first time really frustrated with my 1st Gen

[rjjammer]

I finally got home from over the pond and decided with all the warm dry weather to get the 1st gen out. Guess what? it wouldn't run without the choke on. If I tried to rev it up it just died.

 

Bit of history, 86 Venture Royale. 36,000 miles, stock with the exceptions of upgraded fuse block, I put the aftermarket CDI box on it (bought through Dingy). Progressive springs, fork brace.

 

After all the mods last year, I rode it for 18 miles and it ran great. I drained the carbs, put stabil in the gas and it sat until today.

 

I drained the old gas out of the tank and put new in replaced the fuel filter, and tried to fire it up it wouldnt run without the choke on.

 

Today I pulled the carbs, and cleaned them fully, I did find one of the little plugs in the carb on the bottom of the main jet block kind of looking mushy. ( they were new a year ago with a full carb overhaul. (Done by a carb re-builder) I replaced it with a new one from a kit I had left over. I tried it again and the same thing. Pulled the carbs again and made sure everything was good. The diaphrams are new last year, I replaced the plugs, checked for vacuum leaks and bad plug wires didn't find anything wrong. It still wont run without full choke.

 

I even put the known good stock CDI box on and tried it. Still don't work.

 

I am out of ideas to find the problem. I dont use the gas with the ethonol in it.

 

can anyone help?

 

rjjammer

[mini-muffin]

The hubby said the passages are clogged to the jets. Run seafoam through it let it sit. Do that two or three times. When you can get it out on the road run wide open throttle.

Margaret

[Marcarl]

Check the vacuum line on the left front of the engine. Make sure it's connected to the left front carb and that it is in good shape.

[Holly]

and check the plugs

[bongobobny]

Yup!! Definately a carb problem! They don't like to set for great lengths of time without running! Yes, start it and literally flood it out with a massive dose of seafoam. Start with a nearly empty tank of gas and pour about a half can into the gas tank with the engine running while revving it up. Once it stalls out let it set for a day. Drain remaining seafoam out of gas tank and start with a little fresh gas. Restart and repeat above. After the second time thru put fresh gas into it along with the normal ratio of seafoam and gas and drive it like you stole it for an hour or two. After that you should notice some improvement. Word of caution, you may need to change the plugs again after that treatment as the seafoam will loosen a lot of crud from the carbs and possibly foul out the plugs.

 

If the problem still exists then chances are one of the little diaphragms in the choke circuit may be defective or the expert who rebuilt your carbs in the first place wasn't quite the expert he thinks he is...

[rjjammer]

Thanks for the replies, I will try to get them cleaned and get this running. I have to go back over September 15th, so what do all of you do to prevent this from happening?

 

Drain everything?

 

Also take a look at the new building, half of this will be the heated shop 40 by 40! No more tripping over things in the garage while working on the bikes!

[GeorgeS]

Did you open the drain on each carb bowl, one at a time , and KEY to ON. Let fuel pump run fuel thru each carb seperatly. ( with, good dose of sea foam of course )

[dacheedah]

try draining and adding fresh gas

[mini-muffin]

These babies don't like sitting. If you aren't riding her she's gonna get mad. Even if you make them carbs like new now if you leave and come back months later you're gonna have to do it again.

Just a thought do you have anyone near by that could run her and I mean actually ride her while you are gone.

Margaret

[Flyinfool]

When you do store it, make sure you use Stabil and Seafoam in the gas and that the tank is full right to the very top. You also want to run it long enough to be sure that the treated gas is in the carbs. You want as little air in the tank as possible.

 

If you have jets that are completely blocked, there is no gas additive that will help. Seafoam can only dissolve gunk it can reach. But try the heavy Seafoam treatment to see if it will clear things up.