Honda-SOHC
SOHC.co.uk Forums => CB350/400 => Topic started by: dbscots on June 20, 2015, 07:36:04 PM
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I'm having a problem with my '76 400f perhaps someone can shed a light on. I had the bike running pretty well after installing a Dyna ignition. Idling very nicely at 1100rpm. The plugs were a little sooty however, so while I was doing some minor adjustments of the mixture, it died. Now it will not start. It doesn't sound like it even wants to start. I have a tank full of fresh gas. Good spark on all cylinders. I'm using gl1000 coils. I do have to charge the battery a bit to get it up to 12.5 volts but I've been doing that for a while and it always started before. any ideas?
Thanks
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GL1000 coils are not a good idea as they are 9 volt coils run via a ballast resistor which is cut out on starting like old Vauxhalls and Fords with a resistor wire. You can get a spark outside the cylinder which fails under compression, plus with the wrong coils you may have done in the electronic ignition
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The information about the gl1000 coils I got from another sohc forum. I remover the ballast resistor. If I had fried the ignition, I wouldn't be gettng a good spark at the plug, would I?
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Anything is possible with electronics and coils can fire happily outside but fail under compression, how can it possibly be OK to run a 9volt coil at 12volts continuously!
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I have no idea. But you said it yourself, "anything is possible with electronics." There were a lot of people on the other forum that were successfully running gl1000 coils without the ballast resistor. just for a moment let's consider that the coils are not the problem. what else could be involved here?
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Three things stop an engine
(1) lack of fuel in the correct proportion
(2) lack of ignition at the correct time
(3) lack of compression
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Lack of air.
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Why are you using Goldwing coils ???
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I got some information from another forum that indicated you could get a much stronger spark with the gl1000 coils. Another plus was that they were a match for the mounting posts on the cb400. I found this to be true. They produced a very strong spark.
The bike was starting almost instantly and once I got the carbs synchronized, it was running pretty good although a little rich. As I said, while I was adjusting the mixture the bike quit and now simply will not start. I'm hoping that someone has an idea that can help me get this thing running again.
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Like I said 9 volt coild run at 12 volt will never last
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Anything is possible with electronics and coils can fire happily outside but fail under compression, how can it possibly be OK to run a 9volt coil at 12volts continuously!
Had that the other day on a Triumph, lovely spark but, no spark under compression.
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I will look into the possibility of no spark under compression. I still have the old coils. I'll put them back on and see what happens.
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Okay, I swapped the gl1000 coils for the stock ones and there was no difference To tell you the truth, I've never heard of the concept of plugs not firing under compression. You learn something new every day. So, assuming it's not the ignition system, what else could make a bike that was running pretty nicely suddenly quit and then just not start again?
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Anything is possible with electronics and coils can fire happily outside but fail under compression, how can it possibly be OK to run a 9volt coil at 12volts continuously!
Had that the other day on a Triumph, lovely spark but, no spark under compression.
A triumph! Never trig
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As Bryanj has already pointed out, lack of fuel in the correct proportion (or a total lack of) will mean the engine will not run.
You say you have a tank full of fresh gas, is it getting anywhere?
Can't see any mention of this having been checked.
Is there possibly a blockage in the fuel tap or the pipe between tap and carbs?
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Suck, squeeze, bang, blow- the 4 things that an engine needs to run!
Or fuel, compression, spark, exhaust...process of elimination
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I figured it out. Three out of the four plugs were bad. I took a shortcut which was a mistake. When I first checked to see if I had spark, instead of pulling a plug I just took off the plug wire and connected another plug. I had spark on all cylinders. I didn't think it could be the plugs because they were essentially new. But because I hadn't gotten the mixture right I think they became fouled to the point that they wouldn't fire although they really didn't look that bad.
Thanks to everyone who commented. I appreciate it.
Scot