Questionthis looks like a very helpful site, thank you for your
time! i have a 74 cl200(one year wonder) and while riding
it the week, it began to tap loudly and seemed to have lost
about half of its power. it was still running ok, ie there
was no big problem at idle. i started it on a cold day the
other day and noticed that i could see exhaust coming out on
the left side (the exhaust has been modified to a pipe on
each side) but not on the right side. I pulled the plug out
on the right side and turned the starter and confirmed that
there was spark. can you give some further direction?
thank you much!
al gooday
AnswerAl, "Tap loudly" could mean a number of things....
A blown exhaust pipe gasket at the head makes a loud and sharp noise.
A valve adjuster screw that has loosened up and backed off can make a lot of noise in the top end. First thing to do is to check the valve clearances all around on each cylinders compression stroke. Correct clearance is .002" when the crankshaft rotor is on the T mark.
Drain the oil and inspect for metal shavings or worse. This indicates an internal part failure.
If you changed the exhaust system and didn't change the carburetor jetting to match, the engine may have gone too lean and seized a piston/rings.
Start with a compression check on both sides. Look at the spark plugs for signs of ingestion of foreign objects. The carburetor choke plates have been known to come loose and get sucked into the intake system, causing damage.
Bill Silver
