If you're experiencing junk build up in the tank itself - there are
very few things that are as simple as what I'm about to tell you to
do.
Pull the tank off.
It looks harder than it is (at least on my bike) then gently
remove your petcock (This is not a pet rooster! Hehe... there I go
again with the petcock jokes :-)) and drain the tank until it is bone
dry. At that point, you'll be able to shake the tank and hear any
loose crap flying around inside. Get it out of there. Depending on the
tanks condition - you might want to seal it. Avoid using a sealer that
requires a thick coating - as this will particularly reduce your
reserve. One my Dad used to sell was KwikPoly - worked extremely well.
I believe they now call it Xtreme Poly or something to that effect.
Same stuff - new owner.
There are ways to clean out the fuel system (Carb cleaner
or as many of us have suggested SeaFoam) but if there is junk in the
tank itself - pulling and cleaning the tank is your best route. I also
have an inline filter between my petcock and my carbs - a second line
of defense if you will - Mine is clear and has a second benefit - you
can verify you have fuel flowing.
Others thoughts?
-Joey
82 CB450 SC
On Thu, Jun 10, 2010 at 11:32 PM, aardvark <[email protected]> wrote:
> New update:
> Took the bike out tonight and afterward noted number 2 exhaust pipe
> was not nearly as hot as the other three. Could that carb be fully
> gummed up by the junk in the bottom of the tank? I'm starting to
> wonder why there is even a reserve if so. I guess on a new tank, this
> wouldn't happen though.
>
>
> On Jun 10, 4:31 pm, Dale <[email protected]> wrote:
>> Some people swear by SeaFoam, others won't touch the stuff...it is a
>> personal preference...I tend to think it helps older Hondas...The
>> reserve standpipe and screen might be clogged or damaged...the petcock
>> is easy enough to take apart and inspect that I would go ahead and do
>> that...(print off the bikebandit schematic before you start...)
>>
>> As far as the electrical...follow the trouble shooting tree on Paul's
>> website to ID the faulty or problematic part in your charging system.
>> I did and found that my stator was bad... replaced it, and voila! the
>> bike (83 650) runs like a raped ape. It was a bit pricy, but I found
>> a good one with fast delivery at regulatorrectifier.com I replaced
>> both my rectifier and stator, even though the rectifier was still
>> good. I can sell it to someone cheap ($40 + shipping) if they find
>> they need it.
>>
>> Also, of note, with the new stator, I am getting 12+ volts at low
>> idle...and the recommended 14+ volts at 2500 RPM... just food for
>> thought.
>>
>> "E"
>>
>> On Jun 10, 3:04 pm, aardvark <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>> > I think I replied only to greenzero, so I'm going to reply again to
>> > everyone:
>>
>> > Thanks for all the advice. I had hoped not to pay to have the carbs
>> > cleaned/setup again, but had suspected something bad getting into them
>> > too. Haven't heard of seafoam but will try to locate it - I'm in
>> > Woodstock, Ontario. I should have mentioned in the first post, that I
>> > noticed the issue with the signals taking a fair bit of juice from the
>> > headlight BEFORE I ran out of fuel and had to try starting about 50
>> > times. Battery looks pretty new and seems strong when starting though.
>>
>> > On Jun 10, 2:20 pm, "[email protected]" <[email protected]>
>> > wrote:
>>
>> > > Sorry... Battery for the electrical issue.... Draining the battery
>> > > (espacaly if its old) kills it... You can try to restore it, but a new
>> > > one will hold the amps better.... And i agree that you may have gotten
>> > > some sludge from the tank... Try removing the tank and cleaning it, a
>> > > filter might not be a bad idea... And try running seafoam, but you may
>> > > just need to clean the carbs again.... What part of the world are you
>> > > in???
>>
>> > > -----Original Message-----
>> > > Date: Thursday, June 10, 2010 2:04:08 pm
>> > > To: "Nighthawk Motorcycle Lovers!" <[email protected]>
>> > > From: "aardvark" <[email protected]>
>> > > Subject: [Nighthawk Lovers] Running rough/stalling '83 CB550
>>
>> > > Hi,
>> > > I'm new to the group and like what I'm seeing so far. I checked the
>> > > other posts for help with my problem, but nothing seemed to quite fit:
>> > > Just purchased an '83 CB550SC. The previous owner just had the carbs
>> > > cleaned and setup professionally and had new plugs put in. Overall,
>> > > the bike has run well. On my first longish trip with the bike however,
>> > > I ran out of gas when close to home (now I know how far I can go on a
>> > > tank!). I attempted to use the reserve, but the bike stalled and
>> > > wouldn't start back up. I got some gas and after many tries (almost
>> > > draining the battery) got it going again. Since then, the bike
>> > > sometimes backfires at low engine speeds in the city and if I'm not
>> > > careful, it will stall when taking off in first from an intersection.
>> > > I have checked the battery and have good voltage, but something else
>> > > I've noticed at night is that the turn signals dim the headlamp a fair
>> > > bit when flashing. One final piece of info is that whenever I make a
>> > > short stop somewhere (5-20 minutes) the bike needs several attempts to
>> > > get it going again. Any suggestions for a newbie?
>>
>> > > Jamie
>>
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