Accelerating pump needle

[re5man]

HiGuys,cleaning my carb today and in the process the accelerating pump needle dropped out of the carb.Not sure which way it goes back.One end long thin taper and other short stub.Anyone help? Cheers,Shaun

[Jess]

The needle is the same on both ends...

If yours is not, it has been damaged.

Best,

[re5man]

Thanks Jess,hope you can supply replacements.Had a look in 2 other carbs I have and both are missing the needles.Problem with RE5 at the moment,cranking over to start seems to have excessive fuel wetting plugs .Was a good starter till recently.I have heard a slight noise like vapour lock on compression which seems to stop the engine from spinning on the starter in order to fire.I have found some play in the port valve lever rod.Battery is good.Checked float level,jets etc.Cheers,Shaun.

[Jess]

We have them in stock and ready to go...

Send Barbara an email when you are ready and she will get you fixed up...

Best

[re5man]

I will send you an email shortly Jess for some parts,gonna have a look at the starter motor as I think the cranking speed has dropped when starting giving me the wet plug problems.Once started ,the bike is ok for the rest of the day.Cheers,Shaun.

[ziggystardust]

Hi Shaun,

I had an incident where my A model failed to fire up first time from cold earlier this year on three occasions, the plug was wet so I blew out the excess fuel before refitting a spare plug and it fired up straight away.
This made me wonder if fuel was seeping past the petrol tap, filling the carb and then finding it's way into the engine therefore flooding it, or something similar.
I fitted a tap between the petrol tap and carb so when I leave the bike for a week or so I close it, seems to work, it may have been the problem I don't know but it's been o.k. since.
Maybe you have the same problem?

Lee

[Jess]

Lee...

A very common issue. More often than not, it is the small oring on the vacuum diaphram... a simple fix.

Very, very rarely, the diaphram itself has a small fracture.

You are absolutely right, this causes a small amount of fuel to seep past the needle and seat, and floods the motor.

Best,

Jess

[re5man]

Thanks Lee,at the moment on starting it wets the first plug,I crank it over with plug removed[motor spins well-battery good] but then it wets the next couple of plugs I try[motor a bit sluggish-sometimes not turning motor over and stalling.]Eventually another plug gets it fired and it,s ok for the rest of the day.I know the battery is good and charged.I,m going to have a look at the starter motor /brushes.Checked ignition,carb set-up,cables etc.Used to be a good starter til recently but has gradually started wetting the plugs and bad starting.I have checked the petrol tap and replaced the gaskets/o-rings etc.but will take your advice and fit a tap to eliminate any probs in that area.Cheers,Shaun.

[wayne]

I've been down this road as well and found the same solution but used a different method. Most petrol taps that I found such as those you can buy for lawnmowers etc, don't actually shut off the fuel. They still allow fuel to leak past and flood the engine. I wasted a few dollars and quite of bit of time here. I gave up on the tap idea and use a surgical clamp (looks like a pair of scissors) to crimp the fuel line. Looks ugly but it's only on the bike when it's parked in my shed and works 100% to shut off the fuel.

Also did try replacing the O ring in my petcock and gently stretching the seating spring. This sometimes works but unfortunately not on my RE5. Might be worth a go though.

[re5man]

Hi Wayne,update on my starting probs.You were right about the seating spring behind the diaphragm.Mine was completely shot allowing the engine to flood all the time.Tried stretching it but no good so I,ve used an old Amal choke slide spring,cut down and fitted.Slighty different lengths tested and now all sorted.Still got the starting prob however.Starter clutch engages and spins well[no plug in]but when plug is fitted the starter clutch initially bites and then slips against compression.Starter ends up spinning on it,s own.Starter has been tested and good as well as solenoid and battery.So stripping the clutch cover off tomorrow to fit another starter clutch.Also leaking fron exhaust manifold seals.Removed the silencers to find 2 of the four studs stripped and seized.2 new studs made and fitted so another job completed.Hoping to have the bike back on the road for Sunday as there,s a VMCC run.Cheers,Shaun.

[Jess]

Shaun,

What you describe is the classic symptom of a worn starter sprag clutch...

Early bikes had this issue, if your replacement is from an early bike, more likey than not, you will be replacing it again.

There was a design change that made the clutch more sturdy... Unfortunately, there is no frame number cutoff record as to when this modification took place.

Best Regards

[wayne]

Shaun, I might try your spring diaphragm fix. Seems to have stopped fuel flowing at least.

As for the manifolds, they're made of Japanes cheese. My shed is littered with them. I drill out the threads then fit the longest helicoils that I can get in there. I then buy extra long studs to take advantage of the deeper threads. In the past I've just drilled and used helicoils to the same depth as stock and then had them pull out (using a torque wrench even). Once this happens, it's a bit of a disaster.

Wayne

[ziggystardust]

After Heli-coiling my manifolds stripped threads I use Loctite stud lock with success.