My baby just wont go!

[argonsagas]

If the plugs are fouled badly by oil, you can clean them by blocking the plug upright in a vise and using a propane torch to burn off everything on it.



Not likely you will do any damage to the plug, but remember to let them cool down before re-use, and wear eye protection when doing this as tiny ash particles can come off and get blown back at you.

Use a wire brush after the flame to remove all ash. Use it lightly.

[earlfor]

Since you have a new battery and you have charged it, its a pretty safe bet your problem isnt low battery voltage. Consequently, more voltage isnt going to do a thing to solve the problem. You never answered my first questions. I asked/said, " Have you checked point gaps and point condition, replaced condensors and static timed the engine? If the timing is off, you can be getting all kinds of spark at the plugs, but it still isnt going to start or run."
Also, you say you dumped the old gas and refilled the tank with fresh gas. Did you check the bottom of the tank for sludge before putting in fresh gas. Did you drain all the old gas from the float bowls before putting fresh gas into the tank? Did you clean out the float bowls?

Earl

What about hooking it up to my little battery charger?

The Battery is brand new and I just charged it. So is hooking it up to the jumper to give it that extra oomph?

[Anonymous]

Earl... yer killing me!!!!

I have not checked points or condensors or timing.... That was next... I'm doing this as I read it in the manual.

I also did not probably clean the gas out as well as I thought I had. II did not go any deeeper than the tank. So I guess i have more to do for the fuel system cleaning.

[earlfor]

:-) :-) :-) :-) I would pull the tank, and empty it. Check the tank for mush in the bottom, check the container I drained the gas into for sediment.
Remove the float bowl bottoms and make sure they are clean,
Set the static timing. Check your battery at the battery terminals and then
switch the ignition on and check the input voltage to the coils to insure there are satisfactory harness connections and no voltage drop. Put the + test lead on the coil positive terminal and the negative test lead to ground with the ignition switched on. Input voltage reading should be very close to battery voltage. If it isnt, you will need to clean up your connectors.
Forget jumping with bigger batteries. Thats no solution or fix.

Earl

Earl... yer killing me!!!!

I have not checked points or condensors or timing.... That was next... I'm doing this as I read it in the manual.

I also did not probably clean the gas out as well as I thought I had. II did not go any deeeper than the tank. So I guess i have more to do for the fuel system cleaning.

[Anonymous]

Make sure the gas tank is clean, the petcock also and then the float bowls
Pull both jets in each carb and look thru it to see the shiny, concentric hole (Look thru it at a light source) If you can't see a perfect, shiny hole, drop it in some cleaner (I use spray carb cleaner in a film canister so it can be capped and agitated)

Those jets need to be perfect - DO NOT poke anything thru the holes to clean them out - brass scratches easily and then it's time to order new ones - scratched ones will drive you crazy with bad carberation :twisted:

[Anonymous]

OK.... Plug #3 is not firing. I switched plugs just to make sure it wasn't the spark plug itself and still no spark. I'm going to test it one more time because my battery had just about had it by then (I checked #3 last ). So after I recharge the battery how do i check the high tension leads?

I'm going to pull the tank (once i finish typing these words as a matter of fact) and REALLY clean it out this time. I had a problem getting that last bit out last time so any suggestions on how to get EVERY drop. Then pull the carbs and check the floats.

Here's to hopin that I don't make anything broken!!

[earlfor]

Cylinders 2 and 3 are fired by the same coil. If #2 fires and #3 does not then the problem is NOT the coil or the points. If you have already changed plugs and it makes no difference, then its not the sparkplug.
Change the sparkplug boot on #3 sparkplug wire. That will probably solve your problem. If it does not, then it has to be the wire itself.

Earl

OK.... Plug #3 is not firing. I switched plugs just to make sure it wasn't the spark plug itself and still no spark. I'm going to test it one more time because my battery had just about had it by then (I checked #3 last ). So after I recharge the battery how do i check the high tension leads?

I'm going to pull the tank (once i finish typing these words as a matter of fact) and REALLY clean it out this time. I had a problem getting that last bit out last time so any suggestions on how to get EVERY drop. Then pull the carbs and check the floats.

Here's to hopin that I don't make anything broken!!

[Anonymous]

Earl rocks

Alright, removed the carbs successfully but hit a delay when I dumped gas all over my basement floor.... not a nice smell, dirty foul gas.. so I spent all night trying to get the smell out of my house (lesson # 86.... don't bring that in the house) instead of taking apart the carbs.

I can however confirm that what was in the carbs, was not healthy for the bike.

[redliner1973]

Clean Clean Clean!!!!! :twisted:

[Anonymous]

I always had starter problems too. Could not get it started although I had spark and the starter motor was engaging. Of course after several tries in vain my battery used to die on me and my plugs were always soaking wet (translated from dutch we say after a while the bike would be 'drowned' in excessive fuel).
In my case I noticed I had a voltage drop in the system with ignition on (below 12V) and my starter motor was not really running as fast as it should. Probably already due to this voltage drop but also, as it turned out, due to some old springs inside the starter which were no longer pushing the brushes as hard to the rotor as required. My starter problem was solved with two fixes : focus frenzy's starter relay diagram and a refurbished starter motor. It did the trick for me. Hope this helps !