Topic: Terry's Effing F2, return of the prodigal SOHC4?

[Terry in Australia]

Thank God it's Fcuking Friday! I thought it was gonna be a quiet weekend with no new parts to put on the old rat, but I was pleasantly surprised when this box arrived around lunch time.

Terry’s Effing F2 new pipe 4 Sep 2020 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

Things got quiet "working from home" around 3.30 pm, so I took an early mark, went out to the driveway, dragged the old beast out and installed it. You've gotta love Delkevic, they include heaps of parts with each kit that you don't need, and leave out a couple that would be handy, but I do like that they include a set of new exhaust gaskets, as of course, I hadn't even given them a thought until I looked into the exhaust ports and realised the old gaskets were long gone. The tube of high temp silicon sealant was missing though, but luckily I had some in the Tardis, so no biggie.

Unlike the other two Delkevic pipes I've bought in the last year I actually read the instructions this time, but it made no real difference, they're a pretty simple thing to put together, (thank God for the spring hook that comes with each exhaust, fitting the springs without one would be a b1tch) and only took maybe 30 minutes to install.

Terry’s Effing F2 new pipe 4 Sep 2020 2 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

Terry’s Effing F2 new pipe 4 Sep 2020 3 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

As mentioned earlier, there were several spare bolts, nuts, alloy spacers left over which I presume are included there for a few different CB750 models. The instructions called for a spacer to be installed for the centre stand stopper, but they supplied every possible length bolt but one actually long enough, so I didn't install the spacer. When I took it off the centre stand the stopper did contact the stand, but it needs the spacer, so tomorrow I'll find a longer bolt and install it.

Terry’s Effing F2 new pipe 4 Sep 2020 5 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

What was impressive was how when I went to fire it up it started instantly, and ran way smoother. I still need to check the valve clearances, clean the points, set the gaps, time it, take the carbs off and clean them properly and rebuild them, but it was pleasant to hear it sounding more like a CB750 than a Volkswagen beetle. The weather is getting better and will be nice this weekend, so I'll ignore my yard chores like mowing the lawn and washing my car (only because it's filthy after we had a storm earlier in the week) and crack on with the Effing F2.2, and hopefully get a quick lap around the block by end of play on Sunday. Hmmnnn, I better do something about a frame kit too...........

Terry’s Effing F2 new pipe 4 Sep 2020 6 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr   

[Terry in Australia]

The Dyna III might be your old one

Thanks Per, it'd be lovely if it was, and a little sad to see it come back to me so shabby looking, but hey, I'm not looking quite as handsome as I was back in the 90's either, so I guess we're even.........

[754]

Damn I forgot to run mine with a frame kit..
 Oh well , it needs to be out again now for what happens next......
 Nice valve cover BTW  Terry..

[PeWe]

The Dyna III box must sit where it gets good cooling, right?
I heard they can suddenly pop if overheating.
Even heard about people mounting them on the handlebar center.

[Terry in Australia]

The Dyna III box must sit where it gets good cooling, right?
I heard they can suddenly pop if overheating.
Even heard about people mounting them on the handlebar center.

I've hear people knocking them here for years Per, but the one I took off my K2 was at least 30 years old and still working fine, so I can't complain. I can't decide whether I'll fart around with the points ignition on the F2 or just install the new Kokusan ignition I bought last year, as much fun as it is to clean, gap and set your points, I do like the idea of installing an electronic ignition, timing it once, and forgetting about it for the rest of your life.........  

[dave500]

yeah anything with single points like cars is easy,when theres two they always fight each as to who comes first?

[Terry in Australia]

Yeah, I'm not "anti-points" Dave, on a stock bike they're fine if you don't mind spending time maintaining them, but you can't even buy the good ones that Honda put in your bikes any more, so on top of the regular maintenance required normally, you have to deal with sh1t quality points to boot.

Points are good for getting an engine that hasn't run in a long time (like this one) going again though. As much as I love electronic ignitions, a lot of guys kill them by installing them incorrectly (usually by connecting one of the signal wires to power and killing that pickup, or shorting them out) so I'll get them running with points, then throw in a Dyna (or even better, a Martek, if I can find one, they went out of business in the 80's when all new bikes came out with electronic ignitions standard) so I don't have to touch my ignition again. I've never had a Kokusan ignition in a bike before, but they're made in Japan, so they're probably fine.  

[dave500]

yeah points are fine if you understand them fully,ive always had good results with boyers,i swapped out my holden years ago to electronic,you can fiddle and tweak road side with points whereas a dead electronic unit is dead,how many of the new millions of cars do you see dead road side these days?most are because the battery is stuffed or some sensor took a dump?ya cant even push start most new cars with a flat battery,i roll started an old galaxie automatic years ago!

[Terry in Australia]

Yeah mate, the only bike I've had ignition problems with in recent years was my GL1200, it had done 100,000 miles, but Honda had placed the coils up under the fake "tank" in a spot where there was no cooling air flowing, so the coils both cracked, and as soon as it got hot, it'd just die, and wouldn't start again until it had cooled down.

I think the fear of being stuck on the side of the road isn't that much of an issue nowadays, I've had two CB750's fail on rides in the last year, but thanks to mobile phones and unlimited roadside service, I just rang the RACV and they came out and brought me and my dead bike home. The only thing that really pissed me off when my gearbox locked up on New years Eve was that it broke down outside a pub, but the pub was closed!

