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I'm at my wits end and about to break...Oil pan hell.
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Originally posted by Guy2010 Honda VFR1200F
1983 Suzuki GS750T (sold)
Being Revisited
1981 Honda CM400T
http://www.bikepics.com/members/cloudbreakmd/
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bobasoozoo
i'm new to gs world but have been fixing stuff since i could walk.
divide and conquer.
spark?, grab an old plug, transfer a plug wire to it, vise grip it to something clean and paint free on frame or engine, look for spark
fuel? loosen one of the float drains.
air? check for old socks in carb throats
if you have all three and it was running before, it should run again.
if anything is missing, split the defference between source and sink and see if it's there in the middle. for example, if you have fuel in bowls and spark and air but no start, you might squirt a shot of ether in each carb. If she fires and runs a few seconds, you know your spark is not only there but there at the right time and that you've something amiss with carbs. if you had spark and she doesn't run on ether, your spark is not there at the right time.
ether is about a buck at the auto parts store. AKA starting fluid because they put a little oil in with the ether. not recommended for diesel bikes.
speaking of diesel bikes, does anyone near atlanta have one they want to get rid of?
-bob
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flyingace
He said the engine cranks fine but plugs are dry. A new battery won't change that. Remove the plugs and crank the starter. You should be able to smell for the presence of gas vapor coming out of the plug holes. Don't smoke when you do thisIf you smell nothing out of any spark plug holes, try removing the air box (maybe the filter is totally plugged) and try the sniff test again. Replace air box when done.
Are you using the choke as already asked? - it won't start without it. And is the choke actuating the choke levers on the carbs? The cable can become disconnected or broken off.
Next stop is the float levels in the bowls - are they adequate for the jets
to work?
I read in a thread here that the main difference between a good mechanic and a bad one is patience. No offense, but using a crow bar on an oil pan is not patience.
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BigMattyD
In Detman's defense, the only way you really learn is from experience. After this experience, I am sure that the crowbar will not come out again unless he knows all the fasteners are taken care of.
Maybe he was hot,sweaty, and tired, and lost his nerve a little bit. I think we have all done that before.
Maybe he's the type of person that acts quickly, then says "oops." I don't know.
In any case, he needs some help, and I see a lot of good comments re: the starting problem.
Matt
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flyingace
Not trying to lecture, but it helps for the future to remember about being patient - and stopping to cool down a little before using brute force.
I once got in a hurry trying to time my old BMW 2002, and started the car while it was in gear - ran it right into a wall! I think I learned my lession that time.
Ace.
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Like they said, Try jumper cables first. If it won't start with them, a new battery won't help either. A shot of starting fluid can work wonders. If I don't start my old KZ 1300 for a couple of weeks, it will crank "n" crank "n" crank, but won't hit a lick. A shot of starting fluid and it fires right up. It will start fine from then on, till I let it sit for a couple of weeks again. Then starting fluid again. I'm gonna fix that thing one of these days.1983 GS1100E, 1983 CB1100F, 1991 GSX1100G, 1996 Kaw. ZL600 Eliminator, 1999 Bandit 1200S, 2005 Bandit 1200S, 2000 Kaw. ZRX 1100
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BigMattyD
One time I forgot to pump up the brakes after changing the brake pads on my car.
Luckily, there was no car coming the next day as my wife and I zoomed down our sloping driveway and out into the road. (I was screaming, "I CAANNNT STOP!)
I will never forget that.
The funny thing is that I have probably worked on brakes about 10 times before, and never forgot to check them afterward. I must have been in a hurry.
Matt
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BriTXbike
Originally posted by argonsagasYou might look at another simple thing: firing order.
It is a common error, and usually causes backfiring or other noises, but you could just get a no-start condition.
One coil fires cylinders 1 and 4 the other coil fires 2 and 3.
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I always try to bump start my bike before doing any wrenching. If the starter button isn't turning over the engine, I start pushing, full choke, no throttle, neutral, to 2nd.
It took me 8 pushes on flat ground to get my Kat fired up in February after having the cases split.
My starter clutch was toast so I assembled without the clutch and just the rotor. It fired up.
Worth a try.GS\'s since 1982: 55OMZ, 550ES, 750ET, (2) 1100ET\'s, 1100S, 1150ES. Current ride is an 83 Katana. Wifes bike is an 84 GS 1150ES
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Pete Logan
Originally posted by flyingaceAnd is the choke actuating the choke levers on the carbs? The cable can become disconnected or broken off.
I have to lean down and manually pull the choke rack out the rest of the way, and then it goes fine.
Strange about the plugs being dry, though. I still think it unlikely that all four carbs have an identical problem. If it's not the supply from the tank, then what else is common to the fuel supply to all four ?
I think eliminating the air filtering as a possible cause is a good idea. It'll do no harm to just take it off until you find the problem.
As for the crowbar and the unseen bolt, a lot of us can plead guilty to that kind of 'moment of inattention'. Please don't ask me why I've got a 'spare' Villiers engine in the barn
Pete
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Guy
Originally posted by cloudbreakmdIn his defense, the man is absolutely crazy. Oh and a motorcycle shop recommended the gasket maker.
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gspaul
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Originally posted by cloudbreakmdIn his defense, the man is absolutely crazy about maintenance. A bolt was covered with road grime and he didn't see it, thinking all the bolts were off... time lapse forward this cluster of a mess he's in, and here we are. Oh and a motorcycle shop recommended the gasket maker.2010 Honda VFR1200F
1983 Suzuki GS750T (sold)
Being Revisited
1981 Honda CM400T
http://www.bikepics.com/members/cloudbreakmd/
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Pete Logan
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2010 Honda VFR1200F
1983 Suzuki GS750T (sold)
Being Revisited
1981 Honda CM400T
http://www.bikepics.com/members/cloudbreakmd/
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