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Having kicked around this sub-forum for a few months I think this is the right place for this post. I've been shopping around for motorcycles and picking up repair tips in preparation for my license course in a few weeks. Anyway my buddy has a 1985 Ninja ZX600A. Right now it isn't running (well), but if I can get it fixed he'll sell it for a song and dance. Here's the prognosis: it only runs if you pull the needle jets out of one or two of the carbs. It has what appears to be a carb issue. We got cleaned carbs off of ebay, but nothing. We installed a jet kit (thinking maybe it wasn't getting enough fuel) but still nothing. We bought new boots: still nothing. We've checked the lash on the valves, and all the rubber diaphrams in the carbs move. There's no air box installed right now. Besides that we have new plugs in there and re-did some of the wiring. We were thinking about doing a compression check to see what happens. My question is, what do you guys think? (  ) Is is possibly an electrical issue? What's the next logical step for this beast, a total strip down? I'm off to the garage in the next few days and will post pictures once I reassess the bike.EDIT: Fixed the model. As noted below, it's not a 250. Lanky_Nibz fucked around with this message at 14:13 on May 11, 2012 |
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May 10, 2012 21:04
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Boru posted:Having kicked around this sub-forum for a few months I think this is the right place for this post. I've been shopping around for motorcycles and picking up repair tips in preparation for my license course in a few weeks. I'm no Ninja expert, but I'm guessing the ZX600A is not a 250. Unfortunately, I've nothing constructive to add, just critical.
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May 10, 2012 21:11
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Pope Mobile posted:The instructions that came with the heaters said to use JB Weld but gently caress that. I want to remove them eventually. Wrap loads of insulation tape around the left bar, means that you lose less heat into the metal too.
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May 10, 2012 21:23
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Boru posted:Having kicked around this sub-forum for a few months I think this is the right place for this post. I've been shopping around for motorcycles and picking up repair tips in preparation for my license course in a few weeks. Do you have an air box for it? Throw it on and you may find it starts running.
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May 10, 2012 21:48
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Zool posted:Do you have an air box for it? Throw it on and you may find it starts running. I don't have an airbox, well at least I don't think I do (I need to check). The problem is that it does turn over: it just won't idle smoothly or rev. I can get it to idle and it will run "ok" but as soon as you get on the gas it just shuts off.
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May 10, 2012 22:23
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Boru posted:I don't have an airbox, well at least I don't think I do (I need to check). It's lean, and if you're running no airbox, that's probably 90% of the problem. If you really want to troubleshoot with no airbox, cover the back of the carbs about 3/4 way with duct tape and try again
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May 11, 2012 00:36
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Olde Weird Tip posted:It's lean, and if you're running no airbox, that's probably 90% of the problem. If you really want to troubleshoot with no airbox, cover the back of the carbs about 3/4 way with duct tape and try again  I'll get out to the garage in a few days, and see if I can't find the airbox, if not I'll duct tape the carbs and reassess.
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May 11, 2012 01:55
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Hey guys So there is rust in my GS suzuki fuel tank. I'm using POR-15 to de-rust it. Is there a quick way to dry the fuel tank? I tried using a blow dryer but that is taking too long. The fuel tank has to be completely dry in order for the sealant to work. De-rusting the fuel tank is exhausting work. I'm pooped. Yet I can't quit because I don't want the interior of my tank left overnight wet. Thanks
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May 11, 2012 03:09
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K I sat there for like 45 minutes blow drying the tank. Theres still a puddle of water I can't seem to get. I tried siphoning it out but I couldn't get it out. drat the people who designed the GS suzuki gas tank. What's the point of having random nooks and crannies in the gas tank! I'm just going to leave it inside and hopefully it will air dry. I've spent all day and evening on it and I'm tired and got work tomorrow. What's the harm in letting it air dry? The instructions talked about flash rust. How worried should I be? Also, there is a piece of rust in my fuel tank like 3-4mm. I rinsed the gently caress out of my fuel tank all day and I'm going to have nightmares if I have to get that piece of rust out. How bad could one piece be? Thanks guys
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May 11, 2012 06:14
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The rust will get encapsulated under the sealant. The piece of rust is less concerning than having surface rust starting somewhere. The loose piece of rust might even be neutralized by the POR-15 chemical. You could put the tank in the oven at very low heat/door open? Also, shouldn't you be able to shake the tank to get the water out of the puddle? Stuff some towels inside to help.
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May 11, 2012 06:23
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There are filters in your fuel system for a reason. If you can rinse the tank and the water coming out is clear, and there are no obvious chunks of rust detaching on the inside, it's probably clean enough to use without any sealant at all. And petroleum products like gasoline are effective rust inhibitors. Go for the POR-15 if you want, but if you've already cleaned the inside of the tank of rust, there's really no reason to seal it. Just hit it with a bunch of WD-40 (which is a Water Displacing compound), and trust that the gasoline fumes will keep the inner surface protected in use. If you're just going to pour in the POR-15 over top of existing rust, well, I dunno what to do in that case.
