@Trickshot540 I feel for you. Clearly throwing parts at it has not helped. I'm sure it's frustrating to say the least. Challenging part here is that it seems to be so intermittent. Some really detailed observations are going to be required in order to troubleshoot this. It seems like a fuel issue, but that covers lots of territory. For the bike to run, you essentially need 3 things. Air, fuel, spark. When you turn the bike on, what things can you hear? Relays? Is there fuel in the float bowls of each of the carburetors (open the drain screw to find out)? When trying to start, does it seem like it wants to? These are the types of things that will help narrow down the cause. But clearly there is nothing better than being right there to look at it.

 

Hi all,
At the risk of repeating the same info my bike is suffering similarly but not, it seems, as severe.
It started with running really really rough and occasionally running on 3 cylinders.
The things i have done,
Full service comprising new plugs, oil,air and fuel filters. During the service my mechanic diagnosed the rough running as a dirty connector on one of the coil sticks which was cleaned up and refitted.
Carbs synchronised, according to the mechanic are now spot on. Also slight variance in volts at battery which he said could be a sign of a failing reg/rec and to keep an eye on this.
When bike came back all seemed fine, although due to really awful weather she did not get much use for a few weeks.
Weather improved enough to start using her for my short (11 miles each way) commute. I am 1st to admit that i do ride fast and like to use the acceleration of my bike so i use it to the max of my (not massive but ok) ability, obviously i don't go everywhere at 120 mph but do enjoy using my bikes performance.
2nd or 3rd day of using again i was on way home and overtaking a few cars at a fairly high speed ( around three figures),as i passed the cars in the outside lane it lost all power, very much like running out of fuel but i had only just filled up when leaving work. The cars i had just passed all went by me on the inside and i pulled over to the side of the road and turned ignition off and on again bike fired straight away and i carried on home. To cut a long and dull story short this has now happened many times mostly at high rev/speeds although a few times at lower speeds too. Always the same as if running out of fuel but always plenty in tank. Alway starts right back up but a couple of times would not start without choke although turned choke straight off and carried on running.
I went to shop who serviced bike and they checked volts at battery again and said that he thought reg/rec was at fault.
So i bought and fitted (myself) a new reg /rec and new battery.
Problem not solved.
Spoke again to shop and he said check stator, so, i went onto google/youtube to find out how and fairly sure i've done it correctly i am confident it's not stator.
Spoke again to shop and he now says could be water in fuel, so i remove tank and and air box, drain all fuel from tank and carbs, no hint of water in fuel.
Put everything back together, i have checked all vacuum and air pipes and can find no splits or breaks in them, fuel back in start bike starts very well but dies a couple of times so i adjust tick over until it runs ok take out for a ride all seems ok until turning left at t junction she stalled again, started right away and i rode home in a very spirited way using lots of revs through the gears and all ok.
Pouring with rain this morn. so will hope to get out later for a ride to see if anything i have done has made any difference. Not very confident but this is such an intermittent problem that i have run out of ideas as to what may be causing it. I am reaaly not keen on putting her back into shop and paying someone a small fortune to
A, do what i've already done
B, still not to get to root cause of the fault
C keep buying and replacing parts that don't fix the problem, like the unfortunate O.P. seems to have done.
So sorry to have droned on, but really hoping someone on forum may have a moment of inspiration thats helps me and the other guy to get our bikes running sweetly again.
Oh btw before the rough running prior to her full service bike was running absolutely spot on and always has done in the 4 1/2 years i have owned her.
Thanks to all in advance.
Redders

 

Good evening, morning or afternoon depending on your time zone
So this morning weather not too bad and having put bike back together i thought i'd try my short commute and see how things went.
Not well is the short answer, bike started 1st button push with choke. Turned off choke after 15/20 seconds as i always used to before problems started, bike very reluctant to keep running, so i pulled choke back on and left for a couple of minutes then off choke bike ran for a few seconds then stopped twice. Got on backed out of drive and started again, pulled away and started journey all seemed fine at first did not stall at the few junctions and traffic lights before i join main road to where i work. About 3 to 4 miles along dual carriageway at normal road speeds without any signs it was going to happen bike stuttered as if running out of fuel and when i pulled clutch to change down through gears engine stopped, pulled to roadside turned ignition off then on and very difficult to fire up would not start w/o choke when it started it then ran fine for rest of trip to work. Finish work, come out to start bike starts fine on choke turn off choke after a minute or so and it stalls so i start again and ride off all ok for most of journey until about 2 miles from home when cuts out again and very hard to start without choke but did get going and got home with no further issues. I am beginning to lose the plot now,after going square eyed staring at screen looking for answers i can't seem to find i think i may have to bite the bullet and put bike back into shop and hope it doesn't cost too much to sort out, either that or sell it on and get the 'blade sp i KEEP promising myself ( please don't tell mrs Redders ).

