SuzukiSavage.com - Print Page

SuzukiSavage.com
/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl
General Category >> Rubber Side Down! >> Cutting out again
/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1217542879

Message started by ALittlebird on 07/31/08 at 15:21:19

Title: Cutting out again
Post by ALittlebird on 07/31/08 at 15:21:19

I Swear it has to do with rain. The bike has been fine. No issues. Yesterday we had a torrential downpour in the morning and afternoon. It sat out all day at work. Rode it home fine. This morning it did not want to start without opening the throttle. Cut out and stooped on the way to work. Put it on prime and I managed to get it started again and to work.

Tonight I go to leave work and it starts up fine. Perfectly OK. Almost to home (3 miles away) and I slow down for a stop sign - I've already been through several - and it just quietly dies. Next stop dies again. To get through the final stop and pull into the driveway I have to keep the throttle open. It was not on prime on the way home.

It acts like there is water. The mechanic of course says no way. Well this only happens after it has been sitting through a monsoon.Where else could there possibly be water entry? The gas cap?

I'll drain the bowl tonight and see if there is any water in it.

I'm perplexed.

Title: Re: Cutting out again
Post by bill67 on 07/31/08 at 15:46:45

Could be condensation from the moist in the air SeaForm is supposed to get rite of water in the tank.Try a ounce in the next time it rains 'Could be spark plug wire getting wet

Title: Re: Cutting out again
Post by ALittlebird on 07/31/08 at 15:56:27

I put in seafoam yesterday when I got home just for prevention.

That's my next order - the spark plug. Sure wish they didn't put it under the tank. And I have a full tank.

Very frustrating.

Title: Re: Cutting out again
Post by FreeSpirit on 07/31/08 at 16:09:30

7D7055484850595E554E583C0 wrote:

I put in seafoam yesterday when I got home just for prevention.

That's my next order - the spark plug. Sure wish they didn't put it under the tank. And I have a full tank.

Very frustrating.

I kinda want to do the spark plug door mod. I'm not fully convinced yet it totally works,but when I am,I'm doing it ;)

(Suppose to prevent having to remove the gas tank to get to the spark plug....wouldnt that be nice!)

Title: Re: Cutting out again
Post by ALittlebird on 07/31/08 at 16:12:40

It would be but I don't remember a spark plug mod. But then it's been a really long day at work. Thankfully it's 1/2 day tomorrow.

Title: Re: Cutting out again
Post by FreeSpirit on 07/31/08 at 16:27:07

1B16332E2E363F3833283E5A0 wrote:

It would be but I don't remember a spark plug mod. But then it's been a really long day at work. Thankfully it's 1/2 day tomorrow.

I think this is it. Could be more info on this....I'd have to do a search,and would before I actually did it.

http://suzukisavage.com/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?board=tech;action=display;num=1124016763

Title: Re: Cutting out again
Post by FreeSpirit on 07/31/08 at 16:48:10

Is there any wiring(or connections) you could check on the outside of the bike that could be frayed,etc....that may be affected by the rain?

I really dont know but maybe one of the guys could give any info on this....if its a possibility.

I dont have alot of experience but my bike has had no problems other than the battery(yet) .....and it stays covered when its raining....although not sure how good those covers actually are,in rainy weather. :-/

Title: Re: Cutting out again
Post by Sandy Koocanusa on 07/31/08 at 17:36:22

How about this for an off-beat theory? There is water in the bottom of the tank, separated mostly from the gas floating above it. When you slow down, the water sloshes forward and is picked up by the petcock tube, then sucked into the carb. Run it on reserve once and see if it pukes out on you. That would probably tell you if my idea has any merit. I doubt that it does, but it won't cost you anything to try it.

I also had water pool up in the spark plug hole after I washed the bike once. It popped and sizzled after I rode it. I suppose if enough water was in there, it might wreak havoc with your spark, although it didn't give me any trouble.

If I had any bona fide, informed opinions, I'd share them. Unfortunately, the sun cooked my brain at work today. So all you get tonight is my weird ramblings. Hope it works out for you.

Sandy

Title: Re: Cutting out again
Post by ALittlebird on 07/31/08 at 17:43:58

0236212117342D362D30440 wrote:

[quote author=1B16332E2E363F3833283E5A0 link=1217542879/0#4 date=1217545960]It would be but I don't remember a spark plug mod. But then it's been a really long day at work. Thankfully it's 1/2 day tomorrow.

I think this is it. Could be more info on this....I'd have to do a search,and would before I actually did it.

http://suzukisavage.com/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?board=tech;action=display;num=1124016763[/quote]

Don't think I can do that. SavageGreg says it takes a beer and since the pictures are no longer there it would probably take at least a 6 pack.

And I don't drink...

Title: Re: Cutting out again
Post by ALittlebird on 07/31/08 at 17:49:25

Thanks Sandy I understand about the cooked brain - this over 90 degrees is getting to me.

Makes sense oddly enough. Guess I might have to get a cover to haul around. Luckily I do have a garage at this apartment so it doesn't sit out 24/7.