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May 11, 2012 06:38
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Thanks guys. The water is clean. And the inside from what I can tell looks clean. I've been shaking the hell out of my gas tank to get the water out. I skipped gym today because I figured I got a decent workout already. There are like random crevices and grooves in my gas tank. The towel is a good idea though. I think if I stuffed some towels in there, then give the gas tank a shake I would be able to get some of that water. I still want to use POR-15 just to make sure the gas tank is sealed. I guess I will try to get the speck of rust out.
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May 11, 2012 07:05
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Sagebrush posted:Just hit it with a bunch of WD-40 (which is a Water Displacing compound) .... huh.
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May 11, 2012 08:02
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Shimrod posted:.... Yeah, for all the thousand and one uses people have found for it, the stuff was originally developed as a chemical you would spray into electronics to push any moisture out of the connections, preventing short-circuits. Still works great for that today.
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May 11, 2012 08:15
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Wow, I had no idea WD-40 was used corrosion prevention. I've only seen it used for squeaky hinges and flamethrowers.
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May 11, 2012 14:00
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Only in the sense that you get the water out with it, it's not a permanent coating. It evaporates really quickly. Also, it's loving terrible for squeaky hinges (not a lubricant and the quick evaporation). Get spray white lithium grease for that, you'll want it anyway for just about any metal-to-metal rub spot on, well, everything.
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May 11, 2012 14:05
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I took my bike in for a service check and some tire mounting, and they said it looked good except for low front brake fluid which they drained and replaced. When I had the seat off later, I noticed the rear brake fluid is pretty low, so I'm not really confident that the shop did a good job here, I guess I'll find a new one to go to. In the meantime can I just top the rear brake fluid off, or do I need to drain it and refill? I'm not sure what kind of fluid the PO had put in there now, so I'd probably be mixing brands, but the color looks okay.
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May 11, 2012 14:47
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Does mixing brands matter if it's the right DOT rating?
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May 11, 2012 15:54
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I don't think it does, but mixing old and new is supposed to be a bad thing, isn't it? For the same reason (water absorption) that you can't safely use an opened bottle of fluid after some elapsed time period?
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May 11, 2012 16:22
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It will be fine as long as the dot rating is the same. I'd rather have mismatched fluid and a reservoir that is full as opposed to just the old fluid that is really low. If you're really concerned, just flush the brakes and replace with new fluid. The back reservoir doesn't hold much at all and the length of the lines is short so it's quite easy to flush. Any bottle of brake fluid you buy should have more than enough to do this job at least twice.
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May 11, 2012 16:25
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I've heard you can mix 3 and 4, just not 3 or 4 with 5. I've also heard that low fluid can be indicative of another problem, so check for a leak and check for worn pads too. And yeah, once an opened bottle of 3 or 4 has sat for a few days or a week or something, you don't want to use it again.
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May 11, 2012 17:02
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You can mix 3, 4 and 5.1 as much as you like, but you'll obviously alter the boiling point etc. DOT 5 cannot be mixed with anything else. If you have an opened bottle of 3, 4 or 5.1 sitting around, it's still perfectly good for at least a month as long as you screw the lid on tight and you're not in a really humid environment.
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May 11, 2012 17:04
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You can also seal the lid with something like liquid electrical tape or tool dip and it'll keep for forever.
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May 11, 2012 17:28
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Do I need to do anything to the rotors when changing to a different pad compound?
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May 11, 2012 17:36
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frunksock posted:Do I need to do anything to the rotors when changing to a different pad compound? I can imagine there being different schools of thought on this, but I'd just bed the pads in normally and not worry about it.
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May 11, 2012 17:39
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KozmoNaut posted:You can mix 3, 4 and 5.1 as much as you like, but you'll obviously alter the boiling point etc. Not a good idea to mix DOT 3, 4 and 5.1. They have different chemistry. You don't have to do anything than a simple flush and bleed to replace DOT 3 or 4 with the much better DOT 5.1 though. Replacing any of those with the silicone based DOT 5.0 will however be a quite different task. Just a few drops of DOT 3, 4 or 5.1 in the system will destroy your DOT 5.0. You need to REALLY clean the system to perform this.
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May 11, 2012 18:27
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Well, I'm not sure what the PO put in there, so I guess I'll play it safe and flush it. Thanks for the feedback!
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May 11, 2012 19:24
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Discomancer posted:Well, I'm not sure what the PO put in there, so I guess I'll play it safe and flush it with DOT 5.1. Thanks for the feedback! N/P 
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May 11, 2012 20:12
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Sir Cornelius posted:Not a good idea to mix DOT 3, 4 and 5.1. They have different chemistry. You don't have to do anything than a simple flush and bleed to replace DOT 3 or 4 with the much better DOT 5.1 though. I've read horror stories (apocryphal internet horror stories, but believable ones) about mixing types and winding up with snot balls that will never fully exit the system no matter how many times you flush.
