Author Topic: B4 - Not firing on all 4 :-( (Read 3684 times)

D7 · « **on:** July 11, 2005, 06:47:44 PM »

Hi - Can anyone help, as my poor b4 is not happy?

Firstly I'm no mechanic (but I try), and secondly I have read loads of the other threads with some very similar, but here's my story.

During the winter (Jan/Feb) when it was cold and wet, the bike started running and sounding like a twin. It seemed #4 pipe was cold/warm not hot like the others. I changed the plugs, Oil, Oil Filter, Air Filter, and put some of that Carb Cleaner/ De-carb Icing stuff in the petrol tank. I also noticed when changing the plugs that the plug caps came apart from the lead. Actually #3 & #4 leads fell apart, so not being not sure if that was supposed to happen I cleaned (the sulphur)out and pushed them back in as tight as I could.

After all this the bike kinda ran better, then didn't, then it was fine again, and has been fine since(ish). It's only been now and again (once a fortnight) that it's played up, but went away again ... until now.

Then to my horror, I came out one morning last week and found petrol pissing out of a tiny rust/ paint chip hole, but leaking badly. Don't know quite how that happened but suspect it's been weeping for a few weeks, just haven't spotted it, but there had been a strange stain in that area, so that kinda makes sense. (Q1, could fuel have leaked onto the left coil and damaged it ?) Anyway, a new (2nd hand) tank later and we're in business.(ish)

My poor bike is now constantly not right. So, have taken the plug out of #4 again, and still it was the same as last time - plug was sooty black and wet with fuel. Cleaned it up and popped it back in again, and once again checking those plug leads are tight in their caps. Checked the petcock, and it did dribble a bit of fuel when I pulled the pipe off, and if I moved the tank around a bit, the tank would dribble a bit more, but that was it, and certainly not constant.

Ermm, what else can I tell you .. oh, I don't have black smoke coming out of my bike, but the end of the can is geting a bit sooty. Oh, and also (don't know if this could be relavent), but I'm sure my fan doesn't work or cut in. There's plenty of fluid in the radiator, and I don't apppear to have lost any, but my bike does seem to be getting a bit hot at the moment, so I'm concerned my pump isn't working right (don't actually know how I'd tell, but if I squeeze the pipes they do feel a bit hard so maybe there's excess pressure - but again, can't tell) Maybe it's getting hot becasue of #4 not working right ??????

So, can anyone please help, as I'm concerned this could be expensive, and that could be an issue, but I need my baby to work right cus she needs to get me to work and back (and a bit of play of course)

Any ideas???? Pleeease!

Thanks!!

magicGoose · « **Reply #1 on:** July 12, 2005, 06:21:35 PM »

Hi,
I'm no mechanic either, and I only try occasionally, but I do have a suggestion or two.
First, when you say you cleaned the sulphur out and pushed them back together, do you mean that the wires were corroded or the inside of the caps, or both? This stuff should all be really clean. If the inside of the caps where the wire attaches is corroded, you need to clean it all out or else get new caps.
Get yourself some new wires and replace the old ones altogether. The wire can be bought at many bike shops for a dollar or two a foot. It is easy to replace, and can make quite a difference even to a bike that is running reasonably well. I just did mine last weekend.
Also, you should know that the wires should not be pushed on to the caps or coils, but screwed in. If you take a close look at the little post sticking up where the wire goes in you will see that it has a thread on it. When you turn the wire while pushing it into the hole so that this little post is basically screwed into the middle of the conductor, you will have a very solid connection.
Good Luck
Steve

D7 · « **Reply #2 on:** July 12, 2005, 07:44:33 PM »

Thanks Steve !!

D'yu know, I woke up this morning, and she ran perfectly again. This is really starting to do my head in!!

Re The wires - I did give them a clean out but to be fair they do look a little rusty-ish in there, but nothing major. I did try to screw them at first but it wasn't going in so it went in with more of a push than a twist.

Perhaps there's a few little things all going wrong with the bike, but I think I'm sticking with the electrical theory for now (unless anyone knows better) and perhaps the wires are top of the list and/or coils.

Now forgive me for being thick, but on my bike it looks like the two wires (per coil) go straight into what looks like a sealed black plasticy unit. So thinking that was the case, I thought the whole unit needed to be replaced. Am I wrong - does the case to the unit come off?? (with out breaking it of course?!)(If so how etc...)

I just can't get my around it working well again today. There just doesn't seem to be an obvious pattern i.e. after a rainy day etc.. It just happens

Anyway if you have any more thoughts, I'm definitely listening.

Thanks for the help!!!!!

