Need expert opinions - Time for valve adjustment?

[SovietRobot]

I recently started riding my bike to work after letting it sit for months at a time and started noticing some problems.

1. At first it wouldn't start, it would crank forever until I went wide open throttle then it would sputter to a start, like it was gasping for air. Now after riding it for a while it starts but still sputters to a start until I rev it a few times.

2. Off throttle/decel is really crappy

3. Throttlebodies are impossible to sync correctly

4. Lumpy idle, jumps from 1100-1600 rpm and sounds like it's got hot cams, which leads people to ask me where I got my cams.

5. Mediocre gas mileage, and I can smell unburnt gas all the time

These conditions would lead me to believe that the exhaust valves are sticking open, but I'm not an expert on this thing.

I also *think* the lumpy idle could be caused by cam chain slapping due to the piece of crap automatic tensioner found on these bikes. So today I took apart the tensioner, tested it, and put it back in. The idle is maybe 40% better but not perfect.

What do you think? Are my valves simply out of adjustment or is there possibly burnt valves?(please god no).

I will NOT take my bike to a shop and pay them $500 to do this. Instead I(if you think so) will buy all the parts and tools myself, even getting a new cam chain/gears and manual tensioner, and do the work myself and still come out on top.

Mileage = 24,000~

 

[ChevyFazer]

I recently started riding my bike to work after letting it sit for months at a time and started noticing some problems.

1. At first it wouldn't start, it would crank forever until I went wide open throttle then it would sputter to a start, like it was gasping for air. Now after riding it for a while it starts but still sputters to a start until I rev it a few times.

2. Off throttle/decel is really crappy

3. Throttlebodies are impossible to sync correctly

4. Lumpy idle, jumps from 1100-1600 rpm and sounds like it's got hot cams, which leads people to ask me where I got my cams.

5. Mediocre gas mileage, and I can smell unburnt gas all the time

These conditions would lead me to believe that the exhaust valves are sticking open, but I'm not an expert on this thing.

I also *think* the lumpy idle could be caused by cam chain slapping due to the piece of crap automatic tensioner found on these bikes. So today I took apart the tensioner, tested it, and put it back in. The idle is maybe 40% better but not perfect.

What do you think? Are my valves simply out of adjustment or is there possibly burnt valves?(please god no).

I will NOT take my bike to a shop and pay them $500 to do this. Instead I(if you think so) will buy all the parts and tools myself, even getting a new cam chain/gears and manual tensioner, and do the work myself and still come out on top.

Mileage = 24,000~

Sounds like a classic cass of bad gas/water or something of that sort after sittig that long to me....valves just wouldnt get out of adjustment by sitting

Sent from my R800x using Tapatalk

 

[DefyInertia]

So I'm not an expert. Not even close. ok?

Is the thing all gummed up? Did you do any prep before parking it??? Maybe running some SeaFoam through the bike would help clean things up.

 

[SovietRobot]

I didn't do any prep to it. It could be just gummed up from sitting I'll definitely try flushing it with some seafoam.

But I still want to atleast check the valve clearance check compression and replace the spark plugs while I got everything taken apart.

 

[fb40dash5]

But I still want to atleast check the valve clearance check compression and replace the spark plugs while I got everything taken apart.

Not a bad idea to at least check the valves. I'm far from an expert on multi-carb/throttles, but one of the main things I always heard when I had my old XJ was to always check the valves first, because a tight valve could throw off the carb sync or make it impossible to get them synced. Not sure what else besides a vac leak would cause that issue.

 

[iSteve]

I would also check that all the plugs are good and spark plug boots are tight. A misfiring plug can cause most of those problems including unburned fuel.

 

[FinalImpact]

Do a compression test. Valves that burn are valves that are held open to long because they have no lash.

Get it warm, pull the plug and follow the instructions in the manual for doing a compression test. Give us the results and lets see where it all goes.

But, moisture and bad fuel can make an engine run pretty bad.

Replace the fuel
Confirm the battery has a good connection
Confirm no stray sparks from the coil wires in the dark
Compression test
Take picture of the plugs conditions (no cell phone, get a macro shot)
Check valve lash (hint loose valve lash makes noise, tight valves burn)

Something like that - and what year is it? Ever have the TPS chedked?

Those all come to mind. . .

 

[SovietRobot]

I'll try to do all that. I need to buy a compression gauge and find the time, plus my hands are so big pulling the plugs is a nightmare.

It's a 2006, so it shouldn't have a TPS problem.
The performance off idle and at more than 5% throttle is still exceptional. It still revs hauls and accelerates like crazy.

 

[Wolfman]

Lumpy Idle might be due to an exhaust leak....only needs to be pinhole sized.

 

[FinalImpact]

Does this story have an Ending? SovietRobot, update????

Bad Gas or ??

 

[SovietRobot]

I ran some seafoam through the tank and intake, it runs better, but still has a little loppy idle which I attribute to the cam chain/tensioner. I have a manual one ordered waiting for it to come.

