ok, if this doesn't do it, the bike is gone

ok, 1985 maxim x that just won't fire. Local shop said that after the crankcase flooded with gas after I left it on prime, that it was more than likely the plugs. Got new plugs, sitll won't fire, even with ether. So, I pulled the carbs off, and took them entirely down to bare bones. really nothing exciting there, pretty clean minus a piece of dirt or two. One of my buddys said that maybe there was wather in the gas and while blowing the emulsion tubes out, a liquid came out and beaded up on the tube itself. I found this very interesting as gas usually doesn't bead, it just kind of forms to whatever it is on. so, I drained the tank to find a bit more schtuff in the tank, but nothing horrid. I pulled the brand new petcock out and it appears clean as well. the gas was the color of a lager beer. So, after the coils go back on (I checked to see if for some reason the bike jumped time by pulling the valve cover) if it doesn't run, I'm selling it, period. I'm so sick of this thing. anyone else have a suggestion before I go off the deep end?

 

Patience Grasshopper ... your efforts will be soon rewarded. Don't overlook the obvious! ....(fortune cookie)

 

You seem to be taking a shotgun approach to this. That's easy to do, especially when reading these forums and seeing all the things it COULD be.

You need to step back and approach this methodically. And, you may well have more than one problem.

Every internal combustion engine needs exactly three things to run:

1) Fuel/Air mixture.

2) Compression.

3) Ignition.

Ether is very easy to light. I've never had an engine of any kind not fire ether unless there was an ignition problem.

Of course water can prevent spark so your first order of business is to get that out of there (and it does sound like water).

Next, you need to make sure you have enough electricity to fire the plugs while cranking. You may have seen other posts about bikes that won't start because the battery doesn't supply enough voltage while cranking the starter. Get a known good battery, or better yet, hook up to a good car battery (MAKE SURE YOU DON'T REVERSE POLARITY) so you know you have plenty of juice to work with.

Next, pull your old spark plugs and set them aside. Get some brand new plugs and put the ignition wires on them but don't install in the bike. Ground the metal base of the plugs to the engine so you don't damage your coils. Crank the engine and make sure you get good blue sparks in each plug. If not, they sure won't fire in the engine.

So lets look at where you are. You know you have plenty of electricity and brand new plugs. If they don't spark you know you have a problem with the ignition system.

Let us know what you find out. We can guide you as to what steps to take next.

 

Sorry if this has been asked before:

1. Does it turn?

2. Have you tried using starter fluid?

3. Did you bench sync the carbs when they were off the bike?

4. Are the pilot screws set to factory settings?

5. How old is the battery?

6. Did you check the float height when the carbs were off the bike?

 

the only thing I haven't done is check the float height, but its strange because it ran with the floats at their current level before. It has spark, and good spark. It has brand new plugs, and I mean they don't have a mile on them. It does turn. I've put 300 miles on the bike before this issue.

 

try taking the plugs out and shooting ether straight into the cylinders. put the plugs back in and try to start it.

 

Could it be the thingy down at the bottom of the engine, on the left side behind that circle plate cover? (has 2 magnet things). I know my bike did not fire cause it was playing the @ss.

Don't you love my technical vocab? lol

EDIT: I found out that what I am talking about is the ignition plate, like this...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1983-XJ5 ... dZViewItem

 

It is very easy to fuel foul these spark plugs. If they've been in the engine pull them and check them again.

I would recommend against spraying ether directly into the cylinders. There is a chance of doing some significant damage.

 

Thanks to Rick Massey for entertaining my questions last night. I'll be on this thing today.

 

Carl, what happens when you do that?... I've done it many times... 8O Never hurt anything though. I spray a small shot in the two outside cylinders, not in all four.

 

Heh, if you give up on her, send me a PM. I'll gladly take her off your hands. I've been wanting a Maxim X for a while and this could be a cheap one!

 

Definately look at the plugs, make sure they are gapped properly, I had a hard starting condion on my Seca when I cahnged plugs, was so one track minded I din't even check the plug gap till i had replaced the ignitor, coils and bought a new battery. Now it wasn't that bad, as i needed a new battery and the bike had the wrong ignitor and the replacement was for a 1982 Seca 650. But...if i had checked it better I could have saved a bit of headache and heartache. I was ready to put a free sign on mine till my wife and kids talked me out of it. Got it running strong now, and am glad i kept it. cruzerjd

 

paco, I have another 85 with 28k on it that will be for sale soon. It's an x also. Needs a little attention, but runs and will have a decent exhaust on it, has a brand new metzler on the rear and the carbs were just gone through with new gear oil and oil and filter. I'll send you pics if you want...pm me

 

I'm not sure when or where, or how, but I believe I found my issue on the bike last night. I was just putting her back together, bolting up the coils, putting the side covers back on, when I found a bolt. That bolt was attatched to the main ground wire...where it wasn't connected. I didn't hold much hope for her starting, but what the hay. With a bit of help, I got her over the hump of being flooded and she fired up. I let her run for about 20 mins on her own, occassionally restarting her. I didn't have the air box boots on, so she was running a tad lean, but after getting the idle back down to earth, she ran fine. I belive I have a float level issue, so I disconnected the fuel for now. I'm not holding my breath for her to fire over again when I get home, but you never know. ALL that work and it more than likely was the ground wire? yeesh! NO fun at all. Now I have to put the nearly new header pipes on her and get her painted as well as repaint the engine, and she will be one hot little darlin.

 

Glad to hear you got your bike firing again. Check my photo gallery to see how to check fuel levels. Doing it this way will pinpoint the problem carb or carbs so you don't waste time on good ones. Oh and I thought winchestertonfieldville was in Ohio?

 

The bike is still cranky, but the battery is about shot so I know that is part of the issue. There is always something to do with these things isn't there? Winchestertonfieldville is just a play on the movie Mr Deeds...may be one out there though...I'm actually in winchester va...