Today's Puzzler

Okay, I am a fan of the NPR show "Car Talk". Those guys crack me up. :lol: I often listen to them while "wrenching" in the garage. So today I was doing some simple tasks and accidently created todays puzzler :?:

Okay, so I got some new grips in and decided to put them on. The left grip was a little long so I needed to move the controls in about an inch. No problem except one of the two screws won't budge. :x Drill the head out and off it comes. Then I get the screw part out with a vice grip. Okay, I needed to do a screw run to the hardware store anyway as the ones for the headlight bucket are buggered. (noticed that when I put on the new gauges with built in indicator lights). 8O But wait, while I have this open look at all that gunk. I need to clean it out. So I clean out the entire left side control, and all the metal switch parts get a "polish" with 1500 grit paper. (Had to solder one wire on also). Put her back together and all the controls seem to work. Gets me thinking. :idea: So I decide to do the right side too "just in case". Of course there isn't as much in there, but I dutifully clean it and all the parts. While doing this, I accidently disconnect the throttle cable from the twisty part :!: so I lube the cable (still attached to the carbs) as best I can. To get is back in the twisty thing, I have to disconnect the sheath from the carb end to give me some slack. I don't want to take the tank off so just pop the back end and lift it and wedge a 2x4 in there to hold the tank up giving me enough room to get my hand in there. I remove the sheath from the sheath holder, reconnect the throttle at the grip. Close it up and reconnect the sheath. Settle the tank and clip it in. I then go about stripping one of the screws in the throttle assembly. :evil: While at the HW store I get a 6mm tap and screw and drill out the one side and tap the screw side. While doing this I of couse accidently disconnect the throttle again and have to do the whole tank thing again. :evil: :cry: :evil: So I reconnect everything and get it buttoned up and want to take a quick test ride to check out the grips and controls. (I'm doing a bunch of little things putting off delving into the carbs, runs okay but Idle creeps and sometimes dies). So I go and start it up and it starts right up with some enrichment and runs but dies. 8O So I start it again and it kicks and bucks a bit (that never happened before) and then dies. 8O Then it just won't start. 8O :evil: 8O I push it back in the garage, head for xjbikes and ready to ask another question. Then I get an AH HA moment and go out to the bike (which is now on the charger), and yep I had the solution. :lol: A fairly quick fix and she cranks right up and runs like the bike I know. 8)

So there you go, every thing you need to diagnos the problem. Who can solve it? I know there are many out there who will try, but only the first person to solve this riddle will get the prize. The first person to solve this correctly will win $5 off their next order from Chacal (thanks Len! 8O )

Ken.

P.S. didn't know that changing the grips would take two days and involve a soldering iron, a tap and drill and two trips under the tank... 8O

P.P.S. Like the new grips, can't wait to see how they do on the longer trip. :lol:

 

My guess would be that, while propping up your tank with the 2x4 you pulled one or more plug caps off the plugs.

 

the vacuum line to the petcock came off and you ran out of gas?

 

3 Things...

1. could have pulled the vacuum line off the petcock, therefore nto allowing more fuel then what was there to be released.

2. The choke was pulled tighly and therefore carbs were choked

3. Fuel line(throttle cable) was too tightly pulled up and not seated right leaving the carbs to be flooded =)

add measure the pulled plug cable as mentioned above =)

OK Slow reader and poster.. so as mentioned above as well, the petcock vacuum dislodged

 

Skeeter wins.

Or you have gremlins that lived in your old grips, just now released.

 

Have to agree fuel line or vacuum line came off. Has happened to me more than once...

 

unless the kill switch got buggered up with the cleaning job. i did re-read and see the mention of a soldering iron.

 

Have to agree with Skeeter but also would entertain the possibility of plug wires being pulled loose.

 

This is why I love this site. Within three hours of my post, I had a correct answer, two confirmations, and at least three other possibilites. Additionally, at least one other poster had done it before more than once. I posted on a KATana website the other day (5 ago or so) and still don't have a response!

SQLguy had a good idea, however, I came in with the two by for (short piece) form the seat side and it never got close to the plugs. Besides, I hope this bike will start and run on three but I also hope I don't find out myself.

Stamplickers shotgun approach is pretty good, but slows him down. Also, in 2, my bike races when the choke is on not bogs and bucks. Is that not correct behavior?

Skeeters second response of a bad solder job is just an insult . I can use a soldering iron...Not a bad guess though concidering all the other things that happened. Like I can tighten a screw and don't usually APE it, but did enough today to pop some threads.

When I came in from the bike I was agreeing with TimetoRide, but nope not gremlins, or at least only self induced ones.

So, in 1hr and 17min, a guy in first gear gets it right. Vacuum line to the petcock. Stamplicker, my guess is if you had posted one guess instead of three you would have eeked him out since you both posted at the same time, but apparently he eeked you out.

I have a friend that is amazed that I can continuously take my bike apart and put it back together and it works. Only because of the good people on this site and the manual.

Thanks guys. Now its your turn. Post one that you have solved and let the rest of us take a crack at it. When we can solve the known, it makes us better at the unknown (or makes fewer unknowns). I know I'll never forget this one again.

P.S. Skeeter, to claim you prize send me your address written on the tops of two top hats for hitachi 32 carbs and it will be in the mail.

 

I myself have done that as well while trying to not remove the tank but squeeze in there. Sometimes all it takes is to step away from the bike and relax a minute. But man is that hard to do when you are frustrated isn't it???

 

is there a reason you keep that vacuum line so short?
it's easier to get on if it's a bit longer and the end is cut at a 45

 

Yea that is why I did it more than once - my tube WAS a bit short - I replaced it in all the work I did while down and out the last few weeks.

 

very "car talk" of you . . .

pride in getting it right is enough reward for me. although, i must admit, last night i was doing the very same thing with my gas tank (we all have issues with these bikes, eh?) and found the vacuum line to be pretty hard to remove and was thinking maybe the 2x4 knocked into the fuse box causing a loose connection. it was the mention of the battery on the charger that got me thinking electrical.

i love me some simple fixes.

 

My wife said I was definately car talk when I read her the reward statement. The 2x4 didn't come anywhere near the fuse box and my box is a new blade type and would take a lot to dislodge. Of course, my vac line may need replacement. Hmmm....

There were a number of things in there that it could have been, but alas, just the simplest one was needed.

I love this site, but one of the things I don't see enough of is posted questions with the last post reading something along the lines of "this is what solved the problem". We need a way of closing comments on technical issues and declaring them solved so we can see that when we search and head for those.