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Messages - fogrider
16
« on: July 13, 2021, 02:00:03 PM »
Quite right, the older the bike, the greater the mileage done, messed with by previous owners etc, plus going by previous experience can be misleading too. Until I put the Lambda sensor in I was convinced there was weakness causing the problem , the symptoms seemed pretty clear, I wasted a lot of time trying to resolve weakness.
The Lambda showed the reality, or I would be still chasing it now !
She was badly neglected so lots of things to resolve all at once which did'nt help.
Keep at it Tom, it's all part of the fun......
17
« on: July 13, 2021, 09:50:22 AM »
Tom, I had confusing symptoms on mine, it always seemed really weak just off idle, gasping/bogging, but never any black smoke. I finally found the idle circuit was over-feeding the full range, even though it ticked over OK. Idle jets measured as 41.
Long story short, it needed SMALLER idle jets, contrary to the symptoms. 35's have cured it , completely. Got 'em in a cheap aftermarket kit for a CB350.
It seems illogical, but it worked (for me anyway).
I think it was the American side of these forums where I read two owners with EXACTLY the same issues. After trying everything, it looked like they finally gave up and flogged their bikes, I reckon the illogical step of smaller idles would have made them happy owners too.
Good to see you don't give up easily.
18
« on: July 12, 2021, 06:42:04 PM »
Further to my earlier post re a theory I read about smaller idle jets curing a bottom end stumble :
Finally got around to fitting the smaller idle jets. The originals checked out as 41 and it idled well on them with the air screws 1.1/2 out.
The new ones are stamped 36 and checked as 36. Had a run this afternoon and it idles well (again at 1.1/2 out ) and carburates clean the whole range. No off idle stumble and even pulls clean from low revs in a high gear.
In short, it runs perfect.
It seems illogical, but it works, it's now a pleasure to ride.
Less is more !
19
« on: July 09, 2021, 05:18:59 PM »
Good reminder about heat loosening threadlock. Another use of heat I've used is to weld a nut on the damaged thread. The heat does some good and a spanner then fits the nut, I also "rattle" the nut with a light hammer as I put some torque on the spanner, that's worked a few times, working the spanner one way then the other whilst hitting it lightly end on to tease the stud loose.
Anything's better than shearing it off !
20
« on: July 07, 2021, 10:05:42 AM »
Oddjobs mention of two serrated nuts is a new one on me, like it ! you live and learn !
Danger is , so much grip , watch you don't shear the stud at the alloy face, then you're in the s**t.
Softly softly catchee monkey !!!!
21
« on: July 04, 2021, 09:12:06 AM »
In another club I'm in , for older bikes, a number of members add a splosh of two stroke oil in the fuel. It burns off no problem and owners say they never experience rusting or stale fuel. Others say Castrol R is very effective, but it's also very expensive !
For winter, it's a case of completely empty the carbs and fuel tank, or, fill the tank right up so there is no condensation room. Bikes I don't empty I add a measure of Briggs and Stratten fuel fit, it's for storing lawnmowers for a long winter. It works a treat.
22
« on: July 03, 2021, 09:11:47 AM »
I read an article a couple of years ago, that when fuel went to E5, Shell stated that it meant up to E5, not a minimum. I also saw a quote from Shell that their 'super duper' was ethanol free, I always use Shell super in my 'best' bikes and have had no problems whatsoever.
Maybe it will be clarified, minimum E10 or up to ?
23
« on: July 01, 2021, 05:17:50 PM »
As well as the advice to use copper grease on SS bolts, I was told decades ago to not put stainless steel nuts on SS bolts. Have one or the other in mild steel ( ZP no problem ). A vehicle restorer, he told me SS has a grain, SS on SS 'rags' when you try to undo them. It's true, I found out by experience, having forgotten his advice. The SS nuts with SS bolts on my old lorry mudguard brackets would NOT come off, they ragged up and I had to cut them all off, some expensive bolts too !
