kj5ix Posted March 3, 2011 #1 Posted March 3, 2011 Carb or coil????? About three weeks ago I rode the Venture, and all was well. Last week I rode it in to work, and it just didn't have any power,,, When I got to the shop I felt of the pipe covers at the engine, and found that the front left was cold as a cumber. Thought junk in the carb. Got it home and drained the bowl, and there was a very small amount of tinny trash,,,, OK I re charged the carb, and drained it two or three times, and it was clear. Kool.. Ran it for about 20 minutes,, and all seemed good to go all pipes good and HOT. Took it out for a test, and crap still no power, and back firing. Took the tank off and the dog bone to check the plug ( new only 1500 or so on them ) While I had it out thought I would look at the spark. The plug had spark, but I don't know if it is a good spark. I also saw leakage spark coming off the wire just above the boot,,, Not sure if that is good or not. Put the plug back in, and turned off the lights, and started it up. Seems to run great at idle, and no leak ( I could see ) on the wire with plug installed. Big time confused on which way to go now. Can the wire be replaced or it it a coil change, and can a coil break down under power, but seem good at idle. Carb In other words HELP!!!!
bkuhr Posted March 3, 2011 #3 Posted March 3, 2011 Not sure if RSV has same as 1st gen, but my first guess would be resistor caps corroded causing weak/intermittant spark.
kj5ix Posted March 3, 2011 Author #4 Posted March 3, 2011 Been doing the Sea-Foam?? Yepp I even ran the carbs dry, and sucked a half can into them and started it up for a couple of minutes, and let it sit over night, drained and refilled. Then ran it on the road. Same results.... I have a hot dose in the little gas that I have in it now. It has been a week since I have messed with it though. The plug looked wet, and not fouled. If it could be the coil and wire I need to find one and replace it, but being out of my element in this area, I just don't know if the coil would be the prob....
kj5ix Posted March 3, 2011 Author #5 Posted March 3, 2011 OH I forgot: When I ride it it seems to be idling good and all are hitting. I take off, and it sputters some then feels like all 4 are hitting in second for a short bit, then sputters again. Does the same thing for third, and the very beginning of fourth, then popping, and back fireing......... Feels like it is trying, but then again not off and on at low speed/RPM
Ponch Posted March 3, 2011 #6 Posted March 3, 2011 I've seen this a few times recently. The most recent cure has been to run some 44k through the tank and carbs, let it sit a day or so, then drive it. The pilot valves tend to gunk up after sitting for a relatively short amount of time (weeks). You could pull the pilot valves and clean each one, but the 44K usually does the trick. I had a 750 Shadow that was near impossible to keep the Pilots clean.
kj5ix Posted March 3, 2011 Author #7 Posted March 3, 2011 Thanks Ponch, I have a place here that has 44K, right now any thing is worth a shot. I will get some and try it. Do you think I should fill the bowls with it or just add a good hot dose to gas. Right now the tank has a half can of sea foam (about 2 1/2 gal in tank +- )
Kirby Posted March 3, 2011 #8 Posted March 3, 2011 Drain the carb bowls again to determine if there is any contamination in them. Catch relased fuel in a clean container. If there is, pull the tank and clean it out. Look for water in the fuel also. If nothing is found, it sounds like there is one or more of your main jets stopped up. The bike will idle just fine but won't take the gas when you raise the rpms. Once you've eliminated all possible fuel problems, move on to the electric possibilities. I got a bad tankful of gas once and the same thing happened to me. It got so bad it wouldn't even start. The attached photo is just a sample of what I got out of the bottom of the tank. Mostly water.
Harmonicashawn Posted March 3, 2011 #9 Posted March 3, 2011 Most of these bikes use "constant Velocity" carburators. There is a dashpot that responds to manifold vacuum and feeds air and fuel. Try removing the aircleaner and watching to see if the "sliders" are opening when the throttle is opened (engine running).
kj5ix Posted March 3, 2011 Author #10 Posted March 3, 2011 I got the last can of 44K within 80 miles Lucky!!! I will dose it up this afternoon, and let it set for a good day, and see if it helps. The guy I got it from sure thinks it is good stuff.. Not Cheap either.
Yammer Dan Posted March 4, 2011 #11 Posted March 4, 2011 Could be plug wire end Caps. Take them apart and clean good. Be carefull very little parts in these that like to run off and hide. Just watch as you take them apart.
bongobobny Posted March 4, 2011 #12 Posted March 4, 2011 If those are your original plug wires, it is probably a good idea to replace them anyway. They don't last forever...
kj5ix Posted March 4, 2011 Author #13 Posted March 4, 2011 Could be plug wire end Caps. Take them apart and clean good. Be carefull very little parts in these that like to run off and hide. Just watch as you take them apart. I had the boot off, and it looked clean, and plug fits tight. If those are your original plug wires, it is probably a good idea to replace them anyway. They don't last forever... Can you just change the wire or is it a coil to,,, As far as I know they are original...
