Think I came home on 3 cylinders.

[GolfVenture]

It was running great for about 30 minutes. When I got a chance to hammer down and open her up I did. The power sure feels good.

 

Then all of a sudden the VR was not as responsive and not as smooth. But it still ran ok up to speed. Got home and I started it up and felt the pressure at the exhaust. The right side seems to produce a little less pressure. It seem to start right up.

 

Now before I started the ride I filled the tank and put about 5 oz of Seafoam for my plans are that when I got home I would fill the tank up again and put more Seafoam then it would pretty much sit for several months. Of course I would start it up to normal running temperture once a month.

 

This is because I just purchased a 91 VR with less than 7000 miles on it. I was going to take all the accessories/goodies of my 89 VR and put them on the 91.

 

So my troubleshooting plans are to do the following:

 

1) Pull each plug and see what the plugs tell. Put my backup set in, run the VR

2) The Seafoam may have loosen some carb gunk and so I was going to open the bowel drain screw. Then also unscrew the carb bowl drain plug.

 

If anyone has some better trouble shooting suggestions, I'd be greatful.

[bongobobny]

Try new plugs! Seafoam has been known to do such a good job removing gunk that it ends up fouling out plugs.

 

Sooo, where's the pictures of the '89???

[Condor]

Try new plugs! Seafoam has been known to do such a good job removing gunk that it ends up fouling out plugs.

 

Sooo, where's the pictures of the '89???

 

A new '91... V.O.C.D. is starting.......

[bongobobny]

Uhhh, yeah, '89, '91, one of those numbers! That's what I get for posting before my morning coffee...

[Condor]

Uhhh, yeah, '89, '91, one of those numbers! That's what I get for posting before my morning coffee...

 

 

http://www.cast-aways.com/QUICKY/coffee.jpg

[GolfVenture]

My wife suggested that I keep the 89 around for a parts bike. The last time I mentioned a parts bike for maybe $500.00 she had a cow. My 89 VR is a nice VR and has at least 100,000 miles more before even being consider a parts bike.

 

Maybe I should just agree, in that way when my 91 is in maintenance mode I'd have my 89 to ride. But then if I add an accessory on one I would probably want to add it to the other. Then I would need 2 parts bike.

 

Now I see how some members have several VRs in their corral

[dingy]

So my troubleshooting plans are to do the following:

 

1) Pull each plug and see what the plugs tell. Put my backup set in, run the VR

2) The Seafoam may have loosen some carb gunk and so I was going to open the bowel drain screw. Then also unscrew the carb bowl drain plug.

 

 

Draining the carbs is not a waste of time, but if it is to the point of running on 3 cylinders and it's carb related, whatever is causing it is probably past the draining point.

 

The VMax guys do a process they call 'Shotgun' to the carbs to clean them out while still on the bike. Below is a link to the procedure.

 

http://vmax.lvlhead.com/tips/shotgun.htm

 

Gary

[GolfVenture]

I'm in the process of changing out the spark plugs. First I removed the right rear. But the front right is giving me heck. I can't even get the spark plug wrench to grip the spark plug head. I have mens small hands and I can easly turn the spark plug so it can slide over the plug. I've tried both ends of the plug wrench where one end has the rubber piece to grip the plug tightly while the other end does not so it can easily go over the plug all the way down. I took a piece of wire to see if there might be something down there that would prevent the plug wrench to slide over, nothing.

 

I changed plugs early this year and had no issues. I'm a back yard mechanic but this is ridicules.

 

Any suggestion?

[Condor]

I'm in the process of changing out the spark plugs. First I removed the right rear. But the front right is giving me heck. I can't even get the spark plug wrench to grip the spark plug head. I have mens small hands and I can easly turn the spark plug so it can slide over the plug. I've tried both ends of the plug wrench where one end has the rubber piece to grip the plug tightly while the other end does not so it can easily go over the plug all the way down. I took a piece of wire to see if there might be something down there that would prevent the plug wrench to slide over, nothing.

 

I changed plugs early this year and had no issues. I'm a back yard mechanic but this is ridicules.

 

Any suggestion?

 

Get a flashlight and a mirror. Brail won't get it. I wonder if the P.O. stuck an oversized plug in there for some reason?? Hope it's a non-issue....

[GolfVenture]

Oh yes. I saw it. It is one of those wire connectors (female end) only 2/3 were cut off for I need a shorter one so I hacksawed it off. I almost got it then it fell all the way down to the very bottom. Obviously I dropped one. I wonder if it may have shorted the plug during my ride. Oh well. My luck it is made out of aluminum so it is not magnetic. I can move it around. Guess I should be thankful that it initially prevented me from getting the plug out, for it could have droped into the cylinder had I been able to get the plug out. Lesson learned and that is I will use the mirror accessory that came with my magnetic reacher and take a look before removing any more plugs in the future.

 

It is really hard to lay on the floor looking up into the mirror then with my other hand with a wire try to hook onto the connector.

 

I will try using my yard blower and see if it will blow out, or if I can get a flex hose about the opening of the area and vacume it out with a shop vac after duck taping the two ends.

 

Open to other suggestions.

 

I might try a very small fishing hook and leader and go bottom fishing.

[Trader]

If you have a compressor, use that for a blast of air....or maybe the compressed air in a can?

 

What about using a straw and sucking on it to hold it while you remove it?

(never mind any comments!)

[GolfVenture]

I found a perfect size hose that fits the plug wall. It was my lung breathing hose exercizer used after my heart surgery to expand and open my lungs. I duct taped it to my shop vac with duct tape creating a wind tunnel affect. The shop vac pulled it off the bottom and stuck it inbetween the wall and spark plug hex nut to where I could just get to it.

 

After changing out the plugs started the VR let it warm up took the choke off. I was expecting the idel rpm to be the normal 1000 but it was about 500 like it was yesterday. I hit the throttle and the VR revs then dies as I kept the throttle open. Same thing happens with the choke.

 

Ok so I'm back to the engine performance as if it was running on 3 cylinders like yesterday, only yesterday the VR ran fine only with less performance and the engine had kind of an air sucking sound at all revs whether it was ideling or running at 4000 rpms. I just called "Came Home on 3 cylinder" for that was a guess.

 

Today after warm up, when I hit the throttle it revs slow then dies immediately when I keep the throttle open. If I quickly shut the throttle down it would go to an idel at about 500 rpm. It would seem that the problem is probably not a specific cylinder issue but something that affects all the cylinders.

 

So Condor (Jack) and I talked and decided that it seems to be starving for fuel.

 

So I will install a new fuel filter.

 

I will also purchase an infer red gadget at Harbor freight that records the temperture. As part of my tool set.

 

Open to other suggestions.

[dingy]

Verify that all the choke (starting) plungers are going in all the way when choke is off.

 

The actual fuel filter is the second filter. There is a fine mesh screen in the bottom of the tank that is around the pick up tubes.

 

After the fuel filter, there is another fine mesh screen in the carbs just before the float needle valves.

 

Gary