Rate my plugs - CL350

beachinwesty

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Nov 26, 2020
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baltimore
Welcome, Ladies and Gentlemen, to another edition of rate my plugs.

Remember, all plugs are rated on a 1-10 scale with 1 being extremely lean and 10 being extremely rich.

Here's our first two contestants, left and right. And, as always, bonus points for analysis of carb balancing.

Left_cl350.jpgRight_cl350.jpg
 
Can't rate balance until we know run conditions....Did you use choke?....Did it idle OK @ 1200/1300 RPM?....How long did it idle?... How long and far was it ridden and at what revs?
 
Excellent questions.

1) choke needed on startup on cold days but able to turn it off almost right away. Helps with startup on warmer days.

2) idles like a champ at 1200. Very little variation once warmed up. Idles slightly lower when first started. Used the idle drop method of setting mixture but it feels like there is room in that range to go more lean or rich.

3) I tend to ride 5-10 miles several times a week. Sometimes rev to 7-9k for fun and to see how it pulls, but mostly I ride in the 4-7k range. Mostly city driving so few long runs at constant speed. Mpg around 40. Been experimenting with lower rpm running to gauge effect on mpg.

always looking to learn the finer points of these machines so I appreciate the consideration.
 
Are you using stock air filters? If so, are they reasonably clean? How about the float levels, have you checked them or reset them?
 
Your engine runs most efficiently between 6.5 and 8.5 K revs.......Use the gears!
Consistently revving/riding below that range will carbon up the plugs on the porcelain and exposed end of the threads.....
The electrodes show a decent "running" color, so the mixture is OK, although perhaps slightly rich at idle.....
My suggestion would be to either rev each gear higher (run them out), and/or drop down one gear from where you are currently at your given travel speed......
"City" driving at/up to/below 35 MPH you should NEVER be above second gear, possibly barely into third @ above 40 MPH, but only when accelerating to 55/60 MPH or faster.......
JMHO..........
 
Thanks for the replies.

I have aftermarket pods that are clean and the float levels are correct at 23mm (I do believe, it’s been a while)

I”ll clean them off and run it the way you suggest 66sprint and check back in after a while. I think I’ll also just lean it out ever so slightly on the idle mix.

Thanks for playing Rate My Plugs!!! What do we have for our contestants, Alex?

“A cruise to Puerto Vallarta, on the Princess of the Sea, and a new jet ski”.
 
beachinwesty said:
I have aftermarket pods that are clean and the float levels are correct at 23mm (I do believe, it’s been a while)...
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(LOUD BUZZER SOUND) Oh, I’m sorry, but both answers are incorrect! Alex, what parting gifts do we have for our contestant?...lol
 
ancientdad said:
A copy of the home game, of course! :dizzy:
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Correct!!! (DING DING). Also included is a very valuable suggestion to not watch the those guys in Houston video and incorrectly set your float level to 23mm...lol
 
1969 cl350,

You forgot to include for our viewers the correct float height(s) so they don’t have to go searching for it. I know we want them to tune in next week, but please don’t keep our viewers on the edge of their seats too long!!
 
When adjusted according to the factory manual, the carb is held at a slight angle so the tang on the float barely touches the needle valve pin, but doesn’t compress it at all. The factory measurement for the 3D and 722A carbs (which you probably have) is 26mm. On my bike, I found 27 mm to work better, but as they say, your mileage may vary. That’s it for this episode, but do tune in next week to see where to buy the lowest-priced OEM air filters.
 
1969 CL350 said:
When adjusted according to the factory manual, the carb is held at a slight angle so the tang on the float barely touches the needle valve pin, but doesn’t compress it at all. The factory measurement for the 3D and 722A carbs (which you probably have) is 26mm. On my bike, I found 27 mm to work better, but as they say, your mileage may vary. That’s it for this episode, but do tune in next week to see where to buy the lowest-priced OEM air filters.
Click to expand...

Aww come on, don't keep us in suspense!
 
ancientdad said:
Aww come on, don't keep us in suspense!
Click to expand...

Well, ok I guess...lol

They aren’t cheap anywhere, but David Silver Spares consistently has the lowest price on the OEM air filters. About $90 a pair last time I looked, vs $120 (or more) a pair from the other usual suspects.

B4AA3173-FA6E-4BBC-84A7-72A250918B51.jpeg
 
I’m a little confused because on the one hand, I hear about how bulletproof and reliable these bikes are, but on the other hand I read that you have to have everything perfect in order for the bike to operate properly. Now I’m a fan of doing it right and getting it right but I have to ask, “while I understand that OEM should be the standard, why would pods be so much different than the originals, and how much do you think it matters?” Of course the quality of aftermarket pods varies greatly, but assume a high quality product vs high quality new OEM. And then there is the comparison of old clogged or worn OEM vs new OEM.
 
The OEM air cleaners have a very large filter area and are interconnected, doubling the effective intake surface area. They also provide a still air plenum and an air passageway to the carbs with little turbulence, which those CV carbs really like. Pods have much less filter area and provide a turbulent supply of air to the carbs, which upsets the vacuum function of the slide. Some pods have an internal lip that partially blocks the vacuum ports at the carb mouth, too.

If you have a bike with normal slide carbs, they aren’t nearly as fussy about air cleaners, as long as the filter area is large enough. Yes, the Honda 350 CV carbs are touchy when it comes to aftermarket mods, and are really fiddly to get set up right. When you do, though, they work great.
 
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