I still plan on doing a valve check and whatnot.

Also a side note on the seafoam, I sprayed it through the intake, and it came out the exhaust in its liquid form, not igniting into white smoke. I also realized it was leaking out of the necks where the airbox connects to the throttlebodies. I rode it for a couple hours then let it sit for a day or two. After that a little bit of white smoke came out.

 

[FinalImpact]

I ran some seafoam through the tank and intake, it runs better, but still has a little loppy idle which I attribute to the cam chain/tensioner. I have a manual one ordered waiting for it to come.

I still plan on doing a valve check and whatnot.

Also a side note on the seafoam, I sprayed it through the intake, and it came out the exhaust in its liquid form, not igniting into white smoke. I also realized it was leaking out of the necks where the airbox connects to the throttlebodies. I rode it for a couple hours then let it sit for a day or two. After that a little bit of white smoke came out.

Can you tell us what you did? As in, did you have the air box open and sprayed it in while it was running? And likely put some in the fuel tank?

The leak at the airbox to the throttle-body although not great, really shouldn't affect the idle quality. What concerns me is you say raw liquid came out the exhaust? If you flooded the area above the throttle plate, that sounds excessive and once the plugs are wet, it prolly quit firing them. Also you risk mechanical damage to the engine from doing a hydrostatic lock (filling cylinders with fluid which doesn't compress).

Has it ever ran right? Have you ever pulled the plugs out?

 

[ChevyFazer]

+1 on everything he said plus what kind of sea foam did you use? The only seafoam that ive sceen that you can spray is a lubercant called sea foam deep creep and shouldn't be used for anything like what you described.

Sent from my R800x using Tapatalk

 

[DefyInertia]

What is your idle set at?

Are your throttle bodies adjusted correctly?

I would have drained the old gas, put fresh gas in along with some seafoam and taken it for a good ride. I would not spay liquid into the intake....but I'm no expert.

 

[Marthy]

Did I hear Hydrolock!:spank:

 

[SovietRobot]

Regular old seafoam. It comes in regular old liquid and aerosol spray. I sprayed it into the airbox(hole for air temp sensor). I'd say 80% of it came out and ran down the side of my bike so it didn't hydrolock.

It used to run great, and the whole idle thing started when I installed a cat-delete pipe. Well cats been back in and I could never get it right.

Idle screw does nothing, so no matter what i set it at it sits around 13-1400RPM but bounces around. I've tried syncing the throttlebodies several times but can never get it right.
Performance is great, the problem is just idle and partial throttle(where it lugs and sounds like the exhaust valves are sticking open).

I haven't pulled the plugs yet, there's maybe 5,000 miles on them.

I work 7 days a week, have no garage/place to work on the bike and no tools, so I don't get many opportunities to work on it so that's why no updates.

 

[ChevyFazer]

Still sounds like a fuel problem to me, in my experiences valves dont go bad after only 5000 miles unless the engine has sceen 14k for 80% of its life. But also one treatment of seafoam on gumed up fuel system doesn't always fix it first go round. Sometimes it takes several treatments, especially since you saw "liquid" come out of the exhaust....something either isnt fireing, or something is still nastyfied

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[Phil_RC_1]

Still sounds like a fuel problem to me, in my experiences valves dont go bad after only 5000 miles unless the engine has sceen 14k for 80% of its life. But also one treatment of seafoam on gumed up fuel system doesn't always fix it first go round. Sometimes it takes several treatments, especially since you saw "liquid" come out of the exhaust....something either isnt fireing, or something is still nastyfied

Sent from my R800x using Tapatalk

+1

On my old Roadstar, which is notorious for sticky exhaust valves, I have had to use at least two full tanks treated with "Shock treatment" strength before it completely cleared up. You may want to go with another treatment (or 2) of seafoam. Now, just for maintenance, I regularly use it in all my bikes but at milder ratios.

 

[SovietRobot]

Today I got my APE manual cam chain tensioner, so I installed it.

First, gasket from the old one broke in half, and the new one didn't come with a gasket!
Then, after I removed the stock CCT, I heard a "pop", which was the chain guide slapping against the inside of the engine. Hope I didn't just skip a tooth on the cams.

Got the new CCT on, with no real instructions I tightened it with a wrench, then backed it out a little.

Started it up. First thing I noticed, idle, both at startup and running temp was dead solid, and throttle response was crisper. The "rattle" was gone, but I could hear a whine from the chain, probably too tight.

But I think I made it too tight because the throttle would bog down if you just barely blipped it, and it was making a lot of noise in the chain area of the engine.

 

[Black_Cirrus]

Idle screw does nothing, so no matter what i set it at it sits around 13-1400RPM but bounces around. I've tried syncing the throttlebodies several times but can never get it right.
Performance is great, the problem is just idle and partial throttle(where it lugs and sounds like the exhaust valves are sticking open).

Sounds like you have some sort of a vacuum leak never dug far enough into my bike to known where to go from there but those are all symptoms of a vacuum leak. Maybe behind the throttle bodys?