was running, now won't start. help please!

[girard]

Ok guys,

Ive been going over this damn thing for a week now. HHB PMA, Pamco, kick only. Thought it was the coil, nope. new coil installed and still no dice. fresh build over the winter, new wiring, had it running. I was ripping around town a bit. came home, parked it. a few days later i wired in a headlight switch, went to start it and....... nothing. when I had the cap in the lights would fire up briefly telling me PMA is ok. plus i did have it running so i think thats good. I hooked up a battery for trouble shooting. heres what I have done:

-gone over my wiring a billion times
-cut out switch I installed to double check
-replaced coil
-did the pamco test by removing locking pin and got a spark on both plugs, pulled carbs and saw intake was wet with fuel
-hooked up battery and starter, turns over, sparks but won't start
-i went over carbs good last year replaced seals and jets and what not.

i'm at a huge loss and I think im getting a bout of depression. i've tried everything I could think of and find on here, talked to a few mechanic buddies for ideas. Just can't seem to find issue. I feel like its something simple but FML if i can figure out what. help please!

 

[TwoManyXS1Bs]

What type of plugs, and what condition when you first pulled them?

 

[girard]

just standard, not iridium. bp7 whatever they are. they were ok. not lean and not black. i'm starting to wonder if its spark now. i'm getting spark but maybe just a weak spark.

 

[TwoManyXS1Bs]

When everything else seems okay, my first goto was usually the plugs. If the spark seems weak, you could temporarily close the gap to 0.010" - 0.015", then see if it fires...

 

[girard]

my next goto is gonna be new plugs and a dedicated ground for the coil. im just using the mounting bolts which are tightened against painted frame. when it fired initially i never thought much of it but now thinking on it, could that be providing me with a weak spark?

 

[TwoManyXS1Bs]

Modern dual fire, wasted spark coils don't get grounded.

 

[girard]

hmm ok. well I will check the gap i guess, maybe replace plugs. any other ideas? I removed pin on advance rod and spun rotor and pamco produced a spark, which means pamco is working properly, correct? i removed carbs and the intake boots to the engine were wet with fuel, which means carbs should be working. what is going on ahhhhhhhhh

 

[TwoManyXS1Bs]

Wet with fuel? Might be flooding. Leave the plugs out, petcocks off, throttle wide open, kick-thru a buncha times to dry it out. Install clean, dry plugs, leave petcocks off, try kickstarting again with partial throttle...

 

[girard]

i don't think thats the issue as I have tried a few different nights and it wouldn't start. I will do that just incase but I don't think thats the issue.

 

[TwoManyXS1Bs]

That danged gasohol did that same mysterious 'non start' to me a couple times a couple years ago. That little drying-out trick is what I had to do.

 

[girard]

did it last days? i can see maybe flooding when trying to start it but then a few days later it still wouldn't be flooded. correct. plus when i did have it running it started easily. i'm gonna try your method for sure just trying to wrap my head around it.

 

[girard]

so i came home, got the battery out turned idle screw way up and pulled the throttle a bit and it fired up. disconnected battery, connected cap and it fired up again. wired headlight switch back in and it fired up. Heres what I'm thinking. I think maybe it was partially flooded by the time i was done messing around last night but i also think maybe getting it off kickstand and holding it up allowed some gas to move around in the right carb and helped it a bit? i don't know, im grasping at straws haha. but regardless it fired up. so now i'm going camping for the weekend so we will see sunday if it fires up again. thanks for the help and i hope this thread is done! haha

 

[XSLeo]

On the advance rod there should be two pins, one holds the Pamco rotor on one end, The other end the pins holds the stock advancer notched disc.
There is a third pin that holds the advancer to the cam.
If either of the first two pins are missing, then it may have held ok when you first started the bike but the advance rod may have slipped a bit and thrown it out of time.
I would start by checking the timing. Have a buddy di the kicking while you watch the timing light.
Leo

 

[uncle meat]

What XSLeo described is exactly what happened to me. Fired up fine one day, the next, nothing. I pulled the advance cover and saw the pin lying there. Re-installed and all is well.

UM