running problem

mgracer · Post by **mgracer** » Tue Feb 10, 2009 10:30 am

Last week my 84 spree died while riding. I let it sit about 30 minutes and it ran fine after that. Sunday it started but only ran about 25 seconds then slowed and died. Now each time I start it I get the same response. 20-25 seconds running then slows and dies. I have changed the plug (it was fould) but no improvement. I mix oil and gas 40:1 and use Sta-bil in each mixture.
Any ideas or help will be appreciated

steffen707 · Post by **steffen707** » Tue Feb 10, 2009 10:43 am

Pull carb off and clean it, per the manual in the tech documents section of this site.

Sounds like its not filling the bowl up with fuel maybe? Pull both lines coming from the fuel tank petcock, supply vaccume to the bottom line and gas should flow freely out of the top line. If it doesn't, you have a bad or blocked petcock. I'd start with these two things first.

Gotta have spark, compression and air/fuel to make it run.

mgracer · Post by **mgracer** » Tue Feb 10, 2009 12:04 pm

That'll give me somthing to do before I go to work tomorrow.Thanks.

devenex · Post by **devenex** » Tue Feb 10, 2009 12:54 pm

Sounds like when my carb was clogged. The reason it will idle for a little while is because the bystarter is still open (giving an extra channel for fuel) but once it starts to close the engine will die.

It could be the petcock, which is quick and easy to check. But if fuel flows freely when vacuum is applied to the lower hose then the next step is definitely to clean the carb.

ALOW1 · Post by **ALOW1** » Tue Feb 10, 2009 1:15 pm

mgracer wrote:Last week my 84 spree died while riding. I let it sit about 30 minutes and it ran fine after that. Sunday it started but only ran about 25 seconds then slowed and died. Now each time I start it I get the same response. 20-25 seconds running then slows and dies. I have changed the plug (it was fould) but no improvement. I mix oil and gas 40:1 and use Sta-bil in each mixture.
Any ideas or help will be appreciated

Not to sound to sarcastic, but do you only run this scooter every few months?

I'm just not sure why you would add Sta-bil to your gas every time. If your not storing it then whats the point?

A better item to use would be Seafoam. It works well for storage and it helps keep parts clean when running a little in your gas.

I used to use Sta-bil whenever I stored my motorcycle for the winter. When winter was over that tank of gas with the Sta-bil in it always felt like it was lacking some power. I would run it till it was almost empty then fill up and it would run normal again.

I will only use Seafoam now and dont have that problem anymore.

Wheelman-111 · Post by **Wheelman-111** » Tue Feb 10, 2009 1:39 pm

Greetings:

I believe Devenex is correct. Bystarter Bypass.

Alow1, what is this "storage" of which you speak?

Smugly cool in Deepinnaharta, until spring brings 90s back...

ALOW1 · Post by **ALOW1** » Tue Feb 10, 2009 2:03 pm

Wheelman-111 wrote:
Alow1, what is this "storage" of which you speak?

Smugly cool in Deepinnaharta, until spring brings 90s back...

I don't want to hear about it

Winter shall be gone in another month or so, I hope

mgracer · Post by **mgracer** » Tue Feb 10, 2009 3:17 pm

Gosh, it's only 75 degrees here. That's an advantage of living in Texas. I use Sta-Bill with every mixture for several reasons.
I use the scoot as a pit bike and we run Feb thru Nov. So it doesn't get run daily. It would if I lived in the city, but country roads are hard on it.
The other reason to use Sta-Bil is I use the same mixture in my chain saw.. Ten years and it still starts on teh first or second pull. After this first race of the season, I'll get the scoot to behave the same way.
I had good flow from the petcock, but took it off and cleaned it anyway. Fresh fuel tomorrow and claen the carb on Thursday.
Ahhh, to be retired. So little time and so much to do

steffen707 · Post by **steffen707** » Tue Feb 10, 2009 8:37 pm

let us know how it goes.

mgracer · Post by **mgracer** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 11:37 am

OK guys. Cleaned carb this morning.There was some muck in the bottom of the bowl. It appeared to be remnants of the petcock o-ring. All other passages were clean.
Ran for about 45 seconds and died. The pet * is leaking and I will need to replace it. I just read the post about overflow. Mine is doing the same. I will polish the needle to see if that helps. Fella that gave me the scooter drilled out the carb flange making it a bear to remove. Will try Honda for a new needle when I take it back apart. They are much samller than the SU needles on the race car.

mgracer · Post by **mgracer** » Tue Feb 24, 2009 12:19 pm

Cleaned carb, polished needle and seat with baking soda and a Q-tip. Replaced O ring in pet *, filled with fresh mixture of fuel. Started on second kick.
Idle seem sexcessively high.
Mixture needle is 2 7/8 turns and air needle is 3 turns.
I checked for air leaks with WD-40 spray. There was no change in idle speed.
Can I lower the idle with the air jet?
races went well until I poped a freeze plug and spun in my own mess

Wheelman-111 · Post by **Wheelman-111** » Tue Feb 24, 2009 1:40 pm

Greetings:

Idle mixture is normally closer to 2 turns out on Aero. This may be another Spree thing. Clivester seems to think there needs to be a tiny washer and an o-ring behind the mixture screw on some Sprees. Could that be it?

Otherwise your bystarter may not be closing the fast idle passages completely.

scooterwerx · Post by **scooterwerx** » Wed Feb 25, 2009 12:58 am

gotta safety those freeze plugs!!!

sorry, back to the topic at hand!

dgsoles · Post by **dgsoles** » Wed Feb 25, 2009 7:01 am

No, idle mixture should definately NOT be that far out....I think 1 7/8 turns or 1 3/4...it's in the tech manual....

Wheelman-111 · Post by **Wheelman-111** » Wed Feb 25, 2009 8:59 am

Greetings:

You said the P.O. drilled out the carb flange making it a Bear to remove. Harbor Freight has a very cheap set of taps - like $10. - that are good enough for Honda-san/Keihin castings. I chased mine with a 1/4 SAE and used common hex bolts with a 7/16/11mm head. Another more expensive option is to install Metric 5mm Heli-Coils, but they are not 100% reliable with repeated disassemblies. Either way, a light and sensitive hand on the ratchet saves future misery.

BTW, Baking Soda? What made you choose that?

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