| Author | Message | ||
     Montanablast |
I have been using this forum like a bible since I picked up my blast a little over two years ago. I have been able to troubleshoot every issue I've had up to this point by reading through previous posts but I've finally ran into a problem I can't figure out. I currently have been having the issue of random dieing after about 20 minutes of riding...when it wants to start in the first place. I recently installed a Jardine exhaust, tall velocity stack with new gasket, outerwears custom filter, re jetted to 48/175 and 0.05" shim. I have also installed spring supports as directed by EZ's posts and a brand new carb boot. I have good spark and my ignition module gives me a constant blink. This will be my fifth time of pushing the bike home after riding 20+ miles around town then having it just die at random...no major backfires or pops, almost like running out of fuel. I have checked my vent lines, carb boot, spark and all are in check. I'm out of ideas and any input would be appreciated. Thanks ahead of time. | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
Welcome Montana blaster! Did you check for the LED flash when the bike wouldn't start? What did it look like? Did this problem start after you did the work or one specific mod? Ps I have a house in Florence ( but no blast there yet). | ||
| Syonyk |
A 48 primary is awfully rich - what does the plug look like when it dies? If I were dealing with it, I'd carry a backpack with tools, and when it died, go into diagnosis mode on the side of the road. Easy to check the carb for fuel - turn the fuel off when it dies & drop the bowl (if you've got a stack filter, you should be able to just rotate the carb to get at the screws). If you haven't tried it, pulling the fuel cap off will totally eliminate any possibility of a tank vacuum causing the issues. If the bike starts after pulling the fuel cap, you've got a clogged vent somehow. It's also possible that the ignition module is failing when hot. A quick test on the side of the road when it quits would diagnose this - carry a spare spark plug in your bag, and when it dies, just pull the boot & put it on the spare plug instead of pulling the one in the engine (it'll be quicker, and if it's a heat issue, you want to test quickly). What do you mean by "When it wants to start in the 1st place"? Is it cranky to start in general? I'd also try a 45 primary. 48 is *really* rich, even with a Jardine & an aftermarket intake. | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
Concur! At 3000ft above sea level a 48 certainly might be too rich. But I do doubt that is causing your shut down, unless you notice the idle go bad first from plug fouling. Also leave the timing cover off. Before you get the spare plug out, watch the LED (for reference, watch the LED when you know it will start. A bad module can still flash, but it will look different). FWIW: I never "spin the carb" to do most any work to it. It can all be done in place and less fuel dumping too! ....and its not a CA Blast is it? Lastly, REMOVE the Outerwears filter. While the proper filter works, there's been numerous occasions when someone has bought (or been sold) the wrong filter and the problems it causes act just like a bad ignition or fuel starvation. Remove it and see if the problem goes away (but not too far from home!). PS If I'd known there was another Badweb Blaster in Missoula, I'd have brought a Blast up there instead of "the Beast"! | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
....and a 2001 is the right year for a bad ignition module, if it hasnt been replaced yet. | ||
| Swampy |
don't ask me, cause I'm gonna say ignition module...  | ||
| Ezblast |
Concur! - lol | ||
| Montanablast |
First off I would like to thank you all for your replies. Since my last outing and nice walk home I have not been able to get the bike to run again. I have gone through all the basics, I've made sure I have fuel being delivered to the carb, went so far as to set up a clear fuel line from the tank setting on my workbench next to the bike and have checked to make sure I have fuel flowing into the float bowl. I have soaked my jets in carb cleaner and made sure there is nothing gumming them up. I have been working on this with the air filter off, direct fuel to the carb, ignition module is visible with an extra plug to test spark and all is good. The plug that was in the bike at the time it last died is running a perfect burn. The jets are brand new and my earlier post was a typo on my part, I'm running 45/175 not a 48 that I previously stated. I have a brand new boot on it as I had similar problems when the first one went bad. I can get the bike to fire with a shot of starting fluid but thats all I get. I have inspected the diaphram and can't see any holes or tears and am sure I got it seated properly...only done it a few hundred times now. I checked the float and am 99% sure that it is correct. I'm not sure where to go from here...the fact that I can get it to fire with starting fluid leads me to believe that it is a fuel delivery issue and I'm not sure where to go past the steps I've already taken...any suggestions? | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
It fires with starting fluid. Does it start to run or just fire? Staring fluid can get just about anything to 'fire' no matter how messed up it is (it didnt blow the boot off?). So it doesnt always point to fuel delivery, but it certainly indicates you have *some* spark. Spark is blue, not yellow? It is firing every time not every third time? LED is consistent, not bright flicker flicker, bright, flicker,flicker, etc. I would double check your timing and when you do that pull the module off and make sure the timing cup is tight (just a turn by hand, do not put a wrench on it). The fact that it shuts down after 20 miles and its done it more than once points to an ignition (usually the module) failure. At this point nothing seems wrong and I'd think that maybe you have 2 issues, confusing the diagnostic process. If you have a compression tester, I'd test compression, just to be sure. (again, you're telling us nothing is wrong). FYI: we're probably going to keep asking the same questions over and over. Something is obviously being missed, so please dont take offense. | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
PS where abouts in Missoula are you? (Hellgate, Target range, Miller Creek, East Missoula, UofM, etc.) | ||
| Montanablast |
