Topic: CB350F acts like its getting no gas and loss of power

[mlinder]

The 350f doesn't make any power 'til about 6 or 6.5 grand. That's where it needs to be ridden to be 'fast'. I use the term 'fast' loosely.
Run it up and down the street a while, then let's look at the plugs. Does it have a new air filter?

[XxDarkEuphoriaxX]

yeah it has a new air filter.
the old one was the original I beleive :-0

on another note with the high idle... I turned the fast idle adjustment to where when the choke is pushed down, there is 0mm between the plate and adjusting screw etc. and it idle way TOO HIGH. it was adjusted differently... how are you supposed to set this screw? when I adjusted it this way, when I pushed the choke down the bike bogged down and died....

[XxDarkEuphoriaxX]

now the bike won't start at all....

and just before that, it only ran on 3 cyl and idled extremely high.

[mlinder]

OK, so again, WHAT do the plugs look like now? What plugs are you running?

[XxDarkEuphoriaxX]

I put NKG's , new ones in. it looks like the 3 that are firing are BLACK and the other smelled like gas... and wasnt black.

Neither the one that smelled like gas (#1) or the far right black one (#4) have visible spark when I took them out and held them to the engine just now when I held down the electric start button.

[mlinder]

WHICH ngk plugs?

D8EA? D7EA?

It's near impossible to check for spark on completely fouled plugs.

You need to put a new plug and check for spark on every cylinder.

It sounds like perhaps you have been running with the choke on.

[XxDarkEuphoriaxX]

D8EA

when I push the choke lever down a little bit, the idle went up but when I pushed it down more the bike bogged down and died.

[mlinder]

I'm trying to remember which way on those carbs is choke on and off.

Anyway, get a new spark plug and check each one for spark.

[XxDarkEuphoriaxX]

I put one of the old ones in that was working before this new set that I put in yesterday and I didnt see any amount of spark at ALL. Does it matter what kind of plug I buy to test with? Am I supposed to see sparks at the points constantly or one spark every few seconds?

[mlinder]

Points that are adjusted properly will show very little spark, but technically, they spark every firing.

We need to see if you are firing a spark on all 4. Get a clean spark plug, a d8ea is preferred, and check to see that every single one sparks.

Again, you are fouling on at least 3, which means you have spark on those at least part of the time.

Please do these things in order, otherwise we get out of order and can't tell wtf is going on.

Check for spark on all 4.
Lets find out which way is choke-on on your carbs, I believe it's 'back', but I can't remember offhand.
That measn once it's warmed up (and the 350's warm up pretty fast, they are so small), you need to run it with the CHOKE OFF, otherwise you'll foul the plugs... just like they are fouled now, and they won't run anymore.
You need a full set of plugs again anyway. Like I said, these bikes never run right on 'cleaned' plugs after they've been fouled.

[XxDarkEuphoriaxX]

Well then I guess I will be buying my 4th set of spark plugs... I won't be able to get them until tomorrow probably.... I will get 5 and test each one... with the extra.

one quick thing tho
when you pull the throttle back all the way, part of the carb "rises" this metal  bar of some sort. when you let up off of the throttle it doesnt go back down...like it is stuck. Do I need to spray it with WD40?

[mlinder]

Can you take a picture to show us?
I'll go look at my 350's carbs tomorrow so I can give you better advice. But, the carbs are supposed to close when you let off the throttle....

There's a few parts that move when you twist the throttle, so any of them could be hanging up. Does the throttle go back to closed on it's own? Or do you have to twist it back to closed?

[XxDarkEuphoriaxX]

the throttle goes back, but this bar that rises up on all of the carbs doesnt. you have to push it to make it go back down. its the part that is attatched to the fast idle screw.

in the picture the part directly above to the right of the slow idle screw is the part that doesnt seem to come back down all the way.

[mlinder]

OK, take a picture, please, and post it here.
Like I said, I'll go look at the carbs on mine tomorrow.

[XxDarkEuphoriaxX]

here is a pic of what the black plugs look like:

[mlinder]

here is a pic of what the black plugs look like:

Yeah, yer running a tad rich there....


Again, can you take a picture of the part of the carb rack that isn't returning to closed position?

[XxDarkEuphoriaxX]

that T looking thing in the picture above is it, the bottom part of the "T" is supposed to come all the way to the left in the picture shown to the screw wherever it is set. There is supposed to be some sort of spring action and something is stuck I think. You can push it to the left however far it didnt go and when you do that the idle goes down but it still idles bad.

[mlinder]

Sorry, didn't see the photo.

This?

[XxDarkEuphoriaxX]

yes that doesnt move all the way to the "down" position the last half inch or so of travel unless pushed down the rest of the way.

[mlinder]

OK. That's supposed to go all the way back down.

Something is hung up somewhere.

[XxDarkEuphoriaxX]

it wasnt starting because the shut off knob was to off 

there is, I think, too much gas thru the carbs...you revv it with the throttle and it doesnt respond until you pull the throttle way back.. then it revs and comes down to a high high idle.

it def. runs on # 2,3,4 but not #1. I will try to get a video up if I can.

[XxDarkEuphoriaxX]

OK, the old plugs were D7EA and the new ones are D8EA
I took the plug out and there was STRONG spark on the cool pipe, all other 3 are hot.

I THINK the spring in the oil filter housing is missing, could this be causing a problem?
also i had it running for a few min. and it looked like smoke was coming off of the engine block... but the top head gasket is leaking oil a bit. but not dripping but you can see it on the fins.
it looked like white smoke was coming out of the spark plug hole after I took it out to test for spark. ..hm.

[mlinder]

OK, the old plugs were D7EA and the new ones are D8EA
I took the plug out and there was STRONG spark on the cool pipe, all other 3 are hot.

So, it's getting spark. That means it's either not getting, or getting too much, air or fuel.
 

I THINK the spring in the oil filter housing is missing, could this be causing a problem?

No.

also i had it running for a few min. and it looked like smoke was coming off of the engine block... but the top head gasket is leaking oil a bit. but not dripping but you can see it on the fins.

Not part of the current problem

it looked like white smoke was coming out of the spark plug hole after I took it out to test for spark. ..hm.

Which cylinder?

[XxDarkEuphoriaxX]

the # 1 that wasnt firing, I can run it a few more min. and wait for the smoke and see if it comes out of #4 or something by taking that spark plug out...
heres a video:

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name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="

type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

[mlinder]

Well, there was probably still some kinda fuel/air mixture being sucked in there, so that was probably what was escaping. Not something to worry about at this point, I don't think.

Remember, to fire a cylinder you need

1.)Spark
2.)Air
3.)Fuel

You have spark.

So figure out what's wrong with the air/fuel part of this system.