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Hello, I have a 82 Honda V45 Magna. I just found out that my front right cylinder does not work. After running it for awhile I touched the exhaust pipe and it was cold. I then took out the spark plug and placed it on the engine block and it sparked. I then checked the front cylinder head and everything appeared to be very clean and working properly. I then took off the exhaust and found out that both cylinders on the right side of the bike were not running right. I could feel air pushing out but it was not hot and did not have the punch feeling that the left side did. I then took off the carbs and they appear to be very clean inside, no gum or dirty at all. I need help to figure out the problem. My next step is to replace the coils and spark plug wires. Any other suggestions would help. Thanks Ryan

Hello Ryan and welcome to the forum. When you checked the right front spark plug you had spark. That shows that the coil and plug wire are good. You said you checked the front cylinder head and it was clean and appeared to work correctly. Did you check the valve clearance?

What I would do is get a manual for your bike and follow the troubleshooting guide in the book. It will tell you what (and how) to check. Good luck.

Yes I did check the valve clearance it was alittle off but we adjusted it. The right front cylinder was also off but it still worked.

I meant to say left front cylinder, not right front cylinder

Hi Ryan, welcome to our community!

Best thing is not to panic and stay cool and calm, sometimes a serious problem is no more than a simple solution.

Remember the triangle: FUEL, SPARK, AIR.

As you said "I could feel air pushing out but it was not hot and did not have the punch feeling that the left side did." I would go ahead and check the compression of that cylinder and see if it's within specs; I am wondering if you have loss of compression (worn or damaged rings). You should be able to easily find a motorcycle compression gauge/tester.




When the front right cylinder is running do you hear any abnormal noises? I remember that the V7 Magna's of that era had a head oil issue and did experience engine failure because of this, hopefully this isn't the case.

Mike

No there r no strange noises. Just checked the old spark plug wires and they r very bad. I still got some spark though, could the bad wire still cause problems

Yes it could cause problems. I'd start with balancing the carbs though, then go from there.

Does anyone know a good aftermarket spark plug wire i could use for my 82 v45

When I've had to replace my plug wires I just buy a set at Auto Zone (ie big box store), cut the ends off, and put the bike's ends on them.

Remove the spark plugs and spray carb cleaner into the cylinder. Replace the plugs, start engine and see if you can tell if the cyliders are hitting. If so you may have feul delivery issues.