The end is near...

[MONTREALMAX]

Not to beat a dead horse but I am at a place called wit's end without a beer


intermittent complete loss of ignition, tach swings left and the lights stay on ..... flubs comes back to life runs fine for 5 minutes and starts spitting again driving me nuts

have tried every fix suggested on this forum from top to bottom front to back, electric and carb



getting really fed up of this bike....I have worked on this thing more in the last year than any other motorcycle I have ever owned.....there are no good mechanics for this bike around here mention the word Vmax and eyes glaze over and a microfiche for a snowmobile gets pulled out from under a dusty Cindy Lauper LP

so I am on my own with the help of the forum

I am getting to the point of wanting to sell it.......just spent yet another evening in the garage pea shooting syncing tightening and rechecking in a desperate attempt to get rid of the misfire that has plagued this machine since the very first ride

does it cold does it hot does it wet does it dry does it on a full tank low tank on reserve off reserve low speed high speed

flubs/stalls/misfire rolling 5 seconds then WOT 5000 rpm 2000 rpm 4000 rpm 6000rpm

stalls/misfire/flub when coming to a stop when driving away slowly or quickly

has stalled at almost every engine speed except perhaps 9500 rpm with my teeth clenched in a delirious rage after having restarted at a stop light


I want sleep uninterrupted by nightmares of overworked evil Japanese engineers in the mid 80's looking to hide coils under mountains of electric wire and mysterious black boxes



Mr Max I hate you I love you I want to set you on fire

I want single malt and fuel injection

 

[RagingMain]

Have you checked the fuel filter:confused2:

 

[MONTREALMAX]

it is new

 

[RagingMain]

what about the fuel pump, intermentint operation maybe :confused2:
shorting out sometimes.:ummm:

 

[maxcruiser]

I think most of us have been there at one time or another. I would say that it needs to be a process of elimination. If you have done the carbs before and your sure it's done right, move on to the next thing.

I would say that it's either fuel starvation or electrical. So depending on what you have already done, will depend on what is next.

What do the plugs look like versus the info in this thread? http://www.vmaxforum.net/showthread.php?t=8241&highlight=spark+plug
Great stuff Mark!

Depending on what the plugs read will help figure if it's electrical or fuel related.

Good luck

Mike

 

[Buster Hymen]

From the symptoms listed, I would say it was an electrical issue. Is there an earlier thread on this that I can look at so I can see what you already tested?

 

[MONTREALMAX]

You name it I have tested it, squeezed it, tightened it, cleaned it, crimped it, adjusted loosened and swore at it

The frustrating part is the problem seems to be intermittent and when it is acting up the symptoms are similar to so many different issues I read about here making it a wild goose chase hoping to solve it

I guess I am just frustrated and fed up of trying to solve this on my own... I cannot pin the problem down

Last night dropped needles to second from blunt 2 turns out mix screws

seemed to misfire more at lower rpm's and when hotter but who the f%#k knows anymore....it will then run fine for 5 minutes and start all over

I am going back in tonight and tearing it all apart all over again carbs, harness, switches, cdi....etc

then checking myself in to the insane asylum when she flubs cold at the first stop light.....

If there is a VAMX mechanic in the Montreal area, or a 12 step program offered by Yamaha I am all ears

thanks to everyone for your continued and patient support

 

[MONTREALMAX]

ok

 

[red98vmax]

You name it I have tested it, squeezed it, tightened it, cleaned it, crimped it, adjusted loosened and swore at it

The frustrating part is the problem seems to be intermittent and when it is acting up the symptoms are similar to so many different issues I read about here making it a wild goose chase hoping to solve it

I guess I am just frustrated and fed up of trying to solve this on my own... I cannot pin the problem down

Last night dropped needles to second from blunt 2 turns out mix screws

seemed to misfire more at lower rpm's and when hotter but who the f%#k knows anymore....it will then run fine for 5 minutes and start all over

I am going back in tonight and tearing it all apart all over again carbs, harness, switches, cdi....etc

then checking myself in to the insane asylum when she flubs cold at the first stop light.....

If there is a VAMX mechanic in the Montreal area, or a 12 step program offered by Yamaha I am all ears

thanks to everyone for your continued and patient support

Well, it's either fuel/vacuum or ignition/elec, could be both I suppose.

for the fuel what have eliminated by swapping/ cleaning/inspected/tested and know to be solid:

air filter
rubber boots/connections between carbs/vboost
rubber boots/connections between vboost/engine
fuel filter (already replaced)
fuel pump
check float height (while running and look for wild variation),could be a sticking needle
rubber covers for the sync nipples have cracks?

vacuum hose going to ignition advance unit OK?

Coils check out (Ohms) and in good shape
spark plug wires well connected in coil and on plug
voltage solid even while acting up?
stator, R/R battery and all wires between OK?
pickup coils and wires check out?
harness hard to check, but try wiggling around where you can while running
TCI hard to check, can do temp swap with friend's bike?
try disconnecting vboost controller unit for a while
clean up and use dielectric grease on all connections, even fuses/fuse box

Have you removed carbs and inspected/cleaned them internally?
tried gas from different stations?

Please comment on each one of these so we can can see what you have done and what else we can suggest.

