Incoming RANT! Some people should just no touchie!

[RJ CB650]

Okies, so was all ready to be getting the CBX nice and running. Checking over stuff, going through and have the parts needed or being ordered. One of the front caliper pistons was sticking I noticed after I put front wheel back on with new tire. I was prepping to do the carbs. No biggie, I looked them over. Some things gave me concern, others were no problem. But I should have known something more major was a-foot. Here is what I noticed, in order.

1. The number 6 carb mix screw was slightly damaged. Looked like somebody used needle nosed pliers to adjust.
2. Somebody shortened the positive battery cable because they put the battery in backwards and couldn't get it to fit. Also flipped around the starter relay (with fusible link that had been burnt at some point)
3. Was a household style thermometer stuck to one of the fairing gauge inserts, the other had a crappy pressure gauge no longer connected to anything. (and held in by silicone)
4. The lines for the fuel lines didn't look quite right. Came off tank, into a tee, then to carbs. Hrm, no fuel shut off. Okay, some people took em out. (At least due to the latest find, I now have the extra time to get the proper one instead of the modified installation I set up)
5. Those fuel lines turned out to be quite hard. Closer inspection, was vacuum tubing!
6. The tee was an air fitting!!!!

Okay, so I was thinking derp fixer for a fuel line issue. Thirty-two years, bound to have some things fixed wrong. Is what I am used to. So parts all ready to go, and was prepping to re-gasket and do a minor rebuild (clean and re-jet, it already had been rebuilt sometime past going by mix screws). Then I saw:

NUMBER 7!

Pictures required to show the ineptitude of some previous hackjob wannabe mechanic!





Anywhoo, that was my bit of a rant. I do not hold it against previous owner, as is somebody I know quite well. By looking at the carbs, I am pretty sure that the issue was caused by the "Highly reputable bike shop" That did his rebuild/tuning for him in Minneapolis at quite the cost. Of which, when he got it back, the idle and low throttle tuning was completely messed. If I get the shop name, will pass it on. Even if they didn't cause it, any proper shop worth their weight in sand should have said "Yo, you got air line for fuel line and these parts are completely screwed"

I absolutely love fixing bikes, I really do. In fact, I prefer something in rough condition over something mintie. But I really was hoping to not have to break the assembly apart, and unless somebody has REALLY good advice, this is something that I really thought I wouldn't have to deal with. (those tees when trying to replace assembled tend to like to break the aluminum they mount to, or tear). If not for this, It would have been all together and ready to go over the longer weekend I got to do the bike.

*RJ needs a hug now

[daves79x]

Those broken parts are just the bowl vent 'Ts". You don't need them for the bike to run fine, however the passageway has to be open. Looks like someone just hacked them off. They can be replaced with the carbs as they are if you want - you don't have to split them. Randakk sells them, but I was cruising around his site last night and almost all the CBX carb parts he offers show 'out of stock'. Six Center in Holland sells them also.

It sound like the carbs would benefit from complete separation anyway, and a good going-over.

The whole fuel line thing is no big deal - just eliminate the vacuum valve altogether, plug the #3 vacuum port and use proper fuel line (5/16) and a brass 'T' to feed the carbs directly from the petcock. No drama about doing that and you're good to go there.

Dave

[CopperCollar]

Randakk is on vacation so everything shows up as out of stock.
Should be back Aug. 5th at which time everything will be available. I am sitting on two sets of carbs myself.

Mike

[RJ CB650]

Those broken parts are just the bowl vent 'Ts". You don't need them for the bike to run fine, however the passageway has to be open. Looks like someone just hacked them off. They can be replaced with the carbs as they are if you want - you don't have to split them. Randakk sells them, but I was cruising around his site last night and almost all the CBX carb parts he offers show 'out of stock'. Six Center in Holland sells them also.

It sound like the carbs would benefit from complete separation anyway, and a good going-over.

The whole fuel line thing is no big deal - just eliminate the vacuum valve altogether, plug the #3 vacuum port and use proper fuel line (5/16) and a brass 'T' to feed the carbs directly from the petcock. No drama about doing that and you're good to go there.

Dave

They were getting a good go-over as it was, just not split apart. Have a box full of all the new bits and bobs for them. Just didn't want to have to get all the new fuel line o-rings and re-peening the choke butterfly screws. The fuel shutoff, I never run without. In event of a moment of forgetfulness, or forbid, an accident, is good thing to have. Know too many bikes with wrecked engines cause owner thought "I don't need it" and forget to shut it off once, or have a petcock not perfect seal, slowly filling their crankcase with gas. Biggest killer of the 750s in my experience with them.

I have replaced vent Ts before, just always cause of rot, never ineptitude. They keep the dust, dirt, and bugs out which is notorious in farming country and I would prefer not to have to remove the carbs every year. I had looked at replacing them "As is" on other bikes, but they seem to like to damage the aluminum nipple they attach to or damage the rubber on the tee themself.

The vacuum valve was already removed, with a ball bearing shoved into the vacuum tube. Since I have the time now, will just be tracking down and getting a proper CBX one. Isn't so much having to fix it, but the fact they shouldn't need to be fixed in the first place. Is pure laziness. Lazy motorcyclists are the ones who shouldn't be on motorcycles and reason craigslist/kijiji is full of "projects for sale, lost interest" after they discover you need more than a zipsaw to do custom work.

[RJ CB650]

Think I know why they were cut. Person couldn't figure out how to get at the 2/5 carb adjustment screws. But found that 3/8 fuel line fits over the remaining nub, so have been able to rig up at least a temp fix until I drop the engine to do valve cover over winter.

The adjustment screw positioning looks odd to me (with carbs off) anybody have pictures of how the number 2 and 5 carb adjust screws should be? From my fours, they all point upwards, it seems odd that these two would need to go across the rack to adjust them. But the carbs don't seem to have ever been apart and being off by 90 degrees, if they are incorrect, not sure as to how.

[daves79x]

The vent 'T' is supposed to point upward, just above the rubber joint in your picture, and below the scallop in the top mounting rail. The scallop in the rail is to reach the adjuster. Yes, I'm sure your adjusters are correct - no way to assemble those differently. The comparison between these carbs and the DOHC fours only goes so far. The CBX is unique in so many ways.

Dave

[RJ CB650]

That is the way I was looking at it. I might have to re-evaluate and re-test the current setup. Because I was having to use 3/8th line to go over the remains of the tees, at current, they are running downwards, so hopefully fuel doesn't regularily end up in the vents. Will be adding sintered filters to the ends of the lines for now. Might need to re-adjust now that I think about it... When I drop the engine this winter to do some more in depth service and tuning, I will go about fixing them properly.

[Randakk]

Those broken parts are just the bowl vent 'Ts". You don't need them for the bike to run fine, however the passageway has to be open. Looks like someone just hacked them off. They can be replaced with the carbs as they are if you want - you don't have to split them. Randakk sells them, but I was cruising around his site last night and almost all the CBX carb parts he offers show 'out of stock'. Six Center in Holland sells them also.

It sound like the carbs would benefit from complete separation anyway, and a good going-over.

The whole fuel line thing is no big deal - just eliminate the vacuum valve altogether, plug the #3 vacuum port and use proper fuel line (5/16) and a brass 'T' to feed the carbs directly from the petcock. No drama about doing that and you're good to go there.

Dave

That was a temporary situation while on an extended summer vacation. The entire shopping cart was disabled while we were closed. Our offerings for CBX are rarely "out-of-stock." You can see it all here:

http://randakks.com/collections/honda-cbx