D

interfuse · « **Reply #3 on:** July 13, 2005, 01:52:52 AM »

The wires screw off of the ignition coil if you turn them.

Another easy thing to check is your spark plugs. I was running on 3 at idle yesterday. Pulled the plugs today and all of them had a lot of carbon deposits. I cleaned the plugs and now she's seems to be running on all 4. I'll see what happens tomorrow.

magicGoose · « **Reply #4 on:** July 13, 2005, 09:07:28 AM »

Like Interfuse said, you don't need to take the covers off the coils, just unscrew the wire exactly like the spark plug caps. I bet the wires weren't screwing in for you because the middle was all reamed out and sloppy, plus the 14 year old hard-as-rock insulation.
I had similar problems with the bike mysteriously missing on one cylinder one day, then running fine the next. I suspect it was more related to vibration and going over bumps than anything else, but the new wires cleared all that up.
Hey Interfuse, I also have the chronic plug fouling thing, and I'm planning on getting a K&N air filter to try to lean things out a bit. Are you running the stock filter?

interfuse · « **Reply #5 on:** July 13, 2005, 09:33:51 AM »

Quote from: "magicGoose"

Hey Interfuse, I also have the chronic plug fouling thing, and I'm planning on getting a K&N air filter to try to lean things out a bit. Are you running the stock filter?

I have a K&N filter and a carb thats 90% of the way tuned. The last 10% is the hardest.

My plugs are carbon fouling. I think it's because I never get the plugs hot enough to have them self clean. I need to run them on the highway more often. I think short bursts around the city are killing the plugs. I'm going to switch to a hotter plug and see if that helps at all. I'll keep you posted.

What do your plugs look like when you pull them out?

Maniac · « **Reply #6 on:** July 13, 2005, 11:08:40 AM »

Quote from: "interfuse"

My plugs are carbon fouling. I think it's because I never get the plugs hot enough to have them self clean. I need to run them on the highway more often. I think short bursts around the city are killing the plugs. I'm going to switch to a hotter plug and see if that helps at all. I'll keep you posted.

I've noticed that too, the engine really -hates- to putter around town below 8000RPM, doing so just -destroys- spark plugs.

More incentive to rev!

D7 · « **Reply #7 on:** July 13, 2005, 04:06:27 PM »

............and as I turned the corner into my road coming home from work today, it started again. Ruhhhh!

Thanks guys for the tips. Now I know they'll unscrew off the coils, I think I'll make a new set of leads (and possibly caps) top priority, cus you're right that 14 yrs could have taken it's toll.

I think you may also have a point about puttering around at low revs not helping (it's not far at all to get to work and back). My bike does like to be revved, which I'm happy to do so any chance I get. The other plugs aren't half as bad as #4 though.

If you've got anymore hints though - bring'em on! ....but for now I guess I'd better wait until I've done the leads and take it from there.

Thanks again!!!!

D

magicGoose · « **Reply #8 on:** July 14, 2005, 10:58:33 AM »

My plugs are also carbon fouling, and I also spend most riding time puttering around town at low RPMs.
Like Maniac said, more incentive to rev, but I am still not used to the high revving B4 engine, and although my brain is telling me that it LIKES to run at high RPMs, my gut keeps telling me to upshift.

echomadman · « **Reply #9 on:** July 14, 2005, 12:54:29 PM »

iridium plugs resist carbon fouling a bit better than normal ones too.

D7 · « **Reply #10 on:** September 01, 2005, 06:19:14 PM »

Ok, so to bring a conclusion to the story, it wasn't an electrical issue. I did notice after scratching my head several times, that my choke cable was duff, leaving the choke slightly open - but this wasn't the problem.

My previous tank had been taking in water, which led it to rust and concequently hole the tank. So bettween that rust and the water making more rust in the carb - There lay the problem. The carb was full of the stuff. I got an ex racer to sort it all out for me, (cus erm, he knows what he's doing !) and he said the HT leads were ok but weren't in properley (lead to plug connection) so that didn't help either. That one was odd cus I'd put them back in once already cus they were loose - perhaps I'm crap ! , but anyway .... he then also balanced the carbs and popped on a new coke cable.

So, after all that ..... tick tick tick, Vroom Vroommm - My baby rocks. It actually rev's better than it ever has now (either that or it was crap for a longer period that became obvious) So I can now stop worrying, and go rev up some adrenalin again, and boy, you should see the smile on my face !!

Thanks for all the suggestions you guys :-)

D

(maybe it's the rear shock that now needs to be swapped then the front end - maybe) (we'll see .......if the wife lets me :-)