I am currently rebuilding an 85' 350x. The engine is out of an 86'. Are these engines prone to running excesively hot. I have never run a 350x, so I don't know the nature of them. My 200x doesn't seem to run this hot. I can't even get my hand in there to adjust the pilot screw because even the vent hose is so hot. Another issue I have is, I can hear what sounds like popping from the exhaust. I have made no adjustments yet, but I am going to check my valve lash. I am open to any other suggestions.

Thanks,

 

it could be running lean. are you running the stock carb? is so, whats the jetting? those motors pump out some pretty good heat though. when does it pop out the exhaust? if you're running an aftermarket pipe its normal to hear some popping on deceleration, not backfiring though. stock jetting is 138 main and 45 pilot.

 

it sounds like you're running lean. that will make it pop like that. make sure your jets aren't clogged & there are no air leaks. if you have aftermarket intake/exhaust mods then you probably need to jet up. regardless you need to get it fixed before you do any more riding if you don't want to burn it up!

 

I just rebuilt the carb with a new kit and I didn't even think of checking the jets. Something that I did notice was that the holder had a jam nut like it was adjustable. I tried to put it back the way it was. I have an actual Honda service manual and it didn't show the same holder that I have. As far as the exhaust, I have a Supertrapp and a stock muffler. One was just louder than the other. The popping was on deceleration. Let me know if you know what I'm talking about on the carb.

Thanks,

 

You can also do a plug check to see if the bike is too rich or too lean. It's possible to confuse the two if you're not familiar with jetting carbs. To check the plug, you need to find a large area that you can run the bike hard on. A long hill would work. Start at the bottom and get on the gas hard, don't let the bike idle up the hill or use part throttle. When you reach the top, hit the kill switch and coast to a stop (make sure not to roll back down the hill :-) Then once the engine cools down a bit, pull the spark plug. If it's black or really dark brown, your carb is jetted too rich. If it's white, the carb is too lean. Typically you want a light brown color on the plug. I'd also do the test with a new spark plug so you get a good reading. You want to make sure to hit the kill switch instead of idling the motor before shutting off, otherwise chopping the throttle will change the color of the plug.

Good luck,
ttyR2