My n600 - giving up the ghost?

[dawn_and_darrian]

My n600 has been running strong for around a month now. I've driven it everywhere, despite the fact that it's getting horrible gas mileage (I think I need to adjust the carb, unsure).
Anyway, last weekend I drove to a relatives house around 20 miles away. It drove there perfectly. On the way back it started having a very difficult time accelerating, it would have miniature misfires, and it would all around not run very nicely.
Today I tried adjusting the timing to see if that was the issue, but it will only run if the vacuum advance is all the way advanced.
I drove it today and it stalled on me a number of times while idling, and would also stall on me when starting to drive unless I revved the engine really high before taking off.
While I'm kind of knowledgable with cars, I'm not going to jump to any conclusions, especially on a car that was made before I was born (IOW, it's a foreign technology to me, sort of like a Klingon Bird of Prey).
I'm going to check the spark plugs soon. Considering the horrible gas mileage I think it's possible that the car has been running super rich and the plugs might be fouled. Then I'm going to check the points to make sure they didn't come loose or anything.
Does this sound like a good course of action?
If neither of these things are the issue can anyone thing of another possible culprit?
Matt Timion

[dana]

Matt,
At the top of my list is a rusty gas tank. The symptoms on my car were
exactly as you mentioned, except that mine stranded me twice before I had
the tank coated inside. You can see if this is the problem by disconnecting
the gas line from the carb and then turn on the key. If it's not plugged up
with rust, you will see a stream of gas coming out. The fuel pump may or may
not be clicking. One time on mine it was clicking like it was pumping gas
(nothing was coming out), the other time it didn't try to run at all.
Hopefully, you have had a fuel filter to catch all the crap that comes out.
My original fuel supply line (the one coming out the top of the tank) was
either corroded or plugged up. I tapped the drain hole out with a pipe tap
and put a right angle pipe to barb fitting in it for my supply line. If you
have the fuel line disconnected from the fuel pump and tank, you can blow
compressed air thru it to clear it out.
If you haven't rebuilt the carb, then you probably should. When you have the
bowl off, look under the needle seat (pull it out). there is a tiny screen
filter on it. I took mine off and pitched it. I run 2 fuel filters on my car
to catch dirt. One is in the back close to the tank and the other is close
to the carb. Both are 1/4" clear plastic so I can see anything in the gas.
Mileage wise, you should get between 40 to 50 mpg unless you drive it really
hard.
Since you have had this problem, change the plugs after doing whatever fixes
you do. I still say you should have gone with solid core wire on the plug
wires as that is what came on it.
Your car will eventually be able to be a reliable daily driver. Hang in
there. I am driving mine in this 100 degree Oklahoma heat. It's doing fine,
yours will too.
Richard Morris

[bstbst20175]

Just last week I had to drop the tank on my z600 as i could not get fuel out
of it. Turns out it had varnished over the intake tube in the bottom of the
tank. So I did the Eastwood tank cleaning and coating process and will
restart it later this week.
Guess you really need to use that fuel stablizer stuff.
Cheers,
Brian

[swander1968]

--- In 2cylinderhondas@yahoogroups.com, "Matt Timion"
wrote:

> My n600 has been running strong for around a month now. I've

driven it everywhere, despite the fact that it's getting horrible
gas mileage (I think I need to adjust the carb, unsure).

> Anyway, last weekend I drove to a relatives house around 20 miles

away. It drove there perfectly. On the way back it started having
a very difficult time accelerating, it would have miniature
misfires, and it would all around not run very nicely.

> Today I tried adjusting the timing to see if that was the issue,

but it will only run if the vacuum advance is all the way advanced.

> I drove it today and it stalled on me a number of times while

idling, and would also stall on me when starting to drive unless I
revved the engine really high before taking off.

> While I'm kind of knowledgable with cars, I'm not going to jump to

any conclusions, especially on a car that was made before I was born
(IOW, it's a foreign technology to me, sort of like a Klingon Bird
of Prey).

> I'm going to check the spark plugs soon. Considering the horrible

gas mileage I think it's possible that the car has been running
super rich and the plugs might be fouled. Then I'm going to check
the points to make sure they didn't come loose or anything.

> Does this sound like a good course of action?
> If neither of these things are the issue can anyone thing of

another possible culprit?

> Matt Timion

I had my AN600 do the same thing on the way to Palm Springs at about
9:30 at night. Stopped at an Autozone and picked up 2 plugs and
borrowed their wrench, ran like a champ after that. Seems both plugs
crapped out at the same time.

