Dual Headlight Mod...HELP!!!

[element192]

Hi Everyone,

I recently purchased the connect from BD43 for the dual headlight mod and finally today decided to install it. The only "tough" part for me was when I was re-assembling the bottom air box that mounts over the four intake pipes was very stubborn to get back into place. Other than that everything went very well.
Now, I hadn't ridden the bike in over a week so maybe it has something to do with my problem. When I went to take it out for a spin it is very bogged down. When I accelerate it feels like it is very under powered and kind of spudders. I found that was it reached a certain RPM it rode normally. It also only seemed to be a problem in 1st gear.
Did I do something wrong under the tank? Maybe something needs to be checked since it wasn't ridden for over a week and was outside (covered)? Anything anyone can offer as a suggestion would really be appreciated!
I also seem to remember the bottom of the digital tachometer blinking... it went away but was doing it for a little while.
Thanks in advance!

 

[tweak89]

Perhaps you didn't seat the airbox properly? Might be drawing too much air.

I just did the mod myself, but ran the wire along the wire bundle that goes into the light switch module on the bar. Used a small quick splice that fit inside the module. No cutting, no tank removal. Works great.

 

[Motogiro]

Check the vacuum lines?

Cliff

 

[element192]

Tweak89: do you know how I would be able to tell if I didn't seat the air box properly? That's what I was afraid of originally. I had a hard time getting it on there and finally it felt like it went on but I still had to work to get the screws in to hold it down.

Nccoder: what vacuum line do you think it would be? Sorry if that's a dumb question. I know there was a small rubber hose that was pulled tight when I lifted the tank up but it didn't look like it came loose, maybe it loosened on the other end? The only other line I noticed was the think one on the right side of the air box, but that one seems to be on pretty good.

Thank you for the comments.

 

[tweak89]

Well, it's really difficult to tell. I had a hell of a time getting all the seals down and around the throttle bodies when I was doing maintenance on my '05 FZ.

You can peer under the airbox at the rear of the seals with the tank on. But you wouldn't be able to see if one of the seals is pinched or whatnot if it's on the inside or front.

Although it's a pain, you may have to lift the tank and re-check that everything is where it should be.

 

[RJ2112]

Hi Everyone,

..................................
I also seem to remember the bottom of the digital tachometer blinking... it went away but was doing it for a little while...................

Thanks in advance!

Can't help with the rest of this; but I can tell you the last two blocks of the digital tach blinking is perfectly normal, and indicates the motor is not at operating temp yet. When they go solid, you're all warmed up.

 

[element192]

Yeah, Tweak89, I was afraid I would probably have to pull it all apart again... That air box was a real pain and my gut reaction when it was running funny was that it had something to do with the air box. We're getting some rain here this week so I guess I won't be able to work on this for a few days. Thanks for the help.
RJ2112: thanks so much for that tip, I had no idea!

 

[cv_rider]

Funny on that airbox how some people have a hell of a time with it and others have no issue. Based on the suggestions of one of the many comments on this topic in BD43'2 Dual Headlight Mod 2 thread, I took the lid/dome off the airbox (there are six screws holding it down) before removing the airbox. When re-seating the airbox, if the dome is off, you can see the four throttle bodies you are trying to seat the airbox onto. You can tell when it is steated correctly. If you are trying to put the airbox back in place with the dome on it, you wouldnt' see any of that, and it would be more difficult I imagine. Doing it this way, I had no issue with the airbox re-install. After you seat it on the throttle bodies, then screw the dome back on.

 

[element192]

Hey everyone,
Well I just pulled it all apart again to check everything (finally), but it seems like everything is fine. It looks like the air box is seated properly, but maybe I should pull it completely off again and re-install it?
It also seems like all hoses are properly attached so I wouldn't think there would be a vacuum problem...
But I'm having the exact same problem. The bike sputters and bogs down when I'm accelerating. Eventually it "picks up" through the acceleration and feels normal but almost everytime I accelerate I feel the problem.
Anyone have any other ideas? Should I pull the airbox completely off again and retry it? I'm desperate at this point, the bike is totally unrideable and I'm going crazy!!!
Thanks.

 

[tweak89]

Hey everyone,
Well I just pulled it all apart again to check everything (finally), but it seems like everything is fine. It looks like the air box is seated properly, but maybe I should pull it completely off again and re-install it?
It also seems like all hoses are properly attached so I wouldn't think there would be a vacuum problem...
But I'm having the exact same problem. The bike sputters and bogs down when I'm accelerating. Eventually it "picks up" through the acceleration and feels normal but almost everytime I accelerate I feel the problem.
Anyone have any other ideas? Should I pull the airbox completely off again and retry it? I'm desperate at this point, the bike is totally unrideable and I'm going crazy!!!
Thanks.