I'll look at it tomorrow or on Saturday. Sunday's going to be a wash since my ex called and said he's coming for a visit. Uh huh - 4 years later. Guess I'd better find the problem ASAP so I can take a trip out of town before he shows up. ::)

Title: Re: Cutting out again
Post by FreeSpirit on 07/31/08 at 17:54:41

I think the first pics show it pretty well. Looks simple to me :-/

But I could be missing something :-/

And,I'm just not ready to take the gas tank off...LOL...I'm going to wait til I need to...then try it. :)

Title: Re: Cutting out again
Post by ALittlebird on 07/31/08 at 17:58:38

It was Greg's pics I was referring to - they are no longer with his reply post.

I too need to get to the tank lifting. If I could just do it with the Force...

Title: Re: Cutting out again
Post by T Mack 1 on 08/01/08 at 10:34:03

ALittleBird,
It might be good to have someone check your idle RPM's. The stop sign/light cut-off is almost alwyas too low an idle.

I noticed with my tach, that the RPM's at idle do change. I think it's has to do with humidity in the air, air density , etc etc....

Also, a warning, these are low oil pressure bikes. If the idle RPM gets too low you could start to cause damage to the cam journal in the head. Yes, I know it sounds cool when the idle is low, but ..... 10W-40 dino oil at 1100 RPM in 85 deg F weather give a 2 PSIG oil pressure. Yes... TWO. ... no typo there. The spec calls for 7-10 PSIG at 3000 RPM.

T Mack

EDIT: I took my oil pressure gauge off because it was a 30 PSIG gauge and in the cool weather (50 deg F) with 20W-50 Mobil One V-twin oil, with cold engine at start-up (thick oil) I could peg the needle. I think I pegged it too many times because it stopped going back to zero when I shut off the bike. Have bid in on a 60 PSIG gauge..... fyi for those that don't remember, I got an eBay special last year that had a melted piston and bad cam journal.

Title: Re: Cutting out again
Post by ALittlebird on 08/01/08 at 12:55:28

Thanks TMack. It's been way over 90 here and very humid the last 2 weeks. Since this only happens after it sits out at work in a torrential downpour - and it was blowing sideways Tuesday - it seems to suggest water somewhere.

I dropped by the mechanics since this was 1/2 day and of course by the time I got there it was not hesitating as much. Tommy drained the carb again - I did it this morning and he got a little dirt. No water. I didn't get either this morning when I drained it. They were busy so they said to run it by tomorrow and they'll try a few things.

I will turn the idle up a little and see what happens. I just changed the oil last week but nothing else.

I'll get a cover for it to use when she sits out at work.

Title: Re: Cutting out again
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 08/01/08 at 16:57:57

I wish I had done the spark plug door sooner. It makes it a lot easier to get that plug out. Remember to blow the dirt & stuff from around the base of the plug before you pull it. You can get a can of keyboard dusting air if you have no compressor that ( I hope) would blow the stuff from down around it, but it's a cavity & stuff collects down there & can fall in after the plug is pulled.
I cut the bolt off that came from the rear side of the head trim, leaving it tall enough to go up in the trim a ways, not far, & put heat shrink on it, so it wouldnt rattle & so it wouldnt be able to swing out.

I forgot to blow the stuff out once & when I saw what was around the plug hole I freaked out. Using grease on a stick, I was able to remove it, but some had already fallen in, so I put grease on a straw & probed around in the cylinder & pulled several chunks of gritty stuff out. The roads out here are made of sand with heavy oil on it & it flies up from the front tire. Maybe the cavity around your sparkplug doesnt get loaded up with dirt, mine sure does.

Title: Re: Cutting out again
Post by Charon on 08/01/08 at 17:05:04

The only thing in Seafoam that just possibly might help with water is the isopropyl alcohol in it. And I doubt there is enough of it to make a difference. If the gas you buy has ethanol added, you already have more alcohol than the Seafoam will add. Personally, having looked up the MSDS on Seafoam, I think the glowing reports of its effectiveness can be attributed to the placebo effect.

Title: Re: Cutting out again
Post by ALittlebird on 08/02/08 at 05:18:34

After seeing that mod I think Justin that is something I will do ASAP. As soon as it cools off here I think I can do it myself. I can't move in high 90s temps. I'm definitely a winter person.

Particularly when on the road or out in the woods it would make me even more happy.

Don't know how I missed that mod. Probably just got overwhelmed since I tried to read all the posts on maintenance right when I got the bike. Time to go back and revisit the tech section now that things are making more sense. And get the CD. Even if I don't want to do it myself I can at least get the mechanics - sometimes - to do what I want. :)

Title: Re: Cutting out again
Post by ALittlebird on 08/02/08 at 05:50:03

547F76657879170 wrote:

Yes KY is required to use RFG during the summer months so there is ethanol. I have gotten gas with water in it though from 2 different stations so I avoid those stations.

I don't think the Savage likes RFG.

Title: Re: Cutting out again
Post by ALittlebird on 08/02/08 at 14:52:41

Well apparently I was right this time and it had to do with the torrential downpours. The mechanic found that the spark plug cap was pooling water. Duh! And the spark plug was black and fouled. New spark plug and new cap and it starts like a breeze now. Sounds different even.

I've ordered a cover so when it's at work sitting out in those storms I have a chance to keep it dry. Our building is right near the river and the storms always follow the line across our parking lot.

Now it's time to do the mod so I can get to the spark plug myself easily.

Thanks everyone.