[friend]

Hi Matt;
After reviewing the threads that have been coming in tonight there are a
number of reasons your car could be misfireing, chocking up and not running.
I always look at the tune up procedures first. Making a list ot things
to go over helps to solve problems without losing sight on what you have
already done.
Your extensive fuel usage is a simtem of a larger problem. If your
using it at that rate and the tune up procedures didn't change any thing,
then I would remove the air filter, pull the carb and check the needle valve
to see why it's not shutting off. The Coupe supplement shop manual shows
the later carb. On the electrical side, I would check the points breaker
plate to see if it has movement from side to side, this will keep your
points from manitaining the proper point gap.
Also in trouble shooting the carb look for vacuume leaks by spraying
WD40 around the openings, if things get better while the engine is running,
Keep looking.
Bill
-----Original Message-----
From: 2cylinderhondas@yahoogroups.com
[mailto:2cylinderhondas@yahoogroups.com]On Behalf Of swander1968
Sent: Monday, July 03, 2006 10:25 PM
To: 2cylinderhondas@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [2cylinderhondas] Re: My n600 - giving up the ghost?
--- In 2cylinderhondas@yahoogroups.com, "Matt Timion"
wrote:

> My n600 has been running strong for around a month now. I've

driven it everywhere, despite the fact that it's getting horrible
gas mileage (I think I need to adjust the carb, unsure).

> Anyway, last weekend I drove to a relatives house around 20 miles

away. It drove there perfectly. On the way back it started having
a very difficult time accelerating, it would have miniature
misfires, and it would all around not run very nicely.

> Today I tried adjusting the timing to see if that was the issue,

but it will only run if the vacuum advance is all the way advanced.

> I drove it today and it stalled on me a number of times while

idling, and would also stall on me when starting to drive unless I
revved the engine really high before taking off.

> While I'm kind of knowledgable with cars, I'm not going to jump to

any conclusions, especially on a car that was made before I was born
(IOW, it's a foreign technology to me, sort of like a Klingon Bird
of Prey).

> I'm going to check the spark plugs soon. Considering the horrible

gas mileage I think it's possible that the car has been running
super rich and the plugs might be fouled. Then I'm going to check
the points to make sure they didn't come loose or anything.

> Does this sound like a good course of action?
> If neither of these things are the issue can anyone thing of

another possible culprit?

> Matt Timion

I had my AN600 do the same thing on the way to Palm Springs at about
9:30 at night. Stopped at an Autozone and picked up 2 plugs and
borrowed their wrench, ran like a champ after that. Seems both plugs
crapped out at the same time.

[laurie_randall]

Richard and Matt;
Has this engine had the cylinder heard removed-replaced? When I bought
my N600 6 years ago the prior owner had replaced the head. When installing
the timing chain he did not allow for the cam movement when the chain
tensioner took up the slack in the chain. It was 1 tooth out of time which
could not be taken out by trying to adjust the timing at the distributor.In
this consdition the engine ran but didn't have any power. Once corrected it
ran-runs fine. Something to think about.
Mike

