HELP with warm starting!!

[Javenmcd]

Hi all, just paid my membership dues after spending the winter putting an 86 VR back together....looks great, sounds great and runs great until it gets good and warm. When starting from cold the fuel pump rarely clicks and the bike starts immediately. After its good and warm and I shut it down and let it sit for 10 minutes or so...turn on the ignition and the fuel pump cycles for several seconds and the bike is VERY hard to start if I'm able to get it started at all. You can smell raw fuel....if you turn the key off and back on the pump will continue to cycle several seconds every time the key is cycled. Do i have a stuck float(s) maybe? If I manage to get it restarted, it clears it's throat and runs fine again.....help....please.

[snyper316]

Just curious have you tried to push start it in this kind of dilemma? Have you tried to let it sit for an hour or two and it starts up fine?

[Javenmcd]

I did try to push start it tonight...i don't think i was able to get up the kind of speed it needed and didn't cooperate at all. If it sits until cool again it hasn't had any issues. It's been sitting an hour now and I just cycled the key and the pump cycled again....

[snyper316]

I had the same issue last summer is why I asked. I haven't had it for quite some time. But It happened this past summer. It kind of acted like a vapor lock situation.

[Javenmcd]

Gotcha....I think for some reason that the pump is dumping way too much fuel into the carbs when it's trying to warm start. The only reason that would be is if it's being told that theres not enough pressure? That's what makes me think of the floats sticking and not building pressure unless there's a sensor or something that I don't know about. I hope someone here can nail it down....

[snyper316]

Now here is another thing too this past summer I also replaced the wires and caps.... I had one cap that would get warm and rattle, another one that would stop sparking. The Clicking of the fuel pump shouldn't happen, if your getting a few seconds of clicking after shuting your bike off for 10 minutes that is definately fuel is getting to somewhere.

[Javenmcd]

Don't I know it....I actually hydro-locked the engine last weekend it had dumped so much fuel into the carbs and cylinders. Turned it over and WHACK...wouldn't turn over any more until i took out the spark plug and cranked it. Finally it started and bellowed smoke for several seconds. I was terrified I had bent something but after it cleared itself out, it ran fine.

[camos]

Don't I know it....I actually hydro-locked the engine last weekend it had dumped so much fuel into the carbs and cylinders. Turned it over and WHACK...wouldn't turn over any more until i took out the spark plug and cranked it. Finally it started and bellowed smoke for several seconds. I was terrified I had bent something but after it cleared itself out, it ran fine.

Sure seems like a sticky float or possibly the choke/enricher slider is not releasing. Have you dosed the fuel tank with Seafoam? That usually handles minor to medium clogginess. For more stubborn problems a squirt of carb cleaner or Seafoam directly into the bowls.

 

Forgot to mention that rapping the carb bowls with the handle of a screwdriver will often free up a stuck float.

Edited February 16, 2017 by camos

[Yammer Dan]

AGM Battery. And a Strong dose of BerryMans Chem Tech.

[bongobobny]

Yup, what Camos said! It could also be float level adjustment! Sure sounds like you're getting waaaaay to much gas. What is your MPG? Betcha it is probably only about 30 or so...

[Javenmcd]

Mileage was in the 30s last time I checked....bike also didn't seem to have much of an issue UNTIL I used Seafoam so I wonder if I dislodged something....