Fresh meat!

[Loudo]

I know some of you have done this. You just can't wait. Like a kid Christmas morning.

I generally go home for lunch, so today on the heels of my success last night obtaining spark in both plugs in spite of my dodgy skills around the points plate area, I just had to take it outside and hit the starter button with everything connected.

Started right up. No spitting and coughing, no missing, just nice and smooth. Took off the choke pretty quick, adjusted the idle up at the cable top by the grip. Right side is pretty smoky, left side is not.

Of course I was immediately worried because of the adage I've read which is summarized as "if it runs good when cold, you've got other problems buddy." I interpret this to mean if it's too rich, the motor views this as if the choke is still on which accounts for a good cold start but troublesome when it warms up. Plus I've got that smoky right side which is consistent with a rich mixture. I think.

I'll go through the threads on this forum tonight because I don't wanna ask questions that have already been answered but I just thought I'd report the latest. I started it up again an hour later to see what its "sort of warm" starting is like and it was fine. Tomorrow I'll hook up my timing light (yeah, I used to own a Ford F250 from the 60s) to see if the advance is working properly. I dropped it into first gear while it was up on the bike stand and the rear wheel started spinning, a situation unchanged by hauling in the clutch. This was my first opportunity to know anything about the tranny as it wouldn't even idle correctly when I bought it, much less take it for a spin. So I've got some clutch work, plus I haven't checked the condition of the cam chain tensioner or the oil filter. Idle hands are the devil's workshop, I'm told.

[LOUD MOUSE]

As I am the person who offered the timing adjustment you are using I await the outcome. PLEASE DO ALL THE PARTS AND ADJUSTMENTS AS STATED. ......emo

I know some of you have done this. You just can't wait. Like a kid Christmas morning.

I generally go home for lunch, so today on the heels of my success last night obtaining spark in both plugs in spite of my dodgy skills around the points plate area, I just had to take it outside and hit the starter button with everything connected.

Started right up. No spitting and coughing, no missing, just nice and smooth. Took off the choke pretty quick, adjusted the idle up at the cable top by the grip. Right side is pretty smoky, left side is not.

Of course I was immediately worried because of the adage I've read which is summarized as "if it runs good when cold, you've got other problems buddy." I interpret this to mean if it's too rich, the motor views this as if the choke is still on which accounts for a good cold start but troublesome when it warms up. Plus I've got that smoky right side which is consistent with a rich mixture. I think.

I'll go through the threads on this forum tonight because I don't wanna ask questions that have already been answered but I just thought I'd report the latest. I started it up again an hour later to see what its "sort of warm" starting is like and it was fine. Tomorrow I'll hook up my timing light (yeah, I used to own a Ford F250 from the 60s) to see if the advance is working properly. I dropped it into first gear while it was up on the bike stand and the rear wheel started spinning, a situation unchanged by hauling in the clutch. This was my first opportunity to know anything about the tranny as it wouldn't even idle correctly when I bought it, much less take it for a spin. So I've got some clutch work, plus I haven't checked the condition of the cam chain tensioner or the oil filter. Idle hands are the devil's workshop, I'm told.

[Loudo]

Your recipe works and it's not a small number of folks who can testify to that. I haven't skipped any of the steps but I didn't describe my doing all of them. E3Steve has squared me away on my problem with the test light...I didn't have it bridging the two sides of the points. I re-checked the timing today and it's right on.

Here's a question: If my smoky right side exhaust doesn't go away by itself and I have no reason to believe it will, how should I approach this? Are there simple ways to determine whether it's a mixture problem or perhaps piston rings? My jet needles are on the second notch from the bottom in accordance with the instructions in Bill Silver's book.

[e3steve]

Exciting, innit? You've been doing all things pretty well, so far, Loudo; especially with regard to thread-searching here on the forum.

• Smoke: black smoke would indicate rich mixture on that carb; blue is oil burning ~ possibly a little more serious, but might be just a gummed oil control ring or latent oil from the valve guides.
  Clutch: seems like the plates are stuck together; pretty common for a bike that's been stood for a long period.

To correct the rich mixture, follow Ed's Recipe to the letter. At the very least, drop off the carbs' float bowls and clean 'em out; check the position of the needles (circlip in the middle notch); follow the Tuneup Recipe with regard to the initial idle- and air-screw settings. If that doesn't level your playing field to start with, then something else is not right.

The safest solution for the stuck clutch is to drain the crankcase, remove the left exhaust, gearshift & side crankcase cover and disassemble the clutch ass'y; don't bend the plates, or they'll be ruined.

PS: ensure that the carb slides go back in their respective carbs; they can be reversed, creating very rich mixture. The slides' cutaways must face the filters.

[Loudo]

I've got the day off and a rare few hours in a row to work on the bike.

This morning I noticed a wee drop of oil around the right side exhaust collar. I traced its source up to the points plate where a similar drop of oil existed before I even started this whole deal. I had already re-sealed the oil seal behind the points plate. I started the bike to see how much oil was coming from this spot and also to check the color of my exhaust smoke and to see if I had a working headlight which I had neglected to do in my excitement yesterday.

Started right up, only needed choke for a few seconds, a tiny bit of spitting but that's all. Smoke is...not black....maybe more blue. Headlight works intermittent if you jiggle the switch at the handlebars...gotta little problem in there to take care of, but at least my bulb isn't burned out. While I had it up on the stand after it was nice and warm I hauled in the clutch and dropped it into gear and back into neutral a couple of times. Same as yesterday. Then the third time I dropped it into first with the clutch pulled....the rear wheel didn't turn.

Well, this is new.

So what is a guy to do? I pulled it off the stand and hopped on. Clutch seemed to work fine and I did a little low speed sightseeing down the driveway about a hundred feet and turned around. Did this four times or so. Not much there in the brake department front or rear I find out so that's another area of attention. But man! I owned a '72 CB350 26 years ago (gulp) and though my memory is hazy I seem to think this older machine feels a little more like it's champing at the bit.

After all this I was getting white smoke up front and I saw the oil leak in the points area was a drip drip drip situation which was making its way down to the exhaust collar and pipe. Plus at this moment in first gear with the clutch pulled it wouldn't shift back into neutral. So I have a few things to do this weekend.

[m13]

Good work Loudo. I have been following your progress and although it seems like you have a few more details to resolve, ain't it great to hear the old girl fire up and come alive again! Keep going. and keep posting your experiences as she comes along.

[e3steve]

After all this I was getting white smoke up front and I saw the oil leak in the points area was a drip drip drip situation which was making its way down to the exhaust collar and pipe. Plus at this moment in first gear with the clutch pulled it wouldn't shift back into neutral. So I have a few things to do this weekend.

Progress; cool bananas!

• Smoke may not be emanating from oil internally ~ run the motor up to temp with the points cover removed and see if it's from the points cam seal. It could also be a broached head gasket, with oil from an oilway finding its way into the pot.
  Clutch is dragging ~ try proper and complete adjustment as per the manual(s); if you don't have them, I'll scan the relevant page for you.

G'luck!