QuestionI bought a 1974 CB450 off a a guy. He stripped out one of the spark plug holes. I did some research online and lots of guys were repairing this with out removing the head. So I gave it shot. I put lots of grease on the tap and vaccumed everything out with a modified shop vac. I installed the spark plug and kicked it over. I kicked it three times and nothing. The fourth time the kick starter seized.
Does this sound like some metal chips got down in the head? Anything I should check before I pull the head off the bike?
Thanks a lot for your help!
Dylan
AnswerDylan... verify that the spark plug insert wasn't hanging down into the combustion chamber and then broken away to get lodged in the cylinder head.
Dylan, take off the dyno cover on the left side of the crankshaft and use a wrench to turn the motor backwards/forwards to see if the motor is seized.
A lot of Honda twins has issues with the kickstarter ratchet/stops becoming damaged/dislodged. If the kickstarter is allowed to snap back into the engine case stop after kicking it downwards, the stop can break and the mechanism jams the transmission/clutch primary gears.
If the motor turns over with the wrench, then the kickstarter mechanism needs to be checked. Pull the clutch cover off to access the outer portion of the kickstarter gears. If something more serious has happened with the kickstarter, the motor will have to come out and the cases split to access the kickstarter shaft and shaft gears.
Bill Silver
