Carb or Motor issues?

xtpx

xtpx

Been Around the Block
Hey guys so I have pod filters and open pipes on my 77 CB550 and I can't get it to idle at all. The carbs have been adjusted according to what most on here have with the same mods, 115 mains and needle in the middle. My choke cable is broke and I have it rigged up where it works but not the best. Its got fresh gas, plugs, oil, oil filter... As soon as I left off the throttle and it idles down its cuts off. Also I dont know if its a problem but I disconnected my tach and am awaiting a new one in the mail. When ever i get the bike running it pushes oil out of the tach drive port.

One last thing, whenever I pulled the plugs cylinders 1,2, and 3 were heavily coated in black s**... Could it be running rich or is it the head gasket?
 
33 views and not a single reply, thanks guys -______-

Can anyone on here help me out? I was originally going to pull it apart but decided to just get the carbs synced and get it ridable for a few miles then tear it apart and rebuild the motor.

Please help me out :-\
 
xtpx said:
33 views and not a single reply, thanks guys -______-
Click to expand...

This just means that 33 people read your issue but were not qualified or experienced enough to respond, would you rather they gave some half-assed answers? I often read posts but if I don't know the answer I won't post anything, I wouldn't want to add to the problem.

You mentioned that you don't have a tach, this has me wondering if you have the idle set high enough? Maybe its set so low that its impossible to idle. Have you tried increasing it.
 
It wasn't running.

When I bought the bike it didn't have a gas tank, had a kerker exhaust without the baffle, and the air box was cracked. I just tossed the air box, re jetted the carbs, and added the pods. I also had to re do all of the wiring on the bike.
 
My apologies HerrDeacon I'm just extremely frustrated with this thing at the moment

But yeah I've been messin with it constantly! I just refuses to idle. When I got the bike running it was dialed in and idling as it should but the next day it wouldn't fire up and when it did I had to keep on the throttle like it wished it was a rc181.

As soon as i let go of the throttle it dies...
 
find an airbox on ebay, reinstall it, find a baffle for the kerker, and start from there. honda 4's run best with the stock airbox to begin with, you're not gaining anything by running pods, and you have no way of knowing what the a/f ratio is when running, so you're flying blind and so far from stock configuration that you're only going to give yourself a headache instead of being out enjoying riding. if you're trying to build a parking lot queen though, I recommend gold plating the pods

(I'm really a nice guy, you just have to know me)
 
yeah to that, everyone just slaps on the pods and expect it to run way better, as soon as you modify the intake and exhaust you are now in territory best left to people that really understad the nuances. especially with CB 4 cylinders, the carb often need the controlled air system for suction purposes and balance across carbs. put the airbox back on, make sure it is well sealed.
 
Just bought a compression tester and it came out to be 125,120,120,125! ;D

This is my second time working on one of these and was only worried that my rings in my motor were stuck or that my valve retainers were letting oil into the ignition, HAH big fuss just for nothin! :-[

Oh well I'll buy some new spark plugs tomorrow because the ones that were lookin nasty were the ones that came with the bike and they most likely look the way that they do due to the p.o. cruisin long distance with no baffle in the Kerker.

If its still too rich I'll rejet it to 112s, no problem ;)
 
you do know that there are about 13 other variables in those carbs other than the main jets that significantly affect a/f ratio, right?
 
im following this post carefully. im sure after i do the pods and open headers ill be experiancing some of these symptoms. but jetting may be just a part of what needs done to tune it right. there isnt much to these bikes so chasing down the issue and replacing parts can be a good and easy thing only because the bike is old and replacing now means in the future you will have less failing parts. learn now play later. old expression my tech teacher used to tell me in school..
 
xtpx said:
My apologies HerrDeacon I'm just extremely frustrated with this thing at the moment

But yeah I've been messin with it constantly! I just refuses to idle. When I got the bike running it was dialed in and idling as it should but the next day it wouldn't fire up and when it did I had to keep on the throttle like it wished it was a rc181.

As soon as i let go of the throttle it dies...
Click to expand...

That's interesting. What changed? Had it sucked some debris into the carbs? Were they running dry because a filter or the fuel tap were clogged and you stopped it right before it would have died anyway? Was the run in the heat of the day and cold start when it was cooler?

New plugs are a good start.
 
You say you have a choke cable? I'm not sure but as far as i know 550's dont have a choke cable but a little lever on the right carb wich turns them all. Are you sure you have 550 carbs on her? Some 750 carbs have choke cables and will fit on 550's. Do you have a picture of carbs perhaps?

As far as the situation with the full throttle or nothing, that sounds to me like your needles might be too low?
Is it possible the new jets are different on the inside where the needles rest? When they are you'll have to gas it in order to get some fuel in the engine. Set all the needles one notch higher and let us know!
 
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