Author Topic: Another rookie... another 350F project!  (Read 2059 times)

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Offline zoomie

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Another rookie... another 350F project!
« on: March 25, 2012, 03:08:43 AM »
I started talking about this in another area and realized I needed to move it to here.  My simple, little "get an old bike running" project is now more entailed and so I'll update and ask questions / share the experience - I'm a vintage Honda newb but have already learned a TON from this site.  So thanks to everyone for the experiences and insights shared!  Here's where things stand:

Thx.   I'll move subsequent posts into the project area, but got the rack off using wd40 on and around the boots + muscle.  Took pix and will figure out how to post, as pretty amazed at what I found and others might be too. 

One carb was pristine.  The others ranged from gummed up / nasty to horrific.  The latter looks like barnacles and crystalized crud growing everywhere.  Two floats frozen, one stiff and one works. 

Interestingly the #1 choke butterfly is missing.  Appears to have been broken off above and below the little cross bar to which it's mounted.  The screws are in place and anchor just the part of the butterfly that fits along the cross bar.  I'll spare the thought process, but should have stepped away.  Instead, I stayed engaged thinking through whether or not it's something the PO did, or if the butterfly went through the motor.  Didn't want to pull the motor but kinda figuring I'd have to in order to pull the head and take a look.  That's when I should have stepped away.

But no... I pull the plugs looking for evidence of metal passing through.  The #1 carb is the worst of them and the #1 plug electrode is white, whereas the others range noticeably more "normal."  I also note a slight blow by-looking leak just below the #1 head that's run down along the cylinders.  I see next to nothing through the spark plug hole and exhaust valve and figure whatever might have been in there has blown through.
Then I get the bright idea to insert a plastic pen into the spark plug hole and gently turn over the motor in order to determine TDC -- and hear a "snap."  Sure enough, the piston or valve bit the pen and broke it off. 

The good news is that now I know there's something in there and so will take a look!   The bad is that I can't leave well-enough alone and what began as a "tinker and get it running" therapy project is looking like a full-on, semi resto project! ::)


Reading again about carb cleaning and I'll be starting that this morning.   I'll get  pix up after I resolve a camera software issue and figure out how. 

   

Offline zoomie

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Re: Another rookie... another 350F project!
« Reply #1 on: March 25, 2012, 12:22:26 PM »
Okay, a few pix.

Offline zoomie

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Re: Another rookie... another 350F project!
« Reply #2 on: March 25, 2012, 12:27:49 PM »
Here's some of the ugliness in the carbs.  What's wrong with this picture??

Offline zoomie

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Re: Another rookie... another 350F project!
« Reply #3 on: March 25, 2012, 12:35:59 PM »
I got them all apart except for a few pieces and I'll post up later to ask what I didn't figure out. 

Soaked the lower part of the rack and all the carb parts in SG mixed 50/50 for about an hour and a half.  Got some of the crud off, but there's still plenty.  I'll hit it with some carb cleaner, then make a soda blaster and clean up what's left.  After that, I'll take the rack with the bodies and the individually-bagged parts over to a shop with an ultrasonic cleaner.  They'll run them through for $40.  Then I'll polish the caps and bowls and call it done.

Some of the crud doesn't want to come off the rubber part of the floats.  Any suggestions for that, or will the ultrasonic get that?


Offline HondanutRider

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Re: Another rookie... another 350F project!
« Reply #4 on: March 26, 2012, 05:23:29 AM »
You probably are correct in now needing to pull the motor and at least remove the head to examine #1 cylinder for damage and to remove at least plastic pen parts.  It looks odd that the #1 butterfly got broken, but seeing that it did, you likely do need to examin further for damage.  Perhaps now that the carbs are off, you can examine the inlet to the motor and see if any parts made it there and got stuck before entering the chamber.

Regarding your carb "dirtiness" condition:  They don't really look too bad and a bit of soaking and careful elbow grease should remove the accumulations.  If you haven't already, be careful removing the float pins from the posts in the carb body, as those posts are very easily broken if the pin is stuck.  (I know from experience on mine. :-[)  I found that lacquer thinner worked good to remove deposits from gas that sat too long in the bowls.  Your #2 likely was dry as it sat so nothing deposited in it.  The stuff left on the float bodies (a hard plastic foam on these models) after some cleaning shouldn't be a problem - its hard to get it all off them.  I'd remove and carefully clean all the jets, making sure that the tiny holes are all clear.  (Use a fine soft copper wire to poke the holes, being careful not to damage the brass material.)  With your low mileage, they shouldn't need replacing, but all the o-rings should likely be replaced.  You might want to consider getting new float valves, as they tend to be hard to clean and any leaks from them will overflow the carb to cause gas to spill out the overflow.

Offline Mugen_Stumpo

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Re: Another rookie... another 350F project!
« Reply #5 on: March 26, 2012, 09:07:29 AM »
i love the exhaust you have? what is it? ;D

Offline zoomie

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Re: Another rookie... another 350F project!
« Reply #6 on: March 26, 2012, 10:13:56 AM »
You probably are correct in now needing to pull the motor and at least remove the head to examine #1 cylinder for damage and to remove at least plastic pen parts.  It looks odd that the #1 butterfly got broken, but seeing that it did, you likely do need to examin further for damage.  Perhaps now that the carbs are off, you can examine the inlet to the motor and see if any parts made it there and got stuck before entering the chamber.

Regarding your carb "dirtiness" condition:  They don't really look too bad and a bit of soaking and careful elbow grease should remove the accumulations.  If you haven't already, be careful removing the float pins from the posts in the carb body, as those posts are very easily broken if the pin is stuck.  (I know from experience on mine. :-[)  I found that lacquer thinner worked good to remove deposits from gas that sat too long in the bowls.  Your #2 likely was dry as it sat so nothing deposited in it.  The stuff left on the float bodies (a hard plastic foam on these models) after some cleaning shouldn't be a problem - its hard to get it all off them.  I'd remove and carefully clean all the jets, making sure that the tiny holes are all clear.  (Use a fine soft copper wire to poke the holes, being careful not to damage the brass material.)  With your low mileage, they shouldn't need replacing, but all the o-rings should likely be replaced.  You might want to consider getting new float valves, as they tend to be hard to clean and any leaks from them will overflow the carb to cause gas to spill out the overflow.

Thx for the advice Hondanut.  The jets are still in as I wasn't sure how they came out.  I started looking through the online manual but ran out of time.  I'll look into the float valve too.  These are delicate little jewels for sure!  Really amazing the engineering they packed into them. 

Mugen Stumppo,

I think it's a Kerker.  It has a red end cap but no identifying markings on the can.  It's a pretty well-made unit and it fits well if that helps.