first problem with missing or overheating?

Today it was warmer, 60 degrees Fahrenheit or so, than it's been since I've had my bike. Also, I had to make a trip up MLK Blvd with stops and starts, which isn't really that unusual, as I drive this bike in town almost every day.

After stopping at one place, taking off again, I noticed a slight miss that got worse to the point that it sounded like running on three cylinders. Kind of a putt,putt,putt rather than vrrrrrrrrrr, like normal. This at first was not affecting performance, then, after crossing bridge, I had to pull into a lot because it wasn't pulling away from a stop without revving way up. When I killed it, noticed in-line fuel filter seemed to be empty? But then I pushed it over to 7-11 and got a quart of oil, thinking maybe it was low(on the low side in the window, no light or anything) but it only took maybe a third of a quart to get it covering the whole glass peephole.

Also, the headcovers seemed hot, and the oil tank also, dropped the cap when I unscrewed it, so let it cool off for a while, then got back on and seemed to be back to normal, maybe slightly more "buzzy" in the handlebars, but not stalling, missing, or acting like I'm taking off in third gear from a stop.

I'm thinking valve adjustment, because they seem a little noisy, or maybe a leak somewhere in the fuel lines, I don't really have clamps where the lines go to the in-line filter, or carb float issue, maybe? I'm just wondering where to look first, was gonna check the plugs, which look brand new on the outside, when I got home, but realized I need a bigger wrench than I have. Fuel filter now seems to be staying filled. I dunno.

 

Check the plugs good place to start.
It's possible that something is hanging up in the carbs and one cylinder fouled the plug.
There is no need for clamps on the fuel filter as there is no pressure in the system to cause a leak.
If anything a spring clip will do.

 

Thanks, I'm pulling plugs tomorrow, I'll post pics, see what people think of my carbs/timing, depending on what I find, also, maybe this is my issue:

http://www.xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic ... hange.html
(scroll down to the last posts on page 1)

would explain the empty fuel filter, I do have a crappy gas cap, lock-wise, I don't know about valve-wise. Maybe either vapor-lock from tank not venting or clogged petcock(which I doubt because I had the tank off and treated with acid and I know it and the petcock filter were clean when I put them together) I did fiddle with the PRI setting, maybe when I let it cool off the vacuum leaked out of the tank letting the fuel run again..

 

was it wet out at all? when riding my seca last year the coils got wet and she ran like crap.

 

Nope, totally dry. I'm also gonna change the oil this weekend, that and looking over/replacing spark plugs will give me a better idea. I mean it's not doing anything weird *now* but I would like to know what was going on, as breakdowns on my route, at rush hour, are not safe. My old former cop car used to do a missing thing like that, it was always blowing off the plug wires in one cylinder, but the ones on the bike were fine.

 

Jake: Car's got a lot of pickup.

Elwood: It's got a cop motor, a 440 cubic inch plant, it's got cop tires, cop suspensions, cop shocks. It's a model made before catalytic converters so it'll run good on regular gas. What do you say, is it the new Bluesmobile or what?

Jake: Fix the cigarette lighter.


/obligatory

 

My '81 has a "lazy" petcock (I'm gonna switch it but haven't yet.) The symptom it produces is one of BEGINNING to run out of gas, and a quick switch to PRI cures it; then after a few miles I can go ahead and switch back (or just leave it on PRI until I get where I'm going.)

A vacuum leak can cause this but my vacuum lines are fine, it's the petcock.

Could this have been/be your issue?

 

Maybe, I've run out of gas before, not on this bike, also have gone into the reserve tank, so I know what it sounds/feels like. This was a little different, not the coughing, sputtering of running out of gas, at least not at first, but that weird miss at speed, of course maybe that's because I haven't run out of gas at that exact rpm on this bike, hmmm. Also, I've got one of those K&N air filters, that goes in the stock airbox, I'm gonna clean it and re-oil over the weekend. I also noticed the ring that goes around the intake, from the airbox into the right-hand carb was loose and that tube there could be wiggled around.

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/p0gar/3256722961/sizes/o/

Here is a giant picture of my spark plugs, in order left to right(as you're sitting on the bike) I would guess two and maybe one are lean, what do you all think?

 

2nd from the left is starved for fuel. Counterclockwise a few degrees on your idle mixture screw on that cylinder.

Also, your float needle may be stuck shut for that cylinder's carb.
Did you clean the carbs?

 

#2 lean for sure. #4 looks alittle rich.

 

Yeah, those two are exaggerated a little, camera flash and all, not that white or that dark, 2 and 4 that is, but yeah, obviously something up with number 2. You think the needle stuck huh? I haven't gotten to the carbs yet, only had this bike a couple months, changed out the fuse box, put in-line filter, and bunch of little stuff, but it hasn't acted up on my until the other day, so I might pull them off of there and clean 'em, I don't need a piston starved for fuel. I'll finish with the oil change and air filter and try to get a better look at the carbs this weekend. I wish that giant air box wasn't in the way, had pods on my old bike and you could just whip them off.

 

You will be surprised how many little particles are stuck in your carbs.

Inline fuel filter is a must. Getting all the crap out of your carbs is just as important.

Checking float levels and seeing how the bowls fill back up is important.

All of this stuff is described in the FAQ section and in Rick's and Gamuru's threads. Read, read, read, read and then go clean your carbs and synch them.

 

2 is as clean as a bean, add some richness dawg!!!

if the bike was mine, the #4 would get 3-5 DEGREE rotation of the mixture screw inwards. just a literal hair turn to lean it out a small bit

 

The fuel rail intake to your carbs is met by a tiny screen; one per carb. Its possible that #2 is clogged. When I cleaned my carbs, every one of these had a significant amount of rust particles trapped.

 

Yes agreed he should pull the carbs and give them a good once over. That would be a good start. before he burns something up being too lean.

 

I recently had a problem just like this with what I thought was a miss on one cylinder. I changed the plugs, checked the coils and leads - all OK. Just when I was beginning to suspect the TCI I popped the diaphragm cover off #1 carb, sure enough the diaphragm had two small holes. I'd repaired it during the carb overhaul and wondered if the Plasti-dip repairs were OK. They'd held up fine but as I said there were two new holes.

I'd picked up another carb on an auction website down here with 4 (looked like new) diaphragms for $40.00 so I dropped one of these in and it's run like a train ever since.