QuestionHi Bill,
I am about to embark on a tune-up for my 73 Honda CB 350. I am trying to
locate the parts. Ignition coil, plugs, plugs, points so far on my list. Can you
suggest where I can find these parts - and am I missing anything? Will my
tool-kit that came with the bike provide all I need?
The cables are all original - should I replace them?
Also a carbeurator tune up as well? It has been sitting all winter - with starts
about once a month! Should I drain the carb? Can you suggest anything else
to clean the fuel system/carb?
OK that is it for now - thanks so much, Mark
AnswerMark... is this a Honda 350 twin or a CB350Four? Big difference, of course.
Tune-ups don't require ignition coil replacements. Sometimes you need to replace the spark plug caps on the ends of the wires, though. The resistance value should be around 5K ohms. Honda Tune up kits generally have plugs, points and condensers in them, as a set. The number of miles you have on the bike engine and the overall care it has had makes a lot of difference in what you will need and what may keep going for you, for awhile.
The tools that came in your kit, if complete, could barely get you by on repairs/tune-ups. If you own a bike, you need to know about how to repair it and have the tools to do the job. You can go to Walmart, Costco and elsewhere and get giant tool packages for $100 or less, that will get you going pretty well. An Impact Driver with a selection of bits and a good hammer will be a good investment! Steel screws, resting in aluminum threads for such a long time will setup corrosion in the threads that can spell TROUBLE in some cases.
The cables are now 33 years old.... probably time for a change! If your bike is a 1973 CB350G, then it has a front disk brake, that has its own maintenance issues. Same with the CB350F. The "regular" CB350 twins had cable operated drum brakes.
You can get a lot of stuff on Ebay, as far as tuneup parts go. You need to identify the exact model, of course, before you move forward, plus a good tune-up guide and/or shop manual will be useful. Factory info at: www.helminc.com I have a PDF version of a minor tuneup guide that is a reprint from a Cycle Guide magazine special booklet, but it only covers CB350 Twins. The priciples of engine tuning are all the same, but the details between 2 and 4 cylinder bikes are somewhat different in layout of components.
I have a new set of L & R points here at the house, for some reason, perhaps just for you.
If you used STABIL or some kind of gasoline stabilizer for the winter, the carbs should be okay. I would certainly drain them and refill the tank with fresh gasoline. Yamaha makes a carb cleaner that you mix with gasoline and then funnel down the carb fuel line to clean out the parts in the float bowl while it is all together. Depends on what kind of condition the parts are in, though. Honda carbs have numerous O-rings inside that need replacing after 33 years!
Contact me through my website: www.vintagehonda.com with your serial numbers or model description and I can help you further. I have other info or links to other sites with detailed procedures, once I know exactly what you are riding. http://100megsfree4.com/honda/
Bill Silver www.vintagehonda.com
