[WisBlaster]

Setup: 1989 Blaster; everything stock (230 main jet, stock pipe, no performance mods that I’m aware of). When I bought the bike the electrical was a mess, so I stripped everything back to the most essential elements, including removal of the TORS system.

Problem: The bike starts on first or second kick every time, and idles fine, but it boggs terribly at mid and high revs. Absolutely no power at all in the min/high range. The exhaust smells like gas at full throttle, so this seems like either an ‘extreme’ rich condition, or a lack of sufficient spark.

What I’ve checked/replaced/repaired:

• New spark plug
• Complete Carb rebuild (only thing I didn’t replace was the pilot jet)
• Tried moving the needle clip to the top position to lean it out; this had no effect
• Float level checked – right in the middle of spec
• Tank/petcock checked for flow – flow was fast
• Checked reeds - not cracked, and seem to seal well
• New reed gasket, with a bit of RTV for good measure
• New coil (more on this below)
• Checked stator resistance – seems fine

Questions:

• Since I’ve stripped out all the non-essential electricals, I’m assuming this can’t be a ‘wiring issue’, but I could be wrong. A 1989 shouldn’t have any parking brake circuit to worry about, and all wiring associated with the TORS system has been removed. Am I missing something?
• I’ve replaced the coil twice now. The first coil tested way off on ohms, so I repaced it with something from Amazon. After seeing that the new coil didn’t improve the problem, I tested the new one, only to find that it also didn’t meet the ohms specs. I bought third coil on Amazon (different model), and that one also doesn’t meet the specs. These things are marketed as replacement coils for a blaster. Am I buying the wrong coils?
• I’m sure I’ll get a bunch of messages about checking for leaks and/or compression, but I’m failing to see how a leak would lead to an extreme rich condition, or how the bike would start on the first kick if I have a compression issue. If someone has a theory on how a leak or lack of compression would cause the problem I’m experiencing, I’ll chase it down, but I would rather not throw more money at this problem just to check these off the list.

WHAT AM I MISSING HERE? ANY HELP WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED.

 

[StrokedTater]

what does the plug look like?

 

[WisBlaster]

what does the plug look like?

Pretty wet, especially if I pull it right after throttling it up.

 

[pygmy warrior]

Try turning the petcock off while on a wide open run and see if it starts running like it should. Give it time to run long enough to empty the fuel bowl. If it runs like it should, then your float is not working properly.

 

[WisBlaster]

Try turning the petcock off while on a wide open run and see if it starts running like it should. Give it time to run long enough to empty the fuel bowl. If it runs like it should, then your float is not working properly.

That's funny. I should have noted this in the comments, but there was one time that I ran it out of fuel, and just before it died the it raved up like a rocket. So, you're thinking that the float is setting the fuel level too high?

 

[StrokedTater]

leaning towards a bad stator. They can check out fine on rersistance and still be faulty. I have seen it a few times.

 

[pygmy warrior]

That's funny. I should have noted this in the comments, but there was one time that I ran it out of fuel, and just before it died the it raved up like a rocket. So, you're thinking that the float is setting the fuel level too high?

Exactly...or not shutting the fuel off and causing it to run rich. It's an easy test to do.

 

[StrokedTater]

Let us know what you figure out.

 

[WisBlaster]

Sorry for the long delay guys, and thanks for all the feedback. I did another test with the gas shut off, and the RPMs definitely shot way up as the gas in the float ran down. I haven't had a chance to pull the carb and check the float (maybe I put it in upside down or something?). Will report back once I've dug into that.

StrokedTator - I've always felt like this was an electrical issue (ie, enough spark to idle, but not enough spark when the fuel load goes up..). I went ahead and purchased a new stator. Will try that out if nothing seems out of the ordinary with the float. Any tips for getting the stator nut off? I hit it with my biggest impact, and it didn't budge.

 

[StrokedTater]

I hope you bought a good stator, OEM or Ricky Stator. Alot of the cheap ones are duds from new.

Use a bigger impact or a flywheel holder, could warm up the threads might have red loctite. I loctite them, blaster is known to have flywheel come loose.