 

To me it just sounds like the fuel pump. One of my F3's had those symptoms. On the F3 the fuel pump is visible through the left rear cowl below my left leg. I could reach down and put my hand on it and feel it start and stop running. When it would stop, it would start sputtering within a few seconds or so. I could tap on the fuel pump and it would start pumping again ane then the bike would come back to life again for a short time. Then it would start sputtering again. I finally purchased a new pump from Honda. Stupid money for sure. That was before I knew about the contacts inside it. I'm not sure if it's the same for yours or not.

 

If it’s the fuel pump I will completely lose my mind due to the fact that while in the shop my original pump that was on the bike when I took it there now didn’t work the after market one I had bought and brought to the shop with the bike was said to not work so that would
mean that the third fuel pump is also not working. What would be the odds of 1 used and two new fuel pumps all not working??

 

Hello again,
After more googling and comments on here i am going to be ordering tonight a new fuel pump to try and see if that could be the cause of my problems.
I am going for an aftermarket pump, have you seen the price of genuine honda part ??? How the F can they justify that ? That's about a quarter of the value of bike !!!
Just as an aside to the O.P. , and i am probably being a total idiot, the pumps you had fitted WERE fitted with the correct polarity ? I only say this 'cos the ebay seller i am ordering from says in big letters in the description that you MUST NOT reverse polarity or it will "instantly kill the pump"
I hope part here by weekend, then, once i fit and try i will post on forum to let all know if it has helped.
Cheers to all
Redders

 

Hello all,
So new pump arrived and i got all excited about maybe sorting out the bike's problem (i really must get a life).
Anyhow i remove the tank and battery and unclip all pipes and wires and take off the fuel pump, not too bad a job as it turns out but one I'd rather not have to do.
Unfortunately i get new pump out of box and offer it up to where it fits and the inlet and outlet spigots on it are too bloody small for the fuel pipes. The ones on the existing pump are about half as big again as the ones on new pump which are 3/8" or 10mm the ones on old pump are about 1/2" dia.
My question is does anyone know what size they should be. As far as i can tell all the aftermarket pumps i've looked at are 3/8" but i now am wondering if my current pump has been changed at sometime,but this would seem strange as that would mean ALL the fuel lines would also have to have been changed.
Anybody got any ideas ?
Thanks in advance.
Redders

 

Hi again
Right, so i have now tried completely removing the fuel pump from my bike and connecting the fuel lines directly from the tank thru the filter to the carbs.
Now i filled the tank to the brim as i read that (fairly obviously) you need a good level of fuel because the carbs are higher than the lower part of the fuel tank, hence the need for a pump, any way took bike for a fair ride and it seemed to run ok until i tried pressing on a bit, i.e. 85 plus mph at which point she started to splutter and appeared as if out of gas, i pulled in the clutch and she stopped, as if i was just sitting on it with the ignition turned on but had not pushed starter button. At this time i am still coasting along the road at a reasonable pace for maybe around 5 to 10 seconds,i dump the clutch as if bump starting and she fired back to life, when this was happening with pump connected i could not do this, i would have to pull over and turn ignition off and on again before bike would restart, usually needing choke, i repeated this about half a dozen times with the same results, lower speeds ran ok higher speeds spluttered as if out of fuel, coast for a few seconds then fired back into life.
I am thinking that this is because the extra fuel needed for higher speeds is draining carbs of fuel quicker than gravity can refill them. Does the forum think this is correct or am i being a complete dick ?
This all makes me think that the fuel pump is fubar and needs replacing or at the very least contacts need to be changed. I forgot to say that while i have pump off bike i took off the cover at the back and although i can't be sure the contacts do look quite worn but do not seem to be sticking or loose and falling apart, also when still fitted i could feel the pump pulsing with my fingers while the bike was running which is confusing me a lot 'cos i would've thought that meant pump was working ??
My other big concern is that my current pump has 1/2" maybe 5/8" dia. inlet outlet spigots and all the fuel pipes from tank to carbs match. But EVERY(new) pump i can find for sale which ALL state that they are the right one for my bike, seems to have 10mm/3/8" spigots. Does anyone know what the size should be and could i maybe use a smaller dia piece of tube over the spigots then use my existing pipes over that and small jubilee clamps to hold in place ?
Any and all thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Cheers
Redders

 

Hi all,
well, i ordered and they have now arrived a new set of contacts for my fuel pump. I will be fitting them tonight and then refitting pump to bike. Once done i will take bike out for a ride and report what happens to this thread. Wish me luck.
Also i still cannot find anywhere on line the actual size that the inlet outlet pipes on pump should be, the thread seems to have gone a bit quiet and i was wondering if anyone has any ideas.
TIA
Redders

 

Hey there. I currently have my f3 apart. I can measure the fuel line on that if you like. They should be the same.