go-rebels
Member
I just finished putting in Quenton's new lifters in my '05 Whizzer with 23 miles and attempted to start the bike. I had removed the carb to give it a good GUMOUT cleaning and drained all the old gas.
A little history... This bike was purchased on Ebay and claimed to have run well when put away. When I picked up the bike it would not start, but had good compression so I knew it couldn't be that bad. Plus it was a cold day and maybe the engine was flooded.
After returning home, I added a little fresh gas to the tank and started the bike using starting fluid. But it idled poorly and ran even worse, stalling out on idle and having very poor pickup. I put it away until the lifter change-over.
After completing the lifter swap I tried to start the bike again using a shot of starting fluid after removing the air filter. It wouldn't start! I attempted again and again and could only get an occasional cylinder firing, followed by a stall. I pulled the spark plug (it didn't look too bad) cleaned it and put it back. The bike started briefly then stalled. Then nothing for another 15 minutes of cranking.
I pulled the spark plug wire and "screwed" in a long drywall screw and let it hang near the block. I cranked and jumped a strong 1/4" spark. I've got air, fuel and spark... what the h*ll???
It could only be the plug!
The plug was a NGK C7E in good shape. I drove to my local auto parts store and asked for a Champion L87YC per the Whizzer owners manual. The man comes back to the counter with something that was too fat and too short. OK, just give me another "NGK C7E". He comes back with an Autolite #4303 that looked about right.
I put that plug in the bike and the motor fired up and idled fine on the first attempt!!! I'd had so much trouble starting the bike that I entered a post on this forum asking how people start their Whizzer. I then drove the bike around and adjusted the fuel/air mixture, then set the idle speed and drove it more. The bike is a blast and drives terrific with plenty of pull! I only wish I knew what the bike felt like before I changed the valve timing. I have a decent sized hill outside my driveway that I run up when I jog and the bike was accelerating to the top reaching 25 mph at the crest. I got to 35 on a straightaway, still accelerating, and decided to call it a day.
I imagine the bike was sold because it ran so poorly. All because of a bad $1.90 spark plug.
A little history... This bike was purchased on Ebay and claimed to have run well when put away. When I picked up the bike it would not start, but had good compression so I knew it couldn't be that bad. Plus it was a cold day and maybe the engine was flooded.
After returning home, I added a little fresh gas to the tank and started the bike using starting fluid. But it idled poorly and ran even worse, stalling out on idle and having very poor pickup. I put it away until the lifter change-over.
After completing the lifter swap I tried to start the bike again using a shot of starting fluid after removing the air filter. It wouldn't start! I attempted again and again and could only get an occasional cylinder firing, followed by a stall. I pulled the spark plug (it didn't look too bad) cleaned it and put it back. The bike started briefly then stalled. Then nothing for another 15 minutes of cranking.
I pulled the spark plug wire and "screwed" in a long drywall screw and let it hang near the block. I cranked and jumped a strong 1/4" spark. I've got air, fuel and spark... what the h*ll???
It could only be the plug!
The plug was a NGK C7E in good shape. I drove to my local auto parts store and asked for a Champion L87YC per the Whizzer owners manual. The man comes back to the counter with something that was too fat and too short. OK, just give me another "NGK C7E". He comes back with an Autolite #4303 that looked about right.
I put that plug in the bike and the motor fired up and idled fine on the first attempt!!! I'd had so much trouble starting the bike that I entered a post on this forum asking how people start their Whizzer. I then drove the bike around and adjusted the fuel/air mixture, then set the idle speed and drove it more. The bike is a blast and drives terrific with plenty of pull! I only wish I knew what the bike felt like before I changed the valve timing. I have a decent sized hill outside my driveway that I run up when I jog and the bike was accelerating to the top reaching 25 mph at the crest. I got to 35 on a straightaway, still accelerating, and decided to call it a day.
I imagine the bike was sold because it ran so poorly. All because of a bad $1.90 spark plug.
