| Author | Message | ||
     Macosxuser |
Long story short: 2001 Blast!® purchased a month ago for $500. Wouldn't crank (battery) Leaked oil Been sitting To fix those issues, I: Cleaned carb, and upgraded the slow jet to a 44. Replaced cylinder base gasket, head gasket and valve cover gasket Installed two piece pushrod tubes Installed new battery Rode it for a bit, happy that it stopped leaking oil... then poof, died on my on the freeway last week... by the time I got to the side and stopped, whatever killed it had resurrected itself... crank, fire, back on the road. It's done it twice more... Found out the voltage regulator was toast (battery wasn't charging... unrelated I think?) so I ordered one of those. Went through all the possibilities, and decided it was either the kickstand switch... or the ignition. Ordered the ignition module after testing the kickstand switch. Then I read about the CA smog canister... deleted that today, and put a breather filter on the airbox breather vent to prevent a mess of crap in the airbox. I'm hesitant to take it on the freeway again, just because I DON'T like having a dead engine in traffic, but I can't get it to fail on the street, just at high speed. Opinions? Replace the ignition module anyway, even though the canister might have fixed the problem? Could the voltage be sagging below 14v affect the ignition? It's averaging about 11.7v with no voltage regulator... That ignition module is a nice round $155 I'd rather spend on something else if it isn't bad.... | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
Be absolutely sure you've deleted the evap canister properly. Fuel(tank): vented. PCV: plugged. Carb: plugged. That will definitely shut the bike down. Bypass the kickstand switch by jumping the wires together. Low voltage can kill the ignition. 2001's are more prone to ignition failure. The easy way to tell is to pull off the "points"/timing cover and look for the LED flash when trying to start. No flash=no spark. An erratic flash can be due to low voltage or bad ignition (other less common cause are possible). Unfortunately if its the ignition, your only choice may be to break down  They can be very difficult to pin down as faulty since the symptoms are often not consistent. I certainly wouldnt run out and buy a new one just yet. | ||
| Ezblast |
I would - sounds like an ignition going - lol - and he's pretty much checked everything else, check plug and wire and coil as well - lol - and battery - rule out everything else first - then that's it. EZ | ||
| Macosxuser |
The evap delete happened AFTER I broke down the first time. Yes I'm sure I got it right (I'm a mechanic, airplanes, but these things are remarkably similar!) I took the "tee" out of the PCV line and put in a straight connector, plugged the carb port at the carb, and cut and zip tied the fuel vent, after checking it was clear at the tank... The ignition seems to work normally at idle, it'll start just fine all the time, riding around below freeway speeds a still get a cough now and then, but it doesn't die. I'm gonna take it on the freeway today, and see what happens. Ignition module is on it's way no matter what, just gonna be a couple weeks for delivery. If it dies today on the freeway... I guess it's the ignition. I keep the battery charged before I ride, it never gets down to the point where it won't crank. The dealer should be calling any day to tell me the part is there ($40 out the door, much cheaper than anywhere else I could find it). On a side note, anyone experiment with HD voltage regulators? From what I can tell, a '91 sportster one is more or less the same. If the OE unit hadn't been so cheap at the dealer, I would have picked one of those up to try it. | ||
| Macosxuser |
Oh, and yes, it has a new carb boot too. IB4 EZ posts "Das Boot". | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
No offense meant on the "sure you did it right"? I have to ask as you'd be surprised as what people will do or wont do and tell us they did! Yes, buy one if he's checked everything out! However..... our new friend sounds as if certainly qualified to takes things in a different direction.....other ignitions will fit and a Screaming Eagle ignition can be had for less than a Blast ignition......just a little whispering from the Dark Side  (and I hate spending money on 'stock' parts!). Dont know about the regulator, but you're right: Blasts arent that complicated and being so very closely related to Sportsters, something else would probably work too. | ||
| Ezblast |
So whispers the Dark side! EZ | ||
| Macosxuser |
Rode it today... it worked... IE, it didn't try to kill me on the freeway. Damn CA smog system. I'm gonna see if I can cancel my order for the ignition box. It still pops a little at warmup, but I think that is after the enrich goes off, it's getting a little lean because of the 165 main jet. I'm gonna put a 175 in it, and see how that does. | ||
| Ezblast |
A 2001 - you may want to hang on to it - seriously. EZ | ||
| Johneblast |
I too have a 2001. Heed EZ's advise and get the ignition module. I went through the original one on my bike the day I bought it. I'd up the jets 45/175. The California can was the first thing to go also. Now the bike has been trouble free for 11,000 miles. If you get plugs from HD, get the 10R12A or AG. I had a 10R12X in and it was too hot. My two cents have been added FWIW. | ||
| Macosxuser |
Thanks, I may do that. The bike has 12k miles on it, so I figure there is a decent chance the ignition has already been changed once, and if I did it in the future, maybe go with the Sportster SE unit for the higher revs? This is my learning bike, I have a '88 Honda Hawk GT in the back of the shop getting refurbished, so once that is done being the money pit, we'll see if I still like the blast as much as I do now. And I may have a XB12Xt/p in my future too... | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
Go with the SE unit for higher revs.They usually come in 6800rpm and 7500rpm rev limits and there are some adjustable ones too. You'll need new valve springs though and minimum B50 cams for the top end power. But in my opinion adding a 1000 rpms to the redline really brings the Blast to life (it sounds awesome too)! |
