Sasquatch Posted May 15, 2016 Share Posted May 15, 2016 Hi - I'm trying to get my other half's Dragstar running (long story short: it was sitting for about 5 years, but started and warmed up every month or so, then sat for the last 18 months with no activity). There's fresh fuel, new oil and filter, new air filter, and a new battery. Spark plugs where a bit black but dry - spark is good, so just cleaned them up. The issue is that it doesn't fire at all, so suspect an issue with the carb - I checked that there's fuel to the carb inlet pipe (I now smell strongly of petrol), but I am at a loss as to what to do next. The Sasquatch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slice Posted May 15, 2016 Share Posted May 15, 2016 Take the carbs off and clean them through with carb cleaner, even though you started the bike every moth for a while it has still stood with old fuel in it for a while, that alone would be enough for the jets to get blocked. Best way is to store your bike is drain the fuel and run the carbs dry then leave it till you need it otherwise your going to get this problem. Best of luck. PS by clean them I mean take everything from inside out and clean it, DON'T try to flush them with the jets in or you will just move the crud further round the carb. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Cynic Posted May 15, 2016 Moderator Share Posted May 15, 2016 Yep as above, my TDR really hates old fuel, if its more than 4 months old she wont run and every spring I have to clean the carbs no matter what I try. Or she will block a jet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sasquatch Posted May 15, 2016 Author Share Posted May 15, 2016 I think I've pretty much confirmed the diagnosis - I went out and picked up some Easy Start just now. With a couple of squirts, the motor started straight off. Now, I need to work out how to get the carb off, as I don't have a workshop manual. I'm assuming the first (obvious) job is taking the - half full - petrol tank off so that I can actually get at the carb... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Cynic Posted May 15, 2016 Moderator Share Posted May 15, 2016 You might be able to get at the carb drain in situ. It may need double jointed hands to get to but you usually can, then junk the 18 month old fuel and try some fresh. If she fired up that easy with easy start there cant be a lot wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sasquatch Posted May 15, 2016 Author Share Posted May 15, 2016 Hi Cynic Less than 10 minutes to get the tank off (YouTube is your friend), and another 40 minutes to work out how to get the carb off... The first thing I discovered is that the piston was stuck, so blasted it with carb cleaner, so it moves now. The second thing I discovered, (well, the first thing, really) was that the carb joint is cracked, so will have source another (urgh £112 plus postage!). What does the carb drain look like, and what else can I do with the carb without disassembling it? BTW - I've found something I've been missing for a good few years (this being my first attempt on motorcycles) - vehicles without several black boxes and a gazillion wires plugged into everything, ECUs that need re-setting, etc The Sasquatch 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slice Posted May 15, 2016 Share Posted May 15, 2016 On the bottom of the float bowl you should see a Philips head screw up inside a socket arrangement at the base/side of the bowl, CAREFULLY find the right screwdriver and remove said screw from the housing, the fuel should flow straight out, if not then you have to take it apart as it's blocked with crud. You can run a thin wire up the hole and wiggle it about to encourage the fuel to flow but all your doing is moving the crud around inside the bowl and it will bite you on the arse if you don't drain and clean it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sasquatch Posted May 15, 2016 Author Share Posted May 15, 2016 I guess I'm finding some of my own answers along the way - I suspect that this is the carb drain, bottom left? Whatever it is, it is seized solid and the head partly stripped (as are two pan-head screws on the piston cover)... Hi Slice - just missed your post. I suspect I will have a bit of trouble with this one... Ah, well... that's what weekends are for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slice Posted May 15, 2016 Share Posted May 15, 2016 Yeah that's the bugger, usually pretty hard to get out, which is why I said find the right screwdriver, if you find one that fit's perfect then they will come out if you try with any old thing your almost bound to strip the head off. You have a cross cut AND a straight cut screw on yours so a decent straight screwdriver will get it out easily, heat is your friend here, hot air gun (paint stripper) heat it and cool it a couple of times, hot then dunk in cold water and it will pop out easy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sasquatch Posted May 15, 2016 Author Share Posted May 15, 2016 Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Airhead Posted May 15, 2016 Moderator Share Posted May 15, 2016 Engines that have stood a long time and have failed to start after many attempts may just be low on compression because all the oil has washed from the bores and piston rings. Give the compression a helping hand by taking the sparkplugs out and dropping a little oil into each cylinder. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sasquatch Posted August 8, 2017 Author Share Posted August 8, 2017 Hiya Life got in the way for quite a while, but I've finally been able to take some time with this one. The carb is all cleaned out an ready, battery fresh and charged, everything reassembled, and... nothing. The electrics seem OK (lights, horn, indicators) and the engine light comes on and then goes off, Neutral light is on, but there's no action from the starter. I'm not sure where to go from here (I work mainly on cars, not bikes). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sasquatch Posted August 9, 2017 Author Share Posted August 9, 2017 Well, some progress... Following 'Trouble Shooting 101', I checked as many electical connections as I could find and I moved the sidestand back and forth a number of time. All seemed OK, and the starter now turns, with a healthy spark, but the engine won't fire, so I'm kinda back where I was when I started all of this I will need to double check that, when I reinstalled the carb, I got the various lines connected correctly (it was some months between taking it off and putting it on.) and verify that I'm getting fuel into it. Has anyone got a picture or diagram of what a correctly installed carb looks like? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sasquatch Posted August 13, 2017 Author Share Posted August 13, 2017 Well, it's sorted now. After no further luck starting it, and having checked that everything was reconnected and reinstalled in the right place. I sorted out a bit of narrow tubing and got a good shot of ether in through the 'snorkel' air intake. It fired up straight away, sputtered and coughed a few times and then ran, albeit qute erratically. Even after a few minutes, it didn't really want to idle very well. It would appear that, having been apart, there might have been an air lock somewhere that needed a bit of 'encouragement' to shift. I guess it needs a bit of setting up properly, so that's the next job, and then the MOT, and then... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dan28 Posted August 31, 2017 Share Posted August 31, 2017 did you say the carb inlet is split / cracked this causes it to only fire on one cylinder sort this before you change anything else you can use from another yam its either xs it cost around £12 new from ebay or virago if I remember correct it has small vac tube you to need to block or as a tempory measure coat the split in expoxy resin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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