Guys,

I'm an inexperienced do-it-yourselfer. I am trying to get my 94 F2 running again after letting it sit (without properly storing it) for three years.

I have taken the carbs apart and cleaned them thoroughly. I have also replaced the spark plugs. I ran into a very interesting situation (to me) while attempting to do an oil change. Upon draining the oil from the bike, I quickly found out that my 7 qt drain pan was not going to cut it. I had a mess. The confusing part is that the manual I've been using to do my work (haynes) states that the oil capacity is between 3.4 and 4.3 qts. Also - the tech at the honda dealership where I got my plugs, filter, and oil only gave me 4 qts of oil.

What the heck is going on here? Why did about 8 qts of oil come pouring out of my bike and what do I need to do to finish the job?

Your expertise is much appreciated.

 

Firstly, welcome to the CBR Forum!

Now as the bike was sitting so long, it is quite possible some fuel leaked down past the needle and seats, into the combustion chamber and then seeped into the sump.

Did the oil smell of old fuel?

No matter, just make sure the carbs are clean and needle and seats sealing, put the correct amount of oil in the sump. I'm unsure if the F2 has the little oil window on the RHS of the bike or a dipstick on the filler plug. Just make sure the oil is between the marks on the window - or at the full level on the dipstick. Don't forget to start/run for a short time and then measure again as the oil filter filling will lower the level slightly.

Good luck with it.

Cheers, SB

 

Yes! It did smell like fuel and it also had very low viscosity. As this is my first experience doing an oil change on a motorcycle, I just told myself it was because it was a different kind of oil.

Does this mean that there was about a gallon of fuel in the oil sump? If so, is it OK to just continue as planned and fill it up with the ~4 qts it's supposed to get? What causes so much fuel to end up in the oil system?

Carbs are clean and the floats and needles move freely.

Is there anything else I should be worried about after I replace the battery?

Thanks for the help

 

Most likely the increase in 'oil' level was the seeping fuel. If you read carefully above you'll see I explained how it got there. If the needle and seats are sealing now, no further leaks should occur. If you have the carbs out and apart, I'd be sorely tempted to put new needle and seats in to minimise the risk of further fuel leaks.

As for the last question - other worries - just go over the bike carefully. Make sure the bearings in the wheels are good. Check the head stem bearings. Flush out the radiator/coolant system and replace with fresh coolant. Check the tyres are sound and have the right pressure.

Ensure your brakes are working well. Sometimes when a bike sits for a while the brake fluid absorbs water bring all sorts of problems to the system. It doesn't take long to bleed fresh fluid through the system.

Let us know how you go.

Cheers, SB

 

The bike is dipstick oil check, no window. When checking the oil level, stand the bike straight up, dont use the side kickstand. Wipe dipstick clean, insert it in, BUT DO NOT twist it in, just stick it in and pull it out. Should be between the two marks. Also when the bike is sitting for any length of time turn your fuel petcock off. A faulty petcock/float needles will let fuel seep into the engine.

 

Thanks for your continued help, gentlemen. This forum is going a long way to help me getting back on two wheels.

One more quick question for now - my throttle cable is acting up. The throttle sticks open after I roll-on. I know the action works well because It was snapping shut when I had the carbs off for cleaning. Do I need to replace the throttle cables?

Thanks again.

 

It's possible that all you need to do is lubricate the cables, to make sure they are moving freely within the sheathing, but I will tell you that the routing of these cables can be finnicky - be sure that they are routed correctly, and that nothing is causing them to bind.

They should go around the front of the right fork leg, and lay flat on the frame member, with the bendable cable guide keeping them side-by-side on the frame, but not pinching them (see below) - there is a narrow passage they go through where the airbox components connect, so as you can see, it can be somewhat easy for the cables to get "bound up".

 

Can you give me a quick how-to on lubricating the throttle cables? What lubricant to use, where to put it, etc...

 

Hey guys,

I was so excited today. I got everything put back together including correct routing of throttle cables. I put the tank back on and added fuel. I turned the petcock on and almost immediately fuel started leaking out of what seemed like almost everywhere from the carbs.

I had used the sticky in this forum to clean the carbs, but did not replace any of the o-rings/gaskets. I have 4 sets of gaskets on order in hopes that replacing the rubber will fix the issue.

Am I missing something, or should this fix my issue? I'd really like to have the fuel stay IN the float bowls.

Thanks again for any help and I appreciate your time and expertise.

 

if it looks like gas was leaking out every ware you may want to check your float needles..