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Not likely to be any danger. The worst that I could imagine happening is you blowing a fuse if the bare wires shorted out to the frame, so wrap the ends in electrical tape. [e] yes, separately, like Snowdens Secret says. Don't wrap them together. It would be bad. Sagebrush fucked around with this message at 00:26 on Apr 1, 2012 |
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Mar 31, 2012 22:39
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That's good advice, thanks!
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Mar 31, 2012 22:50
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Sagebrush posted:Not likely to be any danger. The worst that I could imagine happening is you blowing a fuse if the bare wires shorted out to the frame, so wrap the ends in electrical tape. At a minimum, wrap the ends separately in tape and cram them into the tail so they're not loose. chances are they're the stock plate light wires, but always assume any PO's mods (particularly ones you need a crimper to install your plate with) are wired straight across the regulator if not the battery.
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Apr 1, 2012 00:03
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Dalrain posted:My Honda says to avoid using the kill switch for normal shutdown because it doesn't turn off the fuel pump or electrical system, just the spark/ECU. I think it really depends on what your bike does when the switch is triggered. This has got to be true. My F650GS starts harder if I kill it with the kickstand (automatic kill) than if I use the key. Never knew why. It's only like three or four whirrs instead of two or three whirrs, but you know. There is a difference. On my old Honda, I usually use the key and coast home in neutral, but if I'm feeling particularly frisky sometimes I'll just let it cough itself to death. Before you worry too much, it's a $700 machine from '78 that won't idle, not some kind of pristine museum piece. I'm just saying, how you treat it is all about what kind of machine it is.
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Apr 1, 2012 11:42
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Coasting in N with the engine off can be potentially harmful to the gearbox. The engine runs the oil pump while it's running, and without it, the gears may not get proper lubrication. That's why it isn't recommended to tow a motorcycle on the rear wheel unless he chain/belt is disconnected.
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Apr 1, 2012 19:40
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Sounds like your gears are screwed Vegetable Dumpling. Maybe you'll think twice before coasting down the driveway in neutral.
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Apr 1, 2012 19:50
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Are there any books/websites that have a layman explanation of all motorcycle parts/components short of hopping on Wikipedia? Such as this is a stator and this is what it's components are and this is what it does?
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Apr 1, 2012 21:24
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nsaP posted:Sounds like your gears are screwed Vegetable Dumpling. Maybe you'll think twice before coasting down the driveway in neutral. It's not the gears man, it's the idle - like I said, and THAT problem is in the carbs or the coils, not the gears. When you start an old bike you have to manually adjust the idle screw when it's cold - then wind it down a bit when it's warm or you sound like a cracked out beehive at the lights. Since this thing is extra finnicky, it'll cough itself out without some finesse. If by the end of my ride I don't want to bother with it, I'll pull the clutch at the last stop sign and not goose the throttle to keep it running. Then coast home in N. I had the case split on this motor this summer to replace the primary chain and the rest of the bottom end was is in beautiful shape (even the chain didn't REALLY need replacing.) So no, I will not think twice about coasting into a driveway on a machine that had a bad idle when I purchased it, that has died at idle a million times, and that I've coasted on whenever I've felt like it, because I've been in the motor and I know it hasn't done anything. There is also a huge difference between towing the bike in neutral at 60+ and rolling 3/4 mile down a hill at 20mph. Huge difference, but the point is valid I wouldn't do that either. Vegetable Dumpling fucked around with this message at 21:38 on Apr 1, 2012 |
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Apr 1, 2012 21:30
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This guy has a pretty good writeup of motorcycle component repair/function. As good as it gets for free stuff if you ask me.
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Apr 1, 2012 21:36
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Vegetable Dumpling posted:It's not the gears man, it's the idle - like I said, and that problem is in the carbs or the coils not the gears. When you start an old bike you have to manually adjust the idle screw under the saddle to keep it running - when it's warm you adjust it again back down. Since this thing is finnicky, it'll cough itself out without some finesse. If by the end of my ride I don't want to bother with it, I'll let it go.
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Apr 1, 2012 21:36
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Crayvex posted:I have a 35 year old bike an I certainly don't mess with the idle screw on every ride. If the bike is that slow to warm up I bet your valves are out of adjustment. My old Honda was cold blooded as gently caress until I adjusted them. The 550s I've ridden that belonged to different owners were similar. My valves were in spec, I do them at proper intervals with the rest of the maintenance. But, I even met a guy on a 750 once and he asked me about how to deal with the idle cause he was adjusted it every ride. Keep in mind actual idle speed is something like 900 rpm +/- 100. (Haven't ridden since I moved to Germany and I don't have my book of info at hand) Of course, you can ride it without altering it, but they usually rev a bit high by the time they're warm. Mine would be in 2-3k range... so, not actually a cracked out hive of bees, but more than I wanted from it. Edit : also, what machine do you have? I'll check up on this more when I get back to the machine and start working on it again. I bought it as a running POS and it's been slow coming back to functional ever since.
