Scoot running Funky.....Again! By luvmyscoot (Read 1,620 times)

[luvmyscoot]

Hello All,

Well it has been about a month or so since I was last here. My scoot is still acting funky!!

When last we spoke, it was running very fairly well (but rich) after installing a new kei-hin carb. Fast forward a bit; I rode it to work for about a week or more with no real problems it was running fast passing cars while slabbing it on the freeway.

One day after work decided to go for a little longer trip about one hour out of town in the boonies to enjoy cali spring weather. Ended up coming back on a tow truck!

(It could be battery leach, while sitting at work overnight, considering putting on batt kill switch). I always kept it on a little batt tender while at home.

Had plenty of fuel but fuel pump stopped running. (even after charging batt again) Little aftermarket one, all oem stuff cut off by po. Took fuel tank out of floor and mounted above carb added filter and now have a nice gravity fed fuel system. It gets plenty of fuel now.

Charged it and it ran good again, rode to mom’s house in the country by way of highway and good roads. No problem; left moms house because it was late and dark, so I took short cut (rough country roads pot holes etc. Muffler fell off!!!!

When I got to my exit and could hear over roar of wind that muffler was disconnected (still hanging on by a thread). Bike would not stay running at idle.

Re connected muffler with better clamp (one of the nuts was stripped). Now it will run under throttle but cuts out and feels like dying at just above ide to 1900 rpm. Hesitates/ dies under low power, roars at WOT.

Now! Bike is completely pulled apart again on the garage floor. Since apart I just re did the valve clearance; set to 004 top and 006 bottom after finding tdc. Bottom was 005 when I re adjusted (still ok I think but website said set at 006) .001 is not a very large gap difference.

The instrument cluster plastic housing (plastic box) was crumbling from heat of cdi or rectifier or both or just age (IDK?). Since apart I fabricated a new housing box out of tin flashing.
Now all gages are secured and cluster looks much better.

Gages all seem to work (no actual connections or fusible links touching metal to short out) Lights are all now in the proper places instruments light up properly.

Wrapped new box in duct tape to try to waterproof seams a little. (I can buy a new one but I am hesitant to spend any more big money on this thing until sure it is going to run).

Pulled plug: Bike is running rich as hell. I have tried adjusting A/F mix and idle. I cannot get it to smooth out.

Must be vacuum/ fuel (but seriously po has cut almost everything off and there is really no vac lines running to anything any longer).

One vac from intake maniforld to egr. I plugged egr where it comes out of larger port. With a hose and a large bolt. No leaks there.

One big hose comes off of timing chain cover (round bowl shaped thing covering small bicycle chain). Where does this go? Should this be a vent or connected to something? Steam/ heat comes out when running. No noticeable change in running when hose is plugged by thumb. Should I leave open or plug as well?

Carb bowl has little L shapped vent hose. That’s about it.
No air box any longer so vac lines running to it. No charcoal smog crap any longer either.

Radiator has leak, while apart going to have that fixed as well. Just found leak behind water pump. Going to take off and see if damaged or gasket bad or something.

I cannot believe all this is because of the muffler falling off. Sorry about the long post. I tried to break it up into manageable sections so you all can digest it all.

Thanks again

Dave

P.S. cooling system is still apart so I cannot start bike yet to see if valve job fixed or not. Any ideas at all fellas?

[Alleyoop]

One big hose comes off of timing chain cover (round bowl shaped thing covering small bicycle chain). Where does this go? Should this be a vent or connected to something? Steam/ heat comes out when running. No noticeable change in running when hose is plugged by thumb. Should I leave open or plug as well?

That is the VALVE COVER VENT and all you need to do is just put a Fuel Filter on the end of it and zip tie it higher than the valve cover(NO KINKS IT HAS TO VENT). You want to do this in case it squirts oil out and this way it will not get all over your motor or tire.

Concerning VACUUM hose, the CARB you got IS THE THROTTLE CABLE CONNECTED on the right side on a bracket attached to the CARB? Reason I ask is almost all Keihin Carbs have a ACV Valve which requires Vacuum?
Can you put up a picture of the CARB AREA and hoses?
Alleyoop

[luvmyscoot]

Hey Alley,

Yes, there is a big bracket that sticks up and the throttle cable comes down from the top.

on my way to work now, will try to photo tomorrow.

there is about 3 foot of vac hose attached somewhere towards the bottom of the new carb that was absent on the old carb (No nipple at all) that I removed. I read on another thread here that there are unnecessary ports coming off these carbs and since I did not have this particular vac hose on old carb I figured this must be the unnecessary one.

I tied a big knot in the vac line so it would not leak and left it as is.

Thanks again for your help.
Dave

[Alleyoop]

That Hose your talking about connected to the bottom of the carb is YOUR CARB BOW DRAIN HOSE. You will see a SCREW next to where it connects on the carb to drain the bowl. Normally you just let the hose hang down in front of the CVT COVER.
Alleyoop

[luvmyscoot]

Ok, so I'll unkink that hose!

I'll get the photos for you tomorrow.

Thanks again.

I need to run to work.....going to be late again!

Ah the tribulations of a scoot owner. ;D
Dave

[Alleyoop]

Does your carb look like this?
Alleyoop

[luvmyscoot]

No, Alley it does not.
The ACV valve is not present on mine.

Also the carb drain comes at about a 45 degree angle out of the bottom.

The drain screw "I think" is in a different location as well. It also looks much different from the one in the photo. It is a solid screw " more like the AF mixture screw if that makes any sense. It also seems to be "out a little ways from the casing. " like it is in the open position. although I do have that hose kinked so there could not be a leak.

My eldest daughter has the camera again. I'll try to get a photo or two soon.

there is one other connection of some sort on this carb as well.

