Topic: Help! bike runs like crap, what happend?

[my78k]

It's my best guess that we can rule a few things out now...doesn't seem electrical as it's only the #2 cylinder (2 and 3 are fed from same coil) and it past the spark test (although it could be a weak spark but I doubt it).

This leads me and the others to think it is definitely fuel (carb) related I don't suspect that it is any of the common elements i.e. petcock or fuel filters as this would cause an issue with all cylinders not just number 2.

I would bet money that it is the idle jet on your number 2 carb. Does it run better under full choke? Definitely clean the tank with some muriatic acid or one of the other 300 or so methods described in this site (please don't ask which is best or you will 300 different oppinions!  )

Given the fact that you know there is rust present I would suggest pulling the carbs all together and giving them a thorough once or twice over. No point in cleaning the tank out if there is something plugging a jet already. I wouldn't suspect you would need to break down the carb rack etc. but atleast pull the carbs and go thru the piolt and main jets and spray the heck out of all the orifices with some decent carb cleaner.

Once the tank is derusted make sure you fill it up immediately with gas or slosh a small amount of oil around in it or it will flash rust once dried. Wouldn't hurt to throw some seaform or other cleaner into the fresh tank of gas and then take it for a good long run to blow out anything that you may have missed in the carbs. Wouldn't hurt to throw a new set of plugs in at the same time...for the sake of a few dollars it would also ensure that the fouled plug is working fine...

My 2 cents...

Dennis

[Boomologist]

If you have an inline filter and still are getting rust in the floats that filter isn't working and neither is the one in tank.
Your problem is definitely fuel related. Did you remove the idle jets for cleaning. This is a must. If you did, and they are clean, there may be something lodged in a chamber in the carb body.

[TwoTired]

Jets seem to be clear, or they were after i blew them out a few times. The source of contamination is obvious, my tank is rusty on the inside and i know i need to clean it.

Okay, I'm looking for specific wordage here.  Did you clean and verify clarity of BOTH the main jet and the IDLE JET in number 2 carb?  Any chance it clogged again after feeding it more contaminated gas?  The slow jet orifice is only 0.016 inch wide down deep in that larger hole in the jet tube.  Could you see light through it?  The slow jets should have a number stamped on the side of it; either #38 or #40.  The mains have #100 for your bike.

Cheers,

[78_SaltLick]

Yeah! you guys rule. Thank you for all your help. I dumped the float bowels again, this time took the bowels all the way off instead of just pulling the drain screw, pulled the jets out of the bottom of the carb and blew through them all, one in particular was completely clogged up (yep old #2, the cold pipe) after i blew into it really good i put everything back together and what do ya know? It started right up and runs better than ever now!! So yes, i def need to clean my tank like right now or this will happen again, i also need to change my inline fuel filter. I think i just have ALOT of rust in my tank. Thanks again everybody!!

dave

[my78k]

Funny how we all seem to suffer from the same problems eh? Glad to hear it's OK now...went through the exact same problem more than once when trying to get my bike resurrected.

[78_SaltLick]

Jets seem to be clear, or they were after i blew them out a few times. The source of contamination is obvious, my tank is rusty on the inside and i know i need to clean it.

Okay, I'm looking for specific wordage here.  Did you clean and verify clarity of BOTH the main jet and the IDLE JET in number 2 carb?  Any chance it clogged again after feeding it more contaminated gas?  The slow jet orifice is only 0.016 inch wide down deep in that larger hole in the jet tube.  Could you see light through it?  The slow jets should have a number stamped on the side of it; either #38 or #40.  The mains have #100 for your bike.

Cheers,

TwoTired (and everyone else) thanks for all the help, your always right on the mark, i guess it was the slow jets in #2 that were plugged. First time i just drained the bowls and pulled the slow jet out of #2 and looked through it in the light, second time is when i really gave it a good cleaning. Well i learned alot this time, how to adjust the points (and gap) how to change the plugs (and gap)  how to drain the bowels, how to take my tank off, what coils were and where they were located, how to check for spark, how to check the pipes to see if the temp is the same ect. This might seem easy to most of you, and it was easy once i did it and the best part is being able to fix it yourself without having to rely on a mechanic and pay the price. Man it feels good once you start it up and find out all the work you did paid off! Okay ill shut up now, just cant thank you all enough.