| Author | Message | ||
     Abtin2 |
I love my blast... when I can get it turned on in the 40 degree weather. Here are some of my problems, I've been searching all over the internet and spent most of my working hours reading different posts on this forum... I've come up with some possible solutions, but I am very much a newbie. Problems: 1) Cold starts are very difficult for my blast. 2) Carburetor floods when engine turned off 3) Reverse popping (popping is occurring at airbox) 4) Gas leak from either, intake manifold, gas line, or carburetor when engine off and fuel still on. Possible solutions I've narrowed down. First off, I think most of these problems are inner-related. I think the bike is having trouble cold starting because of the ratio of air to fuel: the airbox is warped (has leaks) causing excess air to reach the carburetor, causing the bike to have too lean of a mixture. This could be the cause of the reverse popping. As for the carburetor, I think the float bowl is not securely fastened to the carburetor. When I took the airbox off, I noticed that the four bolts holding the bowl to the carb were stripped. It floods almost EVERY TIME I turn the bike off. The flooding could also be caused by a dirty carb (sediment or dirt in the bowl itself and around the float pin, causing it to not act properly). As for the fuel being on and the bike leaking, I'm going to change the fuel line tubing and see if this cures the problem. I did however notice traces of fuel on the intake manifold tubing (where it is clamped to the carburetor). I've only had this bike for around 150 miles. I'm so attached already that I've done countless hours of researching on all the damn problems it has had. Can you guys make any new suggestions? Also, I'm an inexperienced bike owner. I want to do this work myself to keep costs down, but more importantly learn about motorcycle maintenance but am worried that my lack of experience is going to cause further problems. Is there anything forseeable with taking the carb off, cleaning the bowl, refastening it and refastening the airbox, that I should be worried about? Are there any other possible cures I should check on the bike, (spark plugs/etc.)? Thanks guys, you've helped me get her up and running in the past, now I'm going to make her run nice and smooooooooooth. :-) | ||
| Ezblast |
Improperly adjusted float, also get new screws for the bowl - happens when bike is rejetted and care not taken - been there and done that - lol GT - JBOTDS! EZ  | ||
| Sarodude |
* The float valve / needle / pin / whateveryawannacallit and it's seat... * Obviously replace the stripped bolts * Check the intake boot for damage A leak of ANY sort in the airbox is only an issue WRT dirty air. It won't cause the types of differences you see. Besides cleaning the bowl, clean that float needle & seat and make sure the float is adjusted to spec. I don't have the service manual handy so I can't tell ya what it is right now. Let us know how it turns out. -Saro | ||
| Abtin2 |
I know there is a certain angle the carb needs to be seated at... is there any way I can refasten the carb after taking it off to get the correct angle? Also, when you say check the intake boot... do you mean literally, take the clamps off, examine it for tears etc? If dirty excessive air is getting to the engine, doesn't that make the bike run lean? I read in another post that a lean mixture can cause tough starts in the cold... that has been a problem i've had since the first day I bought this bike. Finally, I checked the manual... it says "using a dial vernier caliper or dial caliper depth gauge, measure distance from the face of the carburetor flange to the outboard edge of the float... it should measure between .413 and .453 inches". I don't have either a "dial vernier caliper" or a "dial caliper depth gauge"... do I really need them? Because I don't ahve the carburetor taken apart... I can't tell what other tools would work in that scenerio. Thanks guys. By the way Saro, I read your profile... I'm lucky enough to say that my girlfriend is one of the reasons I started riding as well!!!!!  (Message edited by abtin2 on November 16, 2005) (Message edited by abtin2 on November 16, 2005) | ||
| Jprovo |