In the front of the carb towards the side of the intake manifold. It comes straight down. It is cylindrical and then makes like a triangle shape at the tip. I can not see very well but it must have a hole in the tip. coming out directly on top of this fitting/nipple is a flat copper blade. it looks like something plugs into this nipple and the blade at the same time.

I'll get photos it is hard to explain.
Dave

[Alleyoop]

Does your throttle cable attach on the right side of the carb on a bracket or does it go into the top center of the carb?
Alleyoop

[Alleyoop]

How about this:
Alleyoop

[luvmyscoot]

here is a photo of one that is close Alley.
Need to run to work.
Dave

Attachments:

[Alleyoop]

Ok, so yours is what they call a performance carb which is nothing but a pump on it . The electric thing that is on there is just a warmer that is all MOST are not plugged and not used so your carb is pretty old I would imagine they don't make those anymore. Also the newer ones they also have a water jacket just attached to the side like you see in the pictures I put up BUT again they are not used anymore.

But still the fuel ratio screw is in the front like the picture i put up and you have a drain hose at the bottom the angles do not matter just that the drain hose is at the bottom and the screw a drain screw next to it. The fuel ratio screw may be plugged maybe that is why you cannot see it some have it plugged with a brass piece others just have a plastic cover over them. But all carbs work the sameo sameo no biggy.
Alleyoop

[luvmyscoot]

Thanks Alley,

Well at least we are making some progress.

I had a really long day today so I am not going to be able to tinker with it until hopefully tomorrow morning after work or Saturday.

Unless you think I should work doing something more on the carb or vac after I upload photos, I plan to repair a small leak in the radiator and re install cooling system and coolant next.

Question: The water pump has a small leak behind the lower allen bolt. I just noticed it the last day before I took the whole thing apart.

It seemed to me that it leaked less after I tightened it down. I was hesitant to cinch way down, I do not wish to break a bolt. Is there a gasket or something behind the waterpump housing? Can I cut a new one from sheet gasket "paper" or use gasket maker squirt tube, or should I buy a new water pump now?

Thanks as usual for your sage advice.... I know I am laying it on thick but I am very appreciative of all the knowledge you and the others bring here for the benefit of us Noobs ;D
Dave

[Alleyoop]

Sure you can take it off and make a gasket or squirt some sealant in there, as for a new pump if you know it works no sense in putting in a new one. If when you run it, it makes noise then by all means get a new one.

No big deal these little 4 bangers are like hotrod cars only difference is only 1 cylinger. ;D

Alleyoop

[luvmyscoot]

Hay-Ya everybody:

I had a productive day today working on the scoot. I woke early because it’s been soooooo hot lately.

I took the muffler off today the original paint or powder coat that was on it was starting to change to ugly! I got some high heat barbeque paint (flat black) from the home depot. The bottle says it goes up to 1200 degrees, I don’t think our mufflers get that hot. Looks much better now, I must say. While installing the muffler back on while lying on the ground I caught a glimpse of daylight from the other end of the pipe. (Drat, that means I had an exhaust leak.
So I ran to the Auto parts shop and bought a can of this putty like stuff that you stuff into the exhaust leak and it cures within 24 hours. (According to the can will outlast the muffler; I’ll believe that when I see it).

No more sunlight through the muffler. The leak was up near the front shackle of the muffler.

As previously reported the bike is mainly in pieces right now. My radiator had a few small leaks when I got it. 1 can of alumaseal fixed the problem temporarily. I did not like the long neon green trail down the sides of the radiator (the alumaseal that escaped before the hole was plugged).

Seriously it looked like somebody blew their nose and let it run down the side of my radiator. Not cool at all.

So I used the left over muffler putty on the holes in the radiator. Radiators don’t get as hot as mufflers so I think it should work. Not sure about the pressure and hot water in the radiator against the dried putty but I’ll just have to see what happens. It looks much better now anyways, and the putty dried hard as steel. I think it’ll work for while anyways, I put it on THICK.

After repair I reattached the radiator, fan and inspected and attached all the coolant hoses. I re taped with black elec tape all the exposed wires and connections from the fan and thermostat to the harness.

I pulled the waterpump off and apart (Geez, it looks almost exactly like the one on my old Evinrude 60's era outboard. Very easy to take apart. I cleaned some of the corrosion/ alumaseal residue off with a flat blade and scraped off the old red silicone that somebody previously had used. It failed down near the lowest bolt. I got some new water pump silicon from the parts store (good thing the shop is a min and a half from my home) and put it all back together. It needs to cure for 24 as well.

While talking to my friend in the shop, he told me how to actually use the feeler gage properly. When I had tested the bottom valve it was set at .005 by my gage. But it was a tight squeeze to get the .005 in there. He said that you should lightly feel the gage get “bitten” by the valve. He told me that most likely my reading of a tight .005 was probably a .004 in real life. .004 Which could have contributed to the bike not riding at under 2k rpm.

They had a sale on Mobile Super (oil), 2.49 a quart (usually about 6 or 7 bux) so I bought 2 and did an oil change as well.

Since I did the oil, I figured in for a dollar in for a donut and I drained and refilled the gear-case with fresh Valvoline gear oil as well. I had already had it in the garage.

Tomorrow I’ll refill the coolant and see what she does when fired up.

I want to practice uploading photos so here is a few photos of my scoot. It was badly abused silver scoot when I got it. I repainted it to a pretty black and red that you see in photos.
4 rattle cans of paint and 5 cans of clear coat gave me a finish I am not ashamed of. No wet sanding or cutting required. I just sprayed on and then buffed out a week or two later with wax and rubbing compound.
Thanks for listening to me ramble! ;D
Dave

[luvmyscoot]