QuestionBill; Bike sat since 1991 with stale gas. Have cleaned the carbs, will start and run but only with the choke on. Starved for fuel, seems to be a good supply in the bowls. Should there be check balls below the springs on the pilot jet screws? None shown on illustrations. Thanks, Marcel.
AnswerMarcel, when bikes have been laid up for this long, a lot of things can deteriorate. I would check the compression, adjust the valves and camchain tensioner, clean and gap the points, then set the ignition timing correctly and replace the spark plugs. Check spark plug caps for approximately 5k ohm resistance and be sure that they are screwed on tight to the ends of the coil wires. Check for good spark on all plugs before you install them. A bad condenser can kill the spark on one pair of cylinders. Excessive arcing across the points, when the engine is running, is a sign of a bad condenser.
Evaluate whether the intake manifolds are hardened and perhaps leaking air. No, there are no "check balls" in Honda carburetors. "Cleaned the carbs" has any number of descriptions... full overhaul, cleaned out the main jets, cleaned out the pilot (idle jets), removed the carbs and cleaned out the air passageways in the carb throats, replaced the float valves, set float levels to 22mm, etc. They really need a full disassembly, cleaning and reassembly with new O-rings and float valves.
Obviously, all fuel should be replaced, petcock screen cleaned or replaced, fuel lines checked for debris, too.
Bill Silver
