes were easy to work on unlike today with all electronic bits, thanks for posting
change the title to Almost Fixing the Cheapest Motorcycle on Craigslist
For real. I just finished searching for the 'we finally got it running' video
You suspected a bad compression gauge so instead of getting a new one you rebuilt the top end? I'm confused.
You a fuck up
@@GLEBBUGATTI1only You seriously don't have anything better to do?
I LOL'd at that too. Cringed most of the video, and they consider a backfire as success. Spent more on manuals, gaskets, carb cleaner, shitty rags and rings rather than a decent compression gauge. Fuck it gotta learn some how.
@@GLEBBUGATTI1only wtf lol u good little man?
@@DoRC Just report him for harassment and he disappears. ;-)
When you are buying anything such as a motorcycle, jet ski, quad etc. ,always ask if you can do a compression test if they say no RUN!
You have either cam timing issue or spark timing.
When problem solving you need to be methodical and work with one thing at a time, it's also rare to have to replace rings on a Japanese bike of that size, it really appears to be a fueling issue.
this video is so refreshing, reminds me of then i was younger, i had so many of these bikes and they are fun
oh and if you havent yet, change the plugs
You should make a video of all of the machines running or not
Low compression & Didn't lap the valves ?
Didn't even clean the topbof the pistons.
@@ojaichuck chill out. Its the cheapest bike he could find, its not ment to be a good restoration. Its about having fun and doing the minimum to get it fixed
15 or 20 years ago I bought a SnapOn pistol styled compression gauge and in the kit it came with a rubber tip that all you have to do is pull a plug and hold the tip in the hole it makes doing a compression check on engines very fast and simple I’ve always tested every engine before I bought it and that’s given me A lot of knowledge as to what I’m buying I don’t know the model number of the kit yet ironically one time on vacation I needed to check a personal watercraft of mine and I didn’t have my gauge so I bought a screw in one with all the adapters from whatever parts store was close and boy what a pain in the ass that thing was ! I wound up giving the thing to my brother-in-law law lol btw I think it was a Napa parts store but I’m not positive as I was in a area I wasn’t familiar with when I gave it to my brother-in-law the receipt was in the packaging And it happened to be his jet ski I was working on that vacation i wound up buying that machine from him eventually as well I guess the gauge worked okay it was just a pain in the ass compared to that Snap On unit I still use plus that one has its own nice metal case To it I do remember it being expensive but not sure how much I paid back then ?
Even though you guys didn't get it to idle on its own, still started and great views of inside the motor and good example of properly using the torque wrench! First video I've seen from you guys but like what you're doing so I subscribed and going to check out more of your videos!
What's the compression on the bike now? A few suggestions. Bottle feed the carburetors, plug off all vacuums. Use a fuel filter inline so you can see the fuel flow. Also put a meter on the battery while cranking the bike. If it's dropping below 10 volts the bike will be hard to start. You should have like new compression. I didn't notice in the video if you checked the valve seating. Just a thought.
Those carbs can be finicky, if the black knob between the carbs is too far off it won't start, if the sync screw is way off it won't start, if there's a vacuum leak at the carb boots it won't want to start. I set it at 1 turn in from where turning it out further stops changing the throttle linkage and usually get a good start with full choke. Then you can fine tune it.
Wouldn't want these guys anywhere near my bike. Using regular paper towel on the pistons, not using piston ring pliers or a piston ring compressor, testing the spark plug on the gas tank. Not to mention doing all that work even when you know you probably have a bad compression gauge.
None of what you just wrote is a disqualifier. Ring pliers, ring compressors just make it easier.
It’s all good how do you think most people do things
They look like they are not mechanics they just want to fix a motorcycle dont throw hate
It doesn’t matter what the gas man says on his snap his channel doesn’t compare to yours. Been watching for 2+ years. Keep it up penny
The details and the truth... Many props!!
Seems like penny is not acting the same as before ,don’t leave us in the dirt if your going to some stuff, keep up the good work man ✅.
RMG Airsoft Just changing up the video style trying to get as much work done as possible
@@QuadRicers i understand, dont take me as hate just cheking up on ya✔✔
Great video. Enjoyed this one from start to finish.
Sonic clean the carbs, I made one out of a container and a orbital sander and used it for a year then bought a real sonic cleaner. I’ve bought 7 gold wings from the market place and it was the carbs every single time. Did the carbs put new tires on them and sold them. Have a 83 wing I’m doing right now.
