Dead Cylinder

[b717doc]

1982 GS 1100 GL (z)......

Replaced cylinder base gasket, head gasket, rings, set valve clearances, dis-assembled/cleaned/synchronized carbs, runs like s---. LOTS of smoke coming from Supertrapp pipe (4 in 1), Reached down and pulled #1 cylinder plug wire off while idling, No drop in RPM at all,,,,,All other 3 cylinders have significant drop in RPM when plug wires pulled. Compression very good on all 4 cylinders, and have nice blue spark on all plugs. Engine also dies when idle mixture screw turned all the way in on the #2, #3, and #4 carbs, but has no effect when #1 carb mixture screw is turned all the way in.... If I remember right, the only way a cylinder can be "dead" is if there's no spark, or no compression, or no fuel.....the cylinder is actually wetting the spark plug, and the exhaust (dropped header, all normal except #1, which is black and wet).
Removed spark plug on #1, no fire now.....found plug wire "open" just before boot. Trimmed down to conductor, wrapped conductor around spark plug, Now appears to be firing (fire jumps from lead to plug when held off), but smoke still billowing, and mixture screw on #1 carb has no effect....cylinder still appears to be dead. Stumped again in Atlanta.....

[mark]

Are your float settings correct? They need to be right on....

Also I"ve had spark plugs that refuse to fire after they have been fouled. Sounds crazy but its true....I spent a month trying to get a dead cyliner to fire, turned out to be a brand new spark plug that didn't work after fouling....

[b717doc]

Hey Mark,
Plug was'nt, but now is firing, at least when I hold it against the cylinder and spin her over, but will not drop in RPM's when taken off...cylinder still dead.....tried new plug no help......

[mark]

Well, then unless I'm missing somthing (which is totally possible) you're flooding number one, that is why you're plug won't fire. Float is stuck open, needle valve not seating properly or something like that. Carb expert needed I think.

[DaveDanger]

b717doc, I'm not 100% sure of the coil arrangement on your 1100, but I think in general that coils fire pairs of cylinders... one coil fires cylinders 1 & 4, the other coil fires #2 & 3. Is there a possibility of physically remounting your coils, in effect swapping them, so that you can verify that damaged lead is ok? If the dead cylinder stays at the #1 position, the problem is definitely the plug/cylinder/fuel, if the problem moves to another cylinder, the problem is still in the coil/lead setup. Just my mind reaching for vague ideas...

[Buffalo Breath]

dead

What color is the smoke blueish grey or black you maybe oil fouling the plug, if so you may have broken an oil ring you would still have compression but no oil control

[b717doc]

Bluish grey is the closest description, when the pipes were removed, all but #1 was normal (white in color) except #1, which was damp with fuel. Swapped #1 and #4 plug wires, no help, #4 fires fine, #1 still dead.....Definitely a carb problem. Disassembled #1 carb again yesterday, found to be in immaculate condition.......all jets, passages, and orifices crystal clear....functional check of float assembly satisfactory.....Parked in garage and threw blanket over.....Took the Honda out......