Uni Filter Caught Fire

[ninskrillz]

Ok so as some of you may know, I've been fighting to get my bike to idle properly. Last night it started coughing back out of the air filter on the right side. Pulled the carbs today checked float height and idle jet, both clean and in spec. Start it up, chugging along ok with choke. I then turned the choke off and had to pepper the throttle to keep it going and it started coughing out of the air filter again. Two seconds later I notice smoke so i lay off the throttle. Another second later and the fucking air filter is on fire. The thing is half melted before I am able to put it out with quick exhales of breath. I then look inside the carb and see what i pressume is burnt gas everywhere.

WTF!

 

[Nailbomb]

Obviously it can happen. I've seen motors spit a little fire on initial startup or when in poor tune before. Still catching your filters on fire like that is surely bad luck.

 

[gggGary]

Yeah that's tough, Flame back out the carbs is hardly rare, melting the filter, not so much.
The old mantra when a car's carb caught on fire was KEEP CRANKING. The engine will nearly always start if the carb's on fire! It usually pulls the flames in and puts it out too.

 

[Paulrxs650]

Yep that has happened to me. I use some home made pods out of a car sponge. They get me close enough dialling the carbs in before I transfer to the new pods. Melted a few home made ones but not a real one .... So far

 

[pamcopete]

Reminds me of starting a Cessna Cardinal 177RG back in the day in the dead of winter. The engine is fuel injected and has no choke, so you have to prime the hell out of it to get the required rich mixture to start it. So, that's what I did. Primed the hell out of it which resulted in a pool of fuel on the ground under the engine. The engine coughed once and then backfired and set the pool of fuel on the ground on fire. This was early in the morning when it was still dark, so that fire really looked bright. I struggled to unbuckle the seat belt and exited the AC with my trusty fire extinguisher to put out the fire. Since then I no longer fasten my seat belt when starting the engine. Sort of a metaphor for life. Do not settle in your seat until the show starts.

 

[ninskrillz]

so i just ordered replacement filters, because 650central stocks different size than whats on the bike, mike sells the 4" ones, the ones I have are closer to 6", will replacing them with shorter ones have any affect?