Newbie needs help

[Evilchicken0]

I just use an ultrasonic from Maplins

[Russwel28]

Hi guys,

It's been a while but this is where I'm upto at the moment, the carbs have been cleaned, needles lifted one notch, synchronised carbs fitted new air filter and plugs. I had to replace a few carb parts a few o rings and all of the airscrews as the original ones where missing the washers and rubber seals. Also rushes out the cooling system as it was full of crap.
When it came to firing her up, it would start no problem but still had the trouble at mid range revs whilst standing, once it warmed up it was a bit better, then last week it died, upon investigation I found there was no spark and found that the pick up coil was shot to bits, looks like it has been breaking down for a while. I have replaced this and she starts and idols well once warm and seems a lot better revving through the range.
But the throttle cable snapped whilst I was trying to adjust it, so have ordered a new one and waiting for it to arrive.
But at idol the reves are fluctuating a little bit. do you think this is because of the cable.

[Russwel28]

It's all gone wrong again, went out yesterday to fire her up and nothing, kept trying but no luck. Eventually the battery was to low to continue, so of with the tank, and the carbs. The carbs looked all clean nothing nasty at all, so took the plugs out expecting them to be wet, as if they were flooded, but they were the opposite, totally dry, so put everything back on waited for the bat to regain some power and tried with out the tank on, and what I did find was the t sheped nipple that the fuel line connects to was snapped at one joint and fuel was squirting out, but not that much, checked the bowls and they had enough fuel in, so fuel was getting through, so once again waiting for parts, but I'm a bit at a loss as the bike has been starting fine for the last few weeks now, the only thing that I have done was the day before the problems, was to put the needle clips back to the right position in the middle, it ran right after I done that fine, but the bike had been prior to doing this, when the problems started the bike had been left overnight, any idears welcome.

[Evilchicken0]

Fit the new parts and see what happens. If it still doesn't fire take the tank and airbox off then u
se some carb cleaner down the carb intakes. If it still doesnt fire chec the spark


Bloody phones

[Russwel28]

Hi all,

Well it's been a while, and I have had ups and downs, last week I finished the bike apart from the valve clearances, she looked great and sounded nice, started up on the button first time, here where it all goes pear shaped, noticed exhaust was smoking a bit, thought it would clear up once warm, but it never, so I suspected head gasket, so off with everything, untill I found the head gasket was totally knackered, so ordered a new head and base gasket, fitted them and put everything together again, but she now won't start at all, played with the timing all week and tonight was the best result managed to get her to fire, but only with the stator motor, I looked an the timing and got it best I could. But just can't seem to get it. Spot on, so can anyone help me with the correct procedures for this. I have the flywheel clamped at tdc, then install exhaust followed by inlet cam shafts, seem to get the punch marks lined up, but when I put the chain tension ers back in the move slightly out of alignment, would the slight misalignment make it so hard to start, and how do I get the cam shafts to stay in position.

Cheers

[Evilchicken0]

In fortunately the cams will either be in time or not. Because the can wheels aren't slotted you're stuck with getting it as good as you can. Turn the engine by hand and if it doesn't bind your about there.
Same story with the fly wheel, it can only go on one way and unfortunatlwy it starts PR it doesn't.
Check it sparks, check its wired right and then bang a load of carb cleaner up its sniffing end

[Russwel28]

All back together, timing marks are pretty spot on, valve clearances done, I have spark, but the bloody thing will not fire up, when turning it over, try without choke and nothing put the choke on and there is slight puffing whilst its turning over, but not enough to fire it up, there must be fuel getting in as all the plugs are wet, carbs have not been altered since the bike was running good about two weeks ago, unfortunaly I have not got a compresstion tested, but it was fine two weeks ago, can't see it going that bad in two weeks. Trying to retrace my steps, stripped down to replace head and base gaskets, replaced these as well as the large o-rings put them all on the right way, also took pistons off and cleaned crowns, put them back with arrows pointing the front. Also cleaned the the underside of the valves of carbon. That's about it, timing can't be any better that I have it at the moment, but it just won't go, it's really starting to get me down now, any thoughts appreciated.

