[Greasemonkey247]

Duanob, great looking paintjob on that bike! And I do concur that shaker can paint jobs can turn out really nice! I had a few nice ones on that tank of mine. But with the amount of problems with that tank I'm not going to invest any more money into it, I'll pass it to someone more motivated with messing with it an yes first official ride today was a lot smoother then last nights! I got a new clutch cable now to cut down to size and re solder! So will be postin photos of that side project soon enough!

 

[Duanob]

I wish I was in the market for another tank but I only really need an old seat pan to try and modify.

As far as the tank goes you really need to put a bit of time and patience into it. I've rebuilt a couple of tanks and it really is no big deal you just have to have patience! Remember it's not the tanks fault.

Go down to Home Depot and buy:
1 mortar mix tub ~ $6
3 gallons of Prep-n-Etch $14 each
I can of Kleen Strip paint remover.


Empty the tank of gas completely. I use a saw horse and run the fuel line into a gas can.
Remove the petcock and plug that hole with something like a shaved down wine cork.
Put the tank into the mixing tub, try and level it with pieces of wood.
Pour all the Prep-n-Etch into the tank and top off with water. Put the cap back on and let it sit for a couple of days. Dispose of the acid mix properly. Flush really good with a garden hose. Pour some acetone or marvels mystery oil in the tank and splash around to cover bare metal to keep from flash rusting. You will stunned and amazed and how clean and rust free your tank will be.

Once it's clean on the inside then go to work on the outside. Use the paint remover and get down to bare metal. It only take a few minutes for the remover to start working. Scrape the old paint off and sand the rest.

Now you have a completely clean and bare metal tank inside and out, like a blank canvas.

Maybe rebuild the petcock before installing on a newly painted tank would be another suggestion. Your intank screen might be plugged with crap that's why your lines get plugged and then flow again.

Good Luck!

 

[Randall-in-Mpls]

There's a vent hole in the gas cap. From what you describe, it sounds like that's partially blocked. A piece of thin wire, some carb cleaner, and compressed air may clear it out.


R

P.S. I love riding at night, though the risk does increase.

 

[Greasemonkey247]

So I may be skimping on working on the bike because darn it I'm just having so much fun riding around on the dang think! Well tonight was no different I decided to take the bike instead of the car and sure enough when it rains it pours in Maryland but that still didn't change the fact i still had to get home! It was all good fun except after I let the cx warm up I hopped on to be on my merry way except I ended up only riding on one cylinder all the way home ! All the while thanking god there was a pair and I could get by with one. Odd it was running well earlier in the day, maybe the weather temp effected a poorly adjusted carb? Or rain cause a sort, either way I'll be investigating why my left cylinder is on the fritz

 

[chilimac]

It was all good fun except after I let the cx warm up I hopped on to be on my merry way except I ended up only riding on one cylinder all the way home ! All the while thanking god there was a pair and I could get by with one. Odd it was running well earlier in the day, maybe the weather temp effected a poorly adjusted carb? Or rain cause a sort, either way I'll be investigating why my left cylinder is on the fritz

Nowhere in your thread does it mention that you've checked your plug caps or done the brass rod mod to get rid of the resistors. This could explain your left cylinder pooping out on you. It's an easy thing to check and easy and cheap to fix. Check the Wiki for "brass rod mod" for details.

 

[Motomicah]

If you haven't checked your coils for cracks and/or damage you might want to do that too. They tend to act up when they're hot or it's humid out. Check the resistance between the primary and secondary coils as well.

 

[Randall-in-Mpls]

Also, check that the drains from your plug wells are clear. If you accumulate enough water there, it can short out the spark.


R

 

[Greasemonkey247]

Standard vs. deluxe gas tank

Okay so my left cylinder is magically working again after I adjusted the mix screw on the carb and tapped on the bowl, this I believe it was just a stuck float preventing fuel flow, the left side was giving spark. In other news the leaky standard tank of mine has finally been replaced by a very similar deluxe tank whose only difference is the locking mech. So now it doesn't have vacuum problem or leak from pin holes! It's nice to finally have a solid tank!

 

[Randall-in-Mpls]

In other news the leaky standard tank of mine has finally been replaced by a very similar deluxe tank whose only difference is the locking mech.

For the record, that's a Standard tank, too (earlier than your original). The Deluxe has different graphics and a locking cover.


R

P.S. It was great to meet you last weekend. I'll be sure to let you know when I'm there again next summer.

 

[Greasemonkey247]

It was good to meet you to Randal! My carbs have settled down now and arnt giving me any problems (knock on wood!) and hmmm the green tank actually had a lock mech and the red one is just a slot that your key goes in and turns, and the underside where it latches to is different

 

[Randall-in-Mpls]

At least some of the '79 Standards (maybe all) had the locking cover, in which case it's identical to a Deluxe tank (I think), except for the graphics.

