Topic: picked up this old honda for free , need some info and parts

[Dr Rockso]

hey , i just picked up an old 79 cm400 for free , it was locked up and missing the carbs , but free is free . anyway i got it unlocked and we actually got it started without the carbs so now i know what i'm working with . anyway some smart guy busted off the bolt for the cam chain tensioner at some point , theres enough left for me to pull it out and weld on a new hunk of bolt , but i need to know how this tensioner works , does the nut keep it pulled outward or does it keep it pushed inward ? i'd fix it the right way , but it was free and i don't feel like spending any more money on it than i have to , i'm just going to teach friends to ride on it . also like i said it has no carbs or the boots for them on the engine , if anyone has a set of carbs and boots laying around they'd let go cheap let me know .

[Tim.]

Ok, I'll ask the dumb question.  How do you get a bike started without carbs?

[Dr Rockso]

gas in the cylinders,  gas soaked towel over the intake , crank , and it fired up . only ran a second but thats enough to get me to fix it , it's actually in pretty good shape . all the chrome is perfect , even has the original honda mud flap on the front fender . needs a new tank and the seat recovered to look nice again , but i'm probably just going to attach a lawn mower gas tank to it . it's only going to be putting around a parking lot .   

[seaweb11]

"gas in the cylinder"
"gas soaked towel over the intake" 
"and it fired up"

No sir, you may not work on your bike in my shop

Always keep a camera near by so you can take photos for us of these moments of impatience.

I may be a smart ass, but WoW, I had the same question going through my head as well.

“ How do you get a bike started without carbs?”

[Dr Rockso]

if you think thats dangerous i'm not even going to say some of the other things we do , anyway does anyone know about the tensioner ? or have a lead on some carbs and boots ?

[mrbreeze]

STEP AWAY FROM THE BIKE!!!!!!!!!.......................

[Dr Rockso]

.....you make it sound like i poured gas all over the bike and then threw zippos at it to get the damn thing started . i do this #$%* all the time , ALL the time , and there has never been an incident EVER on any of the over 70 some bikes i've had  , i know what i'm doing , chill out . now how about those carbs and someone that knows about the tensioner .

[Klark Kent]

set up the camera anyway.  just in case.


heres the fiche of that set up
good luck

[GNXFan]

I have to admit I've done a similar thing and it works. I just shoot some carb cleaner up into the intake boot without the carb and it will run for a few seconds just as he says.

[DarkRider]

he went beyond with the use of a gas soaked towel though....as has been said...STEP AWAY FROM THE BIKE!!! If you are just gonna rely on cheep methods to fix it that old honda isnt for you...

[bill440cars]

        Now, I can see using carburetor cleaner or starting fluid like that (I've done it with the carbs in place with carburetor cleaner) but, like has been said, "A Gas Soaked Rag?"  May not have had an incident YET, but there's always a first time. It's just NOT worth it.

                                    Later on, Bill

[Dr Rockso]

it's only gas soaked where it touches the intake , i didn't dunk a towel in a bucket or anything . if it catches fire then oh no , you drop it on the ground and step on it . i'm a welder , i'm used to things being on fire (myself included) little #$%* like this doesn't even cross my mind as dangerous , you should see what i think is dangerous . 

[kslrr]

Hey, I think it was kinda ingenious.  And I also think it is a nice thing to do to teach people how to ride.

[CrisPDuk]

it's only gas soaked where it touches the intake , i didn't dunk a towel in a bucket or anything . if it catches fire then oh no , you drop it on the ground and step on it . i'm a welder , i'm used to things being on fire (myself included) little #$%* like this doesn't even cross my mind as dangerous , you should see what i think is dangerous . 

I employ welders here in Thailand, I see (and try to stop them doing) things every day that I suspect even you would think are dangerous

Top marks for the ingenious engine starting method by the way

[Dr Rockso]

....so does anyone have carbs or boots for sale ? and i looked at that picture , but i'm still not %100 on the tensioner , the stud is broken off flush with the case , spring loaded , i can pull it outward enough to weld on a piece of bolt , but then what , i assume the nut is supposed to pull the arm , which flexes the tensioner into the chain ....right ?

[kslrr]

It most likely works like on my 350F.  The spring (#5 in fiche) provides the tension, the lock nut is loosened to allow the arm to move and then tightened to lock it in position.  I also wonder if the lock nut is simply missing, not a bolt head being broken off.

[Dr Rockso]

the stud is pretty much flush with the engine , and when you pull it out a little theres only one thread left so i'm pretty sure it's busted off . i tried looking at it again last night and it didn't seem to come out as far as i remembered , but i think theres still enough room to weld on a piece of bolt .

[Helo229]

I'M THE ROCK AND ROLL CLOWN...YEA!!!!!!! I DO COCAINE!!!!

Yea, sorry. I have nothing useful to contribute to this thread, I just recognized your avatar and it made me chuckle. Good luck with the bike mate!

[bryanj]

Nearest example is the 500/550 tensioner, only difference is the clamp bolt has a square head insted of teeth.
Carbs for these are notorious for gumming up and even ultrasonic cleaning rarely works

[crazypj]

....so does anyone have carbs or boots for sale ? and i looked at that picture , but i'm still not %100 on the tensioner , the stud is broken off flush with the case , spring loaded , i can pull it outward enough to weld on a piece of bolt , but then what , i assume the nut is supposed to pull the arm , which flexes the tensioner into the chain ....right ?

Its a flanged square head bolt that locks a slider(#7)
 I'm pretty sure you can remove cam sprocket and get tensioner out (but I haven't done one for about 20yrs so it may be a little more involved, maybe rockers off?)
PJ