Subject: Staring problems (long)
Author: AJ Huff
Date: May 1, 2005, 4:30 AM
Post ID: 1718793926
Hello all, I am having a starting issue that I need some direction with. I
followed Joel's thread on sputtering because his experience is similar to
mine, but I don't think I saw anything in response that I can use, at least
not right at this minute. Here's the story:
Refresher. Bought the bike in January. Ran fine at the PO's house. Got it
home started it no problem. I have ridden the bike twice since, nothing
major, just around the house. Since I knew it was going to sit in the
garage until spring. I would keep the battery on trickle and try to get in
the garage and start it once a week and let it run for 5-10 minutes. I
don't know if that really does much good or not but that was my goal.
Unfortunately for my job I travel a lot. And that once a week starting
started to get stretched out. And the longer the bike sat the more
difficult it got to start. I think I can see a definite difference in ease
around 10-14 days of sitting. I'll go in the garage and it will turn over
but not start. I may get a pop like it was thinking about starting a split
second after I release the starter button. This has always been false
encouragement. I have tried starting with the enrichner on and off, no
effect. I give up trying when I start to smell gas.
If I do this process maybe twice a day, waiting for that smell of gas to go
away, every day, on about the third day I've been able to finally get the
bike to start.
I have tried pulling the plugs and cleaning them. Also tried new plugs.
Same effect.
The newest nuance is that the last two three-day starting attempts, the
very first start I got a small pop and white smoke that seemingly came out
of both carbs. Only happens once on that first start attempt. Its not a
loud crack like a backfire, but they may very well be what it is.
Now back to Joel's sputtering. When I finally do get it running, after days
of working at it. I have the exact same sputtering issue he has. I couldn't
have explained it better the he did. including his observations with the
position of the enrichner lever. Of course I have to get it started before
I can see if I have an exhaust leak. Joel if you discover something let me
know.
I am in over my head on this. My next step I thought was to clean out the
bowl on each carb. This seems like something you can do while they are
still on the bike. I assume it is unscrewing the bolt on the bottom and it
drops right off. It appears that way in the manual. The manual also talks
of using compressed air, but where?
I also understand that there is a filter. I am not sure where but it looks
like maybe it is where the fuel line comes in the side of the carb. I
thought of checking that too.
My brain tells me that either I have a spark issue or a fuel mixture issue.
Since I can smell gas it seems that I am getting fuel, nut maybe not. Could
still be spark though.
Hoping you guys can put me in the right direction.
Thanks,
-AJ
AJ Huff
'71 Ambassador
Three Rivers, MI
MGNOC# 19917