I've seen a splash collar inside the fill neck of a Deluxe tank. Does yours have that?


R

 

[Greasemonkey247]

Tranny gear lurching in 1st gear?NEED help!

So iv done a bit to the bike, nothing ofuch note though, just painted the side covers to match and enjoying the heck out of riding this 35yr old bike! She's done wonders, and iv added 500 some miles to the bike since I got her ergg road worthy..and I have almost done the ton on her also this week ! But besides that paint an all I have developed a fleeting problem where the bike lurches while aggressively in 1st gear it lurches but not like a slipping clutch when it tacs out but like if you miss shift and it slips out of gear but the in that same second it's back in the gear, 1st is the only gear it shows symptoms of the problem but till it bothers me enough not to want to drive the bike above 45mph now. I believe this is the same problem but has no solution yet?(http://cx500forum.com/forum/technical-help-forum/2121-new-problem-first.html) so if anyone can tell me how to readily fix this, it would be appreciated ! I want to get her back to 100% before the season ends!

 

[hurley]

Greasemonkey,

I have a problem sort of like that, and I also thought it related to the thread you posted. You can read about it here, and there's a video of a clattering noise when I let the clutch out in 1st. In the end MurrayF said it sounded like a broken engagement dog in the transmission, so I'm looking at replacing the transmission, and doing whatever else it needs while the engine is out.

 

[timothy_d]

I had a problem like this with one of my turbos under hard acceleration.

'Twas a bent shift fork.

 

[Greasemonkey247]

So ideas what I should do? Should I just buy a new tranny?

 

[purplecx500]

Transmission Fix

I watched a guy regrind the dogs it worked well just some careful grinding maybe there a demo on YouTube.

This problem is common on 3 cyl. Yamaha and some v-4 Hondas. I believe Chopper Charles referred to this on his V65 .

The forks are cheap on feebay.

Bike looks good.......... good story too.

 

[Greasemonkey247]

Okay so its been a while since I'v posted! (I've been working on my new car [audi TT] i bought from the same guy i got the cx500 from )

Just to busy riding all the time! all the way up to december 25th 2014 last year and then quite a bit this spring whenever its warm! But iv been ignoring a problem that i'm just now getting around to My lack of 1st gear (a broken engagement dog) and have been dreading dropping the engine to fix it since well..doing new things is scary and usually a PITA! (which never bothered me much since i can slip it in 2nd.. but now some female friends have express interest in taking a ride. And well i just dont think my little cheat method will work with the extra weight ) . So today i spent 3 hours unhooking things etc following my manual which is kind vague haha to drop this lil turd. I managed to drop the engine mostly without any hitches other the the seized bolts and screws which made the afternoon project take longer. Now since I have it tomorrow ill be cracking into the engine to replace whatever is causing all this mischief in my tranny. I know in the back of my mind i should do a triple bypass on the engine while i have it out...But being a college student and trying to be lean on my hobby budge, I will forgo the bypass since i'm not experiencing any issues yet (knock on wood) $300 to do it if i replace all the seals to! I still plan on making the engine look fresh with a new paint job and also flush the cooling system with vinegar since i feel like there is clogging in the radiator vain causing a overheating issues while at traffic lights.

 

[Motomicah]

Glad to see you back! First time taking the engine out is scary, but you'll learn so much you'll be glad you did. If you run into any problems just post them up on here and we will all try and help you out.
I did the whole triple bypass on my new engine too, and you're right, it costs a fair amount. I had the new stator from before, but the gaskets and other stuff added up fast.

Painting the engine is fun though, let me know if you need any tips or info as I've done it a couple times now. VHT is the brand I would go with, but duplicolor may work fine too. Just make sure the engine is as clean as possible!!!

 

[Greasemonkey247]

thanks Motomicah for the support!
Unfortunately i drop off the grid during winter when everyone is doing winter maintenance since my shop isnt heated an cant fit my bike so im stuck working in tolerable weather (maryland is 9 months of winter i swear).

So heres an update: got the covers off and i was wondering if the oil pump chain is suppose to be that slack? and if my clutch basket looks good still? i rather not have to buy new disc but if they look near the end of their life, i rather do that then have a slipping clutch.

now im off into the shop to mill or grind some poor socket into this sacrificial tool to get this nut off!

Ahh and you have no idea how much i strive for a low budget (; i have a roll of gasket material so I'm hoping that will cover all my gaskets other then the head gasket (copper plates look like a good alternative) and the bigger gaskets that are larger then my roll

ill check this while working if there's any input! cheers!

(oh thats the donor tranny thanks to larrydreed !who's sons? one cylinder detonated but managed to drive home on the other?) i Love the help that comes from the forum!

 

[Greasemonkey247]

ok so i just finished making my custom tool with the mill and grinder. I found an old williams 15/16 socket which was a tad to tight to i had to angle the "teeth" a bit but it seems to work now