Hey guys, my 81 is acting funky, she will run smooth under load but when shes idling she will run fine then just all of a sudden die. There is gas in the engine oil so I'm thinking the piston rings are shot. Is this diagnosis accurate?
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81 wont idle reliably
- Thread starter Mike
- Start date
No.
This just means you flooded the engine. It's common with carburetors. Sometimes there is a good reason and sometimes there isn't.
If you run the engine with gassy oil you can do damage or destroy it, however.
Clean your carburetors--especially the pilot circuit--and inspect the float needles. Inspect the petcock for proper operation. Synch the carburetors. These procedures are covered in the manual.
I've done all the carb work I had a guy locally who is one of the best go through my carbs and make sure I did it right, the bike still doesn't want to idle reliably after all the carb work tho. Thats what lead me to the thought that the rings were bad.
The simplest solution is often the correct one.
It is possible to clog or block a pilot circuit even after you've already cleaned them once. The holes are very small; all it takes is a tiny bit of debris. Make sure you have an in-line fuel filter installed.
Some of the standard settings listed in certain manuals contain errors, like float height.
Your idle problems may also be ignition-related. Most of the time it is the carbs, however.
Do you have points ignition?
It is possible to clog or block a pilot circuit even after you've already cleaned them once. The holes are very small; all it takes is a tiny bit of debris. Make sure you have an in-line fuel filter installed.
Some of the standard settings listed in certain manuals contain errors, like float height.
Your idle problems may also be ignition-related. Most of the time it is the carbs, however.
Do you have points ignition?
If you're going to open the carbs make note of your settings and jet sizes.
The job is not very complex. The only thing you can do terribly wrong is strip the brass fittings or over-tighten things.
Also, remove the diaphragms if you're going to spray carb cleaner all over the place.
I have a video on youtube showing the basic disassembly. I will re make it soon as I have an HD camera now.
The job is not very complex. The only thing you can do terribly wrong is strip the brass fittings or over-tighten things.
Also, remove the diaphragms if you're going to spray carb cleaner all over the place.
I have a video on youtube showing the basic disassembly. I will re make it soon as I have an HD camera now.
