Carb [?] problem - '86 Spree

ShochuJohn · Post by **ShochuJohn** » Sat Apr 12, 2008 12:44 am

Well, my leaky carb problem from several months ago has not reoccurred, but now from gasoline excess I have gone to gasoline famine.

A few days ago, it shut down while I was riding it. No warning, no sputter, just running great one second and off the next. It was so sudden that my first thought was an electrical problem, like it stopped getting spark. That, however, was not it. It has nice blue/white spark (I even threw a new plug in), and it will burn starting fluid. The carb is getting fuel (will come out the drain plug), but nothing is getting to the cylinder. So, I figure it has to be the carb, BUT I took it all apart and shot carb cleaner through every hole. As far as I can tell, it's completely clean. The problem remains, however.

So, question one, does everyone agree that it has to be the carb?
Question two, does anyone understand the carb enough to give me a specific idea of where therein the problem lies?

CharlotteSpreeRider · Sat Apr 12, 2008 12:49 am

Reeds?

-aseigler

ShochuJohn · Post by **ShochuJohn** » Sat Apr 12, 2008 1:18 am

Reeds are beautiful.

Gamemedic · Post by **Gamemedic** » Sat Apr 12, 2008 11:22 am

How is the compression? You might of broke a piston.

Kenny_McCormic · Post by **Kenny_McCormic** » Sat Apr 12, 2008 11:23 am

So EVERY port on the carb flows? Have you checked for compression?

dr.ona · Post by **dr.ona** » Sat Apr 12, 2008 1:04 pm

Could be maybe something got sucked into the petcock while running. I know from much frustration, that the "C.R.A.P" (Carb/Reeds/Autobystarter/Petcock) combination seem to be about 95% of the problems with Sprees when they either..
A) Sit for a long time
B) Sputter
C) Underpowered
D) Feel free to add to this list

Good Luck!

Robert

hondaman · Post by **hondaman** » Sat Apr 12, 2008 9:43 pm

Did you unscrew the jets and see light through the holes .All it takes is for something small to block them up and your done running.

ShochuJohn · Post by **ShochuJohn** » Sun Apr 13, 2008 3:11 am

I unscrewed the main jet and shot it all out with carb cleaner. I know that one is clean. Looking at the air intake side, when I spray the six o'clock hole, it comes out the main jet and the top (where the throttle needle would be). When I spray the seven o'clock hole, it blows out the bottom needle thing running next to the main jet and the top. When I spray the 10 o'clock hole, it sprays out where the bystarter would be.

I don't have a compression tester, and frankly if that is my problem, I won't be able to get to it for awhile. It will sputter/run for a second or two if I put gas directly into the cylinder. Would it do this if it had a cracked piston?

Kenny_McCormic · Post by **Kenny_McCormic** » Sun Apr 13, 2008 11:03 am

If you have a blown anything it probably wouldn't even turn over. Pour a tablespoon of oil down your plughole crank it over a few times and replace the plug, will it run now? Speaking of plugs how is the color? I suppose a dirty carb could have leaned it out and smoked something.

hondaman · Post by **hondaman** » Sun Apr 13, 2008 11:18 am

It still sounds like a gas flow problem because you say it runs when starter fluid is shot into it. Disconnect your vacuum line and gas line from the carb end. Suck on the end of the vacuum line and see if gas comes out of the gas line. Just make sure you suck on the right hose. If no gas comes out of the gas line then your petcock is shot.

ShochuJohn · Post by **ShochuJohn** » Sun Apr 13, 2008 2:36 pm

@Kenny: Just tried that. I when I first put the plug in, it would not turn over at all, so I took the plug out, cranked it a few more times, and now it is harder to turn over. No change in starting status. It continues to run off of starting fluid for a couple seconds and that's all. This is good news on the compression front, at least, isn't it? The plug I pulled out of it is cocoa brown with some black mixed in there. It's certainly not lean-out white, and again, the Spree ran really well before it just stopped. The carb was clean when I initially pulled it out as well, which makes sense given that I first rebuilt it in late December, and it was clean then. The only foreign object I found in there was that particle that was blocking my float needle in February. If there is another particle lodged in there somewhere that the carb cleaner is failing to blow out, I don't know how to locate it. Should I find a thin wire and start probing around with it?

@hondaman: The petcock is fine. I've already checked it. What I know is that fuel is getting delivered to the carb because it will come out the bowl when the drain screw is loosened, but it is not getting to the cylinder, which is brings us back to where I started. I am pretty sure the carb has to be the problem, but I can't figure out how to troubleshoot the problem within the carb. Bathing both it and myself with shots of carb cleaner didn't resolve the issue.

hondaman · Post by **hondaman** » Sun Apr 13, 2008 3:32 pm

Again I say can you see light through the body of the jets. Did you take the carb apart and screw them out from the half they are in. That would be the only place to use a wire. Poke through the little holes and hold them up to a light. You will be able to see light shining through the holes if they are not plugged. Use a tiny wire like a guitar string to poke through them. Every tiny hole must be clear for your carb to work. If your engine is getting gas and spark it has to run unless something major is wrong inside. You seem to have eliminated the gas to the carb as the problem. It has to be the carb is not getting gas to the cylinder. Take it apart and do what I said.

ShochuJohn · Post by **ShochuJohn** » Sun Apr 13, 2008 6:09 pm

Well, as I said, I unscrewed and took apart the main jet. It's clean. I can see light through the tube when it's disassembled and a tiny pinprick of light when it's assembled. Are there any other jets? Is that little tube that runs parallel to the main jet (and intersects the fuel/air mixture screw) also a jet? I don't see any way to take that apart.

chevyguyjay · Post by **chevyguyjay** » Sun Apr 13, 2008 6:24 pm

theres a brass tube thats pressed in next to where the main jet is. CAREFULLY, get a pair of pliers, or better yet vic grips and remove that brass tube. its called the idle jet. once u remove that tube, u should c light through it. if not its plugged. look in the carb to. u will prolly have dirt in there to.

ShochuJohn · Post by **ShochuJohn** » Sun Apr 13, 2008 7:11 pm

I was unable to remove the idle jet. I successfully created plier marks on it, but that's about it. It ain't budging. How do I get it out without breaking it?