fuelling problem??

[boze]

so is this the cdi?

so where do i go from here? ive gone and gotten myself extremely confused...

is that carb kit any good?(the link in my last message?)

damo

[cloggy]

You do what I advised several days ago.
You start the thing up and when it stops you check if you have a spark with the spare spark plug enabling you to do this quickly before the electrics have a chance to cool and start working again.
Don't think Haynes is God. I once spent a whole afternoon trying to undo a nut that turned out to be left hand thread. Haynes said it was right ie normal, which it was on some models.
As far as I can make out you have yet to check if you have a spark. That's the first thing you do, before you start taking the carb apart. Intermittant  engine stopping faults are nearly always electrical, carb faults tend to be related to certain throttle openings.
Since you have taken the carb apart several times you may well now have several faults you didn't originally have.

[Steve H]

In the past I've ruled out electrical problems in the following way
- But a cheap 12v or self powered iginition strobe.
- Put sensor around HT lead and strap up the trigger so its always on and attach to the handlebars so you can see it in your peripheral vision (not so it blinds you !!!)
- The strobe should flash with the ignition as you ride along.
- When the bike starts to cut out watch the strobe, is it flashing normally ?. If so then its fuel problems

[boze]

You do what I advised several days ago.
You start the thing up and when it stops you check if you have a spark with the spare spark plug enabling you to do this quickly before the electrics have a chance to cool and start working again.
Don't think Haynes is God. I once spent a whole afternoon trying to undo a nut that turned out to be left hand thread. Haynes said it was right ie normal, which it was on some models.
As far as I can make out you have yet to check if you have a spark. That's the first thing you do, before you start taking the carb apart. Intermittant  engine stopping faults are nearly always electrical, carb faults tend to be related to certain throttle openings.
Since you have taken the carb apart several times you may well now have several faults you didn't originally have.

i totally forgot about that!! im gonna go check.... be back in an hour or so...

im compiling a list of things to check and how to check them lol

any more suggestions?

[cloggy]

Yeh Steve's system of checking electricals seems brilliant, but he might need to tell you where you can get a cheap strobe from, and exactly how you wire it up. I once took my car carb apart several times when I was in Spain, which was always fraught since if I dropped a part I was buggered, not speaking the language and all. After about the 5th dismantleing I checked the points, recently serviced with the assurence that they wouldn't need adjusting for months. They were almost closed,  an adjust later and end of "fuelling" problems. It looks like your bike doesn't have points but a weak spark means that as the loading on the engine varies due to opening the throttle at low revs on a hill for instance, then so does that crap sparks' ability to ignite the fuel., hence the engine will run intermittantly. Coils are cheap

[boze]

i did what cloggy said and im still getting a nice blue spark......

im going to get a carb kit to replace all my jets and seals etc anyway so would you suggest a new ignition coil too?


damo

[Steve H]

Ive used one of these in the past
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/WATSON-STROBE-IGNITION-TIMING-LIGHT-BMC-MINI-COOPER-MG_W0QQitemZ300100177425QQihZ020QQcategoryZ30921QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD4VQQcmdZViewItem

[boze]

Ive used one of these in the past
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/WATSON-STROBE-IGNITION-TIMING-LIGHT-BMC-MINI-COOPER-MG_W0QQitemZ300100177425QQihZ020QQcategoryZ30921QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD4VQQcmdZViewItem

will that be easy enough to adapt for the bike?

[Steve H]

Yep you attach one end of the lead to you plug and the other to your HT lead by pushing it into the plug cap. It is self powered so no need to connect anything to the battery.
These are pretty cheap and cheerful too
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/TIMING-STROBE-LIGHT-12V-MECHANICS_W0QQitemZ130099916645QQihZ003QQcategoryZ30917QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
Run the leads to your battery and clip the sensor round the HT lead, no need to insert anything into the line. Would need some tape around the trigger to keep it on.

[boze]

could i use a neon tester screwdriver like the ones electricians have? or would the strobe light be better?

[MrFluffy]

You can get a neon flashing spark plug cap that goes in place of the normal ht cap and flashes when theres a ignition event. Theyre cheap and nasty tat and I wouldnt run with one full time, but its a quick and dirty diagnostic tool...

[Steve H]

Part of the idea of teh strobe is so you can see what is happening whilst its dying, if you use a scredriver you have to kick the bike over and attach the screwdriver at the same time. That said I recently bought a voltage detector which you could  tape to the HT lead. Is that what you mean by a neon tester ?

[boze]

Part of the idea of teh strobe is so you can see what is happening whilst its dying, if you use a scredriver you have to kick the bike over and attach the screwdriver at the same time. That said I recently bought a voltage detector which you could  tape to the HT lead. Is that what you mean by a neon tester ?

its just a screwdriver with a light inside it, rated to 30amps. my mate suggested it to me, was wondering if it would save me some cash.

if not ill see if i can borrow a strobe from a local garage, if not then ill have to buy one

right, the list of things for me to do and what to do depending on what happens...

1)buy a carburettor rebuild kit (the O rings and seals are starting to look a bit shabby now anyways and it cant hurt)
2)check the timing with a strobe, if its ok then the carb kit should sort it, if its not ok then a new ignition coil? new CDI?
3)assuming the bike runs nicely, one by one visit you all and buy you all a pint

D

[MrFluffy]

One of these is what I mean if it helps any :-
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Neon-Plug-cap-Xsport-pit-mini-moto-scooter-thumpstar-50_W0QQitemZ230116195765QQihZ013QQcategoryZ10460QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
Cheaper than a strobe and your less likely to electrocute yourself with a HT shock from one of the connections as you ride along, which is what always happened to me when I used to try the strobe method.

[boze]

right, im gonna have to hold all this just now. i want to check that my bike definately doesdnt have points first because ive just noticed that my extremely worn workshop manual is for the '77-'79 models.......mine is a '80......

ill get back to ya all this weekend, i feel like a proper idiot now.

it could very well have point and a condenser and they could be the problem, should i still do the old strobe test?

mr fluffy: i wont be riding the bike when i test the timing, just standing beside her as she idles and ill give her a rev - if i rode her id have to push her home again when she dies and as you all know these old bikes aint light!!!!

damo