Did you check out my diesel heater post? Had the garage at 20C all day today..
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New to me - ‘95 Honda Shadow VLX600
- Thread starter bosco659
- Start date
Picking up the bike Friday. Just bought a used bike ramp to help get it in the rental trailer. I think the first thing I’ll try is to shoot some gas down the carbs to see if it will at least fart.
Like all long term sitters; not a bad idea to pull the spark plugs, lube engine thoroughly and spin it a bunch before going fire. While I have the plugs out I check compression.
Good advice. Thx. These bikes have crazy high compression specs. Iirc 192 +/- 14 psi. Po reports 155/160 on a recent dry, cold test. Hopefully numbers will improve once running for a bit.
Yeah, if that was cold and dry, it'll definitely come up pretty close to what it's supposed to.
I found a nice, used, factory service manual for the bike. A bit on the expensive side with shipping but I’ve always preferred hard copy manuals to those on line.
Can’t wait to see it at Paris
Bike will be here soon 
. As I wait to pick it up I’m scratching my head for what might be causing the no run situation. I’ve read that this Honda (perhaps other bikes too) are sensitive to low battery voltage and that low voltage can cause it to not fire at all, even though it cranks over. Has anyone heard of that or experienced this? Would be nice if that’s all it was.
. As I wait to pick it up I’m scratching my head for what might be causing the no run situation. I’ve read that this Honda (perhaps other bikes too) are sensitive to low battery voltage and that low voltage can cause it to not fire at all, even though it cranks over. Has anyone heard of that or experienced this? Would be nice if that’s all it was.
Most iggy systems have a drop out voltage. Cranking the motor can bring a weak battery below that voltage. Any weak spots in the circuit ditto.
First test is charged good battery, plugs out but on the plug wires and grounded cranking to look for spark. A good clue about no gas or no spark is what the plugs look like when you remove them, wet or dry..............
First test is charged good battery, plugs out but on the plug wires and grounded cranking to look for spark. A good clue about no gas or no spark is what the plugs look like when you remove them, wet or dry..............
Works with carb cleaner. They like that, oh yes, they definitely like that . . .
Got the bike home, oiled the cylinders and tried to start it. No go. Pulled the plugs and they looked bad. Maybe from old fuel and just sitting around. Shot some gas down the intake and got it running on the rear cylinder but nothing on the front. It would idle but just barely. Any throttle and it would stall. Ordered a set of plugs and decided to do the carbs. I pulled them apart and they were quite clean but the po had been messing around with them. I think it best to order new jets. Biggest issue I found was the choke plunger on one carb is stuck in the bore, probably from old fuel. I sprayed carb cleaner down the bore with hopes it will free it up. If that doesn’t work maybe the ultrasonic cleaner? It’s a small plunger maybe 5-6mm diameter and seats in the bore under spring pressure. A pull cable lifts it off if its’ seat to enrichen the mixture. And other ideas on how to free this up? I’m really boogered if the cable breaks and the plunger gets permanently stuck in there.
Just thinking, maybe heat it with a very small torch if all else fails?
Just thinking, maybe heat it with a very small torch if all else fails?
watching!
crappy plugs; heat em GOOD (outer electrode tip red) with propane torch, wire brush em.
choke plunger lightly tap IN a bit any movement will let solvent in the gap, start the free up process.
A pic would really help here.
crappy plugs; heat em GOOD (outer electrode tip red) with propane torch, wire brush em.
choke plunger lightly tap IN a bit any movement will let solvent in the gap, start the free up process.
A pic would really help here.
Electric heat gun on carbs even with that use caution. A wet rag on the carb body.
With carb cleaner and a bit of tapping, it broke free. It’s actually a pretty delicate piece and it got a bit banged up on the way out. Fixed now. Cables were linked inside the guide tubes and they’re straight now and lubed.
First carb has been rebuilt using the old bits. Hopefully I don’t regret my hasty change of mind. Second is in the bath now.