I always mark everything, including cam bearing caps so everything goes back the way they originally built it
Love these vids keep up the good work
TYPICAL PRODIGY Thanks! Up next time to finish my crf250🤔
My 82 virago 750 wouldn't start with the kick stand down.
Vance Mac donald 🤣🤣
LOL! I had a 1984 CB 750SC that had one of those sensors on the kick stand too that killed the motor when you put it down unless it was in neutral or the clutch was pulled in and I was on the Ortega Highway in California and I was taking long corners cafe race style grinding the pegs and actually grinded through the part of the kick stand that engag'd that little switch,......... the bike shut off mid corner stood straight up and almost went off a cliff!!!!
I got it rigged together, rode home, bypassed that switch and threw it as far as🤬 I could!!!!
Your lucky to be alive bro, ride safe.
@@vancemacd6315 Yeah thanks man!
Well they say a before you become slow and wise you have to be fast and stupid...... unfortunately I still have a couple cases a stupid I haven't gotten into yet.🙄
Take care.👍
@@skeetermcswagger0U812 Glad you were able to keep her rubber sided down, I bet you had to pull the seat our of your ass shortly after that experience from the pucker factor alone...LOL
Did you look to see if their is any crusty bits of gas in the fuel line?
for optimum running conditions you will have to have the carbs synced since you had them all tore apart!
So timeing is 180 out?
Thats what I was thinking.
@bobwattersWell said. I look forward to seeing the update, timing wasn't mentioned in the rebuild.
No, because it was actually running on the starter fluid, which is couldn't do with timing that far out. It'll be the carbs, it most always is.
SkyWizardless fuel feed from tank? Pet cock issue?
Despite the children complaining constantly. I actually enjoyed this new style of serious narration for this project.
Sit Nomine Digna Thanks it’s nice changing the style up
I love those honda twins and i work a lot on them. Like others said, 99% of them not starting its the carbs.
Had one of these in high school was the best bike I ever owned ended up changing the magneto I believe but other than great bike.
Definitely a timing issue. Maybe the cam is off by a tooth, but check the ignition timing before checking cam timing...I can`t wait to see the follow up vid!
try swaping the ignition leads over the backfire is the clue it fired when the exhast port was open
Watched the video then just knew the comments would be chock full of experts bagging on these lads just tinkering, learning and having fun.
You'd all rather they were out being porch pirates? 🤦♂️😂
Keep at it, chaps!! 👍
Lots of experience with those old Honda 400's and 450's and those VM/VB Keihin carbs.
The sync won't cause an issue like that. It's possible that they're not in sync, but it's not why it's not starting, unless they're so out of whack that one butterfly isn't opening at all or something of that nature, but even then I'd still expect it to idle.
Those things are a dick to dial in perfectly, but they're easy to get running. I'd say just take them apart, clean them, make sure the jets are clear and there's no build-up at the bottom of the bowls, make sure throttles open at about the same time & that the slides move up easily (but not as-if there's no spring) and FFS cut that fuel hose, it's supposed to be a short distance, like 3", not 10, lol. Do that, and I can pretty much guarantee it'll run - that is of course assuming the carb is the issue. As I said, they're difficult to dial in perfectly, but very easy to get an idle. Even with a horrible sync, wrong jets, and no A/F screws it'll still most likely idle.
Did you grind the valves new guides n stem seals if your doing that much to a motor
so today i found your video and i have the similar problem with my old kawasaki my engine seems good and i can get it to idle with the choke open. As usual i went down the research rabbit hole but today i found something that might work. When i was cleaning the carbs i did not find the idle adjusting thingy and it turns out they capped them for emissions and you have to drill the caps out to get to them i will try this out this weekend to see if this changes anything.
Just goes to show that with sheer determination, people with no mechanical ability whatsoever can eventually conquer the vast unknown...mechanically speaking, of course!! lol
Check the fuel pitcock, see if it's plugged. Did you do a valve job when the engine was down? Also check the timing. I would almost bet it's just the timing.
Seemed OK before the rebuild, I bet it was a carb problem all along. I sure would like to see the next vid when you get it running AND discover what the problem was!
i not even all the way through the video i know its the varnish in the carbs!, they didnt clean them well enough!!
Did you get the carbs tuned and balanced?
He says it wouldn’t run off fuel but in the video he showed the fuel tank wasn’t even on 😂😂😂
I was thinking you had the wrong leads on the plugs but I’d guess it’s the stator or leaky carb floats. Hopefully you get it going and put us out of our misery!
