Carb cleaner issue?

[VTXorcist]

I may have done something dumb. I bought some carb cleaner, the kind you put in the gas tank. I had a little over 3/4 of a tank left. I put in about half the bottle of carb cleaner. Then, I changed the spark plug. Now, the bike won't start. It turns over but won't catch. Is it possible I diluted the gas too much with the carb cleaner?


Feel free to ridicule me as appropriate to the level of folly associated with these actions.

[mrlmd1]

It is possible - the remedy for that is to empty all the gas out of the tank and start over.
You have to read the directions on the can - most of those things only need an ounce or so per gal. of gas and you may have way overloaded it.
Depending on the size of your car's fuel tank, you may be able to dump that drained gas into your car if you know how much carb cleaner you put into it. Go to the gas station, dump that stuff in the tank, and then fill up the tank the rest of the way.

[Easy Rider]

I may have done something dumb.

What kind of cleaner exactly.....and what size can ??

For not reading and following the instructions on the label, you get 3 lashes with a wet bunje cord......but it is not likely that alone is causing your no-start problem.

For future reference: One should only "fix" one thing at a time related to engine running, that is. At this point, the reason for that should be rather obvious. :roll:

With the carb cleaner in, it may take more choke than normal to get it going but I think the odds are that the problem is with the spark plug change. Is the boot firmly connected to the top of the plug (HAD to ask!). Probably need to remove the plug and check for spark......and check the gap again while you have it out.

Not knowing the answer to the above questions......if the spark is good, I guess I'd drain (most of) the gas out and put in fresh....and then drain a bit more to be sure it gets into the carb. You can do that right from the carb by attaching (or holding) a hose on the drain nipple and opening the screw right above it......with the petcock set to PRIme.

AND......in order to not further confuse the matter, you need to make sure your battery is fully charged before you press on because there is a point of battery drain where the starter will still turn but the ignition won't fire.

Good luck! Keep us posted. Oh, and RTFM!!! :shocked: :biggrin:

[VTXorcist]

The plug was new and I gapped it to .6mm per the service manual. I definitely deserve the lashes for the carb cleaner thing. I was thinking "one bottle per tank" from the times I'd used it in my car. Total brain fart that this tank is about 1/8th the size of my car's tank. Guess part of the lesson is that I shouldn't do any work on the bike when I'm mentally exhausted at 8PM after a long day of work.

UPDATE: I put in the old plug and it started up, so looks like I got a bad plug or did something to the gap. Just went back and got a new plug and installed it, and it's running like a champ! Now to get the new pipe on and see if it makes a difference.

Thanks for the patience!

[VTXorcist]

Aaanndd I snapped off a bolt holding the pipe to the engine. Guessing it hasn't been loosened since it rolled off the factory floor 10+ years ago. Lesson learned: always let some WD-40 do its work for a while if an old bolt gives any resistance.

The saga continues...

[Easy Rider]

Lesson learned: always let some WD-40 do its work for a while if an old bolt gives any resistance.


In the spirit of continuing education:
WD40 is NOT a good lubricant, nor is it a good pentrating oil for things like frozen bolts. A "real" penetrating oil will work MUCH better.....along with a couple of heating/cooling cycles.

And if you don't have access to air-impact tools, a "hammer" impact driver is a valuable tool.

Good luck!

P.S. You are somewhat lucky. The last plug I had go completely bad was on a thumper with a KICK start. OUCH!!

[VTXorcist]

Huh, I thought WD-40 was good for loosening up old bolts that had seized up. Learn something every day! I did try to drill out the bolt but the angle is so bad (it's the top bolt on the clutch side of the bike) that I can't go straight at it. I'm kind of stuck, actually. I hate giving up and taking it to the shop. Any other ideas?

I checked out the impact driver you talked about, Easy, and I wish I had known about those before I snapped off that bolt. I'm going to grab one for future situations; they're pretty cheap.

[Easy Rider]

I hate giving up and taking it to the shop. Any other ideas?


If you are talking about a bolt broken off in the engine block, then my advice is to take it to a machine shop (not a bike dealer) and get it fixed right. Just my opinion.

[VTXorcist]

Sounds like a good plan to me. Appreciate all the advice.

By the way, another thing I did that I forgot to mention was uncorked my airbox drain. About half a quart of nastiness came out. Didn't realize so much oil and gunk got caught up in there, but maybe that was messing things up too.

[VTXorcist]

Hrm, machine shop I went to says I need to pull the engine because they don't do "under the hood" work; they need to have a part to take into the shop. How tough is that or do I need to find another machine shop? It looks like I can disconnect the airbox and front sprocket, then the rest is just removing the bolts holding it to the frame. I haven't looked in the service manual yet, but any of you who have pulled the engine have advice?

[Easy Rider]

By the way, another thing I did that I forgot to mention was uncorked my airbox drain. About half a quart of nastiness came out. Didn't realize so much oil and gunk got caught up in there, but maybe that was messing things up too.

Doubtful.
I think that fills up quicker the harder you ride it.
You DO need to put that "cork" back in because that hose leads to the "clean" side of the air filter.

And with finding a lot of "stuff" in there, you should consider replacing the air filter even if it looks clean. The hose will only hold a couple of ounces max. so the other 14 ounces or so was sloshing around in the bottom of the air box.......and splashing on the filter.

[Easy Rider]

Hrm, machine shop I went to says I need to pull the engine because they don't do "under the hood" work; they need to have a part to take into the shop.

Screw that. You tighten the other bolt(s) enough to hold it together and ride the whole "part" into their shop......being careful to avoid big bumps along the way. But anybody who is that dense wouldn't be working on my bike anyway. Look for another machine shop or independent bike shop that claims to be proficient at things like that.

[Jere]

VT, i did the exact same thing but was too embarrassed to post it. haha.. I'm glad you did. I had to dump out the tank (poured it into my car) then put regular gas in. It cleared up after a bit and started.

[VTXorcist]

Yeah, I've definitely had to swallow my pride several times here and admit I don't know a lot. What's worse, I tend to act without even drawing on the tiny pool of knowledge I do possess.

I hate to say it, but one reason why is that I'm doing a whole lot more hands-on stuff with my $800 used GZ than I ever dared with my VTX. As a bonus, I realized that I really enjoy working on the bike, even though I've been messing up as often as I succeed!

[Water Warrior 2]

Yeah, I've definitely had to swallow my pride several times here and admit I don't know a lot. What's worse, I tend to act without even drawing on the tiny pool of knowledge I do possess.

I hate to say it, but one reason why is that I'm doing a whole lot more hands-on stuff with my $800 used GZ than I ever dared with my VTX. As a bonus, I realized that I really enjoy working on the bike, even though I've been messing up as often as I succeed!

Hands on is the best way to learn. Read any How To's that are availble and ask for help if you get stumped. The forum members will help you. Oh......hands on does not apply to hot exhaust pipes....oops...I just remembered it does. But that was a long time ago and I was young and foolish.

[mrlmd1]

Oh......hands on does not apply to hot exhaust pipes....oops...I just remembered it does. But that was a long time ago and I was young and foolish.

Or to a disc brake rotor after stopping the bike a few times. And especially on a car.