Yama SECA II Starting After Carb Clean

After sitting in the garage (with a full tank of gas, doh!) for over a
year, I'm trying to get my SECA II up and running. Here's what I've done:

* replaced air, fuel, and oil filter
* replaced oil
* replaced leaky clutch cover gasket
* disassembled & cleaned all carbs

Now the battery's charged and I'm trying to start it. With the choke
all the way open, it'll start and run for a while (15 minutes, once),
but it won't even attempt to turn over with the choke in or halfway out.
I've also tried closing the choke after it's been running for a while,
and it dies immediately. I haven't checked the compression, but I have
no reason to suspect there's a problem there. I did look at the spark
plugs, and they appear to be in good condition. It sounds good when
it's running (not rough at all) with the choke fully open.

I'm relatively new to motorcycle maintainance, and cleaning the carbs
was my first big job...am discouraged that it won't start now, though!
Any advice would be welcome.

Cheers,
Todd

 

While you think you cleaned the carbs you missed something critical. What
did you miss? Evidence supports the idea that you failed to clean all the
orifices or assembled the carb wrong.

 

But, did you you drill out the brass EPA anti-tamper plugs so you can
do a
proper job of carb cleaning?

That's because it has to run on the idle circuits. Your idle jets and
idle passages are all plugged up. That's the most common problem with
motorcycles that have been stored improperly.

I'm not going to type out the procedure for properly cleaning and
setting up CV carbs to run, as I have done that at least 100 times in
this NG.

You can google for the proper procedure by using the search term "EPA
anti-tamper plug", or "transition port".

Before removing the carbs and doing the carb cleaning correctly, I
recommend that you run down to Wal*Mart or any good auto parts store
and buy yourself a can of Berryman's B-12 Chemtool Choke and Carburetor
Cleaner. It comes in liquid and aerosol. The price is only about $3.00.

Put 4 ounces of B-12 in a full tank of gas and go for a ride, if the
engine runs well enough for you to ride it. If the engine doesn't run
well enough to ride the motorcycle, drain the float bowls and mix B-12
with gasoline 50/50 and squirt it into the fuel hose so it fills the
float bowls.

Let the B-12 sit in the float bowls for about half an hour and start
the engine and burn the B-12/gasoline mix. It will stink and sting your
eyes, but it will clean your idle mixture passages out.

When starting an engine that had been stored improperly, it really help
to turn the idle speed knob all the way down. This increases vacuum
downstream of the throttle butterflies and makes the engine suck harder
on the idle mixture ports.

You can re-adjust the idle speed after the engine warms up. You may
find you have to adjust the idle speed down after you ride the
motorcycle with B-12 in the gasoline.

This means the idle mixture ports are getting very clean.

Then go for a ride with the B-12 in the gas tank.

 

FB,

Thanks a lot for that information...it's tremendously helpful. I
appreciate you taking the time to help a newbie!

-- T