Topic: ignition questions

[feliz]

My K4 was running fine, considering it hadn't ran for 15 years, until I set the timing and points. Next time I started it after doing the work it ran really crappy and I figured it was fouled plugs from the extended idling while doing the work. Before taking the tank off to get at the plugs (I'm doing the valves as well) I ran the bike to get the fuel out of the lines.

While removing the plugs I noticed number three cylinder was cold while the others where hot, I thought one and three fired together, would this mean a bad plug or plug wire. The plug looked fine when I removed it and was wet from fuel. I'm wondering if they both fire together if it can be the coil?

I'm off to get new plugs, my last visit the dealer sold me resister plugs saying they had superceded the D8EAs, thanks to this forum I know better now. Thanks for reading.

[BobbyR]

If the plug was not firing it should not be dry. I would suspect that you are not getting fuel to that cylinder.

[HondaMan]

Cylinder 1&4 fire together, and 2&3 fire together, on these bikes...

Check your plug caps, too. On old coil wires, these can unscrew or strip out, making poor contact at engine speeds above idle.

Most likely, after sitting this long: the tiny air passages in the carbs that go from the itty-bitty little brass hole in the air horn, up to the main jet's emulsifier, are clogged with corrosion. This will require careful, patient rodding out with a small-diameter wire, followed by at least 24 hours of soaking in carb cleaner, then air blasting, to clean out. Very common.

[uptworedline]

i'd just check the #3 for spark. if you have fuel, then the carb is fine (as long as it is set like the other 3). otherwise, swap your #3 plug into a diff. cylinder and check for spark. and in addition, swap a working plug into the #3 cap and see if it sparks. gl

[feliz]

Okay, thanks for the replies. I did the valves and cam chain which obviously wouldn't have anything to do with number three not firing then I put in new plugs and cut 1/4" off the number three lead and it runs better than it ever has so I'm assuming it was the lead/cap connection. Thanks for the advice.