ChrisB
New Member
Awesome site! Just found it. This is my first post so please go easy on me!
I have a GEBE setup with a tanaka PF 3300. Have had it 4 years and ride it approx 25 mi/day 3-4 days a week as commuter spring/ summer/ fall. So a lot of time and use.
Last year it started acting up. Would lose power and miss/completely cut out under load. Seemed to be time or temp related as it would run well although not developing full power for like 10-15 minutes before starting to cut out. Also uses way more fuel running while doing this. I checked spark, replaced plug and it was all good. Compression is excellent hot or cold and whether or not the engine is having this problem. Tried to troubleshoot further but stumped me for a long time. I finally bought a carb rebuild kit from Tanaka because I was out ideas and things to try without replacing parts. Removed carb and carefully installed kit and re installed carb. Viola! Problem solved. But I never understood what it was about rebuilding the carb that corrected the problem. In other words I really never figured out what was wrong.
Now a year later (and a lot more good miles) the engine is doing the same thing again. I am sure buying a kit and rebuilding the carb will solve the problem, but replacing carb kits frequently is not a good solution. I want to know what is going wrong and what if anything I can do about it for a longer term solution.
I run ethanol free gas because I know that can wreak havoc on seals and gaskets so it shouldn't be an issue of deterioration due to fuel. The only thing I thought it could possibly be was one of the gaskets appears to have a little finger that acts as a one way valve for some function in the carb and that little finger looked deformed on the gasket I removed and was flat on the new gasket with the carb rebuild kit.
The engine is completely stock.
Any thoughts as to what is happening inside that little carb and what I can do about it?
Many thanks
Chris
I have a GEBE setup with a tanaka PF 3300. Have had it 4 years and ride it approx 25 mi/day 3-4 days a week as commuter spring/ summer/ fall. So a lot of time and use.
Last year it started acting up. Would lose power and miss/completely cut out under load. Seemed to be time or temp related as it would run well although not developing full power for like 10-15 minutes before starting to cut out. Also uses way more fuel running while doing this. I checked spark, replaced plug and it was all good. Compression is excellent hot or cold and whether or not the engine is having this problem. Tried to troubleshoot further but stumped me for a long time. I finally bought a carb rebuild kit from Tanaka because I was out ideas and things to try without replacing parts. Removed carb and carefully installed kit and re installed carb. Viola! Problem solved. But I never understood what it was about rebuilding the carb that corrected the problem. In other words I really never figured out what was wrong.
Now a year later (and a lot more good miles) the engine is doing the same thing again. I am sure buying a kit and rebuilding the carb will solve the problem, but replacing carb kits frequently is not a good solution. I want to know what is going wrong and what if anything I can do about it for a longer term solution.
I run ethanol free gas because I know that can wreak havoc on seals and gaskets so it shouldn't be an issue of deterioration due to fuel. The only thing I thought it could possibly be was one of the gaskets appears to have a little finger that acts as a one way valve for some function in the carb and that little finger looked deformed on the gasket I removed and was flat on the new gasket with the carb rebuild kit.
The engine is completely stock.
Any thoughts as to what is happening inside that little carb and what I can do about it?
Many thanks
Chris