Sounds like the problems are inner related. If a float fails, ot there is gunk in the needle-seat of the carb, the carb will overfill. This will cause an over-ritch situation and will make the bike hard to start. It can also cause the carb to leak out of the overflow... The carb boot could also be torn which will make an intake leak which does a bunch of fun stuff... Like make the bike run lean, and cause backfires. It's not tough to fix this stuff, just work slow, and try not to get over your head... Rear about re-jetting carbs, because most of the things that you are going to have to do have been covered there. Remove the intake box, gas tank (to better see what you are doing) carb, and the rubber intake boot. I'd replace the intake boot, and buy a spare one while your at it. Get the float bowl off the carb, but be gentle with the floats. The only tricky part is being gentle with the floats. It could be possible that you have a bad float to start with. Sometimes they fail to float, and that can cause fuel leaking problems that you talk about. James | ||
| Jprovo |
Don't worry about the carb angle. Getting it to "look right" while the bik eis sitting still is close enough. Also, when you say check the intake boot... do you mean literally, take the clamps off, examine it for tears etc? YES!!! You're not going to get excessive air into the carb if you run the bike without thin intake cover. You PROBABLY wouldn't even have to rejet to run it that way reliably (not for optimum performance)... Changing the exhaust has a bigger affect it seems. It has to do with backpressure and exhause reversion... lets not go into that here.... I don't have either a "dial vernier caliper" or a "dial caliper depth gauge"... do I really need them? Because I don't ahve the carburetor taken apart... I can't tell what other tools would work in that scenerio. Just cut a piece of cardboard to 7/16" - that's .4375" James | ||
| Ezblast |
Vernier are cheap now a days - 20 bucks and an angle protractor 99 cents - get the right tools and enjoy! GT - JBOTDS! EZ | ||
| Naustin |
Abin2- just want to clarify for you what has already been said. The leaky air box has nothing to do with your lean condition. The stock airbox is really pretty good as long as the filter is clean, so reducing the restriction with a performance intake, or Leaks in your case, really doesn't affect the mixture a whole lot. The only issue with the leaky airbox is unfiltered air, which could bring debris into the combustion chamber and result in internal engine damage. I agree with everyone that your float is screwed up, and you might have a cracked intake boot. | ||
| Ezblast |
Also - while your at it - you might as well take the carb off and do it right by the book - that worked for me, the rough looks ok didn't - just a thought. GT - JBOTDS! EZ | ||
| Abtin2 |
Just ordered 2 boots (one as a spare). The unfiltered air did bother me... it can cause engine damage like you said... but I thought it would also displace too much air in the engine... (It's not a small crack - the area where the two sections meet is warped). Either way, I bought a new 10 dollar airbox, and will swap it out... This weekend I'm going to disassemble the carb bowl, give it a clean, including the float pin, reassemble, take it for a ride, in the sub 30 degree weather (FUN FUN) and make sure it seizes to leak. Hopefully this will end the string of minor problems this bike's had! The bike does ride just like everyone claims, smooth at 60 mph, corners hard, I've learned so much from just the 150 miles I put on it. Thanks so much for all the help and guidance. James, specifically appreciated the quick solution to not having a vernier. :-) smart thinking. On a side note, what do you guys think a reasonably priced second hand set of plastics (replacing my currently scuffed up ones) should run me... I'm working a deal for the rear tail fender, tank cover, windscreen for 100 bucks... The scratches are deep on the ones that came with the bike. (Message edited by abtin2 on November 16, 2005) | ||
| Ezblast |
Digital verniers at Kragen/Pepboys 20 bucks - +/- 0.001 - bought them to measure out the rearsets - lol - very handy though for measurements - especially close tolerance ones. AKA a rebuild, etc. GT - JBOTDS! EZ | ||
| Naustin |
$100 for a full set , used would be cheap, as long as they're all clean and in very good shape. You're basically looking at 4 items. You might get it cheaper buying it all separately, because the individual pieces sell for less, but it might take you a year to buy them all one by one. I know there are a couple of sets on eBay. The Black set was up to $150 last time I looked. That's still not bad to get it all at once, presuming they are all near perfect. The Blue set for 299-399 is just ridiculous. But that might be a dealer asking MSRP. Look for that blue set to show up again in a 2nd auction, listed more reasonably. Finally, if you do replace your body work, I'd like to buy the scuffed up tail piece from you. Let me know. Scratches and damage is OK, as long as it isn't cracked or something. I'm going to hack it up and experiment with it anyways. | ||
