Idles, but won't accelerate.

Hello all, been a while since I've been here.

Took my '86 out for a ride last month (had been a daily rider when the weather was more cooperative) after sitting for around a month. I had put stabilizer in the fuel prior to that. It started up fine, and ran great for me for 15-20 miles. I was on the freeway and it just died. I pulled over and got it started again, and headed for home. About 7/10s of a mile away from the house, it died again. I could get it to idle there, but if I tried to accelerate (or even rev the it) it would die.

Does this sound like a carburetor problem?

I'm fiixin' to take the bike apart and clean it in preparation for getting back on the road soon. I've seen a couple people out on the road and I was very jealous.

I wish I had asked this earlier... any suggestions?

 

did you try freash fuel?

 

Just fired her up, took it up the icy driveway and out for a ride... RUNS GREAT!

Now I fired up the woodstove and i'm in the garage. I will give everything a good cleaning, and check some things like the fuel filter.

what else could cause this problem?

after it stalled I had just put fresh fuel in. When it died it put someore stabilizer in an let it idle a bit. dirty fuel should't be my problem but I'll try some new stuff.

I'll keep posting today.

 

Maybe open the carb bowl drains into a shot glass and see what comes out.

 

If it sputtered when trying to run above idle then I would say the pilot jet/s were clogged. They are so small that it doesn't take much to block them. If it just flat out died then I would look at fuel starvation to the carbs.

 

fuel starvation was my first thought, i'm thinking fuel filter? i've got it setting next to me here, and it doesn't seem bad, but how would i know it's dirty?

 

could be a vent problem on the fuel cap, bad pump relay, or bad fuel pump.


Pull off the line going TO fuel pump and check flow into a can or bucket; should be strong flow, not a trickle.

 

NO...It's NOt the fuel pump. Forget that.

The idle jets get clogged but not with debris. They get clogged with fuel that has a lot of water in it from moisture in the tank.
To un clog the idle jets you usually have to take them out of blow air through them. Just putting Seafoam in the gas tank will not do it. Clean your filter too.
This happens very often.

 

But he says his bike idles fine, so it's probably not the idle jets, eh ??

After the engine is warm will it start and idle without any choke ??

Symptoms point toward a slow rate of fuel delivery to carbs, which could be either an obstruction to flow or a bad fuel pump or relay.

Try blowing compressed air into the fuel tank back through the fuel line with filler cap open.....could be some crap blocking fuel pick up tube.

 

It could idle but then when you try to accelerate the engine it my backfire or spit back through the carbs if it is lean from clogged idle jets.
The engine idles because ther is a cut out in the slide for idle AND gas is being sucked up past the needle on the slide. But when you try to accelerate the engine it has to have much more gas flow than the neeldle on the slide can provide. It needs the additional gas from the idle jets.

 

Theory is confused cuz there is NO cutout on those slides, and i believe the reasoning is faulty as pertains to his bike but may apply to some old 2-strokes.

 

Sometimes there is a amall simi circular cut out or the slide does not close all the way at idle to allow just enough air to idle.
You have to have 14 parts air to 1 part gas in general.

 

Have you been storing your bike where it can get rained on? What precautions did you take to winterize your bike? I once had a GSXR that had a bad seal at the gas fill and alowed water to get into the tank if it got rained on for any extended period of time. Symptoms were very similar.

 

It could definately be a water problem.

That's why captb suggested he drain his float bowls....water usually shows up as little globules if you look carefully.

 

That's EXACTLY what I thought. Except I'd pull the line off going to the carbs, check flow there and work my way back. In my experience...clogged slow jets cause a bad hesitation but once you 'nurse' the throttle past 2500 RPM approx, you can get going.

Fuel filters look good, they usually are...bad would be foreign matter...rusty sediment on the 'inflow' side. Any rust in your fuel tank?

 

Why is it that anytime someone is working on a car or motorcycle Someone ALWAYS says...... "must not be getting any fuel."
It is NOT the pump It is not the black box, it is not the timing , All you have to do is(and this is the hard part) CLEAN THE IDLE JETS !!!
MAKE SURE YOU CAN SEE DAYLIGHT THROUGH THEM>!!!!!


IF a carb is leaking fuel from a vent it is the float needle NOT SHUTTING OFF.
REPLACE THE FLOAT NEEDLE>!!!!!

Carbs are like a toilet. IT is not that complicated.

 

Right on SQUIRRELMAN!!!! WATER FROM CONDENSATION IN THE TANK GOES TO THE BOTTOM.

TRY THIS.... TAKE A PIECE OF CLEAR packaging tape and put it over the gas cap hole.
With in a short period, a couple hours, the tape will have condensation all over the bottom of it and you can see it.

 

"did you try freash fuel?"

Did you try FRESH fuel?

 

it has something to do with the fuel not getting to the engine.....line clogged, jets dirty,fuel filter dirty, fuel pump,cock pit in tank clogged???? to much to list..just clean the whole thing tank and all take apart carb vat them, airfilter get sucked in there??etc so forth and such.

 

i had a similar problem when i first bought my bike were it would idle but not rev up and it ended up being the r/r might not be the problem but its just a thought