It does start to run, not just a single fire. The spark is bright blue and consistent as is the LED. I believe the 20 minutes is merely a coincidence, it has died after five minutes and ran for longer. I had no problems before the needle shim and most recent re-jet. I take no offense to double checking me as I'm sure it is something basic that I'm missing...70 hour weeks and a million projects don't leave nearly enough time for me to spend what I'd like to with my bike. I'm still really leaning towards a fuel delivery problem as it was running smooth as it ever has just before the pipe, intake, new boot, jets and shim. Even immediately after the upgrades she was running amazing then with no warning just died...I pulled the carb off and checked the boot thinking maybe I had it seated incorrectly, pulled my jets to make sure nothing was plugging them, put it back together and was back on the road for a little while. Road up around Blue Mountain road and had no problems, the flat spot in the middle of the throttle was gone and it sounded better than ever. Took it to work the next day and while running an errand it just died at a stop sign and refused to start back up. I went thru my regular checks, no vacuum issues, checked for fuel and spark...all good, pulled the jets again and checked the diaphram, put it back together and away she went. Took it for a ride to find a working air pump as my front tire was low and it was running great until I hit a stop light and it just died...I haven't been able to get it to go on anything but starter fluid since. I'm living just off of Reserve by the golf course. | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
still thinking...... My father-in-law used to live right there on Reserve/North before we moved him to Florence. | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
Since the problem seemed to begin after the carb work, that would be the place to start. But I can't think of anything you could have done to the carb where it would run 5 to 20 minutes and then shut down (without fouling out). Doesn't seem possible. I would install a cheap clear plastic fuel filter (the kind they sell for old VWs) in that clear fuel line you have so you can also check for crud. You are running with a full tank of gas? Not running close to reserve? If so, fill the tank to at least a gallon over reserve. Did you use any kind of sealer when you replaced the boot or did carb work? I'm still stumped, but I'm going on the premise that everything you checked is okay and moving on to the more oddball stuff that can go wrong. | ||
| Swampy |
When it shuts off does the LED still flash when cranking? If it is is there spark at the plug? How is the engine to frame ground strap at the left front of the engine? I'm tellin' ya' I have seen this before and it is the ignition module... | ||
| Johneblast |
I have a an 01' and have had it two years. The day I bought it I didn't get 5 miles (10 minutes) away from the sellers house and the bike did the same thing yours is doing. It was the module. Sure it would start, sure there was a faint led lighting, sure it would run for a while, but eventually it died. It was the module! Replace it. Especially if it is the original part #! Just my two cents. Later. | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
Any news MontanaBlaster? I'll almost be literally driving past your house in a couple days. Should I try and find a little time to swing by or is it running again? I cant make any promises, but if I can manage to take a little look at it I might be able to spot any glaring problems you might have missed. I've only got a week, but the wife wont mind if I take a little time out for a ride on "The Beast". Let me know. | ||
| Ezblast |
lol - no longer a cali boy now? You moved yet? lol EZ | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
No move yet  | ||
| Ezblast |
Thats some sweet country your moving to, gets a bit cold in the winter though - lol EZ | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
Two places top the list as being coldest when I traveled the country: Montana and San Francisco!!! | ||
| Montanablast |
It's been nearly a year but I'm finally back, sometimes life just gets in the way of having fun. So I took everyone's advice and replaced my ignition module and the bike is alive once again but dies when I apply throttle. All of the previous posts in this thread are still accurate, I have fresh gas, new plug, new boot which I have done the starting fluid test on and have no leaks that I can find. I'm going to try to attach a link of the bike running and dieing and hopefully that will help so that I may get pointed in the right direction. http://youtu.be/tdQ_Xi6PLpM | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
Welcome back! Did you pull the carb apart? Did you time it correctly? Will the rpms increase if you throttle up gently? I'm live in Florence now and work in Missoula, so (hopefully) I can be available to help if you want. Keep us posted. | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
Take the 'air filter' off. Check to make sure the vacuum port on the carb is plugged. (And reference the above questions) | ||
| Montanablast |
Hey Eric, if you have any time available I could use a hand. I haven't taken the carb apart since I took it to the shop just before winter set it, the techs went thru it and said everything looked good...and I'm not positive I've got it timed right. My # is 240-5413 if you could give me a ring...having this beautiful weather and not being able to ride is killing me. Im available all day today and always after 4. Thanks in advance. | ||
| Ecr223 |
I had this happen to me shortly after I bought my 04' last year. Died on me after about 14 miles, opened the airbox, and dumped out about 1/4 gallon of gas. That was a stuck float, which in turn, obviously fouled plug. Kept spitting gas out the carb though, which I think I noticed in your video. Good Luck though. | ||
| Ezblast |
Yeah I was thinking stuck float as well - good thing to check - EZ | ||
| Swampy |
If someone had the diaphragm cover off maybe...they...pinched it? I also saw a carb where someone had taken it apart and forgot where the needle guide went so they stuck it in the well from the needle side! | ||
| Montanablast |
I tried to pull it apart last night but they overtightened and stripped the screws to the float bowl so I'm gonna have to pick up a dremel and make some flatheads out of them, also picking up a timing light to make sure its right after work today. | ||
| Montanablast |
WOT, WOT!!! Success never sounded so good. I reset the timing and pulled the carb apart and the only thing I can think is that my spacers on my needle didn't fit tightly...I wouldn't think that would have anything to do with it but I was wondering if you guys think that may have been my culprit. Either way, I'm back up and riding...couldn't be happier. | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
Yes, that could very well have been the cause if the needle was hung up. Glad you got it running! |
