| Author | Message | ||
     Cupajoe |
Hello BWB! I have been stalking here for a few months now reading up on how to best service my blast to cure her ailments. While things have in fact gotten better, they still are not solved and I am running out of ideas. Through your past guidance I have successfully (I believe) rejetted the carb (45/175), Replaced das boot, changed my oil with amsoil 5w-50 (originally I used 20w-50 but more problems occurred so I attempted to remedy them by perhaps using a less viscous oil, adjusted my A/F ratio to 2 and 2/3 turns out, switched to only 93 octane from 87, and replaced my spark plug with a platinum. (I also replaced the PCV of my own volition bc it did not rattle when I inspected the original. Turns out the new on doesn't either. My guess is these just don't rattle. Whatever.) Through some youtube guidance I have seafoamed my fuel filter screen with 50/50 fuel and seafoam. The bike came with a V&H Exhaust. Stock Intake. Air Filter element is soaked in blow back gas from stalling and dying. I HAVE NOT yet shimmed the needle as I cannot seem to find #4 brass washers locally. I checked plumbing supply and Advance auto and home depot. closest I could find is brass #6 that's has an OD too wide to allow the needle to make contact with the castle. (white plastic looking thing between the spring and the needle). Anyway. this brings me to my major predicament. My 2010 Blast has about 1990 miles on it. (oddly specific I know but it was my birth year so its significant so bear with me) It has done a good bit of sitting for an almost 7 year old bike. It ran (poorly, very weak idle, but nonetheless) in the rain and cold on the day I bought it and drove it home and about a week or so after until I decided to change the oil and clean the fuel filter (and touch and inspect other things). After that It began giving me a range of symptoms that included stalling, not starting at all, starting then dying, and making a weird sucking noise from time to time. After my attempts at repair and replacement, today we now have a mostly healthy sounding engine. When its mid day, sunny and warm here (Long Island, NY), she starts up no problem, we ride around the neighborhood, we run errands, we go to the gym. The only thing of note is that during the day, mainly at idle but not exclusively, the sucking noise coupled with immediate temporary loss of power persists. its not always, but maybe once every 15-20 power strokes. She still also has real difficulty getting up to 65-70 mph. (albeit its usually on an incline so it may be normal, the highway section that I normally ride on is just on big hill from both directions). The main issue I run into is literally in the same day we can be riding home and around 830, it starts to get a little bit cool (maybe 5-8 degrees cooler than the hour before), or I drive through the shadow of a building or tree, and the bike starts bucking and usually stalls out on me. For example, today I was coming back home and I was at 65 mph and she was having difficulty. At the top of the hill stalled out. I coasted the whole way home down the hill. The same happens in the very early morning when its much cooler out. it will start up and idle for a little bit but if I get on and ride its inconsistent bucking and stalling is imminent. Sorry for the obnoxiously long post, especially as my first, but I really wanted to be as thorough as I could. and if any of you are redditors out there TL;DR 2010 Buell Blast runs mildly OKish in the warm sunlight, but stalls and dies during the evening and early morning. Seems to have something to do with temperature. Please advise. THANK YOU! | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
First: 5w-50 is too thin, you'll waste your engine. 20w-50 is minimum. Use synthetic. Oil viscosity should make no difference in running unless it's extremely hot or extremely cold. #4 washers are available at model/hobby/R/C stores. Brass doesn't matter. How much oil did you put in the bike? Your temperature change doesn't sound very great. Care to clarify? A shaded tree won't make a difference, so it sounds like just a coincidence. So, it runs okay sometimes? Only when cold? Only when warmed up? Or ? Sorry, that long of a post and we need to shave it down a bit by eliminating questions. | ||
| Cupajoe |
Thank you for replying! I appreciate it. Oil amount was about 1.75 quarts. The dipstick currently shows proper oil level. Starts up and idles consistently when it is warm out (75-80 degrees and sunny). Drives with minimal issues (weird sucking noise coming from the carb area followed by quick, temporary loss of power). Starts up and idles rough when cool out late in the day and in the early morning. (Anything cooler than 70 degrees, lack of sun). The sucking noise and lack of power occur more often, causing the bike to stall. I'll start with getting Mobil 1 Vtwin 20w-50 and putting it back in. I'll work on figuring out where I can find a store that has those washers. | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
East coast hobby center 415 Lake Ave S Nesconset, NY 11767 Are you sure the boot is on correctly? Sounds like a lean issue. Is the vacuum nipple on the carb plugged? The cap becomes brittle and leaks or falls off. There is only one vacuum nipple. How much of the carb did you take apart? | ||
| Cupajoe |
Thanks again for that. I'll head over there tomorrow. Luckily it isn't too far. I'm very confident the boot is on properly. The intake side sits flush and is tightened down just enough. The carb side sits in flush and is tightened down in kind. So this may sound stupid,but where exactly is the vacuum nipple? Also, the opening that looks as if it would be a fourth hex bolt slot on the air cleaner side of the carb, is this port supposed to be open? To date I have removed the bowl side and rejetted without touching the float. I have removed the top side all the way down to the needle. I come from a more automotive background specifically with EFIs so Carbs are new territory to me. | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
