From random stutter to no fuel..

(narrowed down my problem so starting a new thread.. since i dont think previous post has anything to do with problem)

So.. summary, recently filled up the tank, and put 1/2 a bottle of Generic carb cleaner (stp style, from Advanced auto)..

Soon after the bike stuttered some (sunday), This morning around teh corner it got so it would hardly run.. cut out and die so i came home..

Thinking it was the petcock i pulled the line, Prime= good flow, on/res good flow when cranking.. (but no fuel showing up on plugs)


I pushed some air thru with a hand pump so the inlet line doesnt seem plugged.. but it wont pull fuel thru

How much fuel do the bowls hold ?
It doesnt seem to take any at all so I am wondering if they are stuck..


Thanks for your patience

 

I'm not sure I'm following what you mean by "It doesn't seem to take any at all." If you havne't drained the float bowl, they can't take any more gas because they're already full.

To check the levels of the bowls, you need a clear tube on the drain nipple on teh bowl holding the lose end above the carb. Then losen the drain plug. Since a fluid seeks its own level, the gas should fill the tube up to the level the floats are set for (assuming there's a supply of gas to replace what's going into the tube). I forget the exact level offhand, but they should all be the same.

I haven't measured the total amount that comes out of the float bowls when I drain them. Maybe someone else knows?

 

You should see about a 1/4 cup of fuel in each, eyeball factor.

 

Oblivion: I ask cause my concern is they are empty/stuck..

I can't drain them without removal since the drain screws are siezed

any suggestions on easy fix for that ? ;p Thought about mild heat but schematic shows an O ring behing the screw.. Soaking them with WD40 currently..

So, with that said, my plan is to pull the carbs, pull the bowls and have a looksy..

 

I know if I don't add any fuel to the float bowls, mine will idle for about 30 seconds before it dies. Just another way to measure if you need to.

 

I was thinking you expected them to take a full load of fuel for every start. I'm OK now.

As for removal of the drain screws, I chewed mine to hell, but eventually got them out with a lot of liquid wrench and a few firm whacks with a hammer on the back of the screwdriver while seated in the screw head. I ended up replacing them with allen keyed screws (see Robert's post about halfway down the first page of this thread: http://xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=778/ ).

FWIW, mine didn't have an o-ring, but that doesn't mean yours don't so I don't know about using heat. Careful with the gasoline, etc., etc.


Good luck.

 

to remove those little o-rings

u should try and put wd-40 with the little red hose

and presure feed it, the rings should come around the hose!

also mag-lite makes a opticwire thingy

which is good for looking into holes!

 

I would strongly advocate the purchase of a good impact driver from one of several sources (my WalMart special $15 has served well for the last 10 years), pull the carb bank and brace the bowl on a block of wood. Then select the tip that best fits the screw head, set the impact handle and whack it! I've been very successful doing this with just about any fastener that is stubborn. A shot of breakfree of some sort won't hurt either. Worst case senario is reverse twist drill bits (there is another thread on this, hit the search button). I'd be very cautious since you don't know if you have o-rings or not. Good luck.

 

Update,

So i took the carbs off, sprayed everything out (not seem very dirty)

I took the main/middle jets out, didnt take the pilot out, but sprayed down the pickup..

So now, it cranks, and the plugs look wet.. but no start, even with ether..

pulled the #4 plug and didnt look to be sparking

So tonight tomorrow I'll check out the seemingly no spark..

1.) battery reads 12+V, starter cranks good

2.) The haynes says to check resistance ( I think) on the coils..

3.) Going to double check the spark gap and clean the plugs since I had taken them out and they got gas fouled..

Anything else that would allow cranking, but no spark ? Sidestand was wired around by PO (should stop cranking also right?)

Thanks for all your suggestions while I learn

THis is getting flustrating going from Running ok, to a basket case all of a sudden..

 

Check the position and continuity of your kill switch (don't remember offhand if the kill switch woudl lock out the starter or not, but can't hurt to check).

 

OH my god.. I found the problem..

Where the shift lever comes up to the crankcase (moves towards it duirng up shift) it had been bumping the crank trigger wires where they come out of the case.

finally shorted them out.

explains why my problems always started on upshifts...

Oh well the carbs got a bath..