1st Start in 2011 - Won't Start

[GolfVenture]

I have an 89 VR. The last I rode it was mid Oct 2010 of which I just finished most of a tank full of seafoam. Did some minor maintenance. The only maintenance ignition and carb related was changed new plugs. It has been on the center stand with a battery tender all this time. I did start it once in the winter and allowed it to warm up really good. That was before I changed the plugs. Got the exact same plugs and cerified the manufactured gap.

 

I turn the key and heard the clicking of what I think is the fuel pump. After 10 seconds the clicking slowed and stopped. I pulled the choke, made sure the run switch was on and then hit the starter. It turns over good. I was expecting that about the 3rd hit to the started I would get some form of life in the V4. The engine did kind of start as I kept on the starter and the choke, but could not sustain it self. I stopped and looked on the floor and saw a large puddle of fluid. I pushed the VR forward then smelled the liquid and yes it is fuel. With it on the side stand I noticed that fuel was leaking by the dampness indicator on the left side. But thats probably because I had put it on the side stand. I removed the left side cover and could see what I think is the mono shock and it looks really wet like fluid is leaking on it.

 

Any suggestions?

[Venturous Randy]

You may have flushed something into the float valve in the carb. You may can drain the carb and take the fuel line loose and blow a little air into that carb. Also, my bike will not start good if I touch the throttle.

RandyA

[painterman67]

sound like the flaot is stuck opn one or more of the carbs. YOU can flush these without removing the carbs. What I did was took out the screw to the float bowl one at a time and turn the key on( dont hit the start button ) and let the fuel pump flush the bowls. Mine was on the 3rd carb I checked. As it turns out I was told that there re 4 tubes that run from the overflow(one for each carb) to the rear of the bike just above the rear shock. Mine was doing the same thing as yours and would act like it would start then die. had the same fuel on the rear shock too. Hope this helps.Im not a mechanic so I cant get really technical on my expanation but this is what worked for me.

 

 

 

DAvid

[GolfVenture]

ok, it looks like it is the front left carb. When I remove the screw to the float bowl of each carb one at a time and turn the key on the front left carb leaks fuel out of the screw hole while none from the other 3. Also when I look down into the throat of the carb the same front left carb is all wet with fuel. I tried to tap on the float bowl in hopes to loosen the float but no luck.

 

Per Venturous, suggestion of emptying the bowl and blowing air into the hose, any specific instructions would be appreciated.

[BOO]

If I'm reading your post right it sounds like you are not getting fuel to the other three carbs rather than getting to much to just one carb.

If you are taking the screw out at the bottom of the carb bowl, you should be getting fuel from all four carbs. The bowls are suppose to hold fuel.

Another thing that is a little suspect is these bikes will start and run on three cylinders. You can actually ride them with only three cylinders and they don't run to bad so I am suspecting you have something else going on there.

I don't know what would cause you to be getting fuel to only one cylinder though.

Good Luck,

BOO

[GolfVenture]

ok, thats a thought. So going back a bit, when I remove the screw to the float bowl of each of the other 3 carbs one at a time and then turn the key on activating the fuel pump, no fuel came out of the screw hole but fuel does pore out the overflow for each of the 3 carbs.

 

Just a ?. when I attempt to start, while looking down the carb throat and hitting the starter, am I supposed to see the butterfly moving back and forth or are they suppose to just stay unmoved. I know when last year with the engine running and looking down the throat the butterflys were fluttering.

[bongobobny]

Until it runs, the needle valve pistons (sliders) should not move unless you manually reach down and manually move them, They should return to the stop position in a short time.

 

A little hint, the fuel pump relay, which is more of a timer as well as a relay, will time out after 5 seconds or so until the bike starts and spark is detected. You may need to key on/key off the ignition a few times to fill the floats after setting all winter...

[GolfVenture]

ok, on keying on several times to fill up the bowls. I've done it so much today that the gas indicator has dropped 1 bar.

 

I think I need to figure why each time I turn the key on and hit the starter after the fuel pump stops pumping after 5 seconds that fuel just gushes out the over flow in front of the rear tire. I mean it just gushes out the overflow.