[dave500]

whats worse than the pub with no beer?the pub with no bike!

[754]

Well for them days I don't have roadside service...every day,  and no phone anymore.. I just keep running points..
Why wait for a pub to be open, just pack a few emergency beers..

[Terry in Australia]

That's fair enough too Frank, you can only have what you can afford to have, but because my wife and kids drive I have roadside assistance, and it doesn't cost any more for me to be covered for all of my bikes and cars, so if needed, help is only a phone call away. I love a drink too, but prefer to do it after I finish riding for the day.

[PeWe]

My K6 got the Dyna-S back 2 weeks ago. Really easy to set. 2:3 needed a tiny bit of adjustment.
The advancer springs are cut so I could set F at idle ~1200 rpm, rock steady.  Full advance happen when it should, not too early.

I did not follow the crappy Dynatek instruction as usual that feels more like a fault tracing guide for a faulty unit.

Set it in middle position, start engine and adjust with help of a strobe lamp fed by an extra battery standing on the floor. 2:3 adjusted with imperial allen tool, no mm here!!

I hope it will not suddenly give up on 2:3 as I have read others have written about.

I could have this for a long tour. But a point plate with marked setting for bolt-on should be in the luggage.

[Terry in Australia]

Yep, good idea if you’re nervous about it Per. The only 750 I’ve seen broken down with ignition problems was my mate Pete’s bike that broke down on our way back from Bathurst Easter Motorcycle TT in 1983. I’d just installed a Martek electronic ignition in my K1 so Pete told me to take the old points plate and another advancer with a points cam (don’t forget that) just in case my Martek sh1t itself.

The Martek was fine, but when Pete’s bike started to run on 2 cylinders we stopped and pulled the points cover, and one of his new OEM points breaker arms had broken in half. Lucky for us I had my old points plate, we just swapped it out and got home fine.

[PeWe]

I got a point broken in France 1988. Daiichi point on a complete plate new before the trip max 4000km done. Bakelite broken. Drove on 2 cylinders at least 70km to a bike shop where the mechanic could repair the point by an arm from another point.
The points might come back!
It will be difficult to not compare on dyno after next dyno with good result. Then back with points and Hondaman module and dyno again

[Terry in Australia]

Yep it’d be interesting to compare them Per, the best ignition would have to be the Dyna 2000 with built in rev limiter, multiple advance curves etc, I installed one on a customers bike and it was the smoothest running CB750 I’ve ever seen, but they’re not cheap, and with all the bikes I have, if I want to go faster I just jump on a better bike.

[madmtnmotors]

I could have this for a long tour. But a point plate with marked setting for bolt-on should be in the luggage.

This is standard equipment for me, quick roadside fix. Don't forget the points cam! 

[PeWe]

Dyna 2000 cost too much if compare with other electronics that cost less and less while getting much better.
 Maybe small production numbers or ineffective production or no competition?

[PeWe]

I could have this for a long tour. But a point plate with marked setting for bolt-on should be in the luggage.

This is standard equipment for me, quick roadside fix. Don't forget the points cam! 

The point plate has its own advancer unit, no need to fiddle with the cam.

[754]

One question I have, with some Dyna and others you switch to different coils. Will they then work if you install points plate ?

[PeWe]

I use Dyna 5 ohm coils (black). Work fine with points.

[madmtnmotors]

I could have this for a long tour. But a point plate with marked setting for bolt-on should be in the luggage.

This is standard equipment for me, quick roadside fix. Don't forget the points cam! 

The point plate has its own advancer unit, no need to fiddle with the cam.

My Dyna S ignitions require the removal of the point cam to install the Dyna "trigger" (black rotor) on the existing advancer. Switching back to points requires removal of the black Dyna rotor and reinstalling the point cam to fire the points. Are you using an ignition that allows the points cam to remain in place?

[PeWe]

Dyna-s with a CB750 (hitachi) advancer with dynas rotor oriented correctly, another advancer (TEC 300) with stock rotor for TEC point plate. Both advancers have springs cut 1/2 wound to tighten them up.

[madmtnmotors]

Dyna-s with a CB750 (hitachi) advancer with dynas rotor oriented correctly, another advancer (TEC 300) with stock rotor for TEC point plate. Both advancers have springs cut 1/2 wound to tighten them up.

Ahhhh.... you carry the whole advancer unit with the point plate, that works too! 

Sorry for the hijack Terry, carry on! 

[Terry in Australia]

I could have this for a long tour. But a point plate with marked setting for bolt-on should be in the luggage.

This is standard equipment for me, quick roadside fix. Don't forget the points cam! 

The point plate has its own advancer unit, no need to fiddle with the cam.

My Dyna S ignitions require the removal of the point cam to install the Dyna "trigger" (black rotor) on the existing advancer. Switching back to points requires removal of the black Dyna rotor and reinstalling the point cam to fire the points. Are you using an ignition that allows the points cam to remain in place?

No mate, every electronic ignition ever made for a CB750 requires that the points cam is removed from the ignition advancer. While it’s not necessary to take another advancer with a points cam in place, it would make it easier if for some reason you needed to switch out the ignition on the side of the road, not that it will ever probably happen, I’ve run Dyna’s and Marteks for 40 years without a failure, so don’t bother carrying a spare ignition, or spare tyres, spare carbs, spare shock absorbers or spare anything else that could possibly fail on a ride.....