If there is someone near enough to you that can spend time and doesn't mind swapping parts to eliminate possibilities, that would be great.

The more info in one place you can give us, the better off we can brainstorm with you.

 

[MONTREALMAX]

air filter REPLACED
rubber boots/connections between carbs/vboost ALL NEW YAM ORIGINAL TIGHT
rubber boots/connections between vboost/engine CHECKED NO CRACKS TIGHT
fuel filter (already replaced)
fuel pump TAKEN APART CLEAN
check float height (while running and look for wild variation),could be a sticking needle CARB TORN APART DRY LEVEL SET TO HALF MOON CASTING MARK
rubber covers for the sync nipples have cracks? LOOKED AGAIN LAST NIGHT ALL ARE TIGHT

vacuum hose going to ignition advance unit OK? THERE IS A WHITE PLASTIC PIECE HALFWAY UP THE PIPE CHECK VALVE? SEEMS OK

Coils check out (Ohms) and in good shape SMALL HAIRLINE CRACKS IN TWO SEALED OHMS OK IN ALL
spark plug wires well connected in coil and on plug NEW NGK WIRES AND PLUGS WANT TO CHANGE TO COP ASAP
voltage solid even while acting up? DROPS TO 12.9 WHEN FAN KICKS IN BUT SEEMS OK
stator, R/R battery and all wires between OK? TIGHT NO GREEN
pickup coils and wires check out? NEED MORE HELP HERE BUT SEEED ALRIGHT
harness hard to check, but try wiggling around where you can while running
TCI hard to check, can do temp swap with friend's bike? NO SWAPS POSSIBLE
try disconnecting vboost controller unit for a while DID THAT NO CHANGE
clean up and use dielectric grease on all connections, even fuses/fuse box WILL LOOK AGAIN TONIGHT BUT THE BIKE WAS CLEAN WHEN I BOUGHT GARAGE STORED

Have you removed carbs and inspected/cleaned them internally?
tried gas from different stations? SEA FOAM, REMOVED RACK SEVERAL TIMES, MORGAN CARB TUNED EVERYTHING WAS SPOTLESS WHEN OPENED NO PLUGGED JETS AT ALL WILL LOOK CLOSELY AT ENRICHMENT CIRCUIT TONIGHT

Please comment on each one of these so we can can see what you have done and what else we can suggest.

If there is someone near enough to you that can spend time and doesn't mind swapping parts to eliminate possibilities, that would be great.

 

[jfeagins]

Just a suggestion: The fuel pump can be spotless clean, yet not putting enough pressure into the line to run consistantly... Perhaps double check the small spring-loaded valve at each side of the pump assy to ensure the little rubber inserts are placed correctly into the small plate so that as fuel passes towards carbs, pressure is maintained. If not, you should hear additional pumping as the pump tries to reach shut off pressure, but can't maintain it adequately.

I'd also double check the fuel filter as a dirty tank could possibly plug up a new filter in short order.

If you've been inside those carbs off before and are sure they are clean, I wouldn't go to the trouble triple checking again what you know to be ok. The trouble you describe doesn't seem to me a carb issue anyway.

I wonder if your black box could be intermittant this way.??:confused2:

 

[red98vmax]

I've got some spare parts I could let you swap, if you want to pay postage. Let me know with a PM, so we can arrange addresses and what you want to try.
Sounds like electrical most likely, cause you've been through and around the carbs a lot.

Steve

 

[MONTREALMAX]

Thanks Red98, that is a very kind gesture

I think shipping over the border would be a hassle though with customs

I am going to look first at carbs again tonight and then tackle the electrics

I am going to do the whole fuel delivery system first and move on from there

 

[zippo6]

Actually, if he declares it as a gift with a value of $1 the border will be no issue at all

I hope you get your troubles resolved. I know I'd be going bonkers right now if this were happening to me, I feel for ya man!!

 

[zippo6]

Actually, if he declares it as a gift with a value of $1 the border will be no issue at all

I hope you get your troubles resolved. I know I'd be going bonkers right now if this were happening to me, I feel for ya man!!

 

[jimvette999]

What about that kill switch at the grip.....could that be it? :ummm:

What about the stand safety switch at the peg?:ummm:

 

[Heretic]

Based on the initial discription its electrical for sure and my educated guess is a bad TCI. They are not cheap so hopefully someone has one they can send for you to test.

 

[TURBOVMAX]

You might want to try this. T into your fuel line running from the pump to carbs and install a a fuel gauge. No need to get fancy just run it up and tie it with TY wraps to the handle bar area where you can see it. There should be no more than 2 PSI delivered to the carbs. Ride around and observe the gauge.

I suspect you may have a pickup problem a the flywheel rotor. But check your fuel before going there. Do you have 13.5 + volts at 2000 RPM being delivered to the battery?

 

[bobzdar]

Intermittent internal short in the battery? Something eerily similar happened to a buddy's Jeep, the gauges would go nuts and it would lose power and then run fine until one day driving down the road the gauges went nuts and he pulled over and it went completely dead. Turned out the battery had an internal short and eventually welded 2 plates together killing it completely. Worth a try if you've done everything else...

 

[Buster Hymen]

MontrealMax, how about an update on this problem? Were you able to fix it? :ummm: