| Author |
Message |
    
Badgerboi21
| | Posted on Monday, May 14, 2012 - 01:00 pm: | 
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I hope I'm not wearing out my welcome here...
I was riding yesterday and my Cyclone felt like it was losing power around 60mph. All of a sudden the bike shut off and I coasted to a stop. Upon looking my bike over I realized that my K & N crankcase vent filter and hose were gone. It looks like the hose melted off at the t...
Has anyone ever heard of this before? I'm not sure if this is why my bike quit but I'm suspecting it has something to do with it. I remember when trying to diagnose my previous problem I removed the filter and tried starting the bike but it wouldn't fire... Is this a big problem? |
Sparky
| | Posted on Monday, May 14, 2012 - 01:34 pm: |
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The crank vent should not have anything to do with affecting carburetion or ignition especially if the vent is open to the atmosphere. If it were plugged, then there is the possibility of causing pressure buildup in the crankcase that might affect the pistons going up and down, but the crankcase seals would likely blow by then.
Your problem might be something else like a restricted fuel tank vent hose or inoperative tank vent valve or plugged fuel filter (if equipped). Check the basic things first: fuel delivery, spark, air filter. |
Reepicheep
| | Posted on Monday, May 14, 2012 - 01:44 pm: |
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I bet the crank case filter has been gone for a while.
Did it feel like fuel starvation? Or like somebody hit the kill switch? Or like crunchy and melty metal problems. (  ) |
Badgerboi21
| | Posted on Monday, May 14, 2012 - 02:02 pm: |
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Well my last problem was due to the fuel cap venting tube being pinched. I fixed that problem and rerouted the tube.
It did feel like fuel starvation at first but it wasn't coughing or chugging. It was very subtle at first then it just shut off.. I didn't hear anything alarming either. I sat on the side of the road (about a 1/2 mile from my driveway) for about 10 minutes trying to start it again but to no avail. So I loaded it on a trailer and got it home and in the garage. Where it started right back up after sitting for about 30 minutes. It seemed to idle fine at this point as well.... |
Two_seasons
| | Posted on Monday, May 14, 2012 - 02:07 pm: |
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What was the ambient air temp?
How long were you riding it when this happened? |
Badgerboi21
| | Posted on Monday, May 14, 2012 - 02:24 pm: |
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It was probably around 65 degrees out. I was riding for about 10 minutes at this point. I rode longer earlier in the day when it was warmer out as well as the day before. |
Two_seasons
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 15, 2012 - 10:38 pm: |
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Does sound like fuel starvation to me too.
Open your tank cap in a quiet area and listen for a hiss. Obviously, if you hear a hiss, then you still have a pinched gas tank vent line.
If that isn't the case, I'd pull the carb off the bike and totally clean it out. Make sure you don't have any obstruction in your petcock either. |
Sparky
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 16, 2012 - 01:51 am: |
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My 98 S3 had symptoms like yours. It's problem was a defective tank vent valve. But even after replacing it, the symptom might happen again if there were a condition like sudden rainfall with its characteristic heavy humidity. That would be when it would start to die and quit running unless I were to open the fuel tank filler cap at which time it would recover completely and keep on running perfectly regardless how much it would keep on raining. Weird, I know, but that's how it went with that bike more often than not.
In your case, I would suspect the problem is more likely with the fuel tank vent valve especially if you've had fuel starvation problems before and thought it was fixed by messing with the vent line.
So try this: disconnect the vent line from the vent valve and see if the apparent fuel starvation problem reoccurs. And if it does, open the tank filler cap which should allow the tank to normalize air pressure and resume normal running. It follows then that if all this should happen, replace the tank vent valve. |
Badgerboi21
| | Posted on Friday, May 18, 2012 - 12:55 pm: |
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Thanks for all the help. I haven't run the bike since this has happened. I guess I wasn't sure if I would damage my bike without the crankcase vent filter.
Do you recommend replacing the vent filter or going with a catch can type that I've read about. Any suggestions and/or links to recommended products are appreciated. |
Two_seasons
| | Posted on Friday, May 18, 2012 - 01:25 pm: |
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For now, you can save some coin by just purchasing the vent hose and filter.
Al at American Sport Bike can help you. Call him.
FYI:
I just picked up some bad gas at the Mobil station out here in Waukesha within the last five days. Suspect it to either be low octane fuel coming out the 93 or maybe it was 15% + ethanol. Either way, my 2000 X1 ran like crap. Have been replacing used fuel daily to push the old crap out and new in. I just may become a Kwik Trip customer as they are a "Top Tier Fuel Reseller". I also like the separate nozzle for each octane.
They (the gov't) are really pushing the >10% ethanol around here. |
Badgerboi21
| | Posted on Friday, May 18, 2012 - 02:43 pm: |
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Thanks Two_seasons for the heads up. I will look to get a new vent and filter. I was wondering about bad gas possibly contributing to my problems as well. Unfortunately there isn't a kwik trip that close up here. |
Badgerboi21
| | Posted on Monday, May 21, 2012 - 05:34 pm: |
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Just wanted to give a little update. I am still waiting for the filter but I replaced the hose and I changed out the plastic "t" with a brass one. In the meantime I wanted to start it up to see how it ran. It started right away and idled for a couple minutes but then cut out. From then on it wouldn't run. It would occasionally start but die right away. I tried running it with the gas cap vent line on and off and I even tried without the gas cap at all.. I'm hoping once I get the new filter the bike will run consistently again.. |
Two_seasons
| | Posted on Monday, May 21, 2012 - 08:35 pm: |
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Well it still sounds like it's running out of gas after a short period.
I'd pull the petcock first and make sure that there isn't any debris in there.
From there I'd go to the carb and pull it off and totally dismantle it, clean it completely with a good quality solvent, then reassemble with all new gaskets and jets. |
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