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May 11, 2012 22:05
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Sir Cornelius posted:Not a good idea to mix DOT 3, 4 and 5.1. They have different chemistry. You don't have to do anything than a simple flush and bleed to replace DOT 3 or 4 with the much better DOT 5.1 though. Uh, Dot 5 isn't for ABS, correct? Is 5.1? I just changed mine because the drat pipe broke (thanks $60 BMW replacement) and saw the NOT FOR ABS warning on 5.
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May 12, 2012 00:07
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KozmoNaut posted:You can mix 3, 4 and 5.1 as much as you like, but you'll obviously alter the boiling point etc. Great, in the last few months I flushed the brakes in both my bikes with brake fluid I bought last year. I could have sworn I checked up and it was still good?
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May 12, 2012 00:50
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clutchpuck posted:Pro: Looks cool, helps with comfort if you have pipes that get close to your leg. 80 bucks for tape is retarded. Only shop that has some is the local Harley dealer, too.  Anyone knows a good Canadian online retailer?
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May 12, 2012 01:06
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I've always had good experiences with these people, but you're still gonna pay 80 bucks. Perhaps if you just want the exhaust to be black you could try header paint? More of a pain to apply, I guess, but it only costs like 15 dollars for a can at Canadian Tire. http://www.siriusconinc.com/pro-detail.php?pid=&product_id=4835 My question: A couple months ago I remember seeing a sad post from someone who watched their CB750 burn up on the side of the road because of a fuel leak. Well, I have a little 1lb fire extinguisher that could solve just such a problem. If I mounted it on the side of the bike, on a scale of 1 to 10, about how many days do you think it would last before some kid sprayed it all over everything? But seriously, any thoughts on fire protection? Do you think painting the extinguisher solid black and camouflaging the gauge and handle with a plastic cover would make any difference to vandalism? What would you do if your bike caught fire while you were riding it?
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May 12, 2012 02:22
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Sagebrush posted:What would you do if your bike caught fire while you were riding it? Twist the wrist. Looks like it's $80 for the exhaust wrap wherever I look. Sometimes $30 on Ebay + $30 for shipping + surprise rape fees thanks to Canadian customs. I even have high temperature black paint, but I really didn't want to take off the headers.  EDIT: How hot to pipes get? Say, close to the engine?
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May 12, 2012 02:33
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internet inc posted:EDIT: How hot to pipes get? Say, close to the engine? Gonna depend on a lot of things really, but for example I know I've seen EGT values for an Yamaha R6 being about 850 degrees Celsius at WOT, about 350-450C at idle, measured about 50mm from the head/exhaust mating surface.
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May 12, 2012 03:24
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Ehhhhhh. This paint will do up to 650C. 
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May 12, 2012 03:58
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So I come back from work and peer into my fuel tank and I find some rust again on the surface. It's not as bad as before, but I didn't see any rust last night. I didn't put in the sealant yet and just let the tank dry overnight. Could it have rust again so quickly? I'm more energized now, so Ill probably acid wash it again.
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May 12, 2012 06:16
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Marv Hushman posted:I've read horror stories (apocryphal internet horror stories, but believable ones) about mixing types and winding up with snot balls that will never fully exit the system no matter how many times you flush. That's more of a problem with mixing different coolant formulations. You can get corrosion and blockages in the block and radiator. I've never heard of any problems with mixing polyethylene glycol braking fluids (DOT 3, 4 and 5.1), but mixing those with silicone-based fluid (DOT 5) is big trouble, no matter how minute the amounts. thylacine posted:Uh, Dot 5 isn't for ABS, correct? Is 5.1? I just changed mine because the drat pipe broke (thanks $60 BMW replacement) and saw the NOT FOR ABS warning on 5. Yes, DOT 5 is for non-ABS brakes only. The primary difference is that 3, 4 and 5.1 are hygroscopic and 5 is hydrophobic. As long as you change it regularly, hygroscopic brake fluid is a good thing. It prevents the brake lines from containing undiluted water, which can cause corrosion and even burst brake lines in freezing temperatures. On the other hand, DOT 5 doesn't damage paint and is more consistent in viscosity at higher temperatures, but it absorbs air bubbles very easily so you have to take extra care when you bleed the brakes.
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May 12, 2012 10:25
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KozmoNaut posted:I've never heard of any problems with mixing polyethylene glycol braking fluids (DOT 3, 4 and 5.1) Well you have now. DOT 5.1 contains borate esters. It does not mix well with DOT 3 or 4. You can mix 3 and 4 half and half if you want (it'll be rated as DOT 3 then, so I don't get why you'd want to), but do not try this with 5.1 and 3 or 4. A few drops of DOT 3 or 4 left in a system changed to DOT 5.1 won't harm anything though.
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May 12, 2012 12:35
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dogpower posted:So I come back from work and peer into my fuel tank and I find some rust again on the surface. It's not as bad as before, but I didn't see any rust last night. I didn't put in the sealant yet and just let the tank dry overnight. Could it have rust again so quickly? I'm guessing its just flash rust, so should be easy to get off, but will prevent the sealant from sticking if you dont get it off.
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May 12, 2012 15:07
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