I'm at a loss... advice please

Carbs cleaned and sync-ed.
New Spark plugs. (I was running too lean)
The compression on all four cylinders is between 130-145.

Even with ether it will not start.

So... now what?

 

Have you checked for spark? That's where I would start. how old are the plugs?

 

I mentioned I just put new plugs in it......

I have spark I have fuel... just no bang

 

Are you sure you have a good 12 volts. If the spark is weak. It will not give you a hot enough spark at the plug.

 

Sounds like your not getting any air thru the carbs to pull the starter fluid into the cylinders.

 

Even with a weak spark it should fire the starter fluid. It will light from a spark two feet away from it.

 

yup, charged the battery over night, put it on an amp meter... battery is good.

It tries to start, but just won't run. I tried the ether with pods on and off.

Maybe it's timing?

 

Plug wires switched around?

 

Nope.. labeled them as I took them off.

 

I am presuming that the engine would start previous to the carbs being cleaned etc.

If so, has the petcock been placed onto the prime position to allow the carbs to fill with petrol...?

If so, are all the electrical connections OK...?

If so, was the camshaft moved at all prior to any work being done...i.e. the timing may have slipped out a little if repalced incorrectly.

Have you taken a spark plug out and held it against the engine and turned it over to see if it produces spark? If not then there may be a problem eith with the fuses or (let's hope not...) the TCI unit itself.

Check the fuses, check for spark and that way it might hone down the location of the problem...

RedC

 

Do the plugs look dry or soaked with gas? Did ya check for vacuum leaks, like the little rubber stoppers on the brass sync ports, the vac line that goes to the petcock, YICS ports (if you have 'em)?..

if it won't start with ether, and the spark is strong, it may be gulping air somewhere....

 

the carbs could be filled with tar but the bike would start with stater fluid...it would die once the fluid was gone, now you said it is "trying" to start which to me says you need to revist the wires...i would start by sniping atleast half an inch off the coil end because i find those ends corroded alot.

S!

 

It went from not starting when cold, to getting the enrichment circuits cleaned, then started, but didn't idle quite well. Once warm it ran great. It ran well for about two weeks.

Then the bike sat for about a week, charged the battery, primed it, choked it, used ether, everything I could think of and it wouldn't start again.

Easter Sunday I had enough, I took off the carbs, found a stuck float and a broken thingy the float pins go in. Fixed all that, cleaned and synch-ed the carbs. Still the bike would not start, just blurbles and backfires through the exhaust.

Pulled the spark plugs, they were white and 'blistered'. I looked it up and it's a too hot of a plug for the bike. I went and got the right plugs, gaped them, put them in and still nothing.

So I charged the battery over night, put it on an amp meter and it's all good. Put the battery back in.. still nothing. Tries to start but still blurbles and backfires. Pulled the wires off and I am getting spark.

Pulled the plugs again, and they look fine, not wet or black.

So I then retraced all my steps thinking maybe I got the lines coming off the fuel tank wrong. I marked everything I took off with color coded paint markers. And all my marks match up. The idea of the rubber stoppers made me think so I ran down the garage in my PJs and the little stoppers are there.

I did check for obvious vacuum leaks, but as of yet I have found none.

The infamous wiring and fuse box was replaced already.

It's not a YICS engine.

All I did was take the carbs off and pull out spark plugs. I didn't mess with anything else

 

P.S.
Kicking stuff around the garage, and cussing the bike did not help either

 

I feel your pain. It sounds like either the sync is off a bit or something is not right with your float level settings. Now I have done this myself so I'm going to ask. Did you put the floats in the correct way. They will go in upside down and actually fit in the float bowls. You will not get enough gas in the bowls for the engine to run. I did that once and was going nuts trying to get my bike started.
So what I would do if you can is open a bowl drain screw and put a plastic tube on and see where your fuel level is. Let us know and good luck

 

just to confirm , it still wont start even with starter fluid?

 

Depends on how its going in. Spray while cranking or a shot then crank.We don't know what method. I'm thinking no gas for some reason.

 

Both.

 

Pulled the carbs apart AGAIN! lol

The floats are in the right way, checked to make sure the levels were right.
Put everything back together AGAIN.

It now starts, but won't idle, even with choke. If I turn the throttle to keep it idling, it dies.

Also now when I push the starter button it doesn't always work. I may have to push it two or three times.

 

I can only suggest, if your Pilots are at 2 1/2, turn them to 3 turns out,
and adjust your idle screw up a touch, let's get you running, even if it's too rich.

 

I would get it running and hold the idle up to about 1800 to 2000 rpms and let it warm up and then see if it will idle down. If it clears out and is running on all 4 you should be able to make your adjustments.

 

I know this may be a long shot but I'll be in Knoxville 14-18th (is your vacation still on?). If you are close, I could be talked into stopping by...

 

wont start with starter fluid...but you say its "trying" to start now it will start but wont idle and even with the throttle it will eventually die, and you have to push the start button more than once to get it to engage, my battery was less than a year old and fully charged...but still had a problem turning the bike over...and i was not getting full power to my coils either, if your ignition system is working fine then the bike should fire right up with starter fluid...and if it does not you have an electrical problem. I really think you have a bad battery or you have a short somewhere in the ignition system.

S!

 

Yeah, I'll be in Calgary/Banff/Yorkton for two weeks. I won't be back until the 19th.

It goes from trying to start... (the blurble thing) Then won't start at all, to starting but as soon as I turn the throttle it dies, to blurbling again. Then turns over but won't actualy start and backfires through the exhaust, to starting and idles rough for a few seconds then dies. After all that it's time to charge the battery again... It's a vicious cycle.


If I get the time this week I'm going to start checking wires.

The PO (My brother) redid all the wiring on the bike when he bought it a few years ago. The battery is a year old now, I honestly didn't think it could be it. But I'll buy a new one anyway.

I'm going to tear apart the starter button and give it a good cleaning.

I washed it yesterday because I was cleaning out the garage. It looks really pretty now

 

change the plugs. Especially if you replace the battery; NEW PLUGS. Gapped toward the tighter side of the spec for your bike. (Gut feeling here.)

 

Although you charged the battery, I can't help but wonder if it's failing. The hard starting could be the result of all battery power being used to running the starter, and the coils not having enough juice to make a good spark.

Either buy a new battery as you said, or jump it to a car battery and see if that helps the starting issue. I think you may have more than one problem here.

 

How did you synch the carbs without the bike running?

 

The carb rebuild and synch was before it started this issue. It ran for a day, I had to park it for a few weeks and now this all started.

Ok, so who all wants to say "I told you so" now? The plugs are soaked with fuel, and black.

Last night I set the battery on a slow charge. I came home from work put the battery back in and guess what? It didn't charge at all, there's barely enough juice to light up the neutral light.

So tomorrow I get paid and I'll get a new battery.