valk wont start

[Bighead]

Stop!!!!
You say it won't turn over?  Do you hear it (starter) click when you hit the start button?

[zzed28]

Yes, thats correct, it wont turn over at all, no noise anywhere, no click no nothing.  The batt is fully charged, the starter button assy is still apart, but it worked fine yesterday with it apart.  When the button is pushed, the headlite still shuts off though, so maybe thats telling of something.  Thanks

[cookiedough]

that is a good deal, 50 bucks on the Valk battery if batterymart batteries are any good.  I bought mine off Amazon.com, a Yuasa,  for I think about 65-70 bucks.  Yuasa is a good battery should last 4-5 years or more.  I buy the cheaper batteries saving a few bucks and have only gotten about 3 years useful life. 

I may be way off base here, but if like you said have ONLY 1 gallon or so in the gas tank,  have you tried switching the fuel valve shutoff switch to RES (reserve) vs. ON??? 

With that little bit of gas in the tank,  it may very well never start if only 1 gallon or so in the tank if fuel switch is ON position, NOT on RESERVE, needing to go to RESERVE to get it going again.  My VAlk I/S has died going down the road 2x's with ONLY about 1 - 1.2 gallons left in the gas tank and then after pulling alongside the road,  I switch the fuel valve on left hand side to RESERVE and bike fires right up.

Maybe try that simple thing first before tearing stuff apart?  Just a thought/suggestion, easy enough to do.

I had to do that once on my old Arctic Cat carb ATV even had a 3/4 tank of gas and for whatever reason stubborn thing would NOT start, even after starting it the day before just fine with mostly a full tank of gas.   I switched to RESERVE vs. ON position on gas switch and WALLA, the stubborn ATV fired right up and kept running.  NO idea on why maybe gunk in the ON position (NO idea) but it worked starting on Reserve after a few cranks of the starter button. 

One last thing, not to insult you, but is the ON/OFF starter switch on right handlebar on the ON position, NOT the OFF position?  It has been known to be bumped to OFF for whatever reason.

[desertrefugee]

Fer cryin' out loud.  We need to get this thing woken up from its winter slumber.

A ground's "continuity" is quite different from its current-carrying capability.  I'm finding it hard to fathom all this drama in such a short time.  I suspect the problem is a bit more basic.

- Battery/Battery connections.   (Sound familiar?)  A fully charged battery is only as good as its load capacity.  If it spins (er...was spinning) the motor over briskly, I'll stop harping on the battery.  But if it "WAS/IS" charged and now won't even click, you have a really crapping BATT or GND connection between the battery itself, the solenoid and the starter...or your starter button finally crapped out.

Turn the switch on and jumper the solenoid and see if the starter does its thing.  (Be sure it's not in gear).

Find the crummy connection and then we'll get back to our regularly scheduled program.  I seriously doubt there's trouble in the actual harness.  More likely a corroded crimp or connection you haven't eyeballed yet.

Sheesh.

[zzed28]

Ok, starter problem, is not a problem, the bike had been knocked into gear somehow, the neutral light being totally out of my field of vision and not being visible at all to me was missed, thats why the starter would NOT roll. When that starter would not roll, it was just the last straw, and I left the garage to collect my thoughts without thinking about the neutral lite. Its working now with the bike in neutral.  First on the agenda tomorrow is to get some new gas in the carbies and try to take advantage of my recently sparking plugs and see what happens.  The old gas of course is gone, so new will go in with the B12 to help clean the jets out. Rex has given me an idea to get things rolling easier than entirely re assembling it, so will try that in am.   Thanks for everyones concern and help.

[RonW]

That'll work.

Try leaving some potato chips out for the gremlins.

[Willow]

So far you've gone three pages and haven't addressed a primary question.  Do you have fuel in the carb bowls?

Perhaps you just need help finding the carb drain screws.  When looking at the carb bowls as they sit on the bike you will be able to see what appears to be a significantly large screw on the bowl facing to the outside, that is where you can easily access them.  These are on the bowls not the body of the carb itself.  Turn one counter clockwise and you should see fuel drain out onto the ground.  If fuel doesn't drain you don't have fuel getting into the carb.  If fuel drains then fuel to the carb isn't an issue.

[zzed28]

I know I have reposted this before about the screws and draining the bowls, that has been done for two days at least. Maybe I am wrong. But like you, I am not going to read the entire list to be sure. As an admin I am sure you are busy enough with everything else to not want to read the post in its entirety.

