Cylinder #2 Not Firing

[pgilliam1]

Thought I'd throw this out there in case someone else does something stupid:

My insurance is considering covering these costs as an "accident", which it certainly was. Not sure how it will go?

When I get the bike back and this whole episode comes to an end, I will update with pics .

[steve murdoch icoa #5322]

If your insurance company comes through with even a partial payment for your "accident" they will get a lot of new customers.
Good luck with the second carb cleaning.

[pgilliam1]

FINAL UPDATE:

My insurance company is covering the cost of the repair - WOO-HOO! After all, it was accidental.

The second carb cleaning did the trick (Dave you were right-on with the blocked primary jet), as verified by a thermo-scanner on the exhaust headers.

I have bled the remaining air bubbles from the brake lines and installed HH sintered pads. The brakes now are very good, with good initial bite and continuous feel. I find the OEM suspension to be very tunable for touring and back road carving, although the front is still fairly soft even at higher psi pressures. The trammeling is negligible and I haven't noticed any high speed wobble - yet. As I get acquainted with the capabilities of this bike, I am starting to realize what a great machine Honda built. Even with such a high center of gravity, this bike can hold a line with the best of them. It is quickly becoming the bike of choice from my stable as I realize how much fun it is to ride and all the positive reactions I get from other riders.

Thanks for all your inputs!
ALL's well that ends well -

[daves79x]

Glad you are getting the bike sorted. Next biggest improvement is a replacement rear shock and a front fork tune. If you think the rear is acceptable now, bolt on a Progressive and you'll not think it is the same bike. Lots of ways to make the front better also, but start with the rear - that's where most bad handling originates.

Dave

[pgilliam1]

Dave - After I go through a few more trial psi settings on the rear shock I may consider replacing it. The difference between 30 and 50 psi is very noticeable. You've been spot-on with your past recommendations so I see no reason to question them in the future - Thanks for that! I have replaced rear shocks on my V-Rod with Progressive 444's and found very little improvement at all, sad to say since they were about $500. The V-Rod rear suspension is a twin shock setup, so the comparison probably doesn't mean much.

[steve murdoch icoa #5322]

Congrats on getting things sorted.
The reaction from other riders [positive and negative]never gets old.
Spill it brother...who is your insurer?

[pgilliam1]

My insurer is the biggest in the State and on the Farm. The multiple policies I have through them and lack of other claims might have had a bearing on their decision, but accidents are why we have insurance. I was reassured that my premiums shouldn't increase due to the nature of this claim - we'll see.

[pgilliam1]

UPDATE:

So I have put over 500 miles on her since the top end and carb rebuild and she idles and runs well all the way to redline. I got the compression readings from the shop and they seem OK at 130 to 145 psi (forgot to ask if they took the readings at WOT - surely they did?). There seems to be a significant increase in acceleration when the engine hits 4000rpm (not sure if that's normal). There is also a puffing sound (like very muted backfiring) when I hold the rpm's steady. The engine never feels like it misses a stroke or hesitates, I just hear an erratic low decibel puff from the (stock) exhaust. Any ideas on the cause of this, or if it's normal, appreciated! I have replaced all 3 spark units with the red-sleeved ones and found the middle units black goo insulation had melted away, exposing the connections - hmmm? I have put her into a high-speed long sweeping turn and felt a bit of wobble, but that may have been uneven pavement. It made me wonder about that rear shock Dave recommends replacing - hmmmm? I'm going on a long ride this weekend and should get a better feel for things. All-in-All, for a bike that's over 30 years old, I'm impressed!

Side Note:
I was at a bike rally and was offered $8K for her. I turned the offer down. Maybe after a few years riding it I'll let it go, but I just got it to where it runs and rides well and I'm going to enjoy that for a while.

[daves79x]

Sounds like your bike is doing reasonably well now. The puffing sound you note probably shouldn't be there - I can't quite imagine what you're hearing. With the shop having tilted the engine twice, and all that entails having been done by guys not intimately familiar with the CBX, I can't imagine that they got everything exactly right, carbs included. It just never happens. It took me 300 miles of evaluating and fiddling to get the last restoration I did just right, and I've done a bunch of them. But you were in the situation you were in and did the best thing for you.

8K is about the very top end of the value right now for a Pro-Link. Might go quite a while looking for another offer that high. But I wouldn't sell it right now either, until you really have a chance to enjoy it.

Dave

[steve murdoch icoa #5322]

Glad to hear you are finally getting to enjoy your mostly sorted out bike.
After all your trials and tribulations i think it is time for a pic of the finished product.

[pgilliam1]

The puffing sound you note probably shouldn't be there - I can't quite imagine what you're hearing.

Dave

The best way I can explain it is to say it sounds like the exhaust valves are opening after a compression stroke without any ignition. I don't know how that could be with it running so well (getting about 37 mpg's when I take it easier on the throttle). I know they call these engines "lost spark" because the way the coils fire, but it doesn't sound loud enough to be a misfire. Timing, the carbs aren't synced properly, etc.??? I haven't heard another CBX run to compare it to and the puffing is probably too soft to hear on videos. I'll listen to a few online and see.

[pgilliam1]

Glad to hear you are finally getting to enjoy your mostly sorted out bike.
After all your trials and tribulations i think it is time for a pic of the finished product.

I'll try and take a few more pics soon, but just imagine a brand new 1981 and you'll get the picture .

[herdygerdy]

Re the puffing sound, it is probably worth checking that all 6 alloy exhaust collars are fitted properly, are tight and the exhaust gaskets are not leaking.

The quick & dirty way would be to give each of the 2x 10 mm nuts on each finned alloy collar a GENTLE tweak and see if it improves. Gentle because you do NOT want to break the stud.

And the proper way is to undo the nuts completely, remove the finned alloy collar and the two 'half round' steel collars, loosen off the rear exhaust mounting bolts, wiggle the headers out a little and replace all 6x gaskets with new ones.

Given a few bods have been in there, a slighly loose alloy finned collar, incorrectly fitted half round steel collar, unseated gasket, or simply a gasket past its use by date is entirely possible - any and all of these causes may apply across all six cylinders.

My two South Pacific Pesos worth. Let us know how you get on and keep at it.

Cheers...Tony

[pgilliam1]

So I just got back from a 500 mile 2 day ride (250 miles each way). The first day the bike ran well (except for the puffing sounds). Got to the hotel and put her to bed. The next morning I started her up and there was a fairly bad vibration and sound that lasted about 20 seconds, then the sound and vibration went away and the engine sounded normal. The best way I can describe the sound is that it sounds the same as when I release the clutch lever and the bike starts moving forward, there is a brief (maybe a second long) distinct vibration and low pitch moan as the clutch plates grab. It has always done this since I've had it.

I will check the exhaust flanges to see if I can hear or feel any air escaping from them. I'm guessing the tech had to loosen the exhaust to tilt the engine for the head and carb work? I wasn't charged for any exhaust gaskets, so that may be the problem. Do they go bad or are they just sometimes installed incorrectly? THX.

[daves79x]

Your 'bad vibration' is likely just the thing firing on only a few cylinders at first and has to catch on all six before smoothing out. You have to recheck the tightness of the exhaust nuts a couple of times when new gaskets are installed, or the exhaust has been loosened or off. Sometimes they'll loosen up enough to fall off.

Dave