Finally running right

[Freebird]

Well folks, as I posted a while back, my '99 RSV has just not been running right. Not only had fuel mileage really gone down last year but this year it also just didn't seem to have the get up and go that it once did. I have really been fighting with this trying to figure out the problem. Last weekend I decided to sync the carbs again and noticed that when I pulled the vacuum caps off to connect the Carbtune, the engine would also die when I pulled the caps off cylinder 1,2 and 4. One at a time of course. When I pulled the cap off number 3, it made no difference. So I decided that cylinder 3 was probably not firing correctly or at all. I changed the plug and it made no difference. I then removed my Dyna3000 and installed the old TCI again. That made no difference either so I re-installed the Dyna. I had bought a spare set of coils off Ebay last fall so went ahead and changed out the number 3 coil. That made a huge difference. It appeared to be firing after that. I could pull the vacuum caps off any cylinder and it would no longer try to die. So even though the coil ohms out OK according to the manual (well actually I found a mistake in the manual on testing the coils but I'll do another writeup on that), it appears to have a problem under load.

 

So I took it for a ride and found that it runs better and idles better but guess what? Something was still not right. I could feel that it still didn't have the power that it once did and confirmed it by opening her up on a back road and 90 MPH was the absolute top speed. No good at all. I also noted a surging when I tried accelerating hard. Not really a miss or cutting out just surge then flat then surge again.

 

I took it back home and put a new set of plugs in it but still no good. When I got home last night, I decided to use the clear tube method to check the float levels with the carbs on the bike. I found that I could not do that due to the fact that the last dummy who had the carbs off had put the float bowl covers on the wrong carbs, front to back, so that I could not get to the drain screws. (that dummy would be me last fall). So I ended up pulling the carbs again. Checked the float levels and found one to be a little high but not all that bad. I set them correctly, put the covers on the proper carbs this time and re-installed the carbs on the bike.

 

The hardest part about this job for me is getting the rubber boots from the air box properly seated and tightened on the top of the carbs. I actually wonder now if I did not have one of them seated good and it was sucking air there. I made sure that I had them seated good this time.

 

So, I fired her up and took a little ride. I knew immediately that my bike was back. Acceleration was strong again the way I knew it should be. I found an open stretch of road and hammered it. I took her to 110 MPH in 4th gear and she kept climbing when I hit 5th. Man it felt good to have her running right again. I backed off around 112 as I was out of good road. Note that I have my speedometer corrected with a Speedohealer so my speeds are accurate.

 

So, all is good again. I'm not 100% sure what exactly corrected the problem. I feel that the coil was bad. I also know that one float was a little high. I suspect that I was sucking air at the top of at least one of the carbs. All I know is that it FINALLY runs like it should again.

 

It will be interesting to see what my gas mileage does now. I'm anxious to fill it up and find out. Will report back. I have to believe that it will be back to normal now. I was also having a problem with some fume smells that were really bothering Eileen. I'm hopeful that will be resolved also.

[RoadKill]

If you keep taking it up to 112mph, I don't think your mileage will be that good.

[stardbog]

Glad you get bike in shape again. those coils are tricky to figure out, I'm supprice it didnt overfill your oil vent hose, ( Like my). I Have bad coil, and i drive from Chicago to Ft. Colins CO. last year running only on 3 cilinders. same think doesen't wanna go over 90mph with full throtle. and gas milage was about 20-25 Mpg.

[Gary N.]

Good work Don. Glad to hear you got it figured out.

[BOO]

I have been wondering if you were able to correct your problem with the bike. I knew you were not getting very good gas mileage and was interested in finding out what was wrong.

Kind of sounds like a series of things could have been causing the problem. You have all the main ingredients involved in your correction, fire fuel and air.

Sometimes just taking things apart and reinstalling them seems to be just the ticket.

Glad you have it fixed,

Jerry

[pegscraper]

Checking float levels should be routine for anyone who owns this bike. No two floats in mine were the same at all, and only one was anywhere close to spec. They were a long ways off. Setting the floats the same will have a similar effect as syncing the carbs, as it gets them all working the same. It had a noticeable effect in making my engine run smoother. After setting the floats right, the regular sync adjusting screws may need tweaking again.

 

Glad to see you finally got it running right.

[Yammer Dan]

Sucking air was probally your biggest problem. Now RIDE and Report!! We got to know.

Glad you got it going.

[Longball75]

Hey Freebird is there anyway you could post the correct way to adjust the floats! I have done alot of maintenence and would love to do this. Any help would be greatly apprecated

[WilCruise]

Glad to hear you're back in action Don

[friesman]

Sucking air was probally your biggest problem. Now RIDE and Report!! We got to know.

Glad you got it going.

 

 

Ya didnt have to say it so mean....:rotf:.lots of guys around here have trouble with air in some fashion. Some bikes here do too. :rotf:

 

Brian:cool10:

[chollahan]

I am interested in the correct way to check the floats as well.

 

And I also noticed that the ohms for the coils that are noted in the shop manual are wrong.

Edited June 20, 2008 by chollahan
retard

[pegscraper]

Set calipers at 8 to 9 mm and measure from the gasket surface to the bottom of the float. I prefer 8mm, which sets the float higher and makes the carbs a bit richer. They're set up to run too lean as it is.

[Freebird]

Hey Freebird is there anyway you could post the correct way to adjust the floats! I have done alot of maintenence and would love to do this. Any help would be greatly apprecated

 

There really isn't much to it. The most time consuming part is removing and then re-installing the carbs on the bike. Actually, re-installing them is the worse part simply due to trying to get the rubber connectors on top to stay where they should be.

 

Cougar wrote an excellent article on removing the carbs here:

http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=7830

 

Once they are removed, the service manual has good enough instructions. Wish I had taken pictures and when I do this again, I will. I think that Bob Dakin and I are going to pull and check his in a few weeks. I promise to take pictures then.

[Eck]

Don,

You stated you; had put the float bowl covers on the wrong carbs, front to back...

 

 

do you think by chance that the carb floats may have "lightly" shaffed or rubbed against the inside of the bowl covers, since they were installed wrong/ backwards, causing some kind of "minor" friction which impacted the "free movement" of the floats?

[Freebird]

I looked at them pretty closely and didn't see where that could happen. It appears that the only difference would be the angle/direction of the drain screws. I'm not saying that it isn't possible though. BUT....the reason I pulled them off last fall in the first place was because of this issue with the bike not running right and my fuel mileage being so bad so the problem did not start after that.

[Squeeze]

When the rubber Boots of the Airfilters try to slip off, take a Heat Gun and carefully give them some Hot Air. The Rubber Boots are getting flexible and you will have no Problem to seat them and clamp them down.