86 venture no start

[acollaro]

Picked up a non running 86 venture royal a few weeks ago. Trying to get it running now. Cleaned and replaced orings on carbs. Verified fuel is getting to carbs, after failed start attempt fuel runs out of bowl overflow drains. I do have spark but I will be changing the plugs tonight. Replaced battery with sealed one and will be applying the resistor soon. New air filter is installed, I didn't do it but it looks very clean. Starting seems strong but no fire off. Can someone please help me get this running. Does anyone have any ideas I should try? Previous owner said he had it running a little but was getting less riding time until it failed to start all together. Hasn't ran in two years.

Thank you

[MiCarl]

Cleaned and replaced orings on carbs.

 

What does that mean?? The carburetors likely need a complete overhaul.

 

Verified fuel is getting to carbs, after failed start attempt fuel runs out of bowl overflow drains.

Float valves not closing. Carburetors need overhauled.

 

The stock starter doesn't exactly spin it briskly, and it sounds like yours does. This might indicate low compression - I'd do a compression test before doing anything else.

[Peder_y2k]

Try using starting fluid sprayed (2 -seconds burst) into the air intake of the airbox, then crank start. If the electrical system (all switches and interlocks) and ignition system are working properly, it will start and run momentarily. If it starts on the starting fluid and does not continue to run, the carburetor system is compromised and needs service and/or cleaning.

-Pete, in Tacoma WA USA

[mbrood]

After sitting for quite a bit, the fuel in the carb bowls evaporates, the float drops and the needle is left sitting in the fumes. I would drain one carb, leave the drain open and turn the ignition on for about three seconds so the fuel pump washes clean fuel over the needle. Turn off ignition, close drain and repeat on the remaining bowls.

 

The Ether/starting fluid is a valid bypass of fuel mixture issues.

 

Insure the fuel is fresh and a new fuel filter is always a welcome gift for a "new to you" bike.

[acollaro]

carbs have been removed disassembled and soaked all new rubbers installed except butterfly shaft seals cause the small screw on the plate in the carb was stripping and I quit while i was ahead. Bike will not start with starter fluid either. Someone else suggested compression and I will try that tonight after work.

[acollaro]

I didn't see a way to open or close the drian can you give me a little more info about that. I also got a new fuel filter yesterday will be installing that tonight too.

 

Thanks for all the ideas guys, keep them coming please will update tonight when I do the compression.

[KIC]

6 replies and no SeaFoam advice ??? You guys are slipping !!

 

Go to search( above)

 

look at bottom it shows Google

 

change the dot to the Venturerider one

 

Then search.

 

This will only bring up threads on this site. Here is what you would find:

 

 

-------------------------------------------

 

From YammerDan, our SeaFoam guru and Bi-Gen owner:

 

A good soak will cure "most" carb problems.

 

Here we go again. You will need: Sea-Foam:

:Piece of fuel line about 18 inches long same size as on rear of fuel pump. About any cheap line will do.

:1/2 Pint or so of fresh gas:

:Set of small vise grips

:Screwdriver to open drain plugs on carbs:

:Container to mix Sea-Foam and gas.

 

Mix about 2/3s can of Sea-Foam with about 1/3 fresh gas. I have done this with pure Sea-Foam but restarting is hard.

I use vice grips to close off fuel line coming from tank because those old petcocks do not like to be messed with. Deal with that later but if your petcock works good just shut it off. If not here we go. Remove side panels to get at carbs. Find rear of fuel pump. On left of bike as you are sitting on it. Clamp off line going to rear of pump and rmove from pump. PLace your piece of line in it place. Leave for now. Take screwdriver and open all drain plugs and drain as much as you can from carbs. Drain screw is on bottom right corner of carbs as you face them on bike. Hopefully you will get something out of each carb. When you have them drained close them, Place line into Sea-Foam and turn on switch. You will hear fuel pump clicking. It should suck the Sea-Foam into the carbs. Let it cycle until you think carbs are full. Start bike and let it run a few minutes. Watch your mix and don't run out. When you are sure carbs are full of mix shut bike off. Rehook everything as it was. Don't restart now. Leave it sit at least overnight. I've left them 2 or 3 days. Won't hurt a thing probally helps. Draining carbs again before restarting keeps you from running a lot of crap thru engine and will cut down on neighbor complaints. When you restart it will Cough.Smoke,Fart, Belch,Sneeze and a few other things. This has cost me a set of plugs at times. It will bring stuff out of there that will scare you. But after you get the Sea-Foam out I BET it runs better. I have done this several times on stubborn bikes. Using Sea-Foam as recommended with prevent 95 per cent of carb problems. I have used other mixes for this but Sea-Foam is safe and will not harm carbs. I use a mix of BerryMans Chem Tech, Sea-Foam and gas on really dirty ones and have used pure Chem Tech. Get it at Wally World.

