Hey yall,
I've had the metrakit big bore kit in my 87 elite for 500 miles or so. In the past 2 days, it has been having a little trouble starting, and today it climaxed into a no start.
I have the scooter in New York, and it has just started to warm up around here. It's in the low 50's recently. During the colder months, I stored it in a shed with some stabil in the fuel. I drove it just a few times when it was really cold (near freezing). The first time I took it out of the shed it took just about 30 secs of cranking and it fired up real well. I only put stabil in the fuel before I stored it. When it was really cold it started very very well, basically a fraction of a second of cranking and it fired up.
But recently I've been driving it more, and it seems like the fast starting went away, but it wasn't anything extreme. In the past 2 days or so, it's taken even more cranking, and several tries. SO maybe 10 seconds to finally get it to go. When it fired I had to give it gas to keep it from dieing right away. Then it settled into a warming up idle and I could generally get going pretty quick, but trying to give it full throttle might cause it drop in power and stall if I didn't let up. Then just yesterday there was a quiet pop when I started it after it had been sitting for about an hour after a 5 min ride. A little more cranking later and it started and was fine.
But this morning I was cranking it and it just wouldn't start. I tried giving a little throttle. I tried not giving throttle. And then there was what sounded like a backfire. I tried a little more cranking (this time using the kick start). It sometimes would sound like it might be trying to get going, but it would not really go. So I gave up.
I have a few ideas: I fouled a plug. Maybe the extreme temp changes did some damage that were not at first apparent when i took it out of the shed. Second, I blew some gasket or something. That would be a worst case scenario I hope. My mechanic did shave the head for me for a little higher compression, I have been still running regular fuel. BTW, I lived in Tennessee when my mechanic and I did all the upgrading to it. I only have some basic tools with me because I'm at school here. I'm not even sure I have a socket to remove the plug. I've got screw drivers and adjustable wrenches. There is probably someone I could find to borrow such things though.
What does this sound like to you guys?
Thanks,
Nate
Posted on Mar 4, 2004, 10:42 AM from IP address 128.253.199.115