| Light_keeper |
Abtin where are you from?  | ||
| Abtin2 |
Light Keeper: I'm from a suburb of Washington DC -- Rockville, MD. Yea... that one for 299 is just ridiculous... and they're used!!! my set is black, and I will sell you any pieces you'd like... there are no cracks on any parts, just scrapes and scratches. | ||
| Naustin |
Just noticed the auction on the fabulously overpriced set of blue body work ended early. The 'Buy it Now' was $299. Somebody must have paid that much for it!? Or, maybe the seller is re-listing it at a more realistic opening bid. | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
Abtin2-Please tell us you've fixed your battery problem? It will only had to your frustrations if you havent. Be patient on bodywork (unless lightkeeper sells it to you). The pieces will come around on ebay for the right price, especially near Christmas time when money gets short and people stop bidding. Black is usually sold at a premium though. | ||
| Abtin2 |
Well, I'm planning on buying another battery on ebay... my current battery has recently worked a bit better. I think some of the cold start problems were due to the bike running too rich, since the carburetor is flooding... (possibility?). do you guys have a specific solid working battery that doesn't break the bank? I was thinking of getting a GPS. Lightkeeper... do you have body parts for sale??? Thanks. (Message edited by abtin2 on November 18, 2005) | ||
| Light_keeper |
Um no. The only extra bodypart I have is a messed up fly screen that I tried to buff out the deep scratches with minimal success. Now I am using it for paint experiments. | ||
| Matty |
I haven't read the whole thread, so I don't know if this was already addressed. Why would you to buy a battery on ebay??? Is it really that difficult to walk into a HD dealership and buy one? The Blast battery is the same as the VRod, so any dealership will have it. Save yourself some time and grief - buy the right battery at the dealership. You'll know you're eliminating one more variable in the nightmare that is your Blast. Honestly, the HD batteries are worth the money. Yes it's $60, but you won't have to worry about it for a long time. | ||
| Ezblast |
LOL - knock on wood - both of my batteries are still origionals and running strong! - lol GT - JBOTDS! EZ | ||
| Abtin2 |
point well taken... The bike is not a nightmare at all!! It just needs some love. | ||
| Abtin2 |
This weekend's carb cleaning, fixing, etc. project went well. As far as I can tell, I got the bike to stop it's gas leaking problem. As for the cold starting problem... it seems to still have it. When the temp is less than 40 degress, it just doesn't want to turn on. I pulled the enricher to just take a look at it in case something was wrong with it... but since i dont have a reference point to a "good" enricher, I didn't have any idea if it was in working condition. The one thing I noticed was that the metal cylinder (right below the pin) that is suppose to press itself into the opening to make the bike leaner, was all the way out. it was sort of dangling around on the spring that it's attached to. When I looked in the manual, it said that the auto enricher should start closed... and then as it warms up, open up so the metal piece can block the flow of gas. How can i figure out if my auto-enricher is not working correctly? | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
Please, Abtin, I'm begging you, If you haven't got a new battery yet, get one. I've been riding for 25+ years now. 15 years in New Jersey, all winter,every day, as long as it was above 28F and not snowing (sometimes snowing and below 29 degrees).All that time on V twin Harleys and the Blast. If you don't have a good battery, it will not start when its cold. At below 30F you've pretty much got one shot at it. Unless you ride everyday in the cold weather, and have a good battery, the Blast will suck to start in the cold. While changing the battery may not cure your problem, a bad battery will definitely cause it. | ||
| Abtin2 |
I replaced the battery (with a new harley battery) over the weekend, still having trouble with cold starts. When I do get it going, it idles fairly low... and remains at a low RPM until it warms up. I think the auto enricher is not working correctly... or it may be running to rich. Any suggestions? What else should I be considering? All advice is, as always, appreciated :-) Thanks!!! | ||
| Ezblast |
