Post wash starting problems

[Athame57]

Everytime it seems I give my CB400F2 a really good wash down, it's done without a hose, I seem to get starting issues followed by running on less than one piston at least for awhile, today she behaved so like an old man I rode her home again. Is there any issue on these bikes thats notorious for this and what to do?

[Bryanj]

Plug caps and leads short out when very wet

[Nurse Julie]

I managed to get home the last 2 miles firing on just 1 cylinder when I got caught out in a deluge last year.... 4 cylinders in light drizzle, 3 in moderate rain, 2 in a downpour and 1 in a full on deluge. Never mind, I didn't have to walk home, good old Hettie.

[Athame57]

I managed to get home the last 2 miles firing on just 1 cylinder when I got caught out in a deluge last year.... 4 cylinders in light drizzle, 3 in moderate rain, 2 in a downpour and 1 in a full on deluge. Never mind, I didn't have to walk home, good old Hettie.

I suppose we need to fit pedals in a monsoon?

[Spitfire]

Sealing the HT leads where they go into the coils was the big problem for me when I was an all weather rider, I kept having problems and one night I looked under the tank and it was like an electrical storm under there. Previous to that I tried sealing the plug caps and even putting sections of hosepipe over the leads, in the end a blob of Araldite on each lead where it went into the coils fixed it. We seemed to use Araldite for everything in those days.

Cheers

Dennis

[bobv7]

One really annoying problem I had with my 400F was in the rain water ran down the tank and straight into the air filter. A right bugger when you end up on the M1 hard shoulder in the rush hour and are late for work.

[Athame57]

Sealing the HT leads where they go into the coils was the big problem for me when I was an all weather rider, I kept having problems and one night I looked under the tank and it was like an electrical storm under there. Previous to that I tried sealing the plug caps and even putting sections of hosepipe over the leads, in the end a blob of Araldite on each lead where it went into the coils fixed it. We seemed to use Araldite for everything in those days.

Cheers

Dennis

Hi Dennis
Which Araldite did you use, there seems to be lot to choose from. Given other things that have been said I think I'll take my tank off and raise the seat when washing Her Majesty, Elen of the ways!

[Spitfire]

That's a good question but I think back then there was only one Araldite, there must be something better these days, maybe some frame sealant ? Others may know better.

Cheers

Dennis

[mike the bike]

I find Sticks like Sh*t better for this application.  It doesn't go completely hard like Araldite and, unlike silicon, bonds to things.

[SteveD CB500K0]

We used Room Temperature Vulcanising sealant (RTV) back in the day.


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[Rozabikes Tim]

Everytime it seems I give my CB400F2 a really good wash down, it's done without a hose, I seem to get starting issues followed by running on less than one piston at least for awhile, today she behaved so like an old man I rode her home again. Is there any issue on these bikes thats notorious for this and what to do?

Think I know your problem. Did you wash it correctly. 20 seconds minimum whilst singing the national anthem?

[Rob62]

Turn the coils back to front so the leads go out the back, feed the HT lines over the engine clipping them in place. Did mine years ago and never had a single problem with them no matter what the weather.

This is exactly what we did back in the 70's / early 80's when I was an all year round commuter...