>From: "Richard Morris" Reply-To:
2cylinderhondas@yahoogroups.com
>To: ,Subject: [2cylinderhondas] RE: [anzhonda600owners] My n600 - giving up the
>ghost?
>Date: Mon, 3 Jul 2006 17:44:10 -0500
>Matt,
>At the top of my list is a rusty gas tank. The symptoms on my car were
>exactly as you mentioned, except that mine stranded me twice before I had
>the tank coated inside. You can see if this is the problem by disconnecting
>the gas line from the carb and then turn on the key. If it's not plugged up
>with rust, you will see a stream of gas coming out. The fuel pump may or
>may
>not be clicking. One time on mine it was clicking like it was pumping gas
>(nothing was coming out), the other time it didn't try to run at all.
>Hopefully, you have had a fuel filter to catch all the crap that comes out.
>My original fuel supply line (the one coming out the top of the tank) was
>either corroded or plugged up. I tapped the drain hole out with a pipe tap
>and put a right angle pipe to barb fitting in it for my supply line. If
>you
>have the fuel line disconnected from the fuel pump and tank, you can blow
>compressed air thru it to clear it out.
>If you haven't rebuilt the carb, then you probably should. When you have
>the
>bowl off, look under the needle seat (pull it out). there is a tiny screen
>filter on it. I took mine off and pitched it. I run 2 fuel filters on my
>car
>to catch dirt. One is in the back close to the tank and the other is close
>to the carb. Both are 1/4" clear plastic so I can see anything in the gas.
>Mileage wise, you should get between 40 to 50 mpg unless you drive it
>really
>hard.
>Since you have had this problem, change the plugs after doing whatever
>fixes
>you do. I still say you should have gone with solid core wire on the plug
>wires as that is what came on it.
>Your car will eventually be able to be a reliable daily driver. Hang in
>there. I am driving mine in this 100 degree Oklahoma heat. It's doing fine,
>yours will too.
>Richard Morris
>-----Original Message-----
>From:
anzhonda600owners@yahoogroups.com
>[mailto:
anzhonda600owners@yahoogroups.com
] On Behalf Of Matt Timion
>Sent: Monday, July 03, 2006 5:09 PM
>To:
anzhonda600owners@yahoogroups.com
;
2cylinderhondas@yahoogroups.com
>Subject: [anzhonda600owners] My n600 - giving up the ghost?
>My n600 has been running strong for around a month now. I've driven it
>everywhere, despite the fact that it's getting horrible gas mileage (I
>think
>I need to adjust the carb, unsure).
>Anyway, last weekend I drove to a relatives house around 20 miles away. It
>drove there perfectly. On the way back it started having a very difficult
>time accelerating, it would have miniature misfires, and it would all
>around
>not run very nicely.
>Today I tried adjusting the timing to see if that was the issue, but it
>will
>only run if the vacuum advance is all the way advanced.
>I drove it today and it stalled on me a number of times while idling, and
>would also stall on me when starting to drive unless I revved the engine
>really high before taking off.
>While I'm kind of knowledgable with cars, I'm not going to jump to any
>conclusions, especially on a car that was made before I was born (IOW, it's
>a foreign technology to me, sort of like a Klingon Bird of Prey).
>I'm going to check the spark plugs soon. Considering the horrible gas
>mileage I think it's possible that the car has been running super rich and
>the plugs might be fouled. Then I'm going to check the points to make sure
>they didn't come loose or anything.
>Does this sound like a good course of action?
>If neither of these things are the issue can anyone thing of another
>possible culprit?
>Matt Timion

[tommyjayallen]

My vote is for the vacuum advance going out. Remove the points cover and verify that the advance is moving when you change the throttle position. When the vacuum advance fails or is disconnected exactly what you described happens.
Matt Timion wrote: My n600 has been running strong for around a month now. I've driven it everywhere, despite the fact that it's getting horrible gas mileage (I think I need to adjust the carb, unsure).
Anyway, last weekend I drove to a relatives house around 20 miles away. It drove there perfectly. On the way back it started having a very difficult time accelerating, it would have miniature misfires, and it would all around not run very nicely.
Today I tried adjusting the timing to see if that was the issue, but it will only run if the vacuum advance is all the way advanced.
I drove it today and it stalled on me a number of times while idling, and would also stall on me when starting to drive unless I revved the engine really high before taking off.
While I'm kind of knowledgable with cars, I'm not going to jump to any conclusions, especially on a car that was made before I was born (IOW, it's a foreign technology to me, sort of like a Klingon Bird of Prey).
I'm going to check the spark plugs soon. Considering the horrible gas mileage I think it's possible that the car has been running super rich and the plugs might be fouled. Then I'm going to check the points to make sure they didn't come loose or anything.
Does this sound like a good course of action?
If neither of these things are the issue can anyone thing of another possible culprit?
Matt Timion
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[dawn_and_darrian]

I'll do that this afternoon... thanks for the idea.
Matt Timion

[dawn_and_darrian]

Checked the vacuum advance. It was working fine.
I also checked the fuel filter for clogs. I did discover that it was on backwards, but I found no debris in the filter or line. I might replace the line from the pump to the carburator this weekend.
Spark plugs were jet black (running rich). I replaced them and it ran fine for a few minutes, and then started acting up again.
Now I need to check the timing. perhaps it jumped a tooth.
Matt Timion

[dana]

With your plugs jet black, it's getting way too much fuel. Does your fuel
pump shut off with the key on (engine not running)? I should do a click or
two and stop. If it keeps going, the main needle and seat (the one the float
moves) is leaking. And I would still have 2 fuel filters on it, back by the
tank and one by the carb, both clear plastic. Are you sure you have the
right plugs in it? Mine had the wrong plugs in it when I bought the car.
I know your coil was mounted by the air cleaner when you got the car, so the
next issue (to me) is a weak spark. When you put the new wires on, did you
screw them into the coil? (you should, there are little screws in the holes
in the coil that the wires screw onto). The plug wires, once screwed into
the coil, cannot be pulled straight out. If you didn't screw them into
position, there is a potential weak spark situation.
If the ignition points have become pitted, that can also be a source of weak
spark.
Richard Morris