The nipple should be on the backside top of the carb-hard to see. It's 3/16" appx. Some carbs don't have the nipple, but that's rare. That 4th bolt hole is open. The carb sounds okay-as in you probably didn't mess things up or lose parts. Sometimes the gasket is bad between air box and carb (the "4th bolt hole" section) and that has been said to cause problems.I've never experienced it and don't know exactly why or how it would cause problems, but it's happened enough times that I pass the info along I'm not sure what the random sucking noise is-it could be due to the aforementioned gasket, nipple, boot or just even be normal. But check those things out and let me know. Gas tank venting problems can cause issues. The easy fix is to loosen the gas cap. It's not a California model, right? Is the bike is completely stock with no other modifications than yours to the carb or has anything else been done? Exhaust, parts removed, handlebars, etc. Got a picture? | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
PS Have you adjusted the primary chain? | ||
| Cupajoe |
So the work week has passed and I'm going to get back to trying to diagnose this bike again. I'm going to take the gas tank off and remove the carb and intake again and with step by step pictures so I can give you as much information as possible. As far as I am aware it is not a California model. If it were how could I tell? Other than what I mentioned earlier and the V&H exhaust, it is completely stock. What do you mean loosen the gas cap? When? I have not adjusted the primary chain. How does one do that? sorry the reply took so long, I don't have any time during the work week. Thanks again. | ||
| Ezblast |
Disable safeties, then check vacuum elbow on left side of carb facing front of bike - make sure nipple is not cracked/leaking. EZ | ||
| Cupajoe |
I did a light tear down of the bike for the sake of thoroughness. There's 48 pictures of the steps I took to take the carburetor off. Here is the link: http://imgur.com/a/8iBcu Thanks again | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
Route the gas hose under the wire. Not a big deal though. The spark plug nipple coming off is a HUGE deal and will cause PROBLEMS (probably most of them)!!!!Use some Loctite and tighten it down (being careful not to break the plug). Check the gap while you have access to the plug (Anti-SIEZE on the threads-torque to specs 11-15 ft lbs). Diode should sit flush. That is a hook up for a battery tender and electric heated gear. The carb and bike look very clean. DO NOT TAKE THE CARB APART TO "give it a good cleaning"!!!' PCV valves almost always leak a little. | ||
| Kenny_gilgore |
Joe, FWIW, The hose disconnected from the fuel tank cap is a vent hose, make sure you can blow air through it. The little nipple cover would be a good thing to add to a parts order. The wire connection in the last photo is a connection for a Battery Tender, which is really a good accessory to have in your climate. Kenny G | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
Your bike should need nothing the way it looks from pictures. Looks well taken care of and a good buy. | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
Location of the BAS: http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/201 64/786489.html | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
Thanks Kenny. | ||
| Cupajoe |
GH, With regard to the diode not sitting flush, It appears for my model, the diode has a special little extra section of plastic sticking out of it to keep people from simply turning the diode and placing it backwards. here's a couple photos explaining what I mean http://imgur.com/a/HjCEL Furthermore, I have no idea what "take the carb apart and give it a good cleaning" even means  | ||
| Cupajoe |
KG, I tried blowing air through the hose but no luck it. my cheeks are killing me now. upon further inspection I found there to be a number of unreachable kinks further down the line. how should I best go about remedying this problem? also I'll order a new rubber vacuum nipple cover at your recommendation thanks ! | ||
| Kenny_gilgore |
Joe, The vent hose is where your problem is. How I fixed mine, and I think it was Eriko's fix, was to take the hose to an auto parts store and bought a couple of feet of same inside diameter windshield wiper / vacuum hose. From Amazon I purchased a dirt bike fuel tank vent: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006R777TW/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1 If you have a dirt bike shop near you they will also have the vent. You can see the hose coming off of the fuel cap and wrapping around the triple tree and then it is Ty-Rapped around the handle bar riser. I have had this on for several years and works without flaw. The factory hose that runs under the tank and back over the engine was subject to heat damage such as you have seen on your Blast. Kenny G  | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
 I just used the short hose that came with mine, that leaves it right up at the tank and visible. They can go bad (like anything), but pull it off and your problem is solved. | ||
| Cupajoe |
So after 2 weeks of running with no gas vent hose at all, this bike has been nothing but reliable! been through 3 tanks of gas in 2 weeks just thumping around everywhere! THANK YOU GUYS FOR ALL OF YOUR HELP. Today I installed the above mentioned gas vent and hose combo in similar fashion, wrapped around the triple tree. SO in other news, 1. People in cars are inconsiderate and don't watch when they change lanes 2. I get about 50 mpg! and that's awesome. 3. I love this bike! thanks again joe | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
PS people arent as much inconsiderate as you are invisible. Not that I haven't been merged into more than once. But mostly they just don't see you, even if they do see you. |