 

Now going on the thought that the 3 carbs, when I remove the bowl screw/jet one at a time, that when I turn the key on and the fuel pumps stops clicking that fuel should be escaping out the bowl screw/jet. I took a stand of a long thin wire and slid it into the bowl screw/jet hole of one screw. afterwards still no fuel coming our the screw/hole.

 

Fustrated in Seattle.

[bongobobny]

OK the one that is overflowing has a piece of crud stuck on the seat so that that card won't shut off when full.Perhaps the other 3 are astuck shut...

 

Sounds like you are in to a carb rebuild.

[CrazyHorse]

Did you try unscrewing the needles and spray carb cleaner in with the little red plastic hose to get deep in there.

[GolfVenture]

No I've not. But I've found this, and will get to it this week. Thank you all for your suggestions. I know that I'll need to ask some questions on the below instruction.

 

Ok don't shoot the messenger but:

Looking for a way to clean carbs and ensure jets are clear without taking carbs off...

 

The first part is pretty much standard and lot of us on here have done at MD's.

 

 

Take tank and top center air box off.

 

Drain carbs, open 4 drain screws then close.

If you take fuel line off at center rear of carbs and spray full, this will effectively place cleaner in all your carbs.

let sit 30 min.

drain carbs, open drain screws. (leave open)

 

---part I would like to add---

 

Take diaphram(s) and needle slides out.

 

Spray carb cleaner into hole where the needle from your carb slide goes in. It should be your high speed jet?

Spray carb cleaner into small hole inside top of carb. It should be your pilot jet?

Spray carb cleaner into hole at the "T" sections of your carbs will be your overflows.

 

Close your drain screws.

[Keemez]

Without hijacking this thread...

 

On a related note but opposite end of the spectrum- my 93 sat from early November (???) until the middle of March without being touched. Before I put it away for the winter I had dumped a healthy dose of Stabil in the last tank of gas and ran it about 95 miles or so like that. Then I changed the oil and ran it with the petcock in the off position until the carbs ran "dry" and it quit. Parked 'er until a few weeks ago when a sudden blast of mild temperatures (mid 40s) encouraged me to get it out and relocated back into my garage.

Dunked the battery back in; cycled the fuel pump twice... mmmmaybe three times (can't remember); went to regular moderate choke/cold startup procedure and it lit right off without so much as a hesitation. It didn't stay running after the first couple seconds- I think I had to re cycle the ignition/pump one more time but after that it was golden. I was expecting a bit more of a challenge and was pleasantly surprised.

Edited April 4, 2011 by Keemez

[GolfVenture]

So I did pretty much the same thing. I Filled up with a can of Seafoam then rode over 100 miles. Filled Up, changed the oil, put the battery tender on. The thing I see that you did was to shut the fuel off then run the bike until it quits so one emptys the carbs. If so then should one also put the choke on at the end before the engine dies so to remove more of the gas out of the carb?

[CrazyHorse]

So I did pretty much the same thing. I Filled up with a can of Seafoam then rode over 100 miles. Filled Up, changed the oil, put the battery tender on. The thing I see that you did was to shut the fuel off then run the bike until it quits so one emptys the carbs. If so then should one also put the choke on at the end before the engine dies so to remove more of the gas out of the carb?

 

Did you ever take the seat off and look into the tank? I have also disconnected the fuel line from the tank and shot a blast of air up into tank to dislodge anythin stuck in the tank line or if theres a small prefilter in tank which I dont know if there is to dislodge anything in there. may not help your current situation though.

[Keemez]

shot a blast of air up into tank to dislodge anythin stuck in the tank line or if theres a small prefilter in tank which I dont know if there is

 

There are fine mesh screens/filters on the outlet tubes, yes.

 

Regarding running choke while using up the final carb bowl contents- I don't think you'd gain anything by doing that. Choke should only theoretically be used as mixture enrichener upon cold startup. Everything I've ever operated would get really stumbly and stall (as one would expect) if the choke was applied to a warm engine. When the bowls are empty enough that the engine vacuum can no longer suck fuel through the jets, there's very little gas left in there in the first place and it will eventually evaporate over time. This is where fuel stabilizers (insert favorite brand name here) are useful in preventing the varnish/gummy buildup in the passages. If one were really gung ho about making sure every last drop is out, you could run it dry/empty and then remove the drain screws and blast compressed air through the carbs until you were blue in the face. I'd say that's overkill though.