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Message started by blue-J on 08/30/05 at 08:50:09

Title: bucking and hesitating - help!
Post by blue-J on 08/30/05 at 08:50:09

Hi. I've got new tires (see first post), but now my Savage just developed a problem: you know that feeling you get when your tank is empty and you have to switch to reserve? The bike starts bucking and hesitating. Well, mine is doing that more and more, even with a full tank.

I first noticed this the day after I filled my tank. I filled up on the way home and had no problems, but the next morning, my bike was hesitating for a good 10-15 minutes and then seemed to stop. It seemed to not do it on the way home or the next couple of times I used it.

I took it in for a full tune-up (changed oil, spark, air filter). It felt fine on the way home. But then I filled up again the next day on the way to work and had the same problem: it did not happen right away, but after work, I bucked and hesitated all the way home.

I looked inside my tank and saw nothing, but then I noticed a very small piece of something in there, so maybe that got sucked into a tube.

I called the mechanic who did the tune-up, and he said my carb looked fine. It did not do the hesitating for him. I called another mechanic who said I might have filled my tank too high. So I siphoned out some gas. It seemed to be fine. But then it did it again with the tank at about the half-full, so I am really stumped. It does it whether I'm on Reserve or ON.

The only other thing worth mentioning is that I have put in lower octane gas the last few fills (prices here in Ontario are insanely high – over one dollar a litre, which I believe works out to $4.50/gallon, and it gets much higher with the high-octane stuff, which I had been using, but thought was perhaps a waste of money.

This is getting really long. Any suggestions?

Thanks.

Title: Re: bucking and hesitating - help!
Post by Reelthing on 08/30/05 at 09:19:35

Might try to eliminate a couple of things first - can you check the vacuum line that goes from the carb to the back side of the petc0ck - make sure it does not have any gas in it, nor cracks.

Next run the bike on PRI - does it still cutout?

Title: Re: bucking and hesitating - help!
Post by clueless on 08/30/05 at 09:23:29

Check your battery connections. An intermittent connection will give similar symptons. Happened to me.

Jim

Title: Re: bucking and hesitating - help!
Post by vroom1776 on 08/30/05 at 09:33:14

Check your spark plug! I would not be surprised if ti was black (already). What color was the old one?

Title: Re: bucking and hesitating - help!
Post by realdeal on 08/30/05 at 09:48:00

i had pretty much the same symptoms. My carb was a little screwy, so my bike was running rich. It was causing the plug to get black and foul. I replaced the plug, and it would work fine for a day or two, then would foul again.

I fixed the carb and replaced the plug. Been fine since.

Title: Re: bucking and hesitating - help!
Post by blue-J on 08/30/05 at 10:11:46

Hi,

I'll check the battery and hose. I'll try Prime, too.

About the spark and carb: I assume that since I took it in for a full tune-up, that they adjusted the carb. They said they changed the spark.

Any other suggestions?

Thanks.

Title: Re: bucking and hesitating - help!
Post by vroom1776 on 08/30/05 at 10:40:17

Just making a guess, but I doubt the mechanic tuned (rejetted for "ideal" afr) the carb, though he may have cleaned it out. So if you had a rich condition before, you would still have a rich condition now, turning your plug black. Have you ever rejetted it? If not it is probably running lean from the factory, but maybe you're at altitude...

Another thing that can cause a black plug and hesitation is a faulty solenoid or solenoid wire. I had to replace mine, but it's a '97.

Title: Re: bucking and hesitating - help!
Post by realdeal on 08/30/05 at 11:04:19

Does it backfire when it starts bucking? I had a seperate problem where the vaccuum line had come off and I didn't realize it. It would run fine on prime.

The symptom was that it would start backfiring like crazy, because it was being starved of gas because there was no vaccuum to pull gas. Then, it would stall. Put it in prime, and it ran fine.

So, i doubt your vaccuum line is the problem. Unless it's going back and forth between a vaccuum and leaky condition. But, i would suspect it would backfire in that case.

Title: Re: bucking and hesitating - help!
Post by blue-J on 08/30/05 at 11:15:07

Hi,

Keep those suggestions coming!

I guess I should tell you that I am not a huge mechanic. I'm afraid to look at my plug because it involves taking off the gas tank. I doubt the mechanic who did my tune-up will remember what colour my plug was, but I can ask...

As for backfiring, I have the usual problem of backfiring while decelerating, but have not noticed it corresponding to this hesitation problem. But now that you mention it, I forgot to say that my bike has been stalling, too, unless I keep giving it gas.

