1985 honda magna v30

I've got a magna v30 that won't start it's getting fuel and the coils
plugs and wires all check out and the spark is good. I've read the
clymer manual as to how to remove the carbs but there must be something
missing the carbs won't budge and I'm not one to force out parts. I
know that manual often leaves out important information so if any of
you have ever done this are there any bolts other than the rubber
sleeves attatching the carbs to the intake to loosten prior to being
able to remove the carbs. also what is the proper spark plug gap.

thanks in advance
Jim

 

Which is why I recommend exhausting all other possible problems before you
pull the carbs.

When did the bike run last? How old is the battery? Are you sure the
kill-switch isn't flipped to "off"? Is the gas fresh?

 

Your idle jets are probably plugged up because the gasoline in the
float bowls has evaporated and turned into gum and varnish. The float
valves are probably stuck for the same reason. I have described how to
squirt aerosol carburetor cleaner down the fuel hose about a bazillion
times in this group, so you can google for those messages.

You can spray aerosol carburetor cleaner like Berryman B-12 Choke and
Carburetor Cleaner on the rubber boots and it will soften them and make
the rubber swell up a bit. It goes back to the old, hardened state when
the carb cleaner evaporates. Squirt carburetor cleaner around the
ends of the rubber carburetor boots so it will penetrate. You can
eventually work the carbs off the heads.

 

Here's the story:
I got the bike and the reserve tank was plugged got that fixed and the
bike running at idle until I noticed (big dummy I am) that there was no
coolent at all in the bike so I shut off. After that I couldn't get it
running again. So new battery, new gas, kill switch on. I'm pretty
sure now that it's fouled plugs due to the various attempts of getting
it started. So all of your help is appreciated and I'll have another
go at it on my days off.

Thanks much
Jim

 

Spark plugs do sometimes seem to mysteriously quit firing when a
motorcycle sits unridden for a long time. I suspect that it may have
something to do with internal condensation and the high voltage leaks
away to ground before it has a chance to
build up high enough to jump the gap.

But, it's easy enough to pull the spark plugs and hook up the wires and
ground the plugs and spin the engine and see if you get spark.

Starting an engine requires that there is fuel and air and compression
and a spark (duh!).

But motorcycle engines are a bit of a special case because the ignition
systems tend to put out rather low voltage so the spark plug gap is
small. And,.the EPA wants a clean atmosphere for kids and small animals
and ferns to breathe, so the carburetor idle misture screws are set
very lean and the carburetors are sealed at the factory.

If you get gum and varnish in the idle jets and idle ports, a burnable
mixture *never* passes through the small gap of the spark plug, and the
engine doesn't start.

So, cleaning up the carbuertors on a regular basis is absolutely
necessary.

I recommend running 4 or 5 ounces of Berryman B-12 Choke and Carburetor
Cleaner through a full tank of gas at least twice a year to keep those
tiny idle jets and ports cleaned out.

And, your current non-starting problem might also be solved by hand
choking the engine, i.e., remove the airbox and filter and cover the
intakes of the carburetors with four of your hands while you use the
other two hands to pull the clutch lever in, work the throttle and
starter button.

What, you're not Spiderman?

Cover the inlet mouths of the carburetors with duct tape and just leave
about 1/8th of an inch of opening while you try to start the engine.

Don't use the starting enrichener mechanism which is called a "choke".
It's not a real choke, it's a passage that bypasses the throttle
butterflies. The starting enrichener doesn't work very well after a
motorcycle has sat unridden for a year or two and hand choking is
required to get gasoline up into the idle passages for starting.