'86' V65 Magna build

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Hello all
Brand new to MOOT, thanks for having me!

Here's my FaceBook link on some pics I took along the way http://www.facebook.com/album.php?id=100001626460204&aid=27831

Wondering if I could get some insight on a couple troubles I'm having with my bike.  I bought a 1986 V65 Magna and got right to work on pulling the bike apart and cleaning it up then building it back up to make it "my" bike.  So far, I've built all new fenders, forward controls, and handle bars.  Slapped on a $50 Rustoleum paint job.  new battery, NGK plugs, K&N air filter, all new fluids, replaced the fork seals, new custom headlight set, built and reapholstered the seat, and built a custom sissy bar.  I also installed a stock set of exhaust and yanked all the mess of vacuum lines off and installed a freshly rebuilt set of Non-Cali carbs.  I plugged the #3 jug vacuum port and replaced all the fuel lines.  When I started the bike up, the idle will not drop bellow 2k rpm.  I have loosened the pull side of the throttle line to the point where I could even remove it and it still idles high.  It's almost like the bar that runs that butterfly is not able to roll back enough to let down the idle.  Aside from that, I got the bike on the roads around base, no more than 35mph and it runs pretty strong!  Hesitates on the jump a bit but pulls hard when it grunts through it.  After about 20 minutes i went ahead and hit the highway.  The on ramp launch was quite a thrill!  Problem is, after only two miles or so it started to just peter out like it was running out of gas.  I coasted to an idle and let it sit for about five minutes.  I shot out on the highway again like I was shooting off the pointy end of an aircraft carrier (such fun!) but bogged to a halt after yet another two miles or so.  Thus was the repeating behavior of the bike without a change.  I tried opening the gas cap in case of a vacuum lock to the carbs, but no fix.  I have recently changed the fuel relay, no fix.  High test gas to low test all with a healthy dose of SeaFoam... no change.  I now have a new 1983 Honda Civic 1.3 liter fuel pump in the mail which appears to be a direct replacement for the stock pump.  In the mean time, I've checked all the wiring from the front fuse box to the spark boxes on the back.  I've checked the continuity on the pule generators, checked the coils and plug wires, checked the spark boxes themselves and even jumpered the fuel pump.  Everything seems to check out in good working order, but the bike acts otherwise. 

Any advise on the bogging down problem and the high idle problem would be much appreciated.  I cannot wait to get my knees in the breeze on this rocket!

[hootmon]

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You have done some nice work in your laundry room  

I'm not sure about your issues, but it looks like you have done a lot of work to get the bike the way you like it.. I'm sure some V-65 folks will chime in on possible causes of your power loss, seems like you have checked a lot of the possible causes... Might be something you overlooked from the Cali conversion.

Quite a collection of bikes you have there..

You mentioned "on Base", so I see you are in the service and stationed in Cali.. I was raised in SackOfTomatoes.

[dgc67]

I have loosened the pull side of the throttle line to the point where I could even remove it and it still idles high.

What about the idle screw itself?  No matter how much you loosen the cable if that is set to high it cannot return past that point.

Problem is, after only two miles or so it started to just peter out like it was running out of gas.  I coasted to an idle and let it sit for about five minutes.

It never died, just lost power?  Can you see the fuel filter when this occurs and verify it has fuel in it?  Sounds sort of like the carbs are running out of fuel under high throttle.  Maybe verify the floats are set correctly as well.

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Lol, Hootman, "SacofTomatoes"  is a great name for Sacramento.  Thanks for the compliments!  That was my first attempt at remaking a seat.

DG, thanks for the input!  I should have metnioned that in my first post.  That big chunky idle screw under the carb is what I messed with first.  I can twist that idle adjustment screw all the way till it wants to come out the bottom, but nothing.  I took the carbs off and examined everything.  I closed the butterflies on the other three carbs that are not connected to that first one in hopes to let a little less air pass through, and it let the idle come down to about 1800, but now at a rest those butterflies are essentially completely shut.  The carb that is effected by the idle adjustment looks like that spring may be too tight or something because I can wrench on the throttle in the reverse direction and it will force that linkage closed to sit on the actual idle adjustment stop, which brings down the rpm to the set amount, but only when I pull backwards on the throttle pretty hard.   Ugh, I'm so confused with it lol. 

