Ross’ 1975 CB750

Gawd what a PITA.

Going a bit stir crazy, getting so bored not doing anything with my right arm. The shoulder was starting to feel like it could handle some activity so I decided to putter around with the CB. Thought I’d set up my auxiliary fuel tank (a lawnmower tank) warm the bike and re-check the compression on a warm motor.

I got the tank set up, turned on the fuel tap. Fuel started pissing from all of the connections. At the fuel tap, at the fuel filter, at the fuel tees. I have to remove the bottom half of the air box to get at the fuel lines going into the carbs. I cut off the dried ends of fuel line, re-attach and re-clamped everything.

Key on, full choke, partial throttle, start button, Vroom vroom. Started up easy peazy. But definitely has a miss. Run it a couple of minutes, check the pipes with a spray bottle. Sure as sh*t, #2 is cold as a stone.

All of a sudden I hear a loud buzzz buzzzzz bzzzzz. A hummingbird has flown into the garage and up into one of the skylight wells and is bumping up against the glass trying to get out. I suppose, given enough time it might get tired of trying to get out and drop down but the wells (there are two skylights) are fairly deep and I don’t think the bird will fly downwards if it can see sky above. Dammit. I run and get a ladder as it’s quite high to reach the skylight glass with a broom even (my garage has 9’ ceiling). And I get my wife to come and help as well. The hummingbird is quite agile and won’t allow me to gently sweep it down and out. It keeps skirting the broom and bumping up against the glass. I haven’t even a fishing net. Eventually the hummingbird will start to perch on the broom. But every time I lower the broom below the ceiling height the hummingbird flies back up into the skylight thinking it can get out. Damn. So I reckon I have to get the big ladder to get up on the roof and cover the skylights. I do this. Back inside I can coax the hummingbird to perch on the broom again. After many tries I get it to stay on the broom long enough to get it out of the garage door. What an ordeal. Glad I got the hummingbird out safely. But man, my shoulder hurts.

I go back to the bike. Start it up. Still missing on #2. Grab the timing light (easy way to check spark). No spark. Damn. Pull the cap and check resistance. 5kohms, all good. Trim the end of the lead and re-attach the cap. Start it up. Have spark. #2 pipe its still cold. Damn.

So now I reckon there were two issues with #2. No spark and no fuel. I pull the float bowl drain plug. Dry as a bone. Damn. Now I reckon the fuel needle is sticking. I manage to remove the bowl without removing the whole rack of carbs. Turn on the gas. No fuel coming out. I bounce the float a couple of times. Gas starts coming out. Yup, sticky needle. Turn off the gas and re-install the float bowl. Re-start the bike. #2 is starting to heat up.

So I decide to check the timing while it warms. It’s off a hair so I put it right on.

So now the engine is nice and toasty for the compression check. But by now my shoulder is totally fubar. No way can I work it anymore. Pulling the plugs on the CB is awkward.

I decided to leave it. My shoulder is going to take a few days now to recover. Hopefully things will go a bit better next time. It was supposed to be an easy hour or so in the garage.