Help a newbie

[Itxi]

Well as recommended I've been trying to get my Honda cg125 (first bike) to start.

The problem seems to be that it's not getting a spark, but I've replaced the sparkplug and tried a new coil with no success. So today a friend told me it's probably that the contact breaker needs cleaning and instructed me to take off the left side of the engine cover and remove the flywheel rotor then use an emery board to get rid of the rust.

So, after removing the engine cover I set the gear to 5th, stand on the rear brake as hard as I can and try to remove the nut holding the rotor in place. But when it seemed like it was about to turn the whole thing kinda slipped another 90 degrees, but the nut didn't loosen and the socket wasn't slipping. Anyway that happened 3 times before I thought it probably wasn't doing any good.

Anyway, now the thing still doesn't spark and the electrics are off (blown 2 fuses now, something is shorting I guess but no idea what)

Any advice is appreciated.

EDIT: It's a 1979 6V

[pepperami]

You might find that if you have the correct fitting socket for the nut , might be better to use a bit of shock tactics to get it to let go .

use a t-bar rather than you ratchet on the end of the socket and then give it a good hard rap with a hammer in the direction it turns to undo. (the t-bar not the socket).

I have a 1979 CG 125 of lovelyness but I cant remember if that particular nut is a left handed thread or not.
be sure to check that before trying to undo it?
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I am the sum total of my own existence, what went before makes me who I am now!

[Itxi]

Well I have the correct fitting socket and I was turning it the right way but it's rusted a bit so it's stuck. But what's worrying me is that something still turned and I'm paranoid that I've forced something in the engine.

Should I try again tomorrow with a hammer? Cheers for the advice.

[pepperami]

If you`re not going to touch it until tomorrow, why not give it a squirt of WD40 and leave it overnight?
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I am the sum total of my own existence, what went before makes me who I am now!

[Itxi]

Because I hadn't thought of it, that's why

Gave it a good spray just now, good suggestion. do you have any ideas about the nut slipping an extra 90 degrees or the electrics shorting though please?

[pepperami]

Hmm? how much pressure did you put on that nut to get it to turn that 90 degrees?

I`m flaffing around in the dark here but if that was my bike , I`d be going down the same route as you.
I would want to get that rotor off to take a look at those points as it could? be a source of shorting out/draining the battery, possibly ?maybe? I think?

Is that rotor on a taper? I dont have my manual to hand so I cant tell/remember if there is a woodruff key keeping it in place.
a woodruff key is only a small piece of metal and sometimes they can crumble (happened to me on a TS 250 ).
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I am the sum total of my own existence, what went before makes me who I am now!

[Itxi]

I wasn't exactly putting my full weight behind it since I was also standing on the brake the other side, but a fair amount of force.

Not sure it is on a taper, as far as I know (what the haynes manual says) there's just a nut holding it on. :/

Glad I'm going down the right route though, cheers

[pepperami]

Right been thinking about this ?

put the bike in gear and turn the back wheel forward (as if you were going forward), that will make the rotor turn , the direction the rotor turns is the direction the nut needs to turn to come off?

sounds silly double checking these things but you never know?
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I am the sum total of my own existence, what went before makes me who I am now!

[Teflon-Mike]

If you were holdiong it on the brake, you were trying to lock the crank through the gearbox.

There is a device in the gearbox called a 'clutch' and it transmits force through friction..... if the torquie required to undo crank nut was higher than force the clutch can transmist (almost certainly) then it will 'slip'

You need a fly wheel holding tool to hold the flywheel, and hence crank still, not the back wheel.

Meanwhile; have you checked the obviouse?

Like....

Is the kill switch in the 'on' possition?

Have you tested continuity and isolation (broken wires and short circuits) on ignition low tension circuit from magneto to coil?

probably you need a new condensor, and new points wouldn't hurt.... I doubt that just cleaning points will help MUCH......

But, you will need to get that flywheel off, and they can be a tough nut to crack.....

Flywheel holding tool, or find local engine reconditioners and ask them to help.... they may be able to crack it off with inpact wrench, or have tool to lock flywheel.
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Current Bikes:'Honda VF1000F' ;'CB750F2N' ;'CB125TD ( 6 3 of em!)'; 'Montesa Cota 248'. Learner FAQ's:= 'U want to Ride a Motorbike! Where Do U start?'

[Itxi]

Of course! Should have realised it was the clutch, ah well that puts my mind at rest. I may try a proper holding tool if I can borrow one, but I'll try the hammer first because it's cheaper and more readily available.

I've checked the really obvious stuff, no killswitch on my cg and tried a new condenser with the new coil. None of the wires look broken but I haven't checked much else besides those things.

If cleaning the points does help I'll probably get new ones, just need to know what the problem is first.

Cheers for all the info, I'll read up on the magneto in the Haynes manual and if it's not the points that'll be my next port of call.

Also, yeah I'm definitely turning it the right way (way it turns when I push it forwards)

[pepperami]

As a first bike you`ll love it as long as you accept it for what it is and dont start thinking you`ll get 80 out of it and 0-60 in 2 seconds cos it aint gonna happen.

I love mine and still scuttle about on it when I get the chance.
once they are set up right, they are very reliable and dont take a lot to keep them going .
Just change the oil regularly and it will last for ever
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I am the sum total of my own existence, what went before makes me who I am now!

[Itxi]

Hehe, I don't plan on going fast yet. I haven't had a car for a few years and I mostly just want to get some freedom back. I'm actually enjoying it as a project as well, even though it doesn't start yet I've put a lot of work into restoring it slightly.

Speaking of which, I've used autosol on the chrome but the exhaust is still dull, anyone have any advice on how to get it to shine again please?

[ClockworkJesu...]

I had a Scarabeo as a project a few months ago.
Anyway, it used to be an ass to fire it. It'd not fire for ages, and now and then it'd splutter and rev and then die again;

Turned out the Kill Switch had broken, and was jumping between two points every now and then, so the engine was only getting a spark at random.

Could try bypassing the killswitch, see if that helps.
Hope it helps.

[Itxi]

I'm not sure if the CG has a killswitch, pretty sure I read that it didn't and I haven't been able to find one. Cheers though.

Got the flywheel nut off (had to wedge a spanner into one of the holes and under the footpeg then kick the wrench round) But I think I am going to have to buy a puller to get the actual wheel off, it's a nightmare to try without one by yourself. Are all Honda pullers the same or do they come in different sizes?

[Teflon-Mike]

[Itxi]

So, just got the puller and new set of points today. Put everything together and my bike now starts! Surprised the hell out of me when it did, I was expecting something else to be wrong.

But now it only ticks over so long as the choke is on and dies if give it too much throttle, I have a feeling that it may be that fuel isn't running through properly (the person who had it before me fitted a fuel filter and it's not filling up properly)

Not sure if I need to keep it running and let the fuel feed through gradually or if something else is up. (the carburettor was playing up up a bit when it was running before but not like this.)

EDIT: Just to say thank you to everyone for the advice as well!