Author Topic: Cb400f Pittsburgh project (Read 18494 times)

Super400SuperSport · « **Reply #75 on:** May 09, 2014, 10:58:50 pm »

So today I will be riding the beast for the first time which makes me super excited! I got my plate in the mail and immediately started fabricating a plate mount from a scrap door to a really really old metal box I pulled out of a coworkers truck in exchange for 2 scrap rotors. It's some pretty thick aluminum and works perfectly for what I had in mind for it (originally got it for my seat mounting and hinge). After I made the plate mount I attached my brake light to the bottom of the license plate so it illuminates my plate (not pictured yet). I also moved those mounts for my rear sets inward to more or less hold my battery in place till I get a box made purposefully for the task at hand. One of the biggest updates thus far for me because I've been waiting to ride this beast forever and a day! Oh, I almost forgot that I replaced the clutch cable so it's nice and short and smooth compared to the 9,000 lbs of force I had to use for the old one.
Thanks for sticking with me but I'm not done yet and there will definitely be updates on me tuning it and me possibly needing help with that.

A little paint added

And another angle

Thanks for looking everyone! I really appreciate the help and encouragement on my path to getting this beast roadworthy and fingers crossed it works better than I hoped.

Andrew

I'll update in less than a week but if I don't then start looking in the papers because I haven't ride a bike in the ball park of 10 years.

Super400SuperSport · « **Reply #76 on:** May 11, 2014, 09:13:08 am »

So yesterday I went on my first ride ever on this bike and it didn't go perfectly as I wished but that's the point of these rides ya know? I got a helmet from a coworker and got a back pack of tools just in case and I got on the road. Everything was working fine but I noticed my mid throttle still sucked and the bike had no balls period. It shifted ok but I couldn't get fast enough to get into 4 gear which is because of the mid throttle problem and all the hills/potholes here in Pittsburgh. On my way to work I lost my muffler which caused her to run lean and barely run at the light right before the hill to get into my work.
I had to push the bike up the hill because I couldn't get it restarted because of the lack of a muffler. Got it to work and a coworker found my muffler driving to work in the middle of the road scraped up and dented a bit but not squished. A float hung up on my way which made me run out of gas aswell. A horrible ride to work but the ride home went without a hitch other than driving 30 up a 45 mph large hill. It was fun no matter how many problems I had but it just lets me know I need to work on a couple things before I ride again.

Here's a pic of me after the maiden voyage. You can tell I'm super happy. 7.3 miles which isn't that bad for a test run.

Thanks for looking.
Andrew

SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan · « **Reply #77 on:** May 11, 2014, 09:23:53 am »

Hi Andrew,

Sorry to hear your maiden voyage was not as fun as you may have expected. Glad you weren't stranded and were able to limp home.

That's one of the reasons you call your first period of riding a shakedown. You just didn't expect to shake down your muffler!

Don

Super400SuperSport · « **Reply #78 on:** May 11, 2014, 01:59:51 pm »

Yeah. #3 float hung up and kept leaking fuel till I taped it a few times but once I got home it was leaking so I need to redo the float height and adjust my needles down a notch to raise it up and hopefully I don't have to throw bigger jets in. I have 110's but i think that would be too big. Anyone have any luck just changing the main jet to a larger one without adjusting needle height? I might give it a quick shot and see what happens. Good thing I have torn these things down a million times and know my way around them. My muffler was a unfortunate mistake because I put my clamp on that little lip of the header and didn't actually clamp the muffler and I forgot I needed to put my bolt in to hold the weight of the muffler. Stupid mistakes but it wasn't as bad for the first ride and a lot worse could have happened. I'll fiddle with it a bit and see how everything goes. Hopefully this week I can get in some more diagnostic rides in without hills but that's kinda impossible with the way Pittsburgh is made.

Thanks for looking
Andrew

grcamna2 · « **Reply #79 on:** May 11, 2014, 02:16:12 pm »

Andrew,
You got'er out on the road w/ a plate,that's great man.I hope you'll keep an eye on your plugs(replace w/ new and check the color of the center insulator)to see how your carb. jetting is.

Super400SuperSport · « **Reply #80 on:** May 12, 2014, 05:16:25 am »

I still have to check them but it was definitely running super lean when I rode 1/2 a mile with no muffler because my headers started burning the header wrap. It was a little disconcerting seeing that. If only I bolted it on 1/10th of a inch down I would have kept it on and not had to push it up a hill but you learn that 1 little mistake can ruin everything and leave you stranded. Once I redo the carbs again I'll be on another ride that will hopefully go a million times better.

