HELP !!!!

[Neggy]

Fresh plugs, fresh gas, drained bowls, tapped carbs, it is alive. Thanks for the help!


I am in Florida with the ZRX and limited tools.

In preparation for putting the bike away for a few months today I filled the tank and added about 7 ounces of Seafoam, put about 60 miles on the bike and parked it.... no problem...until I went to take a quick blast tonight and it is running like sh*t.

I have to figure this out in the morning because if I can't get it to run right it has to go back on the trailer and hauled back to New Hampshire.

So far I drained the bowls looking for signs that the fuel line was breaking down and dumping crap in the carbs, there was no indication of debris.

THe plugs are black, but not wet. Enough that I will replace them.

I guess I will also have to try to get the gas out of the tank.

I'll take any and all suggestions.

[zrxrob]

How old was the gas that was in it Neg?This may sound crazy but maybe the air fuel mixture going from NH to Fl?Good luck with it manalso if you're running pods maybe a dry rotted vacuum cap?

[Neggy]

Checked the caps on the carbs, they are good. K&N in a modified airbox.

Bike ran fine til I parked it.

In NH I am maybe 200 ft ASL, here I am 20. It's not like I made a huge transition in altitude.

[ZRX Mitch]

You said you checked the plugs, so the wells were dry?

Turned the choke/enrichener off? Confirmed that it wasn't hung open by pushing on the plunger on #1 carb with a finger?

[McGovZRX]

Is it necessary to leave fuel in the bike? Why can't you drain the carbs AND drain the tank. Refill next time you're ready to ride? Is there any sort of gasket or O-ring issue in doing that for an extended period of time? In Neggy's case measured in months (not years).

[Neggy]

You said you checked the plugs, so the wells were dry?

Turned the choke/enrichener off? Confirmed that it wasn't hung open by pushing on the plunger on #1 carb with a finger?

Plug wells are dry, no sign of oil on the plugs, have not used the enrichener since I got here

Runs OK at idle, good steady tach reading, when it gets to 3K or so it starts going south, and I can hear i in the pipe acting like it dropped a cylinder

[jb147]

Define running like shit, won't idle, won't rev up, will rev up but is breaking up, breakes up in what rev range?

[McGovZRX]

Eeee. Sure sounds like classic f'd up pilot jet(s). Did you say it runs fine at 3/4 open throttle?

[zrxrob]

Checked the caps on the carbs, they are good. K&N in a modified airbox.

Bike ran fine til I parked it.

In NH I am maybe 200 ft ASL, here I am 20. It's not like I made a huge transition in altitude.

OK cool just a few common ideas that popped in my head.maybe a stuck float from the trailer traveling?

[McGovZRX]

OK cool just a few common ideas that popped in my head.maybe a stuck float from the trailer traveling?

Hadn't thought of that. A little "tap tap tap" with the handle end of a screwdriver.

[ZRX Mitch]

Shouldn't be a float issue if he rode it 60 miles after unloading.

Have you done anything to it recently? Had the tank off?

[zrxrob]

Hadn't thought of that. A little "tap tap tap" with the handle end of a screwdriver.

Shouldn't be a float issue if he rode it 60 miles after unloading.

Have you done anything to it recently? Had the tank off?

you wouldnt think but mine did the very same thing at YTRAP 2 years ago.Trailered down,unloaded and rode to Dales,on the way back started running like shit and it was a stuck float

[Neggy]

Define running like shit, won't idle, won't rev up, will rev up but is breaking up, breakes up in what rev range?

Appears to idle,ride it and it breaks up at 2500 rpm and up, very noticeable noise in the pipe sound note

[zrxrob]

Appears to idle,ride it and it breaks up at 2500 rpm and up, very noticeable noise in the pipe sound note

clogged jets

[Neggy]

Shouldn't be a float issue if he rode it 60 miles after unloading.

Have you done anything to it recently? Had the tank off?

Tank has not been off in a year, I will tap the carbs in the morning, it can't hurt

[Neggy]

clogged jets

I am leaning towards that but why did it go into failure mode after running fine, unless the seafoam did something

[zrxrob]

I am leaning towards that but why did it go into failure mode after running fine, unless the seafoam did something

My guess is between the seafoam and bouncing around in the trailer all the way down its dislodged some trash in the process.Take it out and run the piss out of it a few times and see if it'll clear up

[Neggy]

I'm going to put 4 CR9EK's in it, tap the carbs, then see where we go.

[jb147]

Sounds like fuel starvation, probably some blockage somewhere.

[BlkZrx]

Might check the vacuum line on the petcock, both ends.. Only time in 10 years mine gave me grief, was a pinched vacuum at the petcock.

[Neggy]

Might check the vacuum line on the petcock, both ends.. Only time in 10 years mine gave me grief, was a pinched vacuum at the petcock.

Pulled it with the bike running on PRI, no leaks I could detect, bike ran rough when I pulled it, capped it with my thumb and the idle smoothed out,the only thing I did notice was there was a pulsation in the vacuum.

[Wolfman]

I'm with Rob. Run the dog-$hit outta it, full throttle and full CLOSED (decel) throttle. Ryan (Uncle Bob) told me to cap the intake side of the offending carb quickly on and off, hoping to dislodge any stuff by inducing a high vaccum event. It worked for me.(I knew it was crap in the jet....)
Done the "spit on the headpipe" to determine which cylinder it may be ?

[sillyhillbilly]

I am leaning towards that but why did it go into failure mode after running fine, unless the seafoam did something

exactely, i had the same thing happen just on monday, , i added seafoam because it had acted as you describe, i figured it was old gas, after that it got worse till it would not start.when i pulled the plugs they didnt look real bad, but i9 drained the tank, carbs and put in new plugs above, and it fired on first push of starter

[Neggy]

4 fresh CR9EK's 4 gallons fresh fuel, drained bowls, tapped carb bodies, and it runs.

It is now up on the race stands front & rear, fuel line pinched off, carbs drained, on a battery tender until our next meeting.