The guys are here to fix the garage door. I still haven't put fuel into it or tried to start it yet, but I did get the chance to take some nice pictures of it.
I wouldn't call them Craigslist photos, though I suppose they would work well for that purpose if it ever came to that point at some time in the future.
Like maybe next week.
Just kidding...
I'll be away next week and won't have the patience to deal with Craigslisters.
In reply to Woody :
That cleaned up really nice!
Those pictures still make me think Scooter Cannonball. Please ride it enough to let me know how it rides. Just in case I want to do something foolish.
mazdeuce - Seth said:Those pictures still make me think Scooter Cannonball. Please ride it enough to let me know how it rides. Just in case I want to do something foolish.
You could do any number of foolish things with this particular scooter. The foolish possibilities are nearly endless.
$217 for two new cables and some fresh tension.
Totally worth it.
So with the garage door finally fixed, I reinstalled the battery, splashed some fresh fuel into the newly sealed gas tank, rolled the scoot outside and thumbed the starter button.
Nothing.
Oh sure, it cranks. I have confirmed that fuel is flowing out of the tank and through the new filter. The carb is brand new. I have compression and spark. Timing is not adjustable.
Clearly, the obvious solution at this point is to put down the tools, fire up the dusty old Porsche and get fish tacos.
So, with fuel, spark and compression but no fire, there has been another thought banging around inside my head for a while now. I suppose its possible that it has a stuck valve. Maybe I have some compression, but not all the compression.
This wouldn't be a huge issue in my eyes, as I have already saved two other stuck-valve engines this year.
Unfortunately (and the reason why I didn't check this out a few weeks ago), Honda doesn't use a nice simple valve cover on these engines. The cover is actually a cast aluminum piece and the rocker arms are mounted directly to it. I was trying to avoid opening things up this far, but I felt like I was running out of (free) options.
It would appear exploratory surgery is in order.
Time to crack it open and see what foolishness resides inside. One must have ALL the compression before combustion can occur.
Is that an inspection port in the side? Something so that you can confirm that all the wiggly bits are flapping about?
In reply to mazdeuce - Seth :
I think it is an inspection port , but all you can see from there is the (intact) cam chain.
Since they have adjustment (presumably eccentric shafts) there must be a way to measure the valve clearance. That is certainly a good next step before you pull the cover off.
Official compression test compared to spec's?
Will it run at all on starter fluid? I think I'd try that really quick before pulling the cover.
eastsideTim said:Will it run at all on starter fluid? I think I'd try that really quick before pulling the cover.
No.
Samebutdifferent said:Official compression test compared to spec's?
Nothing official. Compression test was based upon me putting my thumb over the spark plug hole. My compression tester doesn't have the right size adapter for the tiny spark plug.
TurnerX19 said:Since they have adjustment (presumably eccentric shafts) there must be a way to measure the valve clearance. That is certainly a good next step before you pull the cover off.
Valve clearance can be adjusted externally, but the true clearance can't really be measured because the rockers come off with the cylinder head cover. Valves default to fully closed at that point.
Hmm, I can't think of anything else offhand. Presumably, Honda was smart enough to make it impossible to install the stator out of position(guessing it's a wasted spark setup), and obvious if the cam is improperly timed (and if not, you'll find out when you pull it apart).
In reply to Woody :
I am thinking along the line of tight clearance, not totally stuck open. Make an adapter for your compression gauge by destroying an old spark plug with a -3 or -4 hydraulic hose out to where you can mate it to your gauge. Then see if loosening the clearance increases the compression.
I stripped the plastic off again (I'm getting pretty good at this), removed a couple of banjo bolts to get the oil line out of the way and removed the head cover.
The rocker arms look good and move freely, I can move both valves with my thumb so they're clearly not stuck, and the head is getting plenty of oil. The cam chain is intact and the tensioner is tensioning. Not much else to see in here.
It hates you.
At this point, I have to assume that one of the magic electrical boxes at the front of the engine is not doing its thing properly. I mean, it's a water cooled Honda with only 10,000 miles on it. All the mechanical stuff checks out and it has spark. It should be running.
Time to dig into the wiring diagrams I guess...
TurnerX19 said:In reply to Woody :
I am thinking along the line of tight clearance, not totally stuck open. Make an adapter for your compression gauge by destroying an old spark plug with a -3 or -4 hydraulic hose out to where you can mate it to your gauge. Then see if loosening the clearance increases the compression.
I don't even have an old plug that fits. I should probably look for this type of gauge:
You've confirmed that it won't fire on starting fluid?
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