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1986 450cc Nighthawk will not run

9822 Views 60 Replies 13 Participants Last post by  bailbob, 
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Hi,
I know this is mostly for goldwings but I have a problem not able to solve.
I have a 1986 450 cc Honda nighthawk and I am Stumped Big time!
I do not have any fire to the plugs, I have replaced the COIL- the CDI UNIT and wiring also new plugs, I have 150 LBS compression on each CYlander and I also can not get fuel into the combustion chamber. I rebuilt the carbs and fuel is getting there but spark plugs are dry! and even if I got fuel there NO SPARK, I have put in 2 different coils and 3 different CDI units and nothing alsochecked the Kill switch. I bought this so I could just tool around the neighborhood and leave my GL1100 parked. It was not running when I bought it and they said they had been on a 3 hour trip when it quit and would not start up, I thought itwould be something minor but I guess I was wrong.......
Please any one have an IDEA??????
This is a great forum for Goldwings but I do notknow of any for this type of bike.
Thanks,
Bailbob
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Ok another UPDATE: I replaced the boots to the carbs and still no gas in combustion chamber, spark plugs are dry. Someone asked if it was drawing vacumm but with the air breather housing attached it was hard to tell, but now it seems to be blowing out and not sucking in air, if that is true what wood cause that? I put my hand inside the air breather housing and can feel air blowing on my hand on the main carb side but not the other side when its being cranked.....ANY IDEAS??????
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I agree, I just did a compression check and the left side is 105 and the right is 150 but even then I would think I would get some gas inside the cyclenders. Right??
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You hit the nail on the head it does have the vacumm driven petcock, I have taken a jar and cranked it over to see if any gas comes out and it does, but trying to spray starting fluid into the carbs through the air chamber in the air filter housing does nothing. I agree if I could get gas into the cyclender I think it would fire. BUT how do I do that????
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Well I took off the cam cover and all the rocker arms are working nothing loose or damaged and each valve seems to be intack, I do not know if the slides on the carbs are working except they seemed fine on the bench each moved freely, but still no gas. I sprayed the starting fluid into the carbs and nothing, took the spark plugs out and sprayed starting fluid in there and nothing. I can hold the spark plug against the motor and I have spark but then it stops. I then try again and the same thing happens. I am unable to put my hand over the back of the carbs as the air filter housing is still intact. STUMPED!
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Shucks! I wanted to hear something better then that! BUT I know you are RIGHT I guess I was hoping for a miracle. OK time to roll up the sleeves and get at it! Thanks a bunch. You ever work on something over and over till it seems it will never work? The money I am putting into this also is getting up there but I HATE GIVING UP......
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Thanks I will do that.y
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Thanks for all the help on this. I found that the spark was ok on the right side but not the left, turns out a bad wire. Now I have spark on both sides but still no gas. I removed the air filter housing and looked at the slides inside the carbs but neither seemed to be moving, so I pulled the top off of the carbs and took out the slides,on the left side the slide was stuck, but the right side seemed ok moving freely. I worked at freeing up the slide that was stuck and finally got it so it moved freely. I put the slides back on and cranked the engine with my hand over the back of the carbs and I have vacumm on both sides. I sprayed starting fluid inside the carbs and got a bit of a flutter as if the engine was trying to start but it did not start. Now the slide that was stuck is now stuck again. I have had enough for the day and tomorrow I will try again.
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Ok, here's whats up to date. I checked the valves to see if any was to tight and all was fine at.004. Then I pulled the carbs again and I found I had put the plastic gaskets on the sliders upside down (oops!) I then looked to see if I had done anything else stupid! I could find nothing. I put the carbs back on and it still would not start, BUT I then sprayed starting fluid inside the carbs an it would start and run but I could not give it any gas (open the throttle) or it would die and also it would not keep running by spraying the starting fluid into the carb. I am thinking it might be the vacumm controlled petcock but I do not know how to get around that without replacing it and I do not have another yet.The sliders are in great shape now. Motor sounds good also....but I have to find a way to get it to start and keep running!!!!!!
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ANOTHER UPDATE: IT IS RUNNING!!! Not excellent but it is running and will start without the help of starting fluid, as well as I can open the throttle and the rpms increase! It will need some sync on the carbs but it's running.....WOW! what a long voyage!
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Another Update! No Spark again! I have not done a thing to it but this morning I went to start it and nothing, did not even flutter. Pulled the plugs and no spark either side. I think I will go out and cut the grass and get my mind off it for awhile.
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Thanks Bish,
I had another coil and installed that and have a bit of a spark, but not a strong spark. I will do as you suggest and check all the ground wires. I have some electrical spray from Napa called QD Electronic cleaner but I will have to get some of the grease.
Thanks again & I will keep ya posted
Bailbob
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Guess what! Another UPDATE! Bike is back to running again, but as before its not running real good but its running! I did as suggested I took all the ground wires loose and sprayed them and put the dialectic grease on and it took awhile but it finally started and I ran it about 10 minutes and then let it sit and it started back up but the engine is backfiring through the mufflers and the carbs still need fine tuning as well as maybe some valves. When I took the ground wires off I did not see anything wrong but what ever it was I now have spark and the engine is alive again....THANKS ALL!!!!! If any more thoughts on this let me know as I can use all the help I can GET
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Hi,
Well it's been a while but the bike is running like new! I fought this back firing and hard starting what seemed like forever! I was in the garage and just sitting there running everything back through my mind, when my wife came in and wanted to know what was wrong,(she knows little to nothing about these things) I told her I was trying to figure why the bike would not run right...so out of the blue she says I think it's bad gas! Like she Knows! Yes you guessed it she was right! I removed the tank and drained the gas into some glass jars so I could see it anything was there besides gas. There was something in the bottom of each jar very dark in color (not water) I still do not know what it was, but I cleaned the tank the best I could and put it back on the bike added new fresh gas and drained the carbs of the old gas and when it cranked over a few time it fired and sounded great! Now I have to live with a wife that has to tell everyone!

Just thought you all might want to know.
Thanks to all of you and my wife it runs!
bailbob
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