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CB750 / CB750 K3 - lack of power
« on: August 09, 2023, 08:24:26 PM »
So over the past few months, when time permits, I've been going through my very scabby 750. But once getting it out on the open road, I quickly noticed it lacked a lot of power. Low and mid range seems decent enough, but there doesn't seem to be a lot happening beyond half throttle.
I have 657A carbs, but it came with 130 main jets. I replaced them with stock size 110s (i'm running a stock airbox now) as well as moved the needles to position 4, and that improved things significantly - its not completely stumbling at half throttle any more - it has a little more punch at the top but it still feels very weak. Can't really get over 60mph
Low end punch seems mostly fine - right now I know its not running perfect, i haven't balanced the carbs beyond the best i can do by eye, nor set the idle mixture beyond the stock 1 turn. But as far as i know, that shouldn't affect much once you are deep into the throttle?
I haven't done a compression check - perhaps a big mistake. I don't have a gauge yet, but maybe i should've thought about getting one before spending money on a bike! Though it doesn't seem to gallop, so I'm guessing if its down on compression, they are all roughly equal.
Since last putting the carbs on, the idle has been hunting quite badly, I think I have an intake leak, though the heavy throttle behaviour has been the same before and after this, so I'm not expecting that to be the solution - though of course I need to fix that asap.
I've been through the carbs fairly thoroughly I think, I'm quite sure everything is clear, emulsion tube holes etc.
Tank has been cleaned, and new filter sock over the petcock (I have the threaded on style petcock, took me a while to find the part)
Spark advance is free, so that should be fine. Static timing should be fine, though perhaps I should try and verify with a timing light
Could it simply be that, for whatever reason, stock main jets aren't close enough? Or can anyone think of anything else that might create this sort of behaviour?
I have 657A carbs, but it came with 130 main jets. I replaced them with stock size 110s (i'm running a stock airbox now) as well as moved the needles to position 4, and that improved things significantly - its not completely stumbling at half throttle any more - it has a little more punch at the top but it still feels very weak. Can't really get over 60mph
Low end punch seems mostly fine - right now I know its not running perfect, i haven't balanced the carbs beyond the best i can do by eye, nor set the idle mixture beyond the stock 1 turn. But as far as i know, that shouldn't affect much once you are deep into the throttle?
I haven't done a compression check - perhaps a big mistake. I don't have a gauge yet, but maybe i should've thought about getting one before spending money on a bike! Though it doesn't seem to gallop, so I'm guessing if its down on compression, they are all roughly equal.
Since last putting the carbs on, the idle has been hunting quite badly, I think I have an intake leak, though the heavy throttle behaviour has been the same before and after this, so I'm not expecting that to be the solution - though of course I need to fix that asap.
I've been through the carbs fairly thoroughly I think, I'm quite sure everything is clear, emulsion tube holes etc.
Tank has been cleaned, and new filter sock over the petcock (I have the threaded on style petcock, took me a while to find the part)
Spark advance is free, so that should be fine. Static timing should be fine, though perhaps I should try and verify with a timing light
Could it simply be that, for whatever reason, stock main jets aren't close enough? Or can anyone think of anything else that might create this sort of behaviour?