After carb cleaning, pvlir lesson, wont stay running.??

[jztam]

Hey Lads/Lasses,
I've JUST put together the carbs after cleaning everything I could clean. Slow Jets were impassable, main jets were 20% obstructed. Bought new slow jets anyway .. but haven't installed them yet.
So, I have my lesson in pvlir training yesterday, but today, in the waning daylight, I DO get the 5mm ID hose hooked up to the rear of the petcock. Tested the fuel lines TO the carbs, by pulling one of them off, and fuel comes spurting out. Have not installed the air filter, nor the top air box, so I can pour fuel into the throttle intake stack thingies.
All the other hoses are merely fitted but not clamped yet. Electrical connector to the carbs hooked up. Connector from the tank to the cluster just behind the tank is hooked up.

I get some cables to jump from the car battery and hook them up, pour about an ounce of gas down each stack and it roars to life. Yay! I did the timing correctly. It runs for about 2 seconds, then another 1 second, then another 2 seconds, by pouring the fuel down the carb intakes. Scratch me head, and go read stuff again.

BUT it won't stay running on the normal fuel supply lines.

I tried it on full choke.
I tried it by twisting the throttle, both with and with out any choke. Triple check the pvlir lesson from yesterday. Fuel ON is achieved by turning the 8mm valve, all the way counter clockwise yeah?

What did I miss? What else can I do to get it running consistently?
Help! Mommy!

;)
Jordan

[Wicky]

Have not installed the air filter, nor the top air box

Try putting them back on as VTR is very sensitive in the intake department.

[Redthunder]

Instead of being hasty why not put it all back together properly?!

3 things here:

Set up your Tps.

The float bowls will be empty hence why won't keep running. Being vacumn fed you will have to keep cranking over.

When running steady balance the carbs.

[lloydie]

Ensure you have put them back together right as both carbs have little differences between them .
And a balance will help as you've had them apart

[Bleh]

Cleaned my own carbs out not so long ago and upon re-installation, found the beast was bit of a pig to start and I'll explain what the problem was in a minute but first something that may be a handy tip...

Set up an apparatus where you can safely mount a appropriately sized bottle, i.e. empty washing liquid (cylindrical is easier) which can be mounted above the bike. Attach a fuel line of sorts that will fit the the carb feed. This will allow you to re-install the air filter/ box and have the bike running without the tank - handy for carb balancing etc.

Secondly, check the bowls are filling by taking the relative screws back some-what (under side of carb).

Right, the problem I had and how I resolved it. Kicked myself after an hour of head scratching with this one...

Once I re-installed the nice and clean fresh carbs, turned the key to the on position, pulled the choke and hit the start button expecting it to begin to splutter and fire within about a dozen turnovers (as per usual with most carb'd bikes I've tinkered with)... didn't happen. This had me frustrated to the point where I had the fuel lines off to check for blockages, petcock off for inspection and even considered removing the carbs again (was really pulling out what little hair I already have!). But upon looking at the petcock, I realised that it works on a vaccum governed by the carbs and fuel in take to the engine and with the carbs being empty, no fuel was being sucked in causing a chain effect...

This is what I did - I removed one end of the vacuum hose leaving the other attached to the petcock, got a small syringe (had a spare 5ml one here from the chemist), inserted into the vacuum hose and created my own vacuum within the system by pulling the syringe out (no more that 2-3ml) which in allowed the petcock to operate filling the carbs with fuel.

Within about 5 minutes and two bouts of a dozen turn overs, sure enough she coughed and spluttered before finding its rhythm and has started without a single problem since!

Hope this helps.

p.s. Don't forget to reconnect the vacuum hose

[tony.mon]

You say you DO get the vac hose connection, but just to state the obvious, have you connected it to the spigot that come out of the tap at 90 degrees or the one that hangs vertically downwards?
Sideways= good, downwards= bad

Pls ignore if you've connected it correctly, but it's an easy mistake to make,

You say you've tested fuel lines and fuel comes spurting out- did you have the vc line connected and the engine turning over, or was it spurting out when just sitting there?
If the latter, you have a failed vacuum diaphragm in the fuel tap.

[jztam]

Hi bleh,
Thanks a bundle for the syringe trick..works like a charm ;) Keeping the hose and syringe in my toolbox from now on.

Hi tony.mon,
Yes, I did. Thanks. Using bleh's vacuum syringe trick ensures that I'm hooking up the vacuum hose to the sternward, rearward connector that points sideways to the Left.

Now, that I have got it running smoothly at idle, and have good throttle response again, I have two issues:
1. White exhaust smoke. After startup, for the first 5 seconds, the exhaust is normal, then turns white and billowy. I rode it around the block, UPhill first just in case I needed to walk it home. Went and rode a rectangle for twenty minutes and white smoke did not go away. Just clinging to my tailcoats like a needy ex-gf ;) I think I heard a backfire at the carbs a couple of times, but am not sure if I did. Also, near the end of the ride, the engine started making a tap tap tapping noise.

I reckon a coolant leak caused by improper torquing of the head bolts, and/or leaking head gasket. I foolishly re-used the "reuseable" two layered metal gasket. Sure I inspected it, and shined it up, but was simply too impatient to wait for a new gasket. Ugh.

2. Weak starting / cranking symptoms. Previously when I was jumping the OLD battery from the car battery, with cables, there were a few times when I pressed the starter button, and a slight pause between the button and the first and second cranks of the engine. Now, with a new, properly overnight-trickle, twice, with caps off, charging process ... new battery, the pause is a little longer. Perhaps my imagination that it is longer, I don't know. It DOES indeed fire up, and cranks robustly, once it does get cranking, but those first two cranks are making my heart drop. ;) Notably, it WILL start with the kickstand down, in Neutral, and I'm not required to grab the clutch, but I usually do out of habit.
I'm just wondering where to look for corrosion, faulty connection and such. Already torn apart the starter/kill switch and shined her up. But haven't had the rear fairing off yet, so I'm guessing that's where the starter relay and main fuse connector live.
Any experienced ideas, that the collective has, are severely welcomed. ;)

Thanks in advance, if you can confirm / advise on any thoughts I'm thinking about the next time I tear it apart. The good thing is I can now get to the valve clearance check in about an hour. ;) Gotta love that copper anti-seize goop!!

Cheers, Jordan

[Wicky]

Might want to test your compression… leaky valves?

[tony.mon]

White smoke indicates coolant in the heads- likely head gasket issues, I can't see why you would re-use one- they are designed to compress; so the second time of use they are already work- hardened.

The weak point in the starter mechanism and electrics is the connection at the starter motor- pull the boot back and inspect.
Also the starter gears can slip- no repair possible, but they're easier to replace than the Haynes and Honda manuals suggest.