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Apr 1, 2012 21:45
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Does the bike not have a choke or enrichment?
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Apr 1, 2012 22:02
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Bondematt posted:Does the bike not have a choke or enrichment? Manual choke is all you get, and it only works at idle. If it's on when you're moving it'll live up to it's name by choking the bike out.
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Apr 1, 2012 22:05
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Vegetable Dumpling posted:Manual choke is all you get, and it only works at idle. If it's on when you're moving it'll live up to it's name by choking the bike out. Yes...what you should be doing is starting the bike with the choke, then turning it off when the engine is warm in a couple of minutes, and not messing with anything else. When the engine's hot it should just start and idle perfectly, no choke or anything. I have a 71 CL350 and I certainly don't have to mess with the idle screw to make it run properly...set it properly and leave it there until the next time you clean the carbs. Check your valves, and make sure the pilot jet isn't clogged and that the throttle plate is set correctly. If nothing else, at least go through the tuning process in the manual (involves adjusting things back and forth and watching the RPM) to ensure that you haven't just got it tuned way out of whack.
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Apr 1, 2012 22:09
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Something is wrong with your bike if you have to adjust the idle every time you ride it. I could see a small adjustment being needed for very large swings in temperature, like going from near freezing to 100+ degrees, but in reality, if you're getting "a cracked out beehive" when it is sitting at idle something is wrong. Every vintage bike I've ridden when properly maintained, tuned, and with clean carbs, holds a rock solid idle. Sometimes the issue is as simple as a little RTV to hold the idle adjuster in place though. Sounds to me like you have a vacuum leak, or some sort of clogged carb that's being compensated for by dialing the poo poo out of the idle screw. Which, incidentally, is a very common configuration when people don't want to clean carbs.  My buddy's GS650GL we just got for him had 3 out of 4 pilots totally clogged, the gas in the bowls came out pink and red with rust, and it would idle OK once it started, although it was a little hit or miss. Pulled the carbs, cleaned them, now it idles at 3.5k and he needs to turn the idle down to a normal range again (it was almost all the way in before). Throttle response is also vastly improved.
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Apr 1, 2012 22:12
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Sagebrush posted:Yes...what you should be doing is starting the bike with the choke, then turning it off when the engine is warm in a couple of minutes, and not messing with anything else. When the engine's hot it should just start and idle perfectly, no choke or anything. Just an aside, warming up a vehicle that's just sitting is a bad idea. The oil pump isn't as efficient when there isn't any load on the engine, and without the airflow, components will heat up at vastly different rates, causing hot spots around the engine/transmission which can accelerate wear. It's a good idea to drive off as soon as you're able to and just keep the revs low for the first few minutes of riding.
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Apr 1, 2012 23:02
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Z3n posted:Something is wrong with your bike if you have to adjust the idle every time you ride it. I could see a small adjustment being needed for very large swings in temperature, like going from near freezing to 100+ degrees, but in reality, if you're getting "a cracked out beehive" when it is sitting at idle something is wrong. Every vintage bike I've ridden when properly maintained, tuned, and with clean carbs, holds a rock solid idle. My current theory is that I've got a clogged pilot circuit or a bad coil. I've tried swapping the coil, but I've only had other old coils to try. It runs fine at speed and runs better warm, but runs like garbage at idle, particularly starting. All that said, I've seen a few of the old Hondas, and I'd say a bit of idle screw fiddling isn't outlandish. My perspective might be a bit skewed, but a 30+ year old bike with four carbs (that almost never saw adjusting...) well, it's bad. My bike idles like garbage, so it's worse. It in progress. It's not that the screw is moving, I know that. The spring works right it turns stiffly and after a couple hour rides it'll idle how I adjusted it. I just noticed before I moved to Europe last year that it's missing on a cylinder at idle. EIther no spark or no fuel (Or bad mix) The guy who owned the machine before me wasn't too... concerned or descriptive about the problem, but what do you want for a $700 machine. I've gone through and cleaned the carbs, thought I did a good job, then noticed a bit of o ring jammed in the pilot circuit. I thought I got it all out, but that didn't fix it. I'm going ot have a comprehensive look when I can, but I need to be in the same country as the machine first. Since this is a question thread, if you have any idea why the last cylinder would fire intermittently at idle, I'll entertain the notions. It could very well be jammed, but if you want to puzzle your brain, think beyond a jammed pilot circuit for creative answers. If a set of coils and a sparkly clean set of carbs doesn't take care of it, I"m going to find a new motor or kick the damned thing into a river. However, I will never ever worry about riding 6 blocks down hill in neutral on it. Also, all maintenance is done. I know everyone is concerned about the valves, but they're in spec. I have three gauges, I do it often. And there aren't any specific vacuum lines on a 78. Compression is good, but I haven't done a leakdown test, I'm not set up for that. Oh and now that I think about it, while I'm in Germany the bike is stored at my father in law's - and he's got a big damned air compressor which is something I never had the garage space for - I"m going to blow those mofos out, maybe build a soda blaster and take care of business. I might need to buck up and pay for another set of carbs to work with. ugh. Sorry about carepower effortpost, holy crap that's a doozy.
