Does this sound like a carb problem?

ghunt81 wrote:

I set the points according to how the maintenance manual that I have says to do it. Which is to turn the motor until the breaker is open, measure the gap...and adjust it until you get .3-.4mm. It also describes a procedure for setting static timing with an ohmmeter, except that it says to put the ohmmeter on the 1K setting and when you do, it pegs the ohmmeter and it never moves (and I have a cheapo multimeter that I got just for this, that only has the 1K setting on it)....

The ohmeter is for determining continuity between the contacts. There's full continuity when the points are closed because the current is flowing through from one contact to the other contact. The ohmeter needle should be pegged the same as when touching the meter probes together.

When the points first begin to open (gap appears between the contacts), suddenly there's no continuity between the contacts (meaning the coil primary winding becomes un-grounded thereby firing the coil), and the odometer needle should not be registering anything (the same as when the probes are held apart in the air).

It is when the gap first opens (preventing continuity between contacts) that the ohmeter needle returns to its default position of "no continuity", and that is exactly when the F mark is supposed to align with the permanent timing mark on the engine case.

If the meter is showing continuity (current flowing) between open contacts, the ignition wiring is wrong or the meter isn't being used correctly.

Good Luck!

As far as the correct timing mark being lined up...well, I can get it close, but the instructions in my manual just say to turn it to its widest opening and check the gap, and then set it. It says to use the ohmmeter method to statically set the timing, but I can't get that to work.

And I dunno what's going on with the ohmmeter. I attached it like the manual said but it didn't do anything.

Just from looking at it and reading the manual, it seems like the timing should be very close...so I don't understand what would be making it run so poorly.

You could try advancing the timing a little bit by twisting the back plate for your points. You may want to make a mark where you have them set right now, in case advancing or retarding the timing doesn't help. I would just try advancing it a little bit, then fire it up and see if it runs any different. If not, try retarding the timing and see if that helps. You really need a timing gun to get it as close as you can, but it sounds like you don't have access to one.

I've tried that.

And yes I do have a timing light...when I start the bike and check the timing with the light (with the lead clipped to the right side cylinder plug wire) the timing appears to be WAY off (the "F" mark is way off to the right which I assume means it's retarded). As of yet nobody has actually told me which way you turn the stator to advance the timing. I assume clockwise, but I don't know.

Well I've got something of an update, seems pretty important to me, maybe you guys can tell me something because of this.

Tonight I was messing with the bike, it had been sitting since Monday evening, when I last did anything with it, and I had been trying to figure out the points.

I decided to try it without an air filter to see how it would run.

So I pulled the filter out and left the lid off the airbox. It fired right up and was actually running pretty well, except idling at 3000 RPM, didn't seem to be blowing any smoke or anything. I let it run for a short time and it seemed to be running good, I could rev it normally, so I thought I might try to adjust the idle a bit. I started to turn the idle down some and as soon as it got down near 2000 RPM it started to sputter, and then shut off (I don't know if this had anything to do with the fact that I had the gas tank off, and it just ran out of gas).

I put the tank back on so I could get some more fuel into the carbs. Attempted to start it again, and wtf? It's back to its old ways...running rough and puffing lots of black smoke.

I noticed that with the airbox lid off, sometimes during cranking it will "burp" back through the carbs and it looks like it's shooting atomized fuel back out of the carbs.

Any more input, or guesses?

ghunt81 wrote:

... sometimes during cranking it will "burp" back through the carbs and it looks like it's shooting atomized fuel back out of the carbs....

Ignition timing and valve clearances come to mind.