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Nick

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 34535
Location: Hereford

Posted: Mon Mar 09, 15 10:37 am Post subject:
Timing looks fine, at least the lines on the timing gear and the flywheel are in the right place. Fuel is getting to the carb. Battery isn't holding a charge, so, is it safe to jump from my car? Both are 12v.

vegplot

Joined: 19 Apr 2007
Posts: 21301
Location: Bethesda, Gwynedd

Posted: Mon Mar 09, 15 11:37 am Post subject:
I don't know for sure to be honest but I would assume it would be okay to do so. Just be aware the cranking current of a car battery will be far higher than on a quad bike. Check all connection are sound (earth strap) and ensure both use the same grounding system (if jumpstarting fro0m another vehicle) e.g. negative earth.

Nick

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 34535
Location: Hereford

Posted: Mon Mar 09, 15 12:52 pm Post subject:

It worked, and with a full tank of clean petrol, it's running. There's a turns wheel which adjusts idle speed and I had to play with that a while.

So, I've been up and down the lane for ten minutes or so.

Sometimes, when belting along, the engine just falls to idle speed for a minute, and I can only limp it along in first gear. Then it back fires, and the throttle works again. Did this two or three times in a row, then runs perfectly for another five minutes before I came home.

Any thoughts what might cause a lack of revving?

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46249
Location: yes

Posted: Mon Mar 09, 15 1:12 pm Post subject:

it might be electrical issues.damp,dirt and ht dont mix well

try spraying all wires,plugs,things connected by wires with wd40,wipe clean and respray,leave it ten mins for the propellant to evaporate (safety first) and then see if drying it has helped.

edit,if it has electronic ignition control i cant help but if it has a mechanical system check the distributor is sparking each cylinder correctly.i assume it has more than one pot ?

if that didnt work it might be control gear issues ,check all cables ,clamps etc are adjusted correctly.try again.

does the magneto/alternator put out a steady voltage when the engine is running ?try not to get zapped by the ht ,it hurts .

Cathryn

Joined: 16 Jul 2005
Posts: 19856
Location: Ceredigion

Posted: Mon Mar 09, 15 1:17 pm Post subject:

Nick wrote:

This might be something to do with the head gasket on the engine or drain the carburettor (but it's probably not this). The back firing and losing power happened to one of ours and it had to go into hospital as it turned out to be quite serious.

vegplot

Joined: 19 Apr 2007
Posts: 21301
Location: Bethesda, Gwynedd

Posted: Mon Mar 09, 15 2:41 pm Post subject:

Nick wrote:

Back firing is a sign of poor mixture control. Run the engine hard under load then use the kill switch to cleanly cutoff the engine. Remove the plug and note the colour. Black and sooty it's too rich light grey or white too lean.

Reluctance to come off idle: Assuming it's a carb that uses a float chamber then it could be a sticking float which either causes fuel starvation or flooding. Carb cleaner may cure this as it dissolves petrol deposits that build up over time. Awkwardly it could the float not set at the right level. This involves stripping it down, cleaning carefully, and resetting. Don't advise doing this without a manual and a carb gasket set.

Last edited by vegplot on Mon Mar 09, 15 8:31 pm; edited 1 time in total

Nick

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 34535
Location: Hereford

Posted: Mon Mar 09, 15 2:51 pm Post subject:
Black and sooty. I'll get some cleaner. Thanks.

vegplot

Joined: 19 Apr 2007
Posts: 21301
Location: Bethesda, Gwynedd

Posted: Mon Mar 09, 15 3:13 pm Post subject:
Might only need a few tweaks of the mixture screw in the carb.

Cathryn

Joined: 16 Jul 2005
Posts: 19856
Location: Ceredigion

Posted: Mon Mar 09, 15 6:26 pm Post subject:
You're amazing Vegplot.

Nick

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 34535
Location: Hereford

Posted: Mon Mar 09, 15 7:18 pm Post subject:
I'll have a play with the screw on Thursday, when I return from the north. My bet is crap in the carb, tho, it's been stood a long time. And I doubt it's been poked about in ten years, if ever. Carb is a bugger to get to, tho. Kit is only twenty notes, tho, so not a disaster. I appreciate the help.

vegplot

Joined: 19 Apr 2007
Posts: 21301
Location: Bethesda, Gwynedd

Posted: Mon Mar 09, 15 11:17 pm Post subject:

Cathryn wrote:

You're amazing Vegplot.

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