Maybe time to synch the throttle bodies??

 

[racebrooks]

Really....thats what going on....i always wondered why the tach was blinking. Even so......I almost never look at it because it is difficult to read.

Thanks

 

[Fred]

Check vacuum lines. Possibly you disconnected the one running to the MAP sensor. (Back, right corner of the airbox)

Did you plug the air temperature sensor back in? (Back, left corner of the airbox?)

Check that the airbox is seated by feeling down inside each intake runner. There should not be a gap between the plastic of the air box and the metal of the intake runner.

You say that the airbox was a real pain. It shouldn't have been. When you removed it, you loosened the four clamps underneath it that clamp it to the throttle bodies before you pulled it loose, right? If not, you may have pulled the throttle bodies loose from the cylinder head, which would make the bike run terribly.

Check that the throttle position sensor is connected too. I doubt you unplugged that, but it needs looking at.

Don't bother with a throttle body synch. Look where you last worked. It's definitely something that you did, just retrace all of your steps.

Fred

 

[goker]

Hey everyone,
Well I just pulled it all apart again to check everything (finally), but it seems like everything is fine. It looks like the air box is seated properly, but maybe I should pull it completely off again and re-install it?
It also seems like all hoses are properly attached so I wouldn't think there would be a vacuum problem...
But I'm having the exact same problem. The bike sputters and bogs down when I'm accelerating. Eventually it "picks up" through the acceleration and feels normal but almost everytime I accelerate I feel the problem.
Anyone have any other ideas? Should I pull the airbox completely off again and retry it? I'm desperate at this point, the bike is totally unrideable and I'm going crazy!!!
Thanks.

That's what I would do. Take it apart again as cv_rider mentioned so you can see how it is sitting on there and also check for kinked vacuum, gas lines. It is pretty common occurrence because of the way they lay under the tank.

 

[element192]

Boy, I really did not think that installing a simple cable to make a headlight run would turn into such a mess...

Well Fred has me really worried now... No, when I was working on it I really didn't notice the clamps holding them down. Seems stupid to have missed something like that now. How would I tell if the throttle bodies are loose? Is that something that I can repair myself or would that be a big problem? Oh boy... But I will say that I don't remember REMOVING it being a problem, it was the getting it back on part.

When you say to feel around the intake runners do you mean as it is now, just feel around inside those four holes for a gap? When I just had it all apart I looked underneath and it looked like the airbox was as far down as it could go.

I'm not too familiar with all of these vacuum lines you are referring to but I checked every hose I could see and they all appeared to be connected.

This is so frustrating.

 

[Fred]

If you didn't remove the clamps, they're probably loose.

Do this.

Remove the airbox again, but this time first loosen the hose clamps holding the airbox to the throttle bodies. There are four hose clamps, and I believe that they take an allen wrench to loosen them.

Now, with the airbox off, see if the throttle bodies are loose. They should not move.

Also, try to get a look at the bottom of the throttle bodies, where they connect to the engine. There are four more clamps there. The best thing to do, in my opinion, is to loosen those clamps and push down and wiggle the throttle bodies to get them to seat back into their boots. Then tighten those clamps again.

I've never had to do this particular job, so there may be all sorts of stuff in the way. My advice is to get it as far apart as it was before, take some pictures, and post them here.

If there's somebody in CA who is mechanically minded and can lend a hand, I bet you'd get some primo beer out of the deal.

Fred

 

[Fred]

When you say to feel around the intake runners do you mean as it is now, just feel around inside those four holes for a gap?

Yes.

Fred

 

[element192]

Thanks, Fred.

That sounds like a good plan. Since I don't have a garage this will, unfortunately, have to wait until tomorrow. Hopefully this is something I can tackle.

If there is anyone else who has had the misfortune of tightening his or her throttle bodies I would love some more advice before I attempt!!!

 

[element192]

Okay, well I figured before I start taking the complete airbox off (properly this time) I would post some pictures to see if anyone notices anything out of place. Hope this helps.

Thanks for any suggestions!!!

 

[element192]

Fred,

Well I went ahead and loosened all of the clamps and took the entire airbox off. The throttle bodies were very firm. There was definitely nothing loose under there. I'm starting to enter panic mode now because it seems like everything is more or less normal under there. I'm not sure what the problem can be. If you look at the pictures and see anything that doesn't look right please let me know. Or just tell me if you need a picture of something specific and I will take it. One thing: that green "plug" that goes into the airbox from the back seems really loose, I don't know what the deal with that is though.

Please, anyone who has a suggestion: HELP!!!

 

[tweak89]

I still stand by my suggestion that the throttle bodies might need to be synced.