Tuesday, August 24, 2010

What now?

You know the old joke about the dog that's always chasing cars and then one day he catches one?  Now what's he gonna do with it?  That's me with this motorcycle. Now what?  I don't know if I ever really expected I'd get her torn down, put back together, and running or not but here I am...and there it is. 
By the way the juke box (zune) was playing random songs when she started and the song that just happened to be playing was, Joe Ely "The Road Goes On Forever."

I edited this video...cut the first 5 minutes or so out..  Didn't think it would be too interesting watching me try to start it, scratch my head, try to start it, scratch my ass, try to start it fiddle with something on the left side that you couldn't see from the camera angle over and over for five minutes so I edited it.
The spark plug wire on the left cylinder is not in very good shape and not making good connection.  That is the primary reason it wouldn't start at first.


Once it started every time the engine kind of paused it made a funny noise.  It didn't really sound quite the same on the video, at least I didn't think so...does that noise sound bad?
I let it die at the end because I noticed that it was starting to smoke.  It's not real visible but if you watch carefully you can notice about 2 minutes into the video there is some smoke coming up by my right leg.  It appeared to be coming from or around the pre-chamber between the pipes.  Maybe just normal from solvents burning off or a symptom of something bad?
If anyone has any ideas about the noise or the smoke, speak up please, I'm looking for advice.

10 comments:

  1. Yep, you did manage to start it and at first it was running on 2 cylinders but then it stops smoking from the Right hand one and that means from then on you're just running on the left hand cylinder. Check your plugs. If the right hand plug is wet, that means you have an electrical fault, if its dry it means no petrol is getting to it. Check carbs

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  2. oh, and I forgot. When you assemble the exhaust system, its normal to leave grese on it, from your hands or a bit of oil that drops in it. That same grease will start smoking when the exhaust heats up for the first time. The smoke is normal in a "just assembled" bike if you didnt degrease it.

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  3. Ok, the right plug was wet. I mean not dripping but wet. So it may not be firing, right? And the smoke I noticed at the end coming from the pre-chamber area...maybe unburned fuel getting sucked into that area?

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  4. Could be that, yes. Are the plugs new? They tend to pack up when you choke them or if they stand for too long.
    If you're getting gas into the cylinder and it's not burning,then its going to the exhaust to be vapourized by the temperature. If you touch your right hand exhaust, it should be cold.
    You need new plugs and to fit the HT leads properly. If it doenst cure it, you need a new coil.

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  5. plugs are not new, but don't look very old either. either way I'll get new ones.
    HT leads?? not familiar with that term and don't see it in the manual???

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  6. High Tension leads. I wasnt sure if you use that name over there for the spark plug wire but apparently you dont.
    Spark plugs might look absolutelly normal and dont spark at all.
    Just follow the upstream sequence when looking for the problem. Plug,wire,coil
    Also make sure the plug cap makes good contact with the plug top.

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  7. thanks for the advice. I'll dig back into it again tomorrow.

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  8. Lou,
    it sounds a little post nasal. Perhaps you swallowed something or ate something that was creating some gastric issues.
    I thought one of your brothers was a doctor!?!
    Steve

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