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Apr 1, 2012 23:07
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Vegetable Dumpling posted:My current theory is that I've got a clogged pilot circuit You have basically solved it already -- it's a clogged pilot jet in the cylinder that misses. The fact that it runs fine at moderate and full throttle but stumbles on idle points directly at the pilot circuit. If there was a bit of o-ring jammed in one part of the carb, that means that the o-ring itself disintegrated, and there are quite possibly more bits of it inside in places you haven't yet found. So there isn't really any need to think beyond the pilot jet until you have opened up your carbs and cleaned every passage squeaky clean with xylene and wire.
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Apr 1, 2012 23:21
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Sagebrush posted:You have basically solved it already -- it's a clogged pilot jet in the cylinder that misses. The fact that it runs fine at moderate and full throttle but stumbles on idle points directly at the pilot circuit. If there was a bit of o-ring jammed in one part of the carb, that means that the o-ring itself disintegrated, and there are quite possibly more bits of it inside in places you haven't yet found. So there isn't really any need to think beyond the pilot jet until you have opened up your carbs and cleaned every passage squeaky clean with xylene and wire. they've been disassembled, brushed, q-tipped and dipped in that bucket-o'-cancer carb cleaner. They look clean, but there is probably some dissolved rubber in there somewheres. Will xylene dissolve that? Otherwise I'm starting with the air, cause there isn't much left to see - not rust, red or even varnish. There's even fuel stabilizer in there while it sits. No matter how much time I spend with my lovely morgan carbtune I can't get it running right at idle. I guess they're coming off... again.
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Apr 1, 2012 23:39
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Agree with Sagebrush. At speed it's fuelled by the other circuits, at idle it's on the clogged pilots. "Clean your jets" should be the forum subtitle as it's answered to any question about any problem, but this is a particularly strong case. E: use something soft and thin to poke in them, like the strands from a brush. It doesn't take much grit to throw the mixture off.
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Apr 1, 2012 23:42
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From your description I'd guess that a piece of the o-ring broke off the pilot jet and was sucked up into the internal passages that lead to the pilot fuel hole thing (depending on the specific design of your carbs of course). It's still stuck inside there and the only way to get it out is picking with stiff but narrow wire, or possibly compressed air. Xylene will loosen up anything based on gasoline or natural rubber. Does a decent job with waxes as well. Won't affect o-rings made of viton or nitrile as far as I know. By the way, is it just the one idle screw you have to adjust? I can't imagine what it would be like having to actually go in and mess with four separate screws every time you ride the bike, but if it's just the one that pretty much seals it as a carb issue.
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Apr 1, 2012 23:43
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The jets themselves look good, both those and the mains. I think they're the press in kind. Hard enough to find, I pulled em, cleaned em and put em back, but the other passageways... good god. It's got to be in that circuit, but I think there are a couple of blind corners. Fortunately, I've gotten really good at taking them off. And I only have the one screw to adjust for idle in the morning - just under my right leg. Using the manometer is quite a bit more involved. As to the wayward rubber pieces... I thought I had them all out... but I'm not sure anymore. And clean your jets is pretty common on all bike boards. Carbs is the more general response, which is probably why, to date, I've disassembled cleaned and rebuilt them with new rubber, synchronized them, adjusted the needles, made new paper gaskets, manually corrected the float heights with tubing, added an inline filter and replaced the rubber boots that lead from the airbox. I really don't want it to be the carbs, but one little piece of rubber... it probably is.
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Apr 2, 2012 00:10
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If you haven't run a wire through the pilot jets, they are not clean. You should see a perfectly circular pinhole through the jets when you look through it, if you can't see light through it, it's not clean. The "perfectly circular" part is important because sometimes people see a small bit of light through the grit in the pilot and call it good... I've also run wire through them and had them not unclog until I hit them with both carb cleaner and compressed air. That varnish is persistent and if you have rubber in there chances are you've got additional crap going on, so pull them and clean them again and get some wire in there this time. Also missing at idle can be a worn boot causing it to arc to the head. Clogged pilot is more likely though. And I just worked on a late 70s Honda 4 that was arcing to the head and only firing on 3 cylinders as a result. Carbs were cleaned but there were a bunch of other things wrong with it.
