Archived Posts

[Admin]

Most people dont know how to read chain wear. So by the time they need a new one, the sprockets are shot as well from a stretched chain.
Its very possible to reuse sprockets a few times, AS LONG AS their teeth profiles are within spec.

[Admin]

GT380, 1974

I got spark at the plugs. I've timed it with a timing light, when I had it running, sort of. It's pretty spot on. Needs some tweaking, though.

I got fuel in the float bowls. I know that because I can loosen the drain screw and gas comes out. The gas is only about three weeks old.

If I pull the pods off and spray carb cleaner into the throats, it'll fire immediately and run until that burns out.

Other wise, I can't coax it into running.

I pulled off the carbs today, again. I pulled the main and pilot jets and cleaned them out, sprayed them out with carb cleaner, and then inspected them. They're clean. There's no more gunk in the float bowls.

I sprayed carb cleaner through all the passages I could find and saw clean spray coming out.

Can any of you guys tell me something I'm not doing correctly?

[Admin]

I sprayed carb cleaner through all the passages I could find and saw clean spray coming out.

Yeah! I do that too... Easy to see because it usually comes out the passage pointed at my eye...

Seriously... What, if anything, happened between the last time it was starting and running...and now? Amount of time? Anything done to it (other that what you have said)? Abruptly stopped running?

Thanks!

Tom

[Admin]

Most people dont know how to read chain wear. So by the time they need a new one, the sprockets are shot as well from a stretched chain.
Its very possible to reuse sprockets a few times, AS LONG AS their teeth profiles are within spec.

Like I said..... I knew someone would pipe up. Yes it is possible, Is it smart??....

Chains wear to the sprockets they were matched to and vice versa.

Putting on a new chain on a sprockets w/ existing wear, regardless whether or not they are within spec is stupid considering the cost savings is nil. Penny wise and pound foolish.

Sprockets are cheap, chains are not. You WILL NOT get the full life out of a new chain on used sprockets vs. using new sprockets.

However listen to whoever you want, it isn't my money.

[Admin]

yeh but cant see anything on how to check restistance etc in the charging system.
mmmm#
is this it?
http://www.ozebook.com/compendium/pei011.jpg

[Admin]

When I got it started originally, I put fresh gas in it. Apparently I hadn't cleaned out all the varnish that was in the tank. It dissolved, and flowed into the carbs, choking everything up.

I pulled them and thought I had cleaned them properly. I was wrong.

I just now pulled them and cleaned them thoroughly (or so I think), and put them on.

I've also put on a new set of points and condensers. I've set them properly.

Yesterday I was able to get the bike to run roughly for 15-20 seconds at a time. While it was running, my friend was holding the timing light to the points plate to check the timing. It was nearly spot on. Fine adjustments are needed, basically to advance it a degree or two.

Maybe I should just pull the carbs and toss them in the bucket of solvent for a few days, after removing all the rubber and plastic parts, of course!

[Admin]

Brad, it does sound like your pilot circuits are clogged again. There are some very tiny ports and passages in the carbs. When you cleaned the carbs, did you ever remove the needle jets? They might be clogged. Soaking them in carb cleaner would be a good idea.


Lane

[Admin]

I just removed the carbs from the bike, and am in the process of taking them apart. I'll soak them all again and see if I can clear out all the passages. I'm thinking that there's still gunk because I didn't spray them out with compressed air or carb cleaner.

Stupidity really is painful.

[Admin]

silly bugger should've take abit more care in my reading.I thought he was taliking of iggy coils doh need my ass kicking....
(I also have difficulty undertsnading things I can't see, so let's see if we can increase your faith a little.

Disconnect the stator at the connection and test with a good ohm meter. If I got the right model of PEI, the reading between yellow/green and green/white is 1ohm and the same between yellow/green and red/green. those are the two charge coils - day and night.

if yours is pre-PEI, check anyway and let us know what the readings are across the two battery charge coils.

