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Post by papachulo on Sept 16, 2011 0:14:17 GMT -5
Well here goes...
I've had my scooter for about two months (400 miles) now and it has been out of commission the last two weeks. Not really sure what went wrong with it though. Filled it up with 94 octane one day and went for a ride. Stopped at a store for half an hour. Came back out started her up and the first stoplight I got to...it died. Kept idle speed up the rest of the way home and that was it. It'll turn over all day long but no more starting. This was the first time I rode the scoot with temperatures below 70 degrees.
List of specifics:
Compression @ 150 psi
Strong blue/white spark (NGK plug)
Intake valve gap at.003"
Exhaust valve at .004"
New carburetor (will explain)
New fuel lines
Petcock functional
The reason I replaced the carb is because when I opened it to take a look the jet needle was slightly bent. I straightened it but this is the only thing I have been able to find that is mechanically wrong with the bike...well that and the stock carb has a cap over the idle mixture screw and the screws for the bowl have the heads snapped off. Stupid!
I put the new carb on tonight and got it to start and idle decently although it WILL NOT start without opening up the throttle. Let it idle for ten minutes or so and went to take it for a spin. First thing I noticed was a significant reduction in power. Made it about three blocks. At the first stop sign I got to, of course, it died and wouldn't start again. GRRRR!!! Pushed it back to the garage. Now I'm real ticked so I open the intake manifold and spray starter fluid in there. NOTHING!
Now I'm just totally confused and to be perfectly honest, I have no idea what I should do next...
PLEASE HELP ME!!!!!
:sos:
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Post by 90GTVert on Sept 16, 2011 6:17:50 GMT -5
 Since you've swapped carbs, I'd find a way to remove the bowl from the stocker that you know ran well and swap it's main jet into the new carb if they're different. It also sounds like you're gonna need to adjust the idle settings once it's running again. How does the spark plug look after it dies or after trying to start it (wet or dry)? If it's dry we need to figure out why you aren't getting fuel. If it's wet you can try leaving the plug out and kicking the engine over a few times and/or let it sit with the plug out for a bit and see if it starts after that. That won't fix the problem, but if it's flooding it might at least get you running so you can try to adjust the mixture and idle speed. Set the idle speed on the high side and let it warm up before adjusting. |
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Post by papachulo on Sept 16, 2011 18:24:05 GMT -5
First off I would like to thank you for the hasty response. I feel very lucky to have this site as an indispensable resource. That said, I guess I've officially verified my NooB status.
I got home from work and started taking body panels off my scoot and lo and behold I had screwed the seat bucket down and pinched the fuel line.
*Face palm* :doh:
She's idling real good now but I'm not able to ride tonight cuz my 2 year old son is here tonight with no one to watch him. I'll report on performance under load tomorrow.
I'm still having the issue of needing to throttle the bike in order to fire it up. I have a few thoughts on that...but I really don't know what I'm talking about.
First, the starter sounds real bad. Always has. I checked the teeth on the starter itself and everything looks fine. No grease in there though so I added some. Then I popped off the CVT cover and checked the starter bendix or throw out bearing (not sure exactly what its called). No grease on there either...now there is. When I use the electric start it sounds like that bearing stays engaged for a couple seconds after I let off the button. I doubt this is my problem but thought I would let it be known.
A friend of mine said it could be a bad CDI because it regulates the engine rpm at ignition. I have no idea if this is accurate but I'm attempting to exhaust all possibilities in order to get my machine running right.
Thanks in advance for all of your help!
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Post by speedy1125 on Sept 17, 2011 0:06:26 GMT -5
does it high idle until warm? unplug the electric choke and to see if it starts any differently, it may not be working. if its not working it might not be getting power. i dont know what the spec is on it though. my starter sounds like its about to explode and barely has enough power to turn the engine over but it always does and it always sounds the same. i guess it just the nature of the beast. the other 3 identical bikes i have had this summer sounded the same too.
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Post by papachulo on Sept 17, 2011 20:02:07 GMT -5
Another day...another problem. :banghead:
Tried to start it this afternoon and nothing, once again. It's pretty cold here today...about 55 degrees.
Tested the connector for the enricher with the key on. No power. Not sure if this remains powerless until the bike is actually running.
Tested the resistance on the enricher. 15 ohms is right about where it should be.
I really need to get an accurate wiring diagram for a TaoTao CY50 B.
I have the valves adjusted to .003 inches-intake/.004 inches-exhaust. Is this right or should it be metric?
At this point any kind of consistent success or failure would be more than welcome.
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Post by speedy1125 on Sept 17, 2011 22:10:51 GMT -5
if you shoot some starting fluid in the airbox does it start then?
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Post by 90GTVert on Sept 18, 2011 15:13:58 GMT -5
You need to test the enricher with the engine running. It gets power from the charging system.
.003/.004 would be inches, so you're correct there.