[Peder_y2k]

OMG .....SEAFOAM won't work, neither will ANY other fuel system cleaner/additive if the engine won't run on starting fluid. PERIOD! Engine must be running for additives to work.

 

BTW, vice grips pinching fuel lines closed is a great way to damage the internals of the hose and cause bits of the hose liner to break off and block the fuel system somewhere. Not on my bike you don't.... and I'm not going to help you if you have a problem caused by negligence/abuse/misuse of equipment or tools.

-Pete, in Tacoma WA USA

Edited May 15, 2014 by Peder_y2k
splchk

[skydoc_17]

Hey Aaron,

Welcome to the Forum. Give this a try.

 

Cleaning First Gen. Carbs. On The Bike

 

I use this cleaning method to unstick a float needle that is causing the gas tank to drain when the bike is parked, or for a Carb. That is passing raw gas out of the overflow tube when the bike is running. This on bike cleaning DOES NOT address the issue of a Carb. Set needing a complete rebuild, (off the bike) and does not address the issue of AIR PASSAGES being blocked, and causing poor performance. These two issues require the Carbs. be removed from the bike.

 

With the bike on the center stand, and the engine off, I select the first Carb. I want to clean. You will be looking for the Black Plastic Carb. Drain Tube, and the screw that opens that drain. (Phillips Head Screw) You will need a small coffee can, or a coke can with the top cut off, (NO plastic containers) to catch the gas that will come out when you open the drain screw. Allow all of the gas to drain from the Carb. and have a look in the can for “floaters”. (Solid particles) With a new can of Carb. Cleaner, insert the red straw in the end of the drain tube. I wrap the junction of the red straw, and the drain tube with a small piece of shop towel to slow the blow by. Press the button on the top of the can of Carb. Cleaner, and count to 3. Remove the red straw and let the cleaner fluid run into the coffee can. Move to the next Carb. and repeat. When you do Carb. #4, start over again, and do them again. I use up one can of Carb. Cleaner on the four Carbs. When the can of Carb. Cleaner is gone, retighten all four drain tube screws,

(CAUTION DO NOT OVERTIGHTEN THE DRAIN SCREWS) Turn on the ignition switch, (do not start bike) listen for the fuel pump to fill the Carb. Bowles and stop pumping, check the drain tubes and the overflow tubes (down in front of rear tire) for fuel leakage, move the can with the Carb. Cleaner/Gas mixture away from the bike, (or better yet, roll the bike out of the garage) and start the bike. (It may take a few short bursts on the starter motor, and you may need to choke it as well) Go for a ride and “blow the cobwebs out” (my personal FAV part) if this doesn’t solve your problem, then a “Carbs. Off Rebuild” may be in order. On a side note, I run 3 ounces of Seafoam in every tank of gas I put in my 87’and 89’VR because of the negative effects of the Ethanol in the fuel these days. Because of my shop here in South Central PA. I buy OEM parts direct from Yamaha, and share my discount with the VR.ORG members. It would be my pleasure to help you with any project you have in mind for your First Gen. VR.

Earl (skydoc_17)

[MiCarl]

If it won't light starting fluid you've either got very low compression or an ignition problem.

 

Fuel soaked spark plugs (from the carburetors flooding) won't light anything, although they may spark outside the engine.

[acollaro]

It's not a fuel problem but one of the carbs floats are not searing correctly so I do have fuel pouring out. The bike has a spark problem. Spoke with a guy on another forum and he had it narrowed down to the tip over sensor. Removed the sensor and got one good spark on #3 then nothing. He says to check the power on the tci which had just a few mv instead of battery voltage. Might be a loose connector somewhere in the circuit.

[acollaro]

Thanks everyone for their input.

[acollaro]

Got the float seated today but the first time I tried it was still leaking so I shut the run switch off and got a large pop kind of like a backfire.

[Venturous Randy]

Got the float seated today but the first time I tried it was still leaking so I shut the run switch off and got a large pop kind of like a backfire.

 

If you got the float seated, you should not have had leakage when you tried to start it.

The one time I had a float valve stick and it was dumping fuel all over the ground, I pulled the air box, found which carb was over flowing and disconnected that fuel inlet and blew low pressure air into it. It bubbled in the carb and then I put the fuel line back on and started it. I may have changed that plug(don't remember), but I have not had a problem with it since.

RandyA

[acollaro]

Took two tries. The first time it leaked the second it didn't anymore.