Can't get bike running right!!
- Thread starter yooper trooper
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I'm in agreement with my original issue was a fuel problem. Carb is all cleaned up and float level has been properly set. I plan on getting a factory rebuild kit and going over it again. I haven't started the bike up yet for the following reasons. Checked the oil level the other day and found the tank to be pretty much empty! Bike has a history of wet sumping but never this bad. Figured I'd just drain the crankcase and all would be better. Removed the plug and got a very slight discharge..not wat I expected. Kicked it over and a BLAST of oil came out!! Scared me! I can understand oil ending up in the crankcase but don't know why oil didn't return to the tank after all that kicking I did dealing with the fuel problem. I have a Colorado Norton reed vavle intalled...did a vacuum test on it and it's working. Oil is back in the tank and I see no signs of wet sumping. I'm afraid to start the bike. I'm pretty sure kicking the bike over is the reason the crankcase loaded up and also the reason the bike got really hard to kick over. Frustrated!!!!
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Fast Eddie
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Don’t panic !
Frustrate ye not…
Kicking will return oil to the tank… eventually… but it takes a ridiculously long time ! You’re moving such a tiny amount each kick compared to a running engine.
The reason oil did not flow out when you tried to drain the sump is because the reed valve will not allow air in, and if air cannot get in, the oil will not flow out.
To drain the sump, when a reed valve is fitted, I always crack open a rocker cover, this allows air in, which allows the oil to flow out.
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Back again after a long break. I haven't been able spend much time messing around out in the garage due to a bunch of unexpected issues. Bike never ran right all this past season, what little riding I was able to get in was on a TW200!!! Still having problems with the Norton and I'm really suspicious of the Tri Spark ignition. Last several attempts at starting resulted in one backfire and then nothing. On a very rare occasion it will start, run like crap for a while and quit. One spark plug gets really sooty.
concours
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Does it run if you put a teaspoon of gas in each cylinder?
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Haven't tried yet. I'll give it a go tomorrow
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Just tried.........no go
It will probably do the one backfire thing tomorrow.
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Doing my tri spark homework as we speak. It actually ran kind of OK once several weeks ago....briefly.
Back at it tomorrow .
Tornado
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A dodgey trispark would not explain one plug sooty...it is a wasted spark ign, so both plugs fire together no matter which is on power stroke or exhaust stroke.
Do the trispark on board testing, watch for 1p seconds of plugs firing ( out of ig holes, contact with cylonder head). As explained in trispark documentation.
Check for air leaks at carbs, mamifolds, head joints and intake balance hose. Check for good fuel delivery to carbs ( tank cap vent clear?, petcock screens clogged). Check carb pilot circuits/jets. Check ign coil resistances and connections.
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Results of today's efforts....Attempted to start bike normally backfired one time then nothing. Removed spark plugs and grounded them to the cylinder and kicked over the bike
head, both plugs fired. Did the trispark self test , test was normal. Poured a little petrol in each cylinder, installed plugs and attempted to start bike...nothing.
head, both plugs fired. Did the trispark self test , test was normal. Poured a little petrol in each cylinder, installed plugs and attempted to start bike...nothing.
concours
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Nice BLUE sparks?
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yes
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Maybe the timing has slipped ? Pull the points cover and go over the internals , loose bolt or loose electric leads ?
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Have you actually checked the battery voltage rather than just charging it? I had a cell go bad this year on my Boyer equipped bike and it would start but run badly and turning the lights on killed it stone dead. Maybe TriSparks aren't susceptible to low voltages like Boyers but battery voltage would be my first port of call.
htown16
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My money is on a bad battery. Even a bad one can still take a charge and show decent voltage but will drop like a rock once some load is applied. Therefore you need to do a load test. You can take it to an autoparts store and have it tested. However, you can do a simple test at home. Charge the battery and then turn your high beams on for two minutes. The voltage should just barely drop. Drops a volt or so you might as well chuck it. How old is the battery? I've generally only been able to get 3-5 years out of battery then it needed replaced.
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Guess I should do a little background spiel. I'm 79 years old and no stranger to old British bikes. I had several Triumphs, BSA's and Nortons. This is my fourth Norton. I have had my share of problems in the past but always did my own wrenching and problem solving. This is the first Brit I did an electronic "upgrade" on. Never had a problem until this year. Frustrating for sure but I'll keep plugging away at it. We will prevail. I appreciate all the help from this group.
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Battery is maybe 3 years old. I'll take it to auto value tomorrow and have it tested.
ashman
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I say your timing is out if you only getting back fire, the pick up can slip on the tapper if its not sitting right in on the tapper be the first place I look and reset the timing you won't know if its slipped till you take it off the end of the cam, when I installed my Joe Hunt the tapper kept slipping and putting my timing out after it had fired up and running then slip and get the backfire and no go, the cause of the tapper slipping was it wasn't sitting fully home no matter how tight I do the bolt up, after putting bearing blue on the tapper I found out where it was sitting and was only on the edge, how did I fix it???
I threw the tapper shaft for the JH in the freezer for a day or so and when I reinstalled it I had all my timing mark set, put the tapper shaft where it was set for timing while it was frozen and gave it a good whack and then tighten up the bolt, hasn't moved since and if I need to work on the JH I can remover it without touching the tapper drive shaft, that was over 14 years ago and I can still remover the timing cover with the shaft still installed, but the tapper shaft is the same tapper on the pick up stator of your EI.
If your plug is sooted up badly then that tells you what cylinder is giving you troubles and can also be sign your pilot jet is blocked on that side carb, but it should fire up on one cylinder as mine does with the JH maggie when my pilot jet was blocked, took me 2x pulling that blocked carb off and poking the wire in the pilot jet gully before it shot out after hitting it with the compressed air, it shot out with force and was like someone stabbing my finger with a sharp needle where I was covering the hole.
So I be looking at both these areas, carb and tapper on the pick up, the sooty plug getting fuel the clean plug is not getting fuel or something like that.
Just because you own British bikes before it seems you have never had this problem before, take each step at a time trouble shooting can only be a few things, timing, fuel, bad battery, wiring, a bad battery will cause back firing under load, even near new batteries can fail why most battery suppliers only give 6 months to 12 months warranty if you are lucky.
Ashley
I threw the tapper shaft for the JH in the freezer for a day or so and when I reinstalled it I had all my timing mark set, put the tapper shaft where it was set for timing while it was frozen and gave it a good whack and then tighten up the bolt, hasn't moved since and if I need to work on the JH I can remover it without touching the tapper drive shaft, that was over 14 years ago and I can still remover the timing cover with the shaft still installed, but the tapper shaft is the same tapper on the pick up stator of your EI.
If your plug is sooted up badly then that tells you what cylinder is giving you troubles and can also be sign your pilot jet is blocked on that side carb, but it should fire up on one cylinder as mine does with the JH maggie when my pilot jet was blocked, took me 2x pulling that blocked carb off and poking the wire in the pilot jet gully before it shot out after hitting it with the compressed air, it shot out with force and was like someone stabbing my finger with a sharp needle where I was covering the hole.
So I be looking at both these areas, carb and tapper on the pick up, the sooty plug getting fuel the clean plug is not getting fuel or something like that.
Just because you own British bikes before it seems you have never had this problem before, take each step at a time trouble shooting can only be a few things, timing, fuel, bad battery, wiring, a bad battery will cause back firing under load, even near new batteries can fail why most battery suppliers only give 6 months to 12 months warranty if you are lucky.
Ashley
concours
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