1984 Interceptor in Vermont

Wow that bike is looking a whole lot more complete than before! Good work!

I was wondering why the fuel filter and lines looked so odd...but I see that on the 500's it's mounted on the frame rail as opposed to the 750/700's that have it inboard over the rear fender.

I just painted my headers and pipes with VHT header paint after having them sandblasted and they turned out awesome! The guy at the shop said VHT is your best bet on high heat areas if you're not going as far as ceramic powder coating it.

 

I've got the bike all together and I think it should start, but it won't. The starter kicks over and rotates the engine, but the fuel pump doesn't pump. Just in case the petcock on the tank was clogged I put gas in a bottle and dipped the line in it, but still it doesn't draw fuel. I have tried two fuel pumps with no success.

When I try to start the bike I turn the key in the on position, turn on the choke, apply the clutch and then hold the run button.

Some other questions. since I've never ridden a motorcycle:

Do I pull the shift pedal all the way up or all the way down for neutral?
Do I need to apply the brakes to start?

 

Are you F'n kidding me??? You're at the point of starting it??? I had to go back to the beginning to remember how bad it was. There are guys on here who have worked on bikes for 20 years that don't get those kind of results in 6 month's and you're going to classes, working on an open porch, trying to have a life AND...never turning a wrench in anger before. I am very impressed:thumb:

Someone will be along to help with the pump(you could try gravity feed?) but I just wanted to say Good The Hell On Ya!

Neutral is all the way down and a slight click back up. The shift pattern is 1 down from neutral and 5 up if it's a six speed. You will get the feel for it. With the key on, you should see a neutral light once you're in. Don't need the brakes to start.
Make sure all your fuses are good. Check your ground wires are clean and secure. Make sure the OFF/RUN switch is on RUN. Are you sure you're getting spark?

When you get her running, there will be a HUGE temptation to go riding everywhere. Get signed up NOW for a MSF course. For God's sake wear a helmet, gloves, and a jacket. And if I see you in flip-flops and a baseball hat on backwards, I'm taking the bike!

 

Is the fuel pump fuse (is there one?) blown? You can always test just the pump itself with two wires off the battery to see if it's spinning.

There is also a fuel pump relay, IIRC, that might be bad...

If I wasn't leaving on a cruise on Saturday, I'd be over this weekend to help you troubleshoot it. I won't be back in the area until 4/19...

 

I hear the pumps can be an issue with our bikes.

My year (86) never had one.

 

was it removed? or never had one on it? I have the VFR700 thats an 86 and it has the fuel pump? just wondsering not trying to start a huge debate...

 

Thanks hopit88, I guess I didn't actually have it in neutral but I got it there with your explanation. The fuel pump is pumping away now but still not starting. I checked for spark and I'm not getting any, and it the issue is not fuses, ignition packs, wires, or plugs. Any ideas on where I should start looking?

 

Congratulations on making some amazing progress on this bike!

It sounds like a the fuel pump/relay may be causing some trouble here. You could give a go at making a temporary fuel supply similar to this:

Motion Pro Auxiliary Tank



http://www.motionpro.com/motorcycle/partno/08-0032/

 

Scratch the above - sounds like your fuel pump is working fine.

Here is the Troubleshooting Guide from the Factory Shop Manual:

No spark at plug

1. Engine stop switch OFF
2. Poorly connected, broken or shorted wires

• Between ignition switch and engine stop switch
• Between spark unit and engine stop switch
• Between spark unit and ignition coil
• Between ignition coil and plug
• Between spark unit and pulse generator

3. Faulty ignition coil
4. Faulty ignition switch
5. Faulty spark unit
6. Faulty pulse generator

 

The fuel pump may be working, but didn't you mention that the carbs needed cleaning?

How did you test for spark? Now this is a super-silly question, but the main "kill switch" on the right handlebar was switched to "run", correct?

 

Damn dude! You're certainly making me feel like a slacker!

BTW, the Wacky Kat is quite good.

 

nope the 86's never came with them from honda

 

Hey fellow Vermonter, Parts are cheap but they add up. Ive probably spent well over $2000 in parts, and carb syncing and put only 2k on it. And I just discovered I need to sync again for the third time along with proper machine cleaning since its not running on all cylinders. I have to replace rear shock too! where to draw the line ? Its a long project, but still lots of fun. If you need parts let me know.

 

What he said ^^

Sorry for the late reply. Yea...86 came with no Fuel pump or Fuel filters though I have since added Fuel filters.


Keep up the good work Ferra!

 

I switched from fuel pump to gravity fed and seems to work better. I took jamie D's Idea and took apart the fuel petcock . very easy. trouble is you wont have a reserve anymore.

Daugherty Motorsports - Tank Valve Petcock Modification

I went from a 84 tank to an 86 which has a wider fuel line and bigger petcock valve. Sometimes I need to open the gas cap to get a better vacuum flow when starting. I even ran it with both gravity and fuel pump and worked well. New fuel filter helps flow to. to be honest I would have the carbs professional cleaned and syncd, theres no point in fiddling with all that if your carbs are outta whack.

 

I unplugged everything and plugged it all back in, and now I've got spark. Must have been a little grime in there somewhere. The bike still wont start. I'm sure the carb needs to be cleaned up, but air is still flowing into the engine, as is fuel. I'm going to check for compression but I'm fairly certain it has enough. The plugs are in the right order, but still wont fire. Not even kick a bit. Ideas?

 

thats the 500 right?

 

clean the carbs befoe you waste anymore time.. thats pretty much your next step

 

Cleaned the carbs yesterday, at least to the best of my ability. There was alot of grime in there and all the jets were clogged. I believe I unclogged them all, but I'm not sure about the jets I would have had to drill out to remove (says the clymer manual). Reinstalled them and haven't gotten the bike to start yet, doesn't even almost start with starter fluid. Will be doing a compression test on it tomorrow.

 

just a couple of suggestions, have you checked the gap on the plugs? is the spark a bright blue? are you sure the right coils are firing when they are supposed to?

that's all i can add.