Carburetor adjustments HELP

[KellieLyne]

Hi everyone, I just purchased a 1965 CA95 Honda, it was very well taken care of, but before I bought it the previous owner had a mechanic rebuild the carb. So once I got the battery charged, (there is no back up kick starter attached currently, but I am fixing that immediately) I tried to start this beauty. Well, it cranks over, but it just won't start. Of course, I checked all the obvious, choke, key position, gas on, and then I noticed some gas slowly dripping out of the carb. I can't really tell if it is coming from the hose, or from the adjustment screw. Does anyone have any advice for me?

[SixtyFiveCA95]

You might not even have to adjust the carb to get it running. It might not be getting a good enough spark.

I'd check/clean the spark plugs with a little gas & a rag, then put them back in. Sometimes they can get pretty dirty and fouled up with gas.

As for the carb, I wish I knew the answer, because the one that I just got does the same exact thing. Somebody on here has to know something about that.

[SixtyFiveCA95]

It could be the the gasket between the carb and the float bowl http://www.fourwheelperformance.com/honda/ca95_carbclean01.jpg

[Smithers]

Yeah the bowl gasket is probably bad... easy fix. Spark is your biggest concern at the point I think. The spark plug cap might not be making full contact with the wire, the wire could be bad or it could be something easy like the key position. Also if there isn't spark you should check the fuse first. Use a meter to check the fuse to see if current is flowing through it at all. The blade type you can check visually but sometimes those little glass fuses are hard to see or faulty. The spark should be pretty strong too. When it fires you can see a bright flash and you can hear a snapping noise as well... at least on my Hondas.

Make sure your fuel isn't old. You might have to drain old fuel from the bowl. I would just order a gasket real quick and take apart the carb while you are waiting for it. Just take the bowl off and remove any sediment that might be in there. It will give you piece of mind.

[KellieLyne]

Well, after fiddling with it well into the night, my husband did just what you suggested. He said there was good spark but it seemed like it wasn't getting enough fuel. So he checked the bowl on the carb, BONE DRY! Nothing was getting through. Now mind you the guy who I purchased it from just had someone rebuild this carb. But since it wasn't working, my hubby took it apart and followed smithers old logs of cleaning out his carb, and when we put it back together, She started right up. She smoke a bit but she ran! We took turns slowly riding her around the block and the smoking cleared up. Oh and the gas leak, WAS coming from the hose. I little clap there and its no longer leaking. She starts right up now. Definitely a cute little bike. Thanks for your help. This is a great resource for DIY mechanics. Thanks again.

[Smithers]

That's great to hear! Good work! You can't trust any mechanics to work on these old bikes because they RaRely have ever worked on another one... and when they run into a problem they are in a hurry and don't fix things properly usually. You have to pay attention to detail is all. The fuel hose clamps are kinda weak... ok really weak! I have tried zip ties and all sorts of clamps. It's a real confined area so clamps don't fit. Here is the best solution... safety wire! You spin the wire and it seals it really tight for good. And to take it off you just clip it. No messing around with a clamp. Of course you have to twist another one on when you re-assemble but it's so easy.

Safety wire pliers if you don't have them are $10 - $20 and they usually come with a little wire to get you started. A spool of wire is cheap too. I have been thinking of doing a little safety wire guide someday...

[RobG]

Safety wire is better than duct tape! Well, maybe. Still, Smithers' advice is right on. This is how I clamped all my hoses until I found some good aircraft clamps to use. Hell, its how we clamp half the hoses on our airplanes : p

The carb feed seems to be especially susceptible to leakage due to the size of it with respect to the size of the hole. It just doesn't seem right, but it was probably done that way to make it stronger since the hose could easily be caught and yanked on.

Congrats on the success!

[KellieLyne]

Okay well she is still running strong, she sounds good, and rides good, but..... she is smoking. Not all the time though. She seems to smoke when I start her up and for few minutes afterwards when in first and second gear, but once I get going, and hit third it seems to stop. Anyone have an idea on that one? The previous owner said he just had the rings and pistons done recently, but I have no way to prove that. Do you think things are just seating? I really don't want to mess this bike up. She is fun to ride.