[Evilchicken0]

Make sure the exup is connected properly and the servo is cycling

Leave the air box off, connect the fuel. Lift the carb slides and put a good squirt of carb cleaner down each carb then hold the button down
You need to keep it down and the engine should pick up and spin quicker ... keep the starter on until the engine can take the throttle.
Its not a very gentle process im afraid

[Russwel28]

Hi,

I can't believe it what has happened, tried and tried all weekend, and it still would not go, then I was out with my son today shopping, and decided to try a new set of plugs, so bought a new set from a dealer, got home put them it and she fired up first time, feel a bit of a idiot, but in my defence the plugs before hand were only a few months old, but were bought of fleebay, not making escusses but after she was running I started to think, I have, over the last 18 months restored 3 tzr 250s, and all the plugs were bought of ebay, but all failed, and replaced apart from maybe a few, but I paid 7 pound per plug today, compared to 3 pound of ebay. I'm starting to think that they are so cheap for a reason. Or maybe I'm just being paranoid. Anyway if anyone else has had similar experiences, I would be interested in hearing them. Anyway I can continue to finish her now.
Thanks for all the advice, and I still may need more yet.

[GreyImport]

Interested in the fleabay plugs.....are they from a British seller? ...what brand are they?
I use ebay for alot of things but plugs are so readily available locally ..... I bought NGK CR8Es and they were only $4 each from a local auto parts store.....which is about 2.6GBP !
Dealers charge u for wiping your feet on their doormat


Glad to here its running

[willandrip]

Had the bike ran on the replaced plugs previously?
Sometimes a set of virgin plugs are all that is needed to get the bike to start initially,once started they seem to run fine on the used ones.
It is the fact that access can be awkward that prevents re-trial of the existing ones being replaced after cleaning once the bike has started.
As I have a few bikes; I keep a good, known set on the shelf simply for this purpose.
I do not think the plugs from E-bay are cheap "seconds". The cost to a trader of a box of CR8E's is circa £2.25 per plug;anything he can sell them for over that price is a profit,not forgetting inflated postage and packing.
During the 1980's I had a motorcycle shop and at one period about 30% of NGK plugs were returned to the stockist as faulty.Being a Japanese company ;this was very quickly rectified! I have not heard of the problem since.

[Russwel28]

Yes the bike did run on the old plugs before the gasket replacement, It's a very interesting point you made about the plugs, but must be correct, as the bike came to life again. All I have to do is set her up now as its not running as smooth as before, the engine sounds sweet, but when it's started it will idol well, but the reves are a bit jumpy at the 1200 mark, then when it gets hot the bike will die whilst idling, it will start up again, but then once again die, it will keep doing this, sounds as if the engine starts to struggle and then gives up. Any ideas with set up would be welcome, also the air / fuel mixture screw is on the engine side, not on the air box side like my two strokes, do they act the same, does turning it it make it richer and out leaner, I'm thinking the cutting out is down to carbs, also there is a lot of vapour coming from the crankcase breather, but I'm putting this down to moisture from when the old head gasket was on, but there is a lot coming out when hot.
As usual any help is appreciated.

[Evilchicken0]

The carbs propably need balancing and setting up. The mixture screw varies the fuel dropping in on the engine side of the butterfly valves - do the balancing first, I think the standard is 2.5 / 3 turns out.

Good to hear it's running, just check the wiring to the coils and the HT leads aren't loose you could have distrubed it when you fitted the new plugs, you don't want it come bck on you.

[Russwel28]

Up and running but not for long, the vapour from the crankcase defiantly has a strong smell of fuel, also when I had it idoling, and connected the breather hose to the air box and tank back on she stopped and refused to start, took number 1plug out as its the easy one to get out and it is carbon fouled. Don't think I have a problem with compresstion as normaly it starts up quite well, so i have a few more questions,
1 if the bike is flooding will the fuel get into the crankcase if the rings are o.k.
2 which way on the mixture screw leans the fuel delivery, in or out.
3 does the bike at idol rely on the main jet, if so will dropping the needle help.

I'm at a loss again.

[willandrip]

Russ;
1. Fuel will get past the piston rings over a period of time if carbs are flooding into the combustion chamber.(This would only be when the engine is stopped and until the level in the carbs drop.)
2. In leans the mixture;outover enrichens.
3. At idle ;Fuel level,mixture screw setting and pilot air jet size control the fuel flow.Dropping the needles will not help.

Had you previously been running the bike with the breather hose disconnected and the airbox unplugged. ?
If so ;when you reconnected it, the mixture was enrichened and you are compounding that by adding the vapour rich fumes from the c/case if they are excessive.
When the air temperature is low, as at present, using choke and with a cold engine =expect a richer than normal smell and vapours from the breather.

Hope this is of some little use.