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Apr 2, 2012 03:10
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What do you do with the dead gas from flushing a tank?
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Apr 2, 2012 03:31
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henne posted:What do you do with the dead gas from flushing a tank? Dig a hole and dump it. Or, see if there is a HAZMAT drop off in your area.
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Apr 2, 2012 03:32
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What's the consensus here on air filters? Should I go ahead and just get an OEM since I'm not looking to eek out more power and cleaning/reusing something like a K&N isn't something I'm comfortable with?
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Apr 2, 2012 03:57
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Why wouldn't you want to clean a re-usable filter? That's why I fitted a BMC one to my bike, saves having to go to a dealer to buy a new OEM one.
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Apr 2, 2012 04:04
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There's a strange vibration that only seems to happen at certain RPMs at a certain incline, and only in second/third gear. It feels like a bolt rattling around a box, and I've only noticed it in the past couple of months. Should this be something I need to worry about? EDIT: I can pretty much only afford to do one service a year and I'm doing maybe 10,000km a year. I replace the oil + filter 5-7,000km in between services. Odette fucked around with this message at 04:11 on Apr 2, 2012 |
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Apr 2, 2012 04:08
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Could be pinging, if it's under heavy load. What bike?
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Apr 2, 2012 04:09
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It never seems like you'd get one completely cleared out and it would slowly choke while being looser and letting more bullshit through.
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Apr 2, 2012 04:10
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MotoMind posted:Could be pinging, if it's under heavy load. What bike? Suzuki VL250. V twin 250cc, I'm not that heavy, but it's a wee bike. Also updated my original post with more info.
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Apr 2, 2012 04:11
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Bixington posted:It never seems like you'd get one completely cleared out and it would slowly choke while being looser and letting more bullshit through. The dirt sticks to the filter oil, which gets washed out, not to the matrix of the filter.
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Apr 2, 2012 04:15
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Odette posted:Suzuki VL250. V twin 250cc, I'm not that heavy, but it's a wee bike. What RPM? What kind of load? If it's an engine problem (even something innocuous like pinging), I'm going to bet that you can make it happen in any gear and at any speed if you match the RPM and load. Otherwise it's probably something dumb like chain slap related to the power pulses of the engine.
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Apr 2, 2012 04:18
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MotoMind posted:The dirt sticks to the filter oil, which gets washed out, not to the matrix of the filter. Anecdotal, but a friend used and thoroughly cleaned one he had on a Trans Am and it still looked like somebody took ten shits through it.
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Apr 2, 2012 04:20
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MotoMind posted:What RPM? What kind of load? If it's an engine problem (even something innocuous like pinging), I'm going to bet that you can make it happen in any gear and at any speed if you match the RPM and load. Otherwise it's probably something dumb like chain slap related to the power pulses of the engine. Bike doesn't have a tacho, can't tell you the RPM. I just 'feel' it.  Load would be something like 100kg though.
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Apr 2, 2012 04:30
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henne posted:What do you do with the dead gas from flushing a tank? Don't dump it in the ground like what's his name says. It's bad for the planet, but more importantly if some nosy neighbor sees you doing it and reports it, you could be in for a world of pain. Besides the punitive fine, you'll have to pay to have it cleaned up, which basically means "dig out all the dirt in the area to a depth of five or ten feet and treat it as hazardous waste". I know a family who had the diesel line to their furnace burst and pour about twenty gallons into their basement, and the cleanup and environmental remediation fee (insurance, luckily) was slightly less than a quarter million dollars. Yes. Ergo, if you don't have/don't want to deal with a HAZMAT place, what you should do with old gasoline is BURN IT 
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Apr 2, 2012 04:33
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It makes the coolest fireball when you try and start a fire.....doesn't really start the fire to well though.
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Apr 2, 2012 04:36
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Odette posted:Bike doesn't have a tacho, can't tell you the RPM. I just 'feel' it. You're being difficult! Is the bike being lugged at low RPM as it strains up a hill? Whining along without a care in the world at high RPM?
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Apr 2, 2012 04:36
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Sagebrush posted:
Can't you take it to the auto parts store and dump it in with the used motor oil?
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Apr 2, 2012 04:39
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MotoMind posted:You're being difficult! Is the bike being lugged at low RPM as it strains up a hill? Whining along without a care in the world at high RPM? Oh sorry! Happens when: 1. I change down from 4th to 3rd/3rd to 2nd and RPM is kinda low/average. 2. I change up from 1st to 2nd/2nd to 3rd and RPM is high. It only seems to last a few seconds, which makes testing it kinda hard.
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Apr 2, 2012 04:41
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