Well, I got my '69 Honda CB450 reassembled, just in time for the last
2 days of warm weather.1) I tried to start it and it didn't start, and I had other things to do for 2 or 2.5 hours, and when I got back to it, I saw that I had left the ignition switch on**. This model has two carburetors 2 coils, 2 sets of points and 2 condensors. One coil was warm, and it had 1 to 2 thimbles of waxy stuff which had come out of it. Did I ruin the coil? If not yet, will it die in 5 or 10 hours of use? Is there some way to repair the damage I did? (It's not clear I'll be able to find a new set of coils for a 1969 motorcycle.)
2) One set of points was open and one was closed. I put a thin piece of cardboard between the closed points, turned the ignition on again, and measured the voltage across the points. The circuit is battery plus terminal - coil - (points/condenser, where these two are in parallel with each other) - ground - battery negative terminal. So it seems to me that the voltage should be battery voltage, about 12 volts. Or should it be less until the condenser fills? The voltage was 6 volts using an analog meter, and didnt' seem to be going up. I thought, Oh my gosh, I've run down my brand new battery, but when I checked the voltage there, it was at least 12.5.BTW, how much damage *did* I do to the battery by running one ignition coil for 2 to 2.5 hours?
3) On the other circuit, I tried to evaluate the other condenser by turning the ignition off and measuring the resistance across the points, which I'm pretty sure is across the condenser. I expected to see the resistance pretty low as the condenser filled and then increace. But the resistance was close to infinity. If I tested right? that means the condensor is open, but that shouldn't keep the cyclinder from firing, right? IIRC, mostly what it means is that the points would pit quickly?? If I can't get the right condensor quickly, what value and type would I need to jerry rig one temporarily?4) There is a wick that lubricates the cam and keeps the rubbing blocks from wearing out. I can't remember what I'm supposed to put on the wick. What do I use, and if they don't still sell it, what do I buy instead? :) (I had trouble remembering this 30 to 20 years ago, too, but I haven't had to worry about it since I've had all-elecctronic ignitions on my car)
**If it had started, I would have remembered to turn the ignition off, but since it didn't, I didn't. My fault.BTW, the starter motor worked well, even though I hadn't checked it out, and the kick starter seemed to maybe be working well, or at least differently, even though it would go so far and then stop dead without cranking up till now. The clutch disengaging is working fair, and the throttle doesn't spring back quickly enough, even though I oiled all 3 cables (2 carburetors) and the throttle plates moved easily after soaking the carburetors in Permatex.