The old girl won't start.

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instructorpilot

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Just butttoned her up today. Randakked the carbs, they are clean with fresh rubber and new screws for everything. The front brakes have new pistons and overhaul kits. The front master cylinder has been renewed with a master cyl kit. The battery is charged and in the bike. Turned on the key and the kill switch to off. Cranked the motor until the oil pressure light went off. Kill switch to on, choke out, crank the motor and no light off. Pulled one of the bowl drain screws and no fuel. Pulled the hose off the pump and cranked the moor, no fuel. I know that there is fuel in the tank becuse I just put it there. How hard is itf to overhaul the fuel pump?
 
Could the fuel tank pickup or filter be plugged?

I've read some about rebuilding the pump but there is no rebuild "kit" I'm aware of. You'd have to make your own diaphragm. The pump is available new for around $130
Another option is converting to an electric pump.
If you decide to go electric the pressure needs to be low, 2-3 lbs.
 
dan filipi":15cui9tp said:
Could the fuel tank pickup or filter be plugged?

I've read some about rebuilding the pump but there is no rebuild "kit" I'm aware of. You'd have to make your own diaphragm. The pump is available new for around $130
Another option is converting to an electric pump.
If you decide to go electric the pressure needs to be low, 2-3 lbs.
Click to expand...

It got to late to check the pump, that's a job for tomorrow. All the lines and pickups are clear. I did install a new filter, I suppose it might be stopped up, I didn't even think to check that. Also the tank had the gas cap off while this was going on so it's not the cap. I have thought of converting to an electric pump for a while. I like the compact pump that they put on the older VT700 shadows.
 
Is there fuel at the pump inlet, tho? Perhaps the petcock(you did turn it ON, right? :Doh2: ) is stopped up, or the line from the tank to the pump is stopped up? Seems like fuel would still flow thru the pump, and to the carbs even without the engine cranking, since the tank is higher than the carbs...
 
AApple":126c3h67 said:
since the tank is higher than the carbs...
Click to expand...

Fuel level has to be at least above the petcock level for it to gravity feed, I think that's around a 1/2 tank :yes:
 
Uh....yeah....Imma thinkin the petcock is on the bottom of the tank? :eek:
Granted, the more fuel in the tank, the more it will flow via gravity, get past the pump, and into the carbs, but...wouldn't pretty much any fuel in the tank be above the petcock?
Or....does the pick-up tube inside the tank take a downward plunge from the petcock, requiring the pump to actually pull fuel out once the level gets down to reserve? Now ya got me wonderin.... :read:
 
I took the fuel quantity sender cover off and the sender out. There are two lines that come out of the petcock. There are tubes that go straight down and then across the bottom of the tank. The normal (fuel on) pipe stops at the bottom of the tank. Thr reserve pipe goes to the very bottom of the tank in a kind of basin which is the lowest part of the tank. both are clear. Maybe the fuel pump needs to be primed. I don't know. There is about a gallon and a half of fuel in the tank. I have more gas, it's just hard to drain the tank.
Al
 
try using a sprayer with some gas in it and remove the airfilter and spray a mist into the intake.. this may start the draw of fuel to the carbs.. you don't want to just dump fuel in there at this point.. so the misting sprayer is a good option.. couple of sprays try turning over.. if it starts and ies.. try again... ..
 
I got it going. Don't laugh too hard. One of the things that I did was to replace all of the fuel line. I didn't tighten the hose on the pump inlet barb so there was not enough suction to pull the fuel out of the tank. I tightened up the line so that air wouldn't get passed and the pump pumped right up. The bike started, first time in two years but did not run well. No fire on the number two cyl. Plenty of fuel though. Have to investigate an ignition issue now.
 
I just rebuilt the carbs on my 80 and had the tank boiled out. New lines and filter. I put a couple of gallons of gas in her and pressured the thank just a little with a air hose just to get fuel up to the pump. Considering the placement of the tank and the pickup tube I figured it would take a bit for the pump to pull the fuel up from the tank. I did not have the fuel line connected to the pump when I pressured the tank, just let the fuel bleed into a container then connected the line. I didn’t want to risk damaging the diaphragm in the pump. I hit the air intake with a couple shots of starting fluid and she fired right up and once I got the carbs synched she runs sweeter than the 83.