[dgc67]

These carbs have some small springs that go in between where they interact with each other.  All 4 carbs should be affected when you adjust the idle screw.  Hard to explain, but are those springs there?  They are what keeps the linkage between the carbs tight and in sync.  If they are there doing a carb sync might help.
Of course none of this addresses the lost power issue.

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Is there a forum on here that might spell out how to do a carb sync on the old V65?  That's something I haven't done before.

[dgc67]

so the springs are there?  I assure you that can be an issue.  if the springs are not there holding the linkage in place it allows about 1/4 inch or so of travel and the vacuum from the engine will open the butterflies.  The springs can pop out really easy when putting the carbs back on the bike.

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Here is a pic of my carbs, I think it shows the springs you are talking about.  From what I can tell, the idle adjustment only works the one butterfly it is attatched to when I spin it in and out.  It seems like the other three are free from the idle adjust, but all work together when the throttle is pulled.  Is the carb sync you were talking about able to be done with them on the bike or do you have to remove them?  Because it is a bear to get these things back in the bike lol.

[roboto65]

Well if the carbs are off the bike. Oh and welcome to the forum  any where was I. I get lost easy anyhoo you can bench sync the carbs right there find you self 2 1/8 inch drill bits or whatever but I use 1/8 inch anyhow one of the carbs is not adjustable as in no srcew find that one and open the butterflies and insert one of the drill bits and let the butterflies close again on the bit.

The other drill bit you are going to use as a feeler gauge so to speak try to insert it as flat as possible thru the butterflies and adjust the screws accordingly to allow a slight drag on all the other butterflies and wala your Bench sycn is done that should put you close enough that you should be good to go with out having to sync them while running but you can if you like..

[roboto65]

Oh and from the pics it looks like pic number 3 shows that the upper right carb is the base carb as in no screw to adjust..

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Thanks roboto65!  From what I can tell, all of the carbs are basically closing completely with no throttle pull.  Are you saying there should be a 1/8 gap when at rest?  If that's the case then I am way off with mine lol.  Unfortunately I have them on the bike right now.  I think I'm more afraid of taking the upper airbox top on and off then the carbs, that thing was horribly tough to remove and replace lol.  The upper right carb in that 3rd pic is actually adjusted by the screw next to the upper left one.  It's the upper left that only has the idle adjustment screw to it.  Right now as they sit, they are adjusted to be completely closed with no throttle tension.  Do I need to just bite the bullet and remove them again to do the 1/8 gap?

[roboto65]

No No they should close fully we are just making sure they close and open together by using the same size bit and making them close..

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oh, I'm sorry lol, I understand now.  I just re-read the post again.  Before I installed them I did make sure they were all exactly in the same spot at rest, and that they opened and closed simotaniously.  What confuses me is that at the full rest position, the carb that is adjusted by the idle screw stays open a little bit.   What really frusterates me is there is a big spring on the bar that the butterfly is mounted to, then reaches over to where the idle screw is.  I didn't see any way to roll that bar back or take the tension off of that spring to allow the butterfly to be more closed at a rest.

[dgc67]

I do see one of the springs in the first pic.

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I haven't fixed the high idle problem yet, but it appears that, even though it's quite a bit bigger in physical size, a fuel pump from a 1983 honda civic 1.3 (a 1986 honda prelude 1.8 also) does infact work as a replacement for the OEM pump.  I bought it from Oreilly's for 65 bucks.  The bike seems to love it in there so far.  I think it fixed the bogging down problem I was having.  Now I just can't figure out why I cannot roll that dang idle down without having to wrench backwards on the throttle.