Andrew

grcamna2 · « **Reply #81 on:** May 12, 2014, 01:26:27 pm »

Andrew,
I'm hoping after you get tired of all that 'jetting work' you make the airbox look custom to your liking and re-install it and then she'll run better at the low end.
imo

Super400SuperSport · « **Reply #82 on:** May 13, 2014, 05:04:04 pm »

Haha! I hear you on that. Well.... Today I went on ride number 2 to work and I got to the same damn light and she wouldn't restart. I pushed my bike up the same hill and taking a break half way up the hill I got it to work. My front tire is also flat which would explain why I couldn't turn for the life of me at a hard left on my way to work. After looking it over a little, my condensor wire was pulling out but even after that it still wouldn't start. I need to do a little more diagnostics and adjust the points again then maybe sync it again and figure out the air adjustment and try running it again. It's still at work but I can keep it there next to bay 11 until I figure some more stuff out. I want to get it home but obviously I couldn't today. Tomorrow morning I'll do some more tinkering since I don't work till 10 I'll go in at 7:30.
This kinda gets me frustrated getting stranded and everything. Maybe soon I'll ride it without so many problems. Anyone know what size tube I'd need for my front tire?

Thanks guys.
Andrew

grcamna2 · « **Reply #83 on:** May 14, 2014, 06:02:58 am »

Andrew,
It's got quite a few 'teething' sores doesn't it ? That's a pain having to go through those right now when you want to RIDE.
The front tire takes a 3.00 x 18" or 90/90 x 18" tube;if you don't already have some get a pair of long,curved tire irons...longer for more leverage and curved to help when re-installing the bead on the tire w/o damaging the tire.They sure help me when I've always changed tires,they've never failed me.

Super400SuperSport · « **Reply #84 on:** May 14, 2014, 06:40:09 am »

Yeah, it's ruining my fun having to push this thing up hills. At least I know it's the stupid points. Today on lunch I'll adjust my points and see if that helps any. The plugs are a little black which is better than white. I'm trying to figure out where I should set my air screw but I guess one thing at a time. I half tempted to take it to a shop and making it their problem. Lol! I'll get it though. I'm pretty confident I can get it running again.

Andrew

Super400SuperSport · « **Reply #85 on:** May 15, 2014, 09:02:05 pm »

Problem solved... It's been storming here in Pittsburgh so today after watching my son I went to work and found the problem which wasn't the condenser but the wire behind the filters that got unplugged while riding or something. She runs now finally! It was no big loss because it rained all the days she was parked at work. I may try a little slime in the front tire for now until I buy a tube and hopefully I can get her home a the very least.
I plan on re syncing her while I have the bike at a place I can make as much noise as I want without getting the cops called. Hopefully it's smooth "sailing"/riding from here on out. Some new paint on the tank may be in order since I'm getting more reliable and a seat would be nice.

Thanks for looking!
Andrew

grcamna2 · « **Reply #86 on:** May 16, 2014, 04:02:10 am »

Andrew,
I've removed tires that have that slime in them,if you use it you'll have at least an hour and a half of cleanup time;get a new tube and do it the right way.
Good to hear you found out what the prob. was and she's running better !

bjbuchanan · « **Reply #87 on:** May 18, 2014, 08:48:43 pm »

Don't do the slime. It seems like a good idea but then you get left cleaning up a bunch of crap like mentioned

I have had the exact same problem happen to me with those points wires. Give the female ends a little tweak with needle nose pliers to get them a little smaller. Years of tugging makes the hole a little bigger making a crappy fit.

I don't think that going even larger on the main jet will fix the bike up. Go up on that needle jet and maybe the pilot, depends on how it reacts. Those mains are already real big.

Super400SuperSport · « **Reply #88 on:** May 18, 2014, 09:07:20 pm »

I ended up not doing the slime thing. I got it home today after work and it ran flawlessly other than the notorious center stand rubbing on the chain, float 2 hanging up all the way home (had a coworker follow me home on his Vstar), and scary but normal from what I read the sprocket having slight lateral movement.
I hope I can get her running better for my safety course Wednesday so I have to sort a lot of stuff out before I go to my class. I'm really working hard to get everything perfect. The best thing is that she really pulls super hard and actually has torque now after I raised my needles down a notch (4th from the top). I have a lot of work ahead of me which is a good idea to get out of the way to have a actually reliable bike. I do need a new battery which sucks so that's the next purchase. Any suggestions on a battery or anything is greatly appreciated.

Thanks for the response bjbuchanan
Andrew

Super400SuperSport · « **Reply #89 on:** May 19, 2014, 09:01:09 pm »

So I'm adjusting floats and bench syncing my carbs. For some reason float 2 was a little off, maybe I bumped it when puting the bowls on last time or something but it was way too far down which is why it was over flowing plus I also filled the tank so that may be another reason why it was leaking but either way it was out of adjustment. I do need to adjust the choke cam screw while they're off the bike which would be a good idea since there is absolutely no room to work with it on the bike. I may also adjust the rear brake so it does more when I push on it.

the front brakes squeek a little while riding. I am use to automotive brakes but it may be different with bike brakes. Do I use silicon to stick the pad to the caliper or do I just use brake grease on the backing plate of the pad? A stupid question coming from a mechanic but I am not sure with bikes.

