I enjoy riding my bike more than working on it... stranded today

[tfranklin]

Stopped to fill up today, got a half mile down the road and it acted funny, a mile down the road and it's dead. It will run with the choke on full, but won't accept throttle at all. It's been running great, I ran a full tank through it just yesterday and had run 40 miles already today.

Where do I start? Empty the tank and a new fuel filter? It would be a major coincidence to be anything but a fuel problem, right? The station I got the gas from was a hole in the wall place. I called him and he said the tank I pumped from was low, but not empty.

Would trash in the filter do this or do you think something got to the needle? I would have to say the front left cylinder (as you sit on the bike) pipe wasn't as hot as the rest. Runs and sounds like it's hitting on all four with the choke on though...

Shit. Full tank of gas and a $100 tow, 2 miles from home.

 

[dannymax]

That sux t, I'd say you're probably right, it's a fuel problem. My guess would be dirty carb circuits....try the shotgun first and see if you get any improvement. If not it may be time to pull the rack and get a good cleaning.

First, drain your float chambers in a glass container and look for specs of rust.

The hole in the wall gas station....probably just a coincidence, the dispensing suction pipes sit about 6" - 8" off the tank bottoms and never move.

 

[tfranklin]

Thanks Danny, forgive my ignorance, what's the shotgun?

 

[dannymax]

Here's the link, it's not very difficult and sometimes produces terrific results!

http://vmax.lvlhead.com/tips/shotgun.htm

 

[sdt354]

http://vmax.lvlhead.com/tips/shotgun.htm

This will give you one variation and prob answer your question.

 

[sdt354]

Great minds think alike Dan-O.......lol

 

[tfranklin]

Thanks, I'll check those links. There was very little gas in the carbs. Was it supposed to drain out the tube when I unscrewed it? Nothing came out of the front left carb, a little trickled out of the others. Nothing came out of the tube. If gas was supposed to drain, I'm going to change the filter for sure.

http://www.vmaxforum.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=1112&stc=1&thumb=1&d=1239424629

 

[tfranklin]

Don't have a 100psi... don't have a compressor

 

[dannymax]

Hmmm, no gas coming out one carb.....either it can't get out or never got in to begin with.

Sounds like a bit of crap/crud lurking in there somewhere....I would recommend pulling the rack and removing the float chamber covers, have a look see.

The filter may very well be plugged also but I'm not sure it would starve only one carb??? :confused2:

 

[dannymax]

Do you get the normal fuel pump clicking when you turn the key on?

 

[tfranklin]

Ok, there was a trickle of gas in each carb, not really enough to collect, it dripped for about 3 seconds. Yes, the fuel pump whines and clicks like normal. I don't think it's just a one cylinder problem, when it runs it was hitting all four. It fast idles with full choke, won't accept throttle and dies without choke. Sounds like plugged jets to me except for the lack of fuel to the bowls. I smelled old gas when I drained the first carb, seems odd since gas has never gotten more than 3 days old around here before being burned. The filter looks a hundred years old.

 

[tfranklin]

And remember, this bike spent enough time outside to dry a lot of the rubber and fade the paint off the heads. I don't know when anyone has been through the carbs to clean them. My Max shows signs of abuse by neglect. I doubt it got regular oil changes, the air filter was paper and at least a hundred years old. That dingy gray color past dirty. I may have to report the former owners to VMax Protective Services.

 

[SpecOps13]

Sounds like my 89. I've spent the last 3 days really diving into it. I did get a ride tonight. Thank God, it didn't go all that bad. More work in the future though. It had seen a lot of neglect through ignorance and a few FU's by whoever did the mods. :ummm:

Luckily, I have a 94 that runs great. I can always get a ride in.

 

[Duke86max]

My 86 was doing the same thing where when I opened the drain screws nothing would come out or it would barely dribble. I changed the fuel filter and got a big can of carb. cleaner and and a can of seafoam. I opened the screws and took out the slides and sprayed the hell out of it just using the pressure in the can. I poured the seafoam in it and took it for a ride. It ran rough for a couple of miles but it cleared up.
Good luck
Duke

 

[tfranklin]

Thanks for the responses! If Yamaha doesn't have the filter in stock, I read on here a Purolator 806 works. Can you get that at Pep Boys or Napa? Is there another that works as well? Gotta check the tank for rust, I could have hit some with the nozzle or sprayed just right and knocked some loose. Sitting outside with a half tank is a recipe for rust.

 

[SpecOps13]

Take the old filter along and have the auto parts store match it up. Dealer rapes you on the filter..

 

[tfranklin]

Is gas going everywhere when I disconnect the old filter? I don't have any of those little rubber plugs any more.

 

[[email protected]]

I was never able to figure out a way to swap the filter without losing at least a little bit of fuel.

 

[gamorg02]

I was never able to figure out a way to swap the filter without losing at least a little bit of fuel.

mine sat for a month before i did once, mimimal spilage.

 

[tfranklin]

Got the filter, it was only $11 at the stealer. Got a can of Seafoam too, will give it a shot when I get home later today... I hope I don't have to tear into the carbs, but so be it if so..