I just threw this out incase someone else has the same problem.
 
Got her running pretty good, I think I have an issue with my intake pipes. Either that or I need new sealing bands on the pipes. I tightened them as well as I could but it seems that there is still some leakage at the junction of the intake pipes and the carbs. If I spray a small stream of carb cleaner in the vicinity of the joint the engine RPM increases markedly. I still have two pipes that won't seal. My new brakes, however, work great. I have never had really good brakes on this bike until I overhauled the slaves. New pistons are the bomb. Well, one more day to work on this bike and it has to come off the lift for a while. An interesting aside, the Honda dealer refuses to honor any warrenty claim that involves bikes that have sat for a month or more and don't run right. Aparentlly the fuel that we have down here is so bad that it turns into salad dressing within two weeks. This Honda dealer is reputable so I am stabilizing all the fuel that I have in the bikes or in storage.
A
 
Speaking of vacuum leaks, did you replace the 40 mm O-rings on the tubes. Do you see any signs of cracking on the rubber boots? If you’re leaking at the boot connection on the carbs I think I would pull the boots off, put a small (SMALL) amount of black silicone on the boot then put them back together and tighten down to specs.
 
I did. I think that they might be leaking passed the throttle shafts. I thought those springs were to keep the shafts up against their seals. It is running better the more that I run it so it might just be because somthing was dried out and needed to loosen up.
 
I’m curious about something, I assume you tried to synch the carbs and with a vacuum leak most likely they wouldn’t. What does your vacuum gages show on the cylinders with the vacuum leak? Another issue I had when I rebuilt the carbs on my 80 was that you can’t replace the idle jet and getting them clean was a real pain, at least it was for me. I had one that was totally plugged.
 
I actually haven't synced the carbs yet. That's on the to do list. As for the pressed in jets, you can remove them. a little heat and a #2 easy out and they pop right out. There is a porcedure on the chopper charlies CX500 forum. I removed all of mine and yes one of them was completely clogged. I used a thin guitar string, they are sold in diameters, and cleaned it out. I found one that fit in the an open jet and then used it to clean the clogged jet. I also use WalMart brand "super tech" carb cleaner. It is very good carb cleaner. I usually buy it in quanitity because I am worried that it will be banned by the EPA.
 
I know what you mean about the EPA banning things, seems like about the time you find something that works well the EPA figures it isn’t good for the environment. Taking the idle mixture jets out with a #2 easy out, that would kind of worry me but if it works I guess that it’s ok. I made up my own vacuum gage block and put inexpensive vacuum gages on it, had to order the 5mm adapters but it works great. I really recommend getting the tool made for synching the carbs, makes the job so much easier.

I take it you are a CFI, I know completely off topic but I love to fly.
 
OldWrench":3gneu56y said:
I know what you mean about the EPA banning things, seems like about the time you find something that works well the EPA figures it isn’t good for the environment. Taking the idle mixture jets out with a #2 easy out, that would kind of worry me but if it works I guess that it’s ok. I made up my own vacuum gage block and put inexpensive vacuum gages on it, had to order the 5mm adapters but it works great. I really recommend getting the tool made for synching the carbs, makes the job so much easier.

I take it you are a CFI, I know completely off topic but I love to fly.
Click to expand...

I have the sync tools, just keep running out of time. I used to be a CFI, I still could be but I don't do much flight training any more. I am a Capt for Pinnacle which is a Delta connection carrier.
al
 
I do understand the too little time. I'm sure you'll get her dialed in soon. There is a lot of good advice on this forum, I have learned a lot from the folks here.

I just have my private, instrument and AP. However it is getting real expensive to stay current.
 
I just found a poor old TriPacer in Westfield Ma that was completely redone. The guy spared no expence. New covering, overhauled engine, new avionics. Then he died before he was even able to fly it once. A cryin shame. The airplane languished on the ramp while the probate courts decided who was responsible for it. It was finally released 8 years later and I considered buying it from the airport who has title of it for the accumulated unpaid ramp fees. I am thinking 8k and I can get it. But then my wife, I did mention that I am married, said that I would have to give up somthing else. I told her that I was buying the airplane so that I could rent a hanger to store all my other stuff in. She didn't buy it and neither did I. It's a cryin shame.
Al
 

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