Author Topic: What could be the issue? cb350 four( very hot, white smoke, smells gassy)  (Read 3845 times)

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Offline krusty

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What's the mileage? Do a compression test. If it needed new rings or rebore before this, I'm suspecting it may have been torn down then reassembled without regard as to original set up of pistons and rings. This could make any issue of oil burning worse hence oily plugs and incomplete combustion, gassy smell?
Honda
1976 CB750F1
1978 CB750F2
1972 CB350F
1961 C100 Cub
1962 C100 Cub
1959 C76
1963 C92
1964 C95
Suzuki
1963 M15D 50cc
1961 250TA Colleda
1961 250TA Colleda x 2 primed ready for paint and assembly
Yamaha
1977 DT175E x 2
1978 DT125E
1979 DT125F
1976 DT250E
1978 DT250G
1984 FJ1100
1990 FJ1200

Offline Dos

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To prevent it from being lean do I just adjust the pilot screw on the carbs? But if it were lean would you smell the gas?

It's got around 12,000 miles


I really hope it's not the pistons/rings I really don't want to have to take it out

Offline harisuluv

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Turn out to make leaner, in to make richer.

I think it is a fantastic suggestion to do a compression test.  You really don't have any kind of hard data to work from, just pretty much guesses.

You could even be running rich on some carbs and lean on others.  Could it be timing?  Sure maybe, it could also be a laundry list of other things, or maybe just a vacuum sync.  Gonna take some trouble shooting to figure out what is wrong.

Offline Dos

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When it hangs after revving what does that mean and how can i fix it?

Offline carnivorous chicken

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First thing you want to do is a compression test, as others have suggested. You're going to be chasing your tail trying to diagnose anything else without knowing the state of your compression. If your compression is low, you need to find out why. Sounds like most likely rings, but could also be valves. Or both. If your compression is fine, then you've got to figure out other causes -- some of which have been stated already. Lean condition, rich condition, timing, points, valve adjust. If your plus are black and wet looking, it's oil. If they're black and sooty looking, they're rich. White smoke from the breather indicates lean (and hot). Plugs look like they're oil fouled.

You can get a decent compression gauge at an auto parts store for $30-$40 that will give you an idea of your compression. Make sure to follow instructions on how to take a reading.

Your invoice doesn't have a date on it, so don't know when the work was done. If it was relatively recently, despite the embarrassment of getting ripped off,  you should go back to this guy and complain. If you can prove your bike was running better and with fewer problems than when you went in, you should get your money back. I've heard quite a few horror stories from friends in NYC who have taken vintage bikes in to shops where the mechanics have no idea what they're working with. If, on the other hand, the mechanic gave you some options ("do you want me to change out your rings?") and you said no to save money, then... lesson learned.

I'll be in NYC to work on a few bikes in mid-August. If you haven't sorted this mess out, let me know. I will be bringing a full tool kit including compression gauge and carb sync tool.