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Post by papachulo on Sept 19, 2011 19:46:29 GMT -5
I appreciate everyone's help and apologize for the slow response, but I had to take Sunday off and mentally heal this frustration.
First to answer a few questions:
Speedy: It did not start with starter fluid. It sounded like it wanted to, but the only time I tried it was when the fuel line was pinched.
90GTVert: How do you test the auto-enricher?
So, I went to run some tests again on Monday morning and, sure enough, it started right up. Seems to be running ok. Still need to throttle it a bit to get it fired up but Ive cruised my neighborhood. Close to seventy degrees today so I'm still wondering if it's a choke issue.
At this point I'm hesitant to ride it for any kind of distance...waiting for it to F up. Either I 'm crazy, dumb or completely ignorant, but it seems like this bike is a lemon. Is that even possible for such a tiny engine. I mean seriously! I've un-lemoned every lawnmower I've ever touched. I guess the weather has been real erratic here (Missouri) as of late. Hopefully that's just messing with the fine tuning...
Thanks again! Continued advice/encouragement are much appreciated. :spin:
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Post by speedy1125 on Sept 19, 2011 19:51:10 GMT -5
how much starting fluid did you give it? that starting fluid is some hot sh!t i have never seen it not work. 1/4th of a second isnt gonna do it though give it a few seconds worth..not 10 but you know, a good shot.
If it fires right up sometimes and sometimes not, your cdi may be whacked. hot blue spark you said you saw when you looked, might not be hot blue spark when you arent lookin. i cant see the fuel system doin this problem you describe. try another cdi box. make sure the plug boot and wire are not grounding on anything either.
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Post by papachulo on Sept 19, 2011 20:41:59 GMT -5
It was a really quick blast of starter fluid. Maybe not a 1/4 second but definitely not much more than that.
Beyond that, could you please explain exactly what the CDI does? Like I said, I know lawnmowers...and that's about it. When you say "plug boot and wire" do you mean the wire coming from the battery.
Apologies for the unfamiliarity with the terms, but at least I'm attempting to immerse myself in the jargon. :stumped:
Again, thanks for the hasty help!
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Post by speedy1125 on Sept 20, 2011 2:30:49 GMT -5
spark plug wire and the boot is the part that connects to the spark plug itself. the CDI (capacitive discharge ignition) grounds and ungrounds the coil which makes the plug fire. the CDI also handles ignition timing (and limits RPMS on some)
you might have a loose wire somewhere going to the CDI or coil, or a crazy coil.
the fact that sometimes it runs fine and sometimes will not start at all makes me think its an electrical issue.
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Post by 90GTVert on Sept 20, 2011 7:21:05 GMT -5
90GTVert: How do you test the auto-enricher? The easiest way to be sure it's working is to either remove it and plug the hole with chewing gum and let the scooter run. You could also remove it and measure how far the plunger is out, reinstall, let the scoot run for 5 minutes, then remove it and measure again. You can test for power to it, but this way you see if it is doing it's job or not. Here's what it should do.... |
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Post by papachulo on Sept 20, 2011 12:44:25 GMT -5
Thanks again for all your help! So, tried to start the bike again this morning and nothing. I'm starting to think you might be on to something Speedy. If I had time this morning I would've tested the enricher. That's gonna have to wait until tonight. Here's the thing. I'm gonna go ahead and order a new CDI (and coil?) but is there anyway to test these before I order? Secondly, do you guys know where to get an unrestricted CDI for a decent price. The last thing I wanna do is lose power on the bike. That's been the only good thing about my scoot is how fast it goes (40-45 mph on flat) and since this issue started whenever it does happen to run it's really lacking for power and revs. I feel as though I can see a glimmer of light forming on the horizon. I just wanna RIDE!  Quick edit: I don't think I ever said and I'm sure you guys already have a good idea but my scoot is a Tao Tao CY50B with a QMB139 engine. |
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Post by papachulo on Sept 20, 2011 21:28:48 GMT -5
An additional update for now...
Got home from work. Checked for spark. Strong spark. Tried to fire it up and got nothing. It doesn't sound like it's trying to fire up, even with full throttle starts. Pulled the plug out. It was definitely wet. I wouldn't say dripping but more like glistening. Checked spark again. Still strong. Then I sprayed a generous amount of starter fluid in the carb. Did not fire at all with electric or kick start. Pulled plug out again...still strong. I checked the timing a week ago when I adjusted the valves. Perfect then. Is there any way the timing could have jumped off with next to no riding and a little idling?
Is this still sounding like a CDI issue? I'll order one immediately if so.
I'm getting weary and discouraged...
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Post by speedy1125 on Sept 20, 2011 22:09:30 GMT -5
how old is the gas thats in it? could it have water in it? The very next thing i would do is put a (preferably green) wire on one of the valve cover bolts and run it to the frame somewhere. make sure you scrape the paint off where you attach it to. your engine might not be grounded and have weak spark while the plug is in the head. make sure all green wires everywhere have dont have paint under them.  |
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