Some copper grease these days is rubbish too, I've taken to using silicone grease which is not too expensive from plumbers merchants. Invisible too....
24
« on: June 28, 2021, 09:38:26 AM »
If you mean that little cover on the left next to the coils, that's where the main earth wire goes to the frame on mine. Is that OK ?, have you disturbed a poor earth connection ?
Worth a look maybe....
25
« on: June 24, 2021, 07:57:28 PM »
You don't need to buy a new sump plug, just get one of those small diameter high-tech magnets, measure its diameter, drill the sump plug and push it in the hole .
It can't fall out, its magnetic !
26
« on: June 24, 2021, 09:02:58 AM »
If I remember rightly, when the Mini came out, the fact the gears were in the same sump oil as the engine, BMC thought it a wise precaution to capture swarf off the gearset as it bedded in.
As most Japanese bikes have common gearboxes too, I consider it essential. There are some fierce , tiny, bar type magnets ( about 20mm by 6mm) that fit easily in a sump plug.
Essential item !
27
« on: June 20, 2021, 09:54:38 AM »
Looking at those plugs , my opinion is you're pretty close with mixture and ignition timing. The plug colours are deceptive because, it seems to me, that your engine is burning a bit of oil. I've also seen plugs get that sort of sheen when someone was using a high detergent diesel engine oil.
Watch your oil level !
28
« on: June 18, 2021, 12:16:48 PM »
Thanks Phil, I had spotted that chart a week or so ago. Quite different to some I have seen, much bigger overlaps. The idle system on mine is'nt just an overlap, it's a whole range mixture feed ! Without putting the Lambda reader in I would not have seen that. I suspect that the bigger size of the idle jet in it is possibly allowing too much volume into the choke area. I'm waiting for some 35 pilots to try as a test.
I had spotted something else somewhere regarding Keihin type 1's, an article describing how someone had worked out that going to a smaller idle jet helped the transition off idle. I wish I could find it again. That's what I will be trying next,
although to be fair , she's running really well now with the changes I've made, clean acceleration all the way except the slightest stumble just off idle, good tickover. Good plug colour.
All this effort has turned a very badly neglected bike into a pleasant ride.
I've learned a lot about CB550f's too !
29
« on: June 16, 2021, 04:29:19 PM »
After all the tests and trials I've done to get my 550 fuelling right, with foam filter , paper filter and no filter at all, it looks to me like all you're settings are way too rich.
I think you have the 069a's like mine, if so, start again with 38 idle, needle in 2nd from top clip and 98 or 100 mains with air screw 1.1/2 out, and take it from there.
The idle jet seems especially important, I've just discovered my idle settings were badly effecting the whole system, after the knack***d float needles and valves were changed, float heights set, richness from the idle system had me chasing ghosts. Idle jet checks out as 41 ( marked 38 though) and seems to be way too big. I'm going to try some 35's just to prove a point.
All part of the fun.
30
« on: June 16, 2021, 11:27:08 AM »
The new aftermarket needles back in, 1 clip richer as previous runs showed the new needles made it way too weak .( much fatter profile than the originals). It's clear to me that the needle jet is worn ( it's done nearly 67,000 miles ).
Incredibly, the Lambda reader showed over-rich the entire range, right up to 70mph. I took the air filter out at the roadside, no difference, just lots of extra noise .
After suggestions on here, I had set the air screws slightly on the rich side to partly improve the pick-up off idle. Still ticked over OK.
As an experiment, I turned the screws out to 1.1/2 and had another run. All the richness gone, right up to 65 70mph. The idle system was feeding the whole carb range, BIG style. That's a new one on me, I've had this Lambda set-up in my Austin Gipsy (Zenith), my Citroen DS (twin choke weber) my Triumph T100 unit twin (Amal concentric ) and my Cortina estate (Ford/Weber), none of them had the idle system working the whole range. Only the bottom end.
The idle jets are stamped 38 but measure 41, next step , change the idle jets, but , for now, it's running the best so far.
Glory be.....
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