running on one cylinder...help!

bluelightning

bluelightning

New member
Joined
Nov 15, 2005
Messages
151
Age
40
Location
bristol CT
hey all,

did a quick search, and it looks like other people in the past have had an electrical issue when happens...but my situation had a bit different circumstances then others...which lead me to believe its not electrical (IE, everyone else that had this problem had some sort of gauge issue, which i do not)

just moved last month, so obviously moved my sled with me. when i started it to get it in the trailer, it started after 3 pulls after sitting all summer. got it in the garage and it sat for another week or 2. finally got around to cleaning the carbs and draining the old gas this weekend. carbs were spotless. put them back on, and took about 30 pulls to start, but didnt seem to be running right. so i started pulling wires...and sure enough it is only running on the middle cylinder. so i figured i should prolly change the plugs, maybe i fouled them while moving it (it was about 60 degrees when i did). changed the plugs.....wouldnt start. checked to see if i had spark, and i do on all 3. pulled pulled pulled about a gagillion times and NOTHING. not even a sputter. then i gave up for the day. tried again today, started after like 50 pulls, but still running only on middle cylinder. WTF. at this point i figured i must have done something wrong with the carbs. just took them off and they are all apart....nothing was wrong with them. all 3 bowls had fuel in them. i have spark...i have fuel.....now what???
 

Did you check the condition of your reeds and powervalves, i know it sounds like it wouldnt do anything to affect you but you may as well eliminate everything that could possibly be wrong, and cleaning and adjusting your powervalves doesnt hurt at all
 
ya need to clean the carbs by taking the jets out of them and then blowing carb cleaner thru the passages in the carbs, the pilot jet and fuel screw passages are clogged up, the pilot jets sits in these aluminum tubes/shields sticking down, remove them with a penlight screwdriver and shoot carb cleaner up thru the carb body thru the little plastic hose that comes on the can. Then take out the fuel screws in bottom of front of carb and do the same thing, you should see carb cleaner coming out in the throat of the carb from both the pilot jet and the fuel screws. when you get the cleaner fluid to come out both and can see light thru the pilot jet when looking thru the end they will be clean, blow dry with compressed air in every hole you can find.
 
thanks for the replys everyone.......but i'm sorry to say i've done all of these. at least to the best of my knowledge. took out both jets, along with the fuel screws, and blasted everything with carb cleaner and then with compressed air. i cleaned the carbs again today, but didnt try starting it yet (i was waiting to hear what u guys had to say).

and the thing that bothers me is that i did this as preventative mainainace...it was running fine before i did this.....

maxdlx, it has fresh super in it

and mrviper i did what u said..blasted with carb cleaner till it was shooting out. and then blew dry.

like i said, i cleaned the carbs again today....maybe i did a better job this time? i have class tommorow but will try starting it again in the am....just am scared cuz i dont wanna cause any damage to it.
 
The crankcase could be full of fuel from trailering. Pull the pipes and see if they are loaded with fuel. Try starting with the fuel lines pinched or empty the bowls and then pinch the lines and try to start with no fuel. You never mentioned if the plugs were fouled or wet. Could be the mice built a nest in the pipes after you moved.
 
My 98 SRX did something similar last time I changed a blown piston/jug and drained the carbs.When I started it up again it was only running on 2 cylinders and had to use alot of choke to get the 3'rd on to pick up.Carbs were clean otherwise as the sled had been running up until the piston went out due to too lean mains #$%&* .Try starting it up and choking it a bit more,that may seem excessive but it's what worked for me.
 
bluehammer, i had the pipes off at the same time (ended up dropping something and had to take them out to get to it). plugs are not fouled...almost barely visibly moist.

fourbarrel, when i choke it, it seems to rev up just fine...as if running on all 3. but when idling, when i pull the pto or mag side wire it stays running, but whne puling the middle it dies. if i hit the gas its definately not running right...but like i said, seems to rev fine with the choke....
 
You're leading us to believe that the motor is not getting fuel, but does get some when choked. The question then is why is this? Fuel delivery would be the answer. So then we start looking for that problem. You are absolutely sure that the carbs are clean, so that takes care of that problem. So that leaves a few things open: Pinched fuel lines-are they routed correcty? No fuel in tank. Broken or pinched vacuum line to fuel pump. Plugged filter in tank. All floats are out of spec. No free play in throttle cable. Carbs totally out of sync. That's all I can think of now. Maybe more later from others. Let us know what you find.
 
I agree with Bluehammer, you need to address the float level settings then if the carbs are as clean as you say. Since you have been in there I would look at the fuelpump pulse line as well, thats easy to pinch, its right there by the pto and center carb underneath.
 
mrviper, i PMed you again. bluehammer, all lines in and out of fuel pump seem fine. ffresh fuel in tank. proper slack in throttle cable. must have to look back to the carbs...although all i did was take out jets and blast the hell out of everything...made no adjustments.
modsrx, needles are out 1.5 turns. i had a bit of that lingering high idle after hitting the gas, which led me to believe i was a bit rich so i brought the fuel screw out a bit
 
actually, one more thing. those stupid plastic rings that go around that center jet....whats the deal with those? looks like there is a ring in the metal sleeve around the jet that these plastic things should "snap" into...but mine just kinda rested there....and i could definately see how that might interfere with the floats....know i am hopelessly vauge...i apologize
 
just blasting the heck out of them without squirting the carb cleaner thru each passage way and confirming the passage is open in the carb doesnt mean the carbs are clean. You should take out the pilot jet, then using the smallplastic spray hose on can stick it up in the port for the pilot jet and it should come up and out of the small passage in the front of the carb throat, this will be on the engine side of the carb slide, same with fuel screw , if it isnt coming thru that tiny hole, the pilot circuit is plugged up. You also should be able to hold up the pilot jet to a light and see thru it from one end to the other.
 
those keep the fuel around the main jet, they only fit on one way, or you cant get the bowl back on. the recessed side of the brass part goes up, meaning towards top of carb, the main jet holds these in place.
 
i know i have those brass pieces on properly...i'm refering to the plastic ring that goes around it...

and by "blasting the heck out of it", i ment that i did hit through each hole individually. like i said, i was pretty sure everything was clean, but i'll try again this evening and get back to you all...thanks again mrviper.
 
The plastic rings you refer to wouldn't by chance be the jet needle shims would they?If one of those are out place or missing then you could very well have one blocking off a passage.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.


Back
Top