Anyway, it started to my complete amazement. This only after I solved the puzzle of why the carbs were both peeing fuel out all over the garage floor (I had opened the drain screws before putting her in drydock back in 2007).
Only idled with the choke on or if I had the throttle turned. Probably some adjustments necessary. My main concern was how damned hot the head/cylinder got in just a few minutes...Dad's plane engine ran hot when it was new so perhaps this is just how new iron works...
One trick the old salts at XR's Only told me about is to loosen the top banjo bolt of the oil line feeding the cylinder head while the thing is running to make sure oil is getting up there and that the pump is working...It being so hot I figured things were not getting lube. However, I couldn't operate the throttle and do this simultaneously so after a few minutes I let the bike die and checked the line out. Looked like there was some evidence of fuel flow just loosening the bolts. Will need to try while running.
Then, I tried restarting. No go. Choke, no go. Hmm. Had a terrible vomit-addled migraine headache all day today so too tired to keep kicking. Pulled the plug below. Looked a little sooty, not terrible. Probably from the few Tbs of oil I dumped in there with a syringe a couple months ago to keep it wet:
That's right, you'd better start it!
ReplyDeleteYou adjusted the valves I'm sure. You may want to do it again. Also make sure the manual decompresor (on the right exh. valve) is adjusted right and not decompressing even a little.
Try turning the idle screw up. Way up. You can always turn it back down.
Still only runs on choke? Now look for leaks on the intake manifold. Unlit propane torch, WD40, starting fluid, you know, to see if the idle perks up any.
The reason it may not have restarted is that if you don't get it all the way warmed up to about 150 or so degrees, it is somewhere between wanting choke and not wanting it, so it is hard to start. This is made worse if the idle is set way too low. Then you try to correct that with opening the throttle, and without the right feel for doing so, it can kick back on you if you open the throttle too much. Sometimes in this confused choke/no choke situation the best thing to do, with the idle adjusted crrectly to start with, is to just turn the choke off and kick it about six times. Around the sixth kick, you may be able to apply the slightest throttle to coax it, and it should sputter right to life.
Good work, FINALLY you start it. Took you long enough, you Really Finnicky Vulnerable Creep.