I believe that I have now posted three times,  that the bowls are already drained, and I am putting fuel in the bike today, so at this point there is no fuel in the bowls, but there will be before the sun goes down.


Now, if there is  anyone who wants to take a wild stab at how much berryman I should mix with the gas, to do a good job cleaning those bowls, please, let me know.  The yammie list has someone who says, do a fifty fifty mix. I have asked this question three times here now. I will take my chances if I dont get an anwser that is experientially definitive.  

[R J]

I use SeaFoam and pour the whole can in.      Run it under 3,000 actually 2,500 R's after I'm sure the mixture is in the carb's.

Then park it for the night and let it soak.

Next morning fire it up and repeat what I did the day before.

Park it and then run hell out of it the next day.

When that tank is empty, if I feel it did some good, I'll put in a full can again.       Then repeat this every 4th tank.

[KY,Dave (AKA Misunderstood)]

I use SeaFoam and pour the whole can in.      Run it under 3,000 actually 2,500 R's after I'm sure the mixture is in the carb's.

Then park it for the night and let it soak.

Next morning fire it up and repeat what I did the day before.

Park it and then run hell out of it the next day.

When that tank is empty, if I feel it did some good, I'll put in a full can again.       Then repeat this every 4th tank.

Better be specific RJ......That is a full can with a full tank of gas Tom 

[Earl43P]

Berryman says right on the can, 1 oz per gallon.
I would use that instead of Seafoam.

[gordonv]

I've done 1/2 tank of fuel to a 1/2 can of B12, for real cleaning.

Then after it seems to run a little better, I just intermittently add some B12 to a full tank. Along with purchasing Chevron fuel with Techron to keep it clean and running smooth.

[zzed28]

Gentlemen

    I started my engine.   I pulled the plugs, and they are blacker than I dont know what with carbon, looked like the inside of a dirty grill.  Got new plugs, and it exploded to life instantly, it dont give no crap about no battry.  It had fouled plugs is about what it amounted to after all this.  I put one range hotter plugs in it, kuzz I ride slow and  in cold weather.  Since the plug was firing on the outside, I figured I had good plug fire on the inside, unfortunately, the carbon must have been draining the juice.  I am still waiting for my new air cleaner to put the bike back together.  Thank you one and all for your attention.  I should have pulled the plugs earlier , obviously, now, I gonna start the desmog thing.

[KY,Dave (AKA Misunderstood)]

Gentlemen

    I started my engine.   I pulled the plugs, and they are blacker than I dont know what with carbon, looked like the inside of a dirty grill.  Got new plugs, and it exploded to life instantly, it dont give no crap about no battry.  It had fouled plugs is about what it amounted to after all this.  I put one range hotter plugs in it, kuzz I ride slow and  in cold weather.  Since the plug was firing on the outside, I figured I had good plug fire on the inside, unfortunately, the carbon must have been draining the juice.  I am still waiting for my new air cleaner to put the bike back together.  Thank you one and all for your attention.  I should have pulled the plugs earlier , obviously, now, I gonna start the desmog thing.

Glad you got her going 

[Kep]

Use the Red-eye de-smog kit...I did...it's the best.

[zzed28]

Yes I will do that,  redeye has lots of neat stuff for Valks, I think I will get the quick release fuel line too with the filter. And the drain line.


Use the Red-eye de-smog kit...I did...it's the best.
[/quote]

[R J]

Yes I will do that,  redeye has lots of neat stuff for Valks, I think I will get the quick release fuel line too with the filter. And the drain line.


Use the Red-eye de-smog kit...I did...it's the best.

FORGET that quick release fuel line.   It will cause you more headaches than good.     Ya got it running now, so do the de-smog and then quick screwing around with it.    Ride it........

Also quit that starting it letting it warm up and no riding it anywhere.

I'd say that probably caused you plug problem this time.   Pay attention to what you are told and do no more.    Thank you.

[zzed28]

Ok Russ, thank Rex for me, he had it right on.

[Jess from VA]

Twas me, after a ride or two, I'd pull a plug or two just to make sure it's not a chronic rich fuel issue.

Always copper antisieze new plug threads. 

Always blow out all the grit and crud down around the plugs BEFORE removing/changing them.

[zzed28]

Ok Jess,    

I did blow out the nether areas with comp air before I pulled the plugs.

I did use copper antisieze on the threads.  

Once I get it running on the road, I will pull those plugs back out and check them, but all winter long, there was no black smoke at all from the exhausts. I put one range hotter in to boot.  Thanks for all the help guys.