Still Won't Idle! I think I'm done.

Well if my bike were ticking it's something I'd check. I was pleasently surprised to find none of my exhaust bolts frozen when I re-torqued them the other day -- watch for that.

Have you tried re-torquing the exhaust?

I have not. Something to try next?

Also, the engine or exhaust was ticking quite a bit after only a minute or two of trying to get her to idle right when I started her up. Just trying to give as much info as possible.

Have you tried re-torquing the exhaust?

And the tach cable is leaking a bit at the engine.

Also, the engine or exhaust was ticking quite a bit after only a minute or two of trying to get her to idle right when I started her up. Just trying to give as much info as possible.

Oh, and I never verified timing, as I don't have a gun. Just wanted to be clear.

There seems to be a lot more seepage coming from the valve cover gasket and perhaps even those screws that are right behind the valve end covers. Could that cause an intake leak?

Just to be thorough, I broke one of the clamps that attach the left manifold boot to the carb yesterday. There was no change in idle rpms even when spraying around that carb either.

Fully warmed up, the bike was idling at 2500rpms.

No change in rpms no matter where around the head gasket I sprayed. It's not weeping now, by the way. Maybe a little moist at the place it was weeping previously, but I'm not sure.

I turned it down to almost 1000, and the bike seemed like it was going to stall out, but still idled. Although the idle was wandering all over the place, and kept going up to 2000 rpms. It stayed around 1500 most of the time. No noticible change with the spraying, but it was hard to tell with the idle wandering all over the place.

What now?

Keith,

Taking a shower and then I'm doing your test. The head gasket was weeping a little right between the exhaust at that one 6mm bolt. I've cleaned the area so I'll see if it's still weeping now.

Thanks,
~Mike

[KEITH KRAUSE]

It's a lot easier to diagnose a bike in person than over the internet so if you can get someone to help you that's great.
I'd still try my test. Won't take very long.
Your bike is showing the signs of an intake leak. You can also hear sounds that escaping air can make. You say the head gasket area is messy in places.
With what you say has been checked such as throttle operation, diaphragm/spring assemblies correctly installed, ignition timing advancer operating correctly, I see no way that the rpm's can significantly increase as it becomes hot unless it's an intake leak.
You say the manifolds correct, are new and correctly installed on clean surfaces. Carbs installed correctly. Only intake leak I can think of now would be at the head gasket.
And re-torquing had to be tried first. Why not? Re-torquing doesn't always work. Sometimes you need a new gasket. A compression test should show low compression at least at one cylinder.

I think you need a ......... what was the question?

My previous offer still stands Mr Unclemike


jerk*

Jerk!?! What did I do?

I just might have to ride on out your way this week sometime. When're you free?

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I think you need a ......... what was the question?

My previous offer still stands Mr Unclemike


jerk*

[KEITH KRAUSE]

OK. Do me a favor. Run the bike two minutes and set the idle to 1,000.
Now go ride the bike so it's completely warmed up/hot. What is the idle rpm then? If it is significantly higher (as it has been so far) don't turn it off. Let it idle at that rpm.
Have a spray bottle of water handy. Set it to squirt a stream, not a mist.
Shoot every part of the head gasket you can reach. Hit it good. Do you hear any drop in the rpm's when you hit the gasket? If so, you have a bad head gasket.
If you can't hear a drop in rpm, lower the rpm with the idle adjuster knob to 1,000. Repeat the test. Any drop noticable now?

Okay, some good news:

While everything was off and apart, I did Hoom's horn cleaning trick and the horn is a lot louder now.

Whoopie.