Topic: Oh good lord I need some help!!!! 76 CB550 not firing 1/4 cylinders

[prov431]

Well for those following my saga, I got the bike put back together today - started right up, no issues...it's been sitting for about 2 weeks. So I shut it off and then start smelling gas....see the #3 carb dripping out of the pod, so I close the fuel petcock and tap on the float bowl...start back up, running ok. Decide to take it for a spin to see if all the wrenching I did made any difference (valves and cam chain adj, points gapped, new plugs, cleaned and ohm's the spart plug caps, new spark plugs (properly gapped), oil & filter.

So I get it on the road and immediately notice the idle hanging high then dropping slow to normal and it's got like 1/2 power...it's just rolling up to speed and struggling to make any noticeble torque....get it back to the camper and I start unplugging spark plug wires....pulled #1 no difference, pulled #4 no difference....pull either 2 or 3 and it dies. So I figure I have no spark to 1&4. I pulled the tank and separated the yellow, blue and black/white leads from each of the coils and checked continuity of both coils...both good. I checked continuity between 2&3 spark plug caps and got nothing, switched to Ohms and got either K Ohms or M Ohms, don't recall....did the same check on 1&4 spark plug caps (it was no contiunuity and one of the above ohm readings)......I figured I would double check my point gaps and verified both at .014" at highest opening....I did not make any ajustments to timing plate for either cyclinder since it last ran (quite nicely I might add)

SO, I'm stuck...I don't understand where my 1 and 4 cylinder are....HELP PLEASE I need this thing to go today!

[flybox1]

revisit your points gaps and timing/advance.  clean/file to remove any debris or pits.
look at your plug caps.  if they are 5k ohms type , they should meter out close to that. 
if they are dont, replace.

check that each plug is getting spark by holding it (one at a time) against head while hitting the starter button

[iron_worker]

No spark perhaps.

Hanging idle points to a lean condition most times. Did you introduce a massive air leak somehow on those two cylinders? Lean mixtures are harder to ignite than rich ones so it may be missing.

Something related to your spark seems more likely though due to it being both cylinders 1 & 4 which are fired by one coil and one set of points.

IW

[prov431]

I got it fixed, I had the blue wire touching the points cover... time for a ride! I gotta thank one of the other members, I found that mentioned in one of the nono spark posts!!!

[prov431]

Woo hooo! Its a rocket! Not impressed with my trued and static balanced front...bouncy...i yanked the stick on weights off....better.

[iron_worker]

Blue wire touching the points cover... care to eleborate? Is your points cover dented?

IW

[prov431]

Not the outer cover...the points plate....i didn't have the  washer on the right side of the wires...didn't notice they were providing that function.

[scottly]

Hmm, you've got a bike that runs like a rocket, AND you're in Florida??? Read this thread:

http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=118060.0