If they test out as DOA, it needs to be rewound or replaced.

If they test OK within spec, there's a couple of less than factory tests that may show up which of the charge coils is a problem:

Q. With the lights on, does the headlamp get brighter when you rev the motor and dim as the revs drop?

If yes, then the night coil is probably OK. if not, try this:

Q2. Get a headlamp and connect it across the battery and start the bike. As you rev it up, does the light get brighter and does it dim as the revs drop. Do not turn the lights on at the switch yet.

If the Q2 connection dims and brightens but not the first test, the daytime coil is OK. If the light doesn't dim & brighten , try turning the lights on and see if that changes anything.

If the test light or main light do not respond at all, the generator isn't generating and that could be broken wires or a dead regulator/rectifier. A couple of dead rectifier elements would cause output voltage to be low, because it would only be rectifying half wave.

Another simple test is to connect test leads between the alternator and ground and check for the voltage and see if it rises as the revs rise.

good luck and may the (electomotive) force be with you.)

[Admin]

Brad,

It isn't stupidity, it's a simple case of not knowing what you don't know.

Remember what it was like in the USMC? To begin with you had no idea what you didn't know and it takes time and exerience to learn.

We all start out that way and some of the guys here have clearly learned a lot over the years.

keep trying and never be afraid to ask and never be afraid to do your own research and build on that body of knowledge.

Teazer

[Admin]

Truth!

An old sergeant major once told me, "Swearingen, learn from other peoples' mistakes. Life's a helluva lot easier that way!"

But for some strange reason, I keep making my own.



Alright, pulled the carbs apart and removed all the little pieces that I could. Inspected them, and found them to be clean (except for the two choke plungers; they were pretty nasty). I did find gunk in some of the passageways in the bodies. They're now sitting in a bucket of solvent.

The needle jets looked clean, but time will tell.

Now then, here's my next stupid question. I installed the carbs with two plastic bungs unattached to anything. Attaching these probably is too easy to fix my problem, but I'll ask what goes there anyway. It's been months since I originally took them apart, and I don't remember where the hoses were supposed to go. Are they over flow tubes, like those on the bottoms of the float bowls? Or do they serve some better purpose (like getting my damn bike to run)?

[Admin]

yes, they all are overflow lines; as per your trouble... I had similar problem last summer, it happened 200 km far from home.... a friend of mine got me while I was, sadly, stopped aside the road
"Red One" starts and running for no more than a minute, depending on the throttle opening, then she quits, sure a fuel delivery problem.
Turned out that the main fuel "T" line across the carbs was LOOSE, it should be firmly pressed but mine was rotating and free especially because the LH fuel line piece was a bit short.
I thought whort a check on that "T" piece, take a look at the main fuel line and to the vacuum line ,from the carb to the petcock, for some breaking as well. I would try to start the bike in "PRI" position, just to exclude petcock diaphfragm failure.

[Admin]

I know it isn't diaphragm failure...At least not in that sense. Fuel flows freely in any setting the the petcock, and that's AFTER I put in some POS rebuild kit from eBay. I'll be getting a NOS OEM from one of the other members here soon to replace it.

[Admin]

Hey Brad,
I just moved to manasses " man - asses " as its called..
we should go ride sometime. I may even be able to help
you get that damn thing running! christ I know I spent many an
evening wanting to throw mine off a cliff. I suspect it may be
those "bung" things that got taken off and not put back on...
not sure... it doesn't take a lot to disrupt fuel flow from carbs
into the engine. speaking of, how are the carb mounts ?
when was the last time it ran well ?

later,

-JL

[Admin]

its your fuel check valve.
through time it has worn out, time has also allowed gunk and crud to build up on the worn out spot. it wore into a convenient useable condition. now that all of that gunk is gone ( due to the cleaning ) it no longer seals and
stops gas from overflowing. I'll bet if you leave the bike alone with the fuel on "prime" the carbs overflow and the airfilter gets wet ?
check it out...
thats what happened to me..