Thanks guys! Cheers!
Andrew

kiwikk · « **Reply #90 on:** May 20, 2014, 01:52:47 am »

Good on ya mate!
I admire your resolve to get her back into daily use.
I love my old girl but I'm afraid I wouldn't trust her to be my daily work bike. Like lots of older machines, they're high maintenance.
Here's an idea. Get a cheap old single cylinder 4 stroke for the daily work run. This will remove time pressures for fixing up your pride and joy. This might increase your enjoyment of the repairing and tuning process.
Consider her too good for a daily runabout. She's special.
Have fun

Super400SuperSport · « **Reply #91 on:** May 20, 2014, 01:07:18 pm »

Thanks man! She's getting there. I'm still in trouble that I got this bike so I def think it would be a bad decision to get another. She's definitely running way better and I rode her through the park through all the twists and curves and pot holes but it was pretty awesome and calming even though once I walk outside my house the park is right down the street.

So far today I've had a good ride other than the front brakes squeeking.

Cheers!
Andrew

grcamna2 · « **Reply #92 on:** May 20, 2014, 04:35:50 pm »

Hi Andrew,
That's a good thing to do enjoying your bike today,rather than being in 'continuous repair mode'

Did you try adjusting your front brake caliper to match the specs in the repair manual ?
it may stop that sqeaking while you're rolling.

Super400SuperSport · « **Reply #93 on:** May 21, 2014, 12:56:10 pm »

I adjusted them awhile ago before I got it on the road but now I apparently have float 1 hanging up and carb 4 back firing out of the air filter puffs of smoke. She ran flawlessly yesterday and I enjoyed it a lot but today it started pissing fuel out and by the time I got home from a quick ride around the park it was coming out of the air filter on #1 and then #2 started coming out of the overflow tube a little. Maybe a in line filter may help and a new petcock? It could be that some stuff came out of the gas tank since I filled it completely up the other day. Either way it's getting annoying. I have found on 2 occasions that something was stopping the valves in the carbs looking like little pieces of salmon colored sand.

Of course today it had to mess up which is the start of my class. Oh well... I'll get everything fixed soon enough. I think a in line filter may help me. What do you guys think?

Thanks for looking.
Andrew

grcamna2 · « **Reply #94 on:** May 21, 2014, 05:06:01 pm »

Do the tank inside

Super400SuperSport · « **Reply #95 on:** May 21, 2014, 06:43:33 pm »

I should. It just costs money that I don't have. I think once I throw the filter I got on today it should get rid of the leaks after cleaning out the carbs once more. What a nightmare. The tank isn't that dirty but after filling it up I think it stirred up some crud.

maybe if I get it running better again I'll be in a better mood but as of now I'm in a pretty sour mood with all the trouble I'm having.

Thanks Bill and thanks for looking everyone.
Andrew

grcamna2 · « **Reply #96 on:** May 21, 2014, 08:14:30 pm »

Andrew,
Check out some different info here on the forum,there's lots of commercially available cleaners you can use(& they're cheap)to fully clean & flush out the tank..,to de-rust it also;member 'chewbacca5000' knows about the right stuff to use,PM him.

bjbuchanan · « **Reply #97 on:** May 21, 2014, 10:48:09 pm »

If it has crud to stir up it is dirty bud. Get yourself some of The Works toilet bowl cleaner for 2$ and slosh it around. It has a really high acid content for anything you can buy over the counter without some kind of license lol

Take off your petcock and plug the hole for the job otherwise it will eat your petcock. Agitate, sit, stir, all that good stuff, get it to clear out the crap. There's other solutions but they are more time consuming/work/$$. This is down and dirty but effective. Afterwards you absolutely have to get some type of viscous fluid in there like ATF, 2 stroke oil, something to coat the tank so it doesn't immediately flash rust.

Super400SuperSport · « **Reply #98 on:** May 22, 2014, 07:46:39 am »

That sounds like a pretty good way to do it. I never thought of that. I need to try that. For right now since I don't have time I'll just throw in that filter and probably in a couple weeks I'll have more time to get it done.

Andrew

Super400SuperSport · « **Reply #99 on:** July 25, 2014, 06:21:22 pm »

So since I I've been on here last everything has gone Wrong! I decided to stop being lazy and start plugging away once again. I found my problem why it wasn't starting once again.... It turned out the blue wire from my point to the bullet plug must be messed up because if I switch the wires from cylinder 2-3 to 1-4 the coil works. The condensers work and points are set correctly. I just bought a new battery today as well and changed my innertube that was going flat up front. I also bought a new caliper seal and new mirrors because I dropped the bike in the mud when I was getting super pissed kick starting it on a incline. Frustration is getting the best of me! Hopefully I'll be able to ride it for the first time with my new license. Hopefully I get everything perfect this time. One thing at a time I guess.

Cheers!
Andrew

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Author Topic: Cb400f Pittsburgh project (Read 18494 times)