[ogle79]

Cafe Racer Gurus,

Ok so I have a cb 550 four. I took the seat off to build a new one (involved hacking on the frame) and therefore took the exhaust off. Well I was going to leave the mufflers off, and since I'm a nube I didn't know that rejecting the carburetor had to happen for that to work. (puttering spitting and missing) So I put the mufflers back on, replaced the plugs, cleaned the carbs, and replaced the fuel line. Now i still have the problem; missing and flooding. I have also replaced the rectifier with an after market one.


Got any starting places for the analysis? I'm kinda broke and its starting to get good riding weather.

 

[kerosene]

read the "read this first" -thread.

Flooding is either float messed somehow (assembled wrong, bent out of adjustment etc.) or dirty or crappy needle valve. Cleaning it better is likely solution.

Running bad, make it 1st 100% stock and lets go from there. Do you have a stock airbox?

 

[steveo]

As Kerosene said start with cleaning the needle jet, then check the float heights.

 

[Harvey]

I just went through exactly what you are doing now. These bikes won't run properly without exhaust and air filters on. Put clear vinyl gas line on the fuel valve and make sure your carbs are getting gas. Check your timing with a timing light. Make sure your spark plugs are gapped properly. And clean your carbs really well I had to clean mine a few times before they were clean. After you get it running use a manometer to synchronize your carbs. The key thing to check though is your petcock/fuel valve if your valve is old chances are it has rust in the channels the brass fitting go into and if you haven't clean the screen in there it is probably clogged and only letting a little gas through.

 

[Harvey]

Also check your spark plug wires where the wires go into the socket. You may have a loose wire there if the plugs were pulled out by the wire and not with special pliers.