They are a pain in the butt because the linkage that joins them together is riveted. Separation requires removal of the butterflies. Disassembly revealed one of the felt dust seals needs to be replaced. I can make one if I figure out where to buy the material. It’s about 1/8” thick. Any ideas where to get such material. I also might be able to buy premade felt donuts. I’ll have to look tonight.
New plugs are in. I polished the chain guard to remove the surface rust. Looks great the rear wheel has some rust that won’t go away willingly.
Hopefully it will be running tomorrow or Monday at latest.
I need to post my comments first before pics. Since I updated my cell phone, pictures appear before comments.
First carb has been rebuilt using the old bits. Hopefully I don’t regret my hasty change of mind. Second is in the bath now.
They are a pain in the butt because the linkage that joins them together is riveted. Separation requires removal of the butterflies. Disassembly revealed one of the felt dust seals needs to be replaced. I can make one if I figure out where to buy the material. It’s about 1/8” thick. Any ideas where to get such material. I also might be able to buy premade felt donuts. I’ll have to look tonight.
New plugs are in. I polished the chain guard to remove the surface rust. Looks great the rear wheel has some rust that won’t go away willingly.
Hopefully it will be running tomorrow or Monday at latest.
I need to post my comments first before pics. Since I updated my cell phone, pictures appear before comments.
All back together but too late to fire it up (hopefully). Only lost one spring for the idle adjust. Didn’t find anything obviously wrong inside the carbs other than the messed up choke. Hopefully the ultrasonic got some hidden dirt.
Well I just had a chance to hook up my test tank and fire up the bike. It wasn't an easy start but I think part of the reason is Honda put in a low pressure fuel pump to keep the carbs full. In the process of rebuilding the carbs, all lines, filter, pump and carbs were emptied so it took a while for the system to get primed. I set the air fuel mixture and it was running ok but I thought a little less responsive to tweaking the throttle than I expected. I ran the bike out of fuel and went in for dinner.
At dinner I thought since everything was accessible, I should sync the carbs. Went back out and hooked up my sync tool, refuelled and started it back up. Fired up right away but it was running very rich. Lots of black smoke coming off of idle. This is puzzling because I didn't do anything to the bike since I shut it don’t before dinner. I thought maybe the choke plungers weren’t seated all the way so I took it apart and readjusted everything. Started it back up and still running rich.
Any ideas why the bike may have started running rich on its own?
I now regret not installing new jets and needles and seats. lol. I’ll order those and put them in to see it that helps. Good news is now that I’ve had it apart once it’s much easier getting the carbs out the next time.
I think the carb pieces from Honda will be expensive. My quick research tells me Jets R Us won’t ship to me in Canada. Quick look, one fuel valve assembly (needle and seat), a paltry $100 Cdn each!
At dinner I thought since everything was accessible, I should sync the carbs. Went back out and hooked up my sync tool, refuelled and started it back up. Fired up right away but it was running very rich. Lots of black smoke coming off of idle. This is puzzling because I didn't do anything to the bike since I shut it don’t before dinner. I thought maybe the choke plungers weren’t seated all the way so I took it apart and readjusted everything. Started it back up and still running rich.
Any ideas why the bike may have started running rich on its own?
I now regret not installing new jets and needles and seats. lol. I’ll order those and put them in to see it that helps. Good news is now that I’ve had it apart once it’s much easier getting the carbs out the next time.
I think the carb pieces from Honda will be expensive. My quick research tells me Jets R Us won’t ship to me in Canada. Quick look, one fuel valve assembly (needle and seat), a paltry $100 Cdn each!
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Junk on a float needle seat from "somewhere in the fuel system" would be my #1 guess.
Worth a try pull the float bowl drains run/pump some fuel through. Would be nice to catch everything in a container to see what's coming through.
Replace all the fuel lines? Fuel lines shedding rubber internally common.
Worth a try pull the float bowl drains run/pump some fuel through. Would be nice to catch everything in a container to see what's coming through.
Replace all the fuel lines? Fuel lines shedding rubber internally common.