Paper element fuel filters will cause restriction on systems without a fuel pump and cause all kinds of problems.
Did anyone comment on how “the valve clearance got tight on us” ? Did you check the valve clearance before determining it was rings? Probably all you needed to do. Possible the valves were pre-loaded on the tappets. You should always do a leak down. You’ll hear and see bubbles if your spray oil on the intake and exhaust valves before making this determination.
What were you doing with the test light to check spark?
An old trick that lots of people use is they take the spark plug wire, put a screwdriver in the socket portion of the wire then have it really close to something metal so you can see the spark. I assume he was doing that, I’m not sure.
Hey penny what was that song called?
I would almost place this in the 'so bad it's good' category, but the sad thing is people are going to watch this and think that's how you do things and "learn" from it.
mind pointing out what you see wrong?
other than the spark on tank test and crappy comp gauge...I like to learn
Hey what I see is you fuck it up you learn how to fix it, also this is how you become a mechanic you learn to diagnose this is the way to do it.
it almost sounds like a knock after the rebuild
What song did you use around 11:15
Since when do you check the oil while the motor is running?... you mean warmed up?
check the stator.i had a cb 250t similar to that had issues with the stator.even though i got a spark it didnt ran properly.check the wiring for loose connections .adjust the spark plug clearances..check weather ignition coil is grounded properly. finally check the fuel tap .may be its clogged from the inside.use new fuel.check the engine kill switch may be its faulty.
That looks like a hawk ii, the standard cb400 hawk had wire spoke wheels and front drum brake. I think only the hawk ii had electric start, but I could be wrong. Regardless the cb400 is a great bike.
I think you're right. Hawk II had the stamped steel spokes.
Yessir it is the hawk ii
What’s the song played while they are mounting the engine back in the bike?
Good old plastic float and non removable pilot jets. I have tricks to remedy all issues with these years carbs!
Also carb scyn doesnt cause back fires. Check the pilot jets that are pressed in. I have done about 300 sets of carbs like these and they need to have new floats put in them. They make modern floats that you can adjust the float height instead of the plastic non adjustable type.
What about piston ring gap? Should check it before putting it in the old piston
No hate but like more a question arent you supposed to torque the head bolts like a quarter turn on all until there to spec??
Buy a lot more old bikes and get them running like this. It’s what I do and I love seeing these vids
Clean all of your jets again its possible you still have some junk in there... Did you check the points? sounds like the timing might be off a bit... as far as the gas leaking out that is usually a float adjustment issue or needle not seating properly issue... make sure there isn't any fuel in the floats and bend the float tab to make sure it is pushing the needle into the seat with a little more force if it keeps leaking once fully cleaned... ultrasonic cleaner is a life saver when cleaning old carbs with stubborn crust :)
its the carbs, it was always the carbs, you should separate the carbs and dropped them into a ultrasonic cleaner..
Could also be tight valves or a bad tester to explain low compression.
"its always the carbs" is the most true thing ive ever heard. literally every time
@@Highspeedoffset1 I agree it's the valves
Could also be it's been sitting for awhile and the rings and valves have crud in them not allowing them to seal. A dry/wet compression test could tell you something but, 10 times out of 9, compression improves dramatically after the engine runs for a while.
Like ☝🏻 said Jerry, and I quote, “ It’s always the carbs...”!
Awesome video, keep up the hard work!! also what song is that at 10:24 ?
It sounds like it's F.T.P. by Jalen & Kendal (ua-cam.com/video/_0t3B9wXHWI/v-deo.html)
Shame the bike doesn't sound as good ...yet!
Yeah I had a 05 ninja 250 that was laid down and the kick stand had a sensor that cut spark. So yeah since the kick stand and sensor were both ripped off that took forever for me to figure out.
First thing to do with those Honda 250/400s is take the headlamp out and disconnect the black and white kill switch wire. This will save a lot of head scratching when (not if) it runs badly after a rain shower and..... while you have the top end off fit a new cam chain. You can split these and rejoin them. If the bike has been sitting for a while drain and flush the tank, don't forget to take off the fuel tap and clean that too.
Did I try setting the valves. Most of the time on an old bike they're tight. That equals low compression. Won't run.
How do ya figure it needs to be running to get an accurate oil level...?
Did it smoke? Sometimes the rings are stuck in their groves. were the valves opening and closing, sometimes they get stuck in the open position.