Kellie

[RobG]

If the smoke has a blue tint and a particular smell (one which I don't know how to describe) it is oil.

If it is white and doesn't have an unusual smell (just fuel), it is probably just running a bit rich. Have you used the choke for starting at all?

[KellieLyne]

Hey Rob, yeah it is white and you can sort of smell the gas. I thought that is was running rich, but hey I'm just a girl. About the choke, when I start it, I always start with the choke on, but it feels like it isn't getting enough gas, so I usually open it up, so the lever is all the way down. How do you adjust this carburetor so it doesn't run rich?

[RobG]

Before adjusting anything (since it otherwise runs fine and seems to go away once you ride it for a while?) When you start it, give it full choke and start it and just as soon as it fires off start backing the choke down until it is the minimum needed to run. Once it gets started it shouldn't need much.

If the smoking persists, the next thing is to check the air screw and then onto the jets I would guess. Rich could be excess fuel, or not enough air. It is the ratio that is off and either condition will give it to you.

[KellieLyne]

ugh..... my husband said it is oil. So now what? Do I have to have the whole thing rebuilt? Someone told me it might not be seated yet. But I am afraid to ride it because I don't want to blow it up. I am going to wait until I get I the manual. Since my husband I don't know much about these engines, I don't want to mess it up worse than it is.

[Smithers]

Oil is no good. The piston rings could be worn out but that's not all. The valve guides could be trashed or the valve stems could be worn out. They will let oil bypass when this happens. You can't tell which is going on unless the engine is taken apart.

[KellieLyne]

:o my hubby is gloating, he bought a 1976 AMF harley 250, that LOOKS terrible, but runs like a dream. I bought a pretty bike, well.... you know the story lol. <sigh> So now the question, do I take it to someone, or do we attempt to do this ourselves? Any suggestions?

[Smithers]

the engine is about as complicated as a lawn mower. You should do it yourselves. It would cost a fortune in labor to take it to someone. And they would not have any fun trying to find parts. And if they lose one tiny part.... we'll that's not an option when working on these engines. Sounds like you have a good project for this fall. =]

[Smithers]

Here is how thrashed one of my donor engines was. This is very bad too. The engine had been rebored but who knows what the story was behind the pistons. They were probably reused! Someone knurled them horribly. All of the chrome plating is worn off of them which means they are totally ruined. All of the knurling is a total joke to try and create more of a seal between the piston and the cylinder. Whoever rebuilt this engine totally screwed the owner over.

Can you say, slapping pistons and oil blow-by? They probably just put new rings in it and called it a rebuild engine!

http://www.fourwheelperformance.com/honda/ca95_pistons_bad.jpg

[RobG]

Having just finished my rebuild (well, it's never finished) I can say that you should definitely do yourself. Smithers' tutorials got me through it. There are enough of us on here now that have done it and enough of us with service manuals (grab one if you can find it cheap but don't spend 50$ on a reproduction) that it should be easy. It's a blast to work on. Some of us also have a fair number of spare parts in case something obscure does get lost. Be careful... but before you get raked over the coals on ebay, let us know.

Also in response to that last photo... wow... Maybe it was an honest mistake and on the last oil change he got a bag of sand confused for oil? The knurling though... man...

[KellieLyne]

That is what I am trying to tell my hubby. I am going to have him take a look at it. Then let him decide if it is something he wants to take on. He is very capable, I will wait til my manual comes then let him take a look. But until then, I'm gonna park her. Too bad too because the weather here in CA.....awesome! If it comes to needing new valve guides, you guys know where to get a hold of those? Oh and about the rings and piston job that the bike had BEFORE I bought it, not too sure on that one right about now, the seller "bought" me some new ones and is in the process of sending them to me. Real nice guy, and I feel badly not really putting stock into what he said he had done to the bike, but the case doesn't even look like it's been opened in 20 years. I could be dead wrong, and maybe the rings didn't sede, but something doesn't sit right with all the smoke. I heard Ohio Cycle might be able to order the valve guides but I'm just putting it out there to see if you guys know anyone else. Thanks for the help and info. It is good to have a sounding board.

Kellie