Thanks,

Blue-J

Title: Re: bucking and hesitating - help!
Post by torque on 08/30/05 at 11:27:31

do u get gas in the same place all the time? if not u might have ran into some bad gas,someone might have watered it down too make a bigger profit.u can buy "heet",a product that removes moisture from gas,or add some type of racing fuel ,over 100 octane.

the "heet" u can buy at any auto store,at least here in the U.S !

good luck ;D

Title: Re: bucking and hesitating - help!
Post by Ed_L. on 08/30/05 at 16:53:57

Sometimes the vent in the gas cap plugs up and causes a vacumn lock. It's an easy enough job to take it apart and clean it. Luck

Title: Re: bucking and hesitating - help!
Post by Reelthing on 08/30/05 at 19:01:51

blue-J wrote:

does it stall if you run on PRI?

Title: Re: bucking and hesitating - help!
Post by dannimal on 08/30/05 at 23:49:15

This may sound wierd but leave the choke on with the first click or notch as you pull it outwards and see if the "kickin and a bucking" stops. For some wierd reason my freinds bike rides fine like that but once it is put back to the "normal" or spot where it is supposed to be after the bike is warmed up, it does the what we have called the "KICKEN' AND A BUCKIN' and backfiring like crazy. It is really hilarious too see but I woldn't want to ride it myself though! ;D

Title: Re: bucking and hesitating - help!
Post by blue-J on 08/31/05 at 12:53:07

Ed_L. wrote:

Sometimes the vent in the gas cap plugs up and causes a vacumn lock. It's an easy enough job to take it apart and clean it. Luck

There's a vent in the gas cap? Where?

I may have to wait til the weekend to try some of the other suggestions. First I'll siphon all the gas out and put back the high octane stuff (with the choke partially out and the lever on Prime all the way to the gas station!)

Thanks.
Blue-J

Title: Re: bucking and hesitating - help!
Post by babbalou on 09/01/05 at 17:18:34

One way to tell if the gas cap vents are plugged is to take off the cap when it starts running bad & then put it back on. If it improves, the vents are plugged. I've never cleaned them before, but I looked & there's 2 pin holes on the bottom of the cap next to the 2 screws. May be just a matter of taking that part off to clean it, if that's what it needs. I used to have to take the cap off my old Dodge at 1/2 tank & put it back on or it would quit running before it ran out of gas. The vents prevent too much vacuum in the tank so the gas can flow. Best of luck with the bike! 8)

Title: Re: bucking and hesitating - help!
Post by RockyRoad on 09/02/05 at 01:57:49

Personally, my old Thumper ( 1996 ) always
bucks and twists unless I put in two caps
( 1 cap per gallon I guess ) of Marvel
Mystery Oil .

Even one tank not treated causes the symptoms
you are describing...

Title: Re: bucking and hesitating - help!
Post by blue-J on 09/02/05 at 07:52:58

Update:

well, the other day I siphoned out most of my gas and added half a bottle of carb/fuel injection cleaner in preparation for going to fill it with high octance gas. However, when I started it up, it was fine. I drove it a short tirp - no bucking. Went to put in gas - only a half tank, in case that was the problem. It was fine on the way home. I have not tried it since, so can't say what's going on.

Maybe it only happens after rain?

By the way, I don't think they have "Marvel Mystery Oil" in Toronto. What is it?

Blue-J

Title: Re: bucking and hesitating - help!
Post by DavidV on 09/02/05 at 08:14:59

If the problem was caused by a sticky diaphragm slide (aka diaphragm assembly) then a good shot of carb cleaner may have been enough to clear up the problem.

Title: Re: bucking and hesitating - help!
Post by Savage_Rob on 09/02/05 at 08:22:11

blue-J wrote:

By the way, I don't think they have "Marvel Mystery Oil" in Toronto. What is it?

http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/woeimages/00001843.jpg

Title: Re: bucking and hesitating - help!
Post by RockyRoad on 09/02/05 at 08:42:54

I felt sure I got a bottle of Marvel
Mystery Oil at walmart ... but cant seem
to find it on the web site ...

Anyway a quick search with google
produced this

http://www.autobarn.net/chmm012.html

Title: Re: bucking and hesitating - help!
Post by Ed_L. on 09/02/05 at 16:41:16

A couple of ounces of two stroke oil per tankfull will do the same as MMO, the idea is to provide a little lubrication to the carb slide so it won't stick. Good to hear that the bucking has cleared up.

Title: Re: bucking and hesitating - help!
Post by klx650sm2002 on 09/03/05 at 02:52:14

Castrol R40 would do the job and smell good too.

Clive W :D