I think your vids are awesome and I subscribed and have notifications on and you guys have helped get me through some really bored times and you even inspired me to start saving for my first quad but sadly I never got to it that’s ok Tho your vids are still awesome
I did not see you check the ring end gap before installing them on the pistons. WOW ! Did you take a chance. I saw where it bit a guy in the ass one time, many years ago. You are lucky.
Barry
So I have 3 of these motors sitting in my back yard and 3 bikes that have this same motor that all run perfectly. First off low compression? Must of been beat up or deprived of oil for a long long time. As for the carbs, There is Several things that really matter, the air cut off valves on the side of each carb, they need to be in good condition, not torn not solidified. Then you have the Diaphragm, it's on only one carburetor attached to the float bowl, make sure its good, not torn, and all the holes in and around that area are clean and clear. Another thing is there is an extremely small o-ring on the carb with the diaphragm next to the float bowl gasket, if that's missing it will leak fuel from around the float bowl, and if you just use any old o-ring you will seal the holes that the diaphragm sprays fuel out of. As for syncing the carbs, this can be done a variety of ways. I do it by sight, there are extremely tiny holes under the throttle flaps, if you get the flaps to both line up with the holes the same they will be in sync.
If the spacing is off or it's touching..how will it run or will it run at all?
Hey penny. Idk if you'll see this but if you do i definitely think you should do a drift build with the Hardbody. Would be pretty awesome to see.
Should be Titled "hacking to failure"
so what happened to this in the end ?
did you get it going (having burnt midnight oil myself!)
Did ever think about the motorcycle Institute (MMI) in Orlando
I really like these style videos!
Carter Ropcean Thanks it’s nice changing things up
You need to throw those carbs into an ultra sonic cleaner with some carb cleaner. Its not good enough to just do it by hand. Theres more going on than just jets
Wrong
@@EpilepsyWarning how am i wrong. Some carbs are so sensitive with super thin gasgets they almost require a rebuild kit just for taking them apart. You get one spec of dirt or varnish in your needle and seat or around the fuel needle its not going to run right. If theres an air leak anywhere in the intakes from say a torn gasket it wont run right. If the fuel cant get to the carb from cracked lines or old fuel filters they wont run. If the tiny mesh screens are clogged they wont fill the bowls fast enough. You may get lucky just cleaning out the jets with a wire brissle but there are still many more variables that can and will cause you headaches and eventually you will replace a carb that only needed a rebuild
since when did a full rebuild = rings and a hone ?
backyardbasher same exact thought
fixing actually means that at the end you have to show the bike FIXED otherwise is CLICKBAIT!
no...it doesnt.......what democratic run sh!thole of a school did you go to?
@@tntcyclespdx exactly, that would be 'fixed', not 'fixing' lol
nice vid i subscribe and liked the video
"Carbs need TO BE tuned". Cool bike! It'll run.
I cant tell if you have the air breather installed if not try it with the air box on
Didn’t check the valves? Very common to have them tighten up over time.
jamming on that accel handle made me frustrated a bit ;D good video guys :)
Pro tip: Two of the most common causes of weak/intermittent/no spark situations when resurrecting a bike are corroded contacts in the handlebar kill switch and/or rust on the pick up coil poles. Both problems can be solved with a little emory cloth. Do yourself a favor and buy some mercury sticks, you guys have enough intelligence to learn how to sync carbs in a couple of hours and they are also useful diagnostic tool. (I'm a 25 year motorcycle industry veteran who has lost count of how many bikes I've resurrected and restored)
nice bike, here in brasil we got a lot of hondas cb 400/450. I own a 450 custom modded to a tracker/brat myself
I don't know what you paid for it but I bought a FZR 600 Yamaha for 100$ on Craigslist and had it running before sundown...the same day. It's just fun doing something like this, I don't blame yall. Next time though, check compression out before committing to a project. Last thing you want to discover is crack in the block or a siezed up motor.
If you have to choke it could also be valves, just a heads up on any other build
I just did the carbs on a 82 Honda CB650, it has 4 carbs, and I sync them mechanically and apparently its close enough. Just look up UA-cam videos on how to do it. Its not rocket surgery.
Have a similar project. Bike needed choking to run. Turned out the plugs were all only finger tight.
cdi could be bad aswell, idk much about cb but i have a cmx450 from that era
Are the valve grinded?
I would cleanse the valves that may keep them from closing all the way if there is too much carbon. Could explain the fireball if the exhaust valves aren’t closing all the way due to carbon
Whats the song ten minutes into the video?