Topic: Problems from running rich?

[ateamsam]

Hey Guys,

As a newbie I'm sure I'm making a newbie mistake, so here I go:

After buying this bike I have ridden just 200 miles on it when the damn thing died on me on the way back home from the mall!  I noticed it was starting to choke up while stopped at a light so I tried to raise the idle speed when the light turned green.  I tried to accelerate and the damn thing died on me!  After missing the light and panicking a bit I finally got it started for it to only fail me less than a mile later while in motion.  All of a sudden I lost power and the thing died.  I had a friend swing by to pick me up and then let the bike sit for a couple of days.  Since then I can start the bike and it won't stay on.  I know it was running rich before because I could smell the gas in the air, so I checked the first spark plug and it was wet with gas.  I decided to mess with the air screws and realized they were way past the recommended 1 1/2 to 2 turns so I reset them.  This still doesn't help it stay running.  So here is my question ... what types of problems can result from running the bike too rich for about 188 miles??

-Sam

[cycleman]

Running really rich washes the cylinder walls of the oil film & thins out the oil in the crankcase/engine. If continued long enough it will cause engine damage.  The amount you drove it shouldn't hurt much because it sounds like it only would have been running rich when on the idle circuit to 1/3 throttle.

Fix the carb problem & change the oil & filter and you should be fine.

[Gordon]

So here is my question ... what types of problems can result from running the bike too rich for about 188 miles??

Carbon fouled spark plugs

[TwoTired]

Agreed, running rich often means the spark plugs will foul with carbon.  Then they don't spark.

Dirty air filters can cause this.  So, will neglecting the routine 3000 mile tune up these bikes are supposed to have.

Some models have other quirks that may add to "cause".  But, you are looking for information without giving any...like what bike you are having issues with.

With all the info you gave us, it could even be a weak, dead battery. 

Would it help if we added a round of curses for your bike?

[ateamsam]

sorry I forgot add some crucial info.  I have a 1974 CB550 and got it to run today!  I gave it a whirl and messed with the idle speed a bit and it started right up with choke closed.  It ran at 3k rpm with it clossed and expoled, not litterally, to about 7.5k rpms with the choke open (pushed downward).  I lowered the idle speed by turning out the thumb screw and was able to get the bike to run at about 1.5k rpms with it in the open (choke pushed downward) running position.  Rode it around a bit and it seems fine now.  What should I check for to make sure it doesn't happen again?

Thanks,
Sam

[TwoTired]

Agreed, running rich often means the spark plugs will foul with carbon.  Then they don't spark.

Dirty air filters can cause this.  So, will neglecting the routine 3000 mile tune up these bikes are supposed to have.

Sorry, I just can't curse a 74 Cb550.  Totally undeserved.

[Duke McDukiedook]

Full tune-up including checking coils, spark plugs and wires and caps, and finish it all off with a carb clean (thourough).
Carb rebuild wouldn't hurt.

Read le manual if you don't know what a full tune-up is.