*UPDATE* -- 1982 Honda Magna V45, 2nd bike

[tmckay]

A friend has an 82 Magna 750 for sale ($750 USD). Sweet bike, I remember staring at them in the cycle shop as a kid.  Cruiser-ish, yes, but sweet.

Bike has 14000 miles, used to be regular ride for this guy, he put 8000 miles on it.  Bike has sat since 2001 (he had a kid).

Battery is shot, but lights come on.  Does not start.  Passed inspection in 2001.  He did not drain the fluids (doh!).  Not sure if he used a gas treatment or not.

Other than that, no problems.  What do I do about the 3 year old gas and oil?  Change the oil, for sure, but do I have to drain the carbs and the tank or is there some magic I can throw in there?

Any advice on Magna 750s?

Trev

[The Buddha]

Carbs can be cleaned with the yamaha carb cleaner, no need to take it off the bike, Mix it 1 part of it with 3 parts of gas and fill the carbs with it... Then Let it sit for 24 to 48 hours with regular shaking, then drain the thing, and flush it with gas 1-2 times. However the magna's also had the cam shafts wearing due to poor oil supply... might want to check into that, do a valve adjustment and do the pressure bypass thing and send more oil to the head... I did it on a magna a friend had, and you can do it using some stainless #4 line and some fittings... dont remember exactly, but the procedure is out there.... Heck it was out there in the mid 90's so might have gotten tossed by now... The V4 is not a pleasant motor to work on, heck V twins are bad enough. I prefer my muscle bike to be I-4's ...
Cool.
Srinath.

[tmckay]

Thanks Srinath.

I did run across some notes about the top end oil problem.  There is a guy out there who builds kits to modify the bike for around $200, but it sounds like you found a cheaper solution.

Book value on the bike is around $1500 and there are a lot of Magna classic enthusiasts, so I figure I can have some fun and at least break even when I'm done.

Trev

[The Buddha]

$200... jesus, looks like I could make a ton of $$$ making and selling the damn things, cos its under $40 for all the pieces. 4 banjo bolts - ~$2.50 each, 4 banjo fittings $5 each, and 3 feet of line, ~$30, so $60... OK lemme see if there is anyhting else...
Cool.
Srinath.

[The Buddha]

OK I stand corrected... I was running it straight out of the main oil galley, these guys are making the new ones go out of a billet adaptor that goes before the oil filter, and that is sent to the head... better way to do it. OK the $200+ for it may not be too much. Good job thinking of it too, for the guys that did it...
Cool.
Srinath.

[Hi-T]

I was looking at building up an old magna once upon a time...  The reason I didn't (if I can remember) is that with the older models there was a very frequent and typical failure with cam chain tensioner parts- the problem was eventually corrected in 85-86 but 84 and older... I'd do a search and see what comes up-  I seem to also remember that replacement of these parts was time consuming and slightly expensive.

Otherwise, I'd say do it- I was saving up for a newer magna but I got lucky on finding my gs.

[john]

I had an 84 700cc model.  Very nice ride and quite peppy.  The valves are as easy to adjust as a chevy and other than weak compression in the rear cyls with age a very reliable bike.  Note the famous Honda bad voltage regulator problem as with many other Hondas.  My problem manifested itself first by killing a couple batteries(damndest thing I ever saw) then one day it stopped charging.

If the bike appears to be in good shape then buy it.  It can be a good cruising bike.

[tmckay]

Thanks John,

 Can you comment on the top-end oil flow problem?  Just curious if you had to deal with it.  I read somewhere that damage to the cams/valves may not even occur until 30k.

Trev

[tmckay]

Got the bike and have been tinkering with it.  So far:

new batttery, drained the fuel system, pulled the main tank (needs POR15), replaced the fuel filter, flushed the coolant.  Reconnected everything but the main tank.

I put a half gallon or so through a hose into the secondary tank and started the bike up.  Runs well with the choke (I can get the RPMS way up when it is warm, and can idle normally by adjusting it down.  It just keeps going).  

But as soon as I touch the throttle at all it dies.
Refresh:  bike sat for 3 years with fuel in it, ran well when it was parked (I was told).

Any ideas? Clogged jets?  Idle mixture?


Thanks

[96gs]

Try Greased Lighting Fuel Cleaner. It's expensive as hell but works miracles. Put some in and run it for about 50 miles then let it sit for a week. Do this 3 or 4 times and you are set. Same thing happened to my bike just not nearly as severe. And don't go with the cheap stuff (ie. stp, anything else) You want the stuff that will work the first time around. Good Luck!!

[tmckay]

Try Greased Lighting Fuel Cleaner. It's expensive as hell but works miracles. Put some in and run it for about 50 miles then let it sit for a week. Do this 3 or 4 times and you are set. Same thing happened to my bike just not nearly as severe. And don't go with the cheap stuff (ie. stp, anything else) You want the stuff that will work the first time around. Good Luck!!

I can't ride it   When I say "touch the throttle" I really mean touch it.  Move it an 8th of an inch or less and the engined immediately cuts out.  If  I move it very very slowly with the choke on I can cause the RPMS to fall below 1K, but it will still run.  Any more open than that and it immediately dies.

[96gs]

Well, I don't know if this might work, but put it in and just turn the bike on and let it run in your driveway for a while. Maybe and hour. Just an idea, don't know if it will do the same thing. Good Luck  

P.S. I love Magnas. They are some badass bikes.

[tmckay]

Yeah, I like it too.  I hope I can get it running without too much trouble.  I bought it as a project bike/educational experience, so I wouldn't have to mess with my GS

I don't want to pull the carbs, but if the cleaner doesn't work I may have to.  Srinath's system should work on this bike; the carbs are not gravity fed (there is a fuel pump) but there is a joint in the fuel intake hose which I can disconnect right before the carbs and send stuff straight in.  It has to flow up hill for two of the carbs, but I think it will work.  The book says something about filling the carbs this way when it has sat for a long time, I believe.

Now I just have to find some Yamaha carb cleaner, or Greased Lightning.

Trev