Yammer Dan Posted March 4, 2011 #14 Posted March 4, 2011 I don't think you can change the second Gen wires unless you use a wire splice and I wouldn't do that if not necessary.The caps may look clean but can still be your problem. I think it just takes a screwdriver and being carefull with the little parts. I don't do this because on 1st Gens you can change the wires. The caps are sneaky little things that will steal your fire while looking fine.
kj5ix Posted March 4, 2011 Author #15 Posted March 4, 2011 I had that cap off, and it came off fairly easy. The tip was clean and tight. It didn't have a screw in the cap. I wrapped the wire from just above the tip to a couple of inches above the cap with hi-voltage self molding tape. The kind you have to pull and stretch out real thin, then lap 50% back onto itself. As a coating. The cap went back on relativity easy too. The cap was fairly clean in and out, but cleaned it good before putting it back on. I have a good stout dose of 44K in the bowls, and tank. Drained the bowls, and refilled twice manually with a mix of gas and 44. Setting right now for about 12 hours, and this evening I will try to ride it, or tomorrow morning to see if there is any change....... These carberated normally aspirated things can sure be a big PIA !!!!!!!
kj5ix Posted March 5, 2011 Author #16 Posted March 5, 2011 (edited) RATS' The 44K didn't seem to help any still the front left cylinder isn't hitting but intermittently at low speed I guess I will have to take the carb's off and try cleaning that one. What am I looking at here,,, how big of a ball of wax am I getting into.... I have been reading a ton of old post, and it seems that there is a possibility that the #2 coil could be weak,,, Pinwall has them for $39.95 for the 4. Would it be worth the while to get a set, before I tackle the carbs,,,, Edited March 5, 2011 by kj5ix
Ponch Posted March 5, 2011 #17 Posted March 5, 2011 George, there's a slotted screw or nut inside the plug cap when removed will expose a pencil eraser diameter disc. Some have found these discs have broken causing incomplete firing. Also, testing the coil per the manual or V7Goose's writeup shouuld determine if the coil is bad. I recently diagnosed a good coil to be bad even though it passed the written testing procedures. I was wrong. It was the igniter unit. GunBoat bought a used igniter from Pinwall and that fixed it.
Cougar Posted March 5, 2011 #18 Posted March 5, 2011 George, mine was the #3 Coil rear. try the Pinwall get all 4 for 30 bucks or whatever. went out after I triked maybe it is a heaver load thing , so far so good. It amazes me that they put the coils in the back face down to get all the road scum and all other elements to stick right onto them. Good Luck, Jeff
kj5ix Posted March 5, 2011 Author #19 Posted March 5, 2011 Good Grief!!! Now something else in the mix I will have to find where the igniter unit is..... Is there a way to test it? There are several coils listed by Pinwall one is a 99 with only 19K in it when tore down, or does one with 106K and 5 years newer be better,, I will have to look for an igniter unit. The plug looks wet so carbs may be in good shape as far as gas running through it.
kj5ix Posted March 5, 2011 Author #20 Posted March 5, 2011 Dave, I will pull the cap again and look at it.
kj5ix Posted March 6, 2011 Author #21 Posted March 6, 2011 Well I don't know just what happened, but it is running on all 4 again,,, I did three things one Wrong and two must have been right. I went out to look at what was talking about in the plug cap. Got it loose, and lo and behold there is a brass thingie in there with a slot,,,,, Well being a little ham handed and a lot forgetfully I yanked the hard cap right off the wire,,, That was the wrong thing to do I thought........ What I had pulled off the other day was the bottom boot to wrap the hi-tension tape on. I saw a set of coils in my immediate future for sure, and I still didn't know where the igniter unit was ( still don't ). I took the cap to the bench and took it apart, just to see what it has in it. The little capsule thing and spring looked pretty corroded up, and I saw that the cap just screws into the wire ( getting to feeling better now ) I hit the capsule thing on both ends with 220, and the spring on both ends also, and put it back together, and re threaded the cap back onto the wire. I took a spark plug and tested it and it had fire ( but then again it did before also ). Put it all back in place and fired it up with about half choke ( it fired right up with out it as it always has ) but I wanted to listen to it run with some RPM's up. Before it would surge now and then when the dead front jug would hit here and there. You could here it pick up, and drop off. This time it ran steady, and seemingly hitting on all 4. After 20 minutes I took it out for a short test ride to the top of the hill a mile away. Well that was 4 hours ago,,,, It was hitting on all 4 and would roll up from 40 to 70 with out sopping, and backfiring. I even filled it up with new gas it felt so good. The second thing was squeezing the coil wire, and seeing that the wire/core was in good shape, and being able to reattach it and it tighten right up on the wire. Third was using Ponch's suggestion on the 44K When I pulled the plug when I got back ( sure is nice to have a good-n-hot cylinder to burn your hands on now ) and the plug bee cleaned off, and looking like it should... So for right now she is purring on all 4. Just have to break out the carb-tune and see if I can figure out how to do that.......
kj5ix Posted March 6, 2011 Author #23 Posted March 6, 2011 I just hope that there isn't going to be a problem with that plug wire,, I am thinking about taking the other 3 caps apart and looking at the inside parts, Without pulling the cap off this time (I hope ) and cleaning them up a little. Maybe!! don't know if I should cause it is running half way right again,,, Ya know if it ain't broke don't fix it syndrome,,, I am going to try to see if I can sync the carbs this afternoon. I have Don's article printed and ready to follow, and a new carbtune ready to open,,,
kj5ix Posted March 7, 2011 Author #24 Posted March 7, 2011 2nd Gen seem to be Ginning and purring nicely now,,, I unwrapped the carbtune that I have had for almost a year, and read the instructions, and got them all set. Thanks for the help all......
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