42/170 should be your stock jetting, 2 turns out of the air screw - idle between 1200 and 1000 - warm, fast max idle at 2000 - cold starting. If you ruled out the carb itself - no tears in the diaphram or float, vacuum line pluged ok, everything else clean and to spec, then yes I would suspect the auto-enrichner, and I would check the timing (& perhaps a new plug wire as well - lol). GT - JBOTDS! EZ | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
Concur! Also check the spark plug gap and intake boot. Be sure not to leave the key on for awhile before starting. Its possible that it will tell the auto choke/enrichener (AE) the bike is running and it will slowly back off (IE: If you left it on for 5 minutes, then started the bike, the auto enrichener would be off).On pages 4-23 & 7-16 of the repair manual it gives some excellent info on the auto enrichener.If the engine is running the AE should have power going to it. It is possible that the auto enrichener has a 'smart switch' that tells the AE whether the bike is running or not.If it does, the AE will only have power when the bike is started. If it doesnt, the AE will have power when the key is turned on, bike started or not. I dont have my Blast here so there is no way for me to know if it does or does not have a 'smart switch'. Start with the easy stuff first. Eliminate every easy possible problem first, then work to the more complicated stuff (would be a shame to disassemble the carb, only to find out the spark plug gap was wrong-it happens!). Thanks for changing the battery. It will make helping you MUCH easier. | ||
| Abtin2 |
So one thing i did try was to lower the viscosity of the oil from what seemed to be 20w50 to 10w40 for the winter. After I did that, the bike was having trouble in the higher RPM bands, I would say around 4,000-5,000 RPMS and higher... it was studdering. It stopped studdering after a while, but is that viscosity too low for this engine? I used Valvoline high intensity synethetic MO. As for the carb, i know the float works because I recently checked it... I checked the intake boot when I took the carb off for the cleaning it needed in order to stop leaking fuel, it was fine. As for the spark plug, I changed it, but just rescrewed it... I did not check for the gap (which I now realize was stupid). The stock jetting seems to be on the bike, but I did not check, nor could I find in the manual, the spec for the distance it should be submerged in the fuel. I do not leave the key in, since I know the AE has a heater that begins warming up the needle assembly. The bikes problem is that when it is cold, it is idling so low that the bike turns off if I don't adjust the mixture by opening the throttle after getting it to fire (using some sort of trick, a bit of starter fluid, cranking forever, etc.) after the bike is warm, it idles at a normal rate (around what seems to be 1200 rpms). Does anyone know how much the AE is? I will check the distance of the spark plug, and if there are no other suggestions, take off the carb, check the jetting, (maybe clean it in the process?), and get a new AE? Thanks for all your help. I could not have coped with the learning curve if it wasn't for this forum. | ||
| Ezblast |
Do me a favor and blow the less than ten bucks and also replace your intake boot - a hidden crack could also cause those problems - if after all that you still have problems then it would be the A/E. GT - JBOTDS! EZ | ||
| Light_keeper |
Listen to EZ. It may have been torn by over tightning and cutting the rubber. especially if it was not seated properly. A quick visual check will not often show the problem. Anyway it does not hurt to have a spare boot around if the one on the bike is ok. | ||
| Abtin2 |
Boot is now on order... I will change it this weekend. Any recommendations on the best way to clean the jets? Thanks. | ||
| Light_keeper |
If you are going to check the carb as explained above, just take them out and clean them in carb cleaner. a good visual inspection never hurts anyway. | ||
| Abtin2 |
Thanks everyone... will post after cleaning jets, checking everything listed, changing boot. | ||
| Crazygirl |
I just bought a AE for my blast after my husband busted the needle off of it. Cost us @ $60 at the Dealership. Just so you know there is a little green wedge that you take out to remove the pins on it. The wedge does have some clips that have to be pressed in. Its not as difficult as it looks to replace it. | ||
| Ezblast |
The Float needs adjusting? | ||
| Buellkat |
AE ??? | ||
| Swampy |
Buellcat, Been riding anywhere lately? AE= Automatic Enrichener This is the thread CrazyGirl has been posting to: http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/20164/209102.html?1153709761 |
