September 2nd, 2023, 10:44 PM | #1 |
ninjette.org newbie
Name: Josh
Location: SoCal
Join Date: Sep 2023 Motorcycle(s): Ninja 250, KDX 220 and a few Ducatis Posts: 6
|
Starter gears getting locked up
Here's a strange one... I just picked up a 32k mile '10. Normally the bike starts great. Occasionally though, when I hit the start button the starter motor engages but something seems jammed and won't turn the motor over. If I 'bump' the engine from the rear wheel it seems to free whatever the problem is then it starts ok.
Since I'm doing a bunch of work anyway I popped the alternator cover and nothing looks amiss. it's clean, gears look good, everything rotates smoothly by hand. I suppose there's a chance its the starter motor itself, but doesn't seem like it. Any thoughts in what might cause this? Thanks everyone! |
|
September 3rd, 2023, 10:34 PM | #2 |
ninjette.org certified postwhore
Name: AKA JacRyann
Location: Mesa, AZ
Join Date: Dec 2011 Motorcycle(s): CB125T CBR250R-MC19 CBR250RR-MC22 NSR350R-MC21 VF500F CBR600RR SFV650 VFR750F R1M ST1300PA Valkyrie-F6C Posts: A lot.
MOTY - 2018, MOTM - Nov '17
|
Hydrolocked cylinders from leaky petcock dripping petrol through carb's leaky float valves into engine when it's parked. Next time it locks up, remove spark-plugs and crank. Does it spin easy and send spray of liquid petrol out?
|
1 out of 1 members found this post helpful. |
September 3rd, 2023, 11:24 PM | #3 |
ninjette.org newbie
Name: Josh
Location: SoCal
Join Date: Sep 2023 Motorcycle(s): Ninja 250, KDX 220 and a few Ducatis Posts: 6
|
Fascinating theory, and you may be spot on. I had left the petcock on prime by mistake after I drained out the old fuel and refilled the tank with fresh + seafoam to start clearing the carbs. So, it was slowly dripping fuel in the same timeframe as when I had the starting problem - and I only noticed the next morning when there was some fuel on the floor.
Cleverly deduced, Holmes :-) |
|
September 4th, 2023, 05:18 AM | #4 |
Guy Who Enjoys Riding
Name: Jim
Location: North Carolina
Join Date: Jul 2016 Motorcycle(s): Ninja 250 Posts: A lot.
MOTM - Oct '18, Aug '17, Aug '16
|
Check your carb float valves if you haven't already, since leaving the petcock in "prime" alone won't fill the cylinders with fuel.
|
2 out of 2 members found this post helpful. |
September 4th, 2023, 01:36 PM | #5 |
ninjette.org certified postwhore
Name: AKA JacRyann
Location: Mesa, AZ
Join Date: Dec 2011 Motorcycle(s): CB125T CBR250R-MC19 CBR250RR-MC22 NSR350R-MC21 VF500F CBR600RR SFV650 VFR750F R1M ST1300PA Valkyrie-F6C Posts: A lot.
MOTY - 2018, MOTM - Nov '17
|
Yeah takes 2 failures lining up: petcock flow when OFF, leaky or set to PRI. AND non-sealing float valves. But not uncommon to have both with age.
Hydrolocked cylinders will cause starter gear to work extra hard to compress liquid petrol. If you have enough liquid petrol in cylinders, it will win over starter ring-gear. Had this happen to my race-bike when I 1st got it. |
|
September 4th, 2023, 05:41 PM | #6 |
ninjette.org newbie
Name: Josh
Location: SoCal
Join Date: Sep 2023 Motorcycle(s): Ninja 250, KDX 220 and a few Ducatis Posts: 6
|
You're completely right, both prime + float seals leaking to get the fuel to drip through.
Fingers crossed that the float seals is just the goop from sitting for a couple years & it will clear itself with the carb treatment. Worst case I'm not afraid of taking the carbs off, but it looks like a giant hassle with the airbox in place! Back in the day I used to swap stock carbs and exhaust to Keihin & Muzzy between prod. twins and supersport races on my EX500. No airbox :-) |
|
September 5th, 2023, 01:12 AM | #7 |
ninjette.org certified postwhore
Name: AKA JacRyann
Location: Mesa, AZ
Join Date: Dec 2011 Motorcycle(s): CB125T CBR250R-MC19 CBR250RR-MC22 NSR350R-MC21 VF500F CBR600RR SFV650 VFR750F R1M ST1300PA Valkyrie-F6C Posts: A lot.
MOTY - 2018, MOTM - Nov '17
|
Even with airbox, it's possible to extract carbs in about 5-10min. I did write-up somewhere. Maybe I'll update procedure with video...
In meantime, run through some PEA-based fuel-system cleaner. |
|
September 6th, 2023, 10:35 PM | #8 |
ninjette.org newbie
Name: Josh
Location: SoCal
Join Date: Sep 2023 Motorcycle(s): Ninja 250, KDX 220 and a few Ducatis Posts: 6
|
Well, most everything is back together & overall we're in pretty good shape. Except, it still stumbles a bit at low RPMs. I'll run it a few times a day for a while and if the seafoam does its thing, if it doesn't improve I'll pull the carbs next weekend. Thanks everyone for the suggestions!
|
|
September 7th, 2023, 05:25 AM | #9 |
Guy Who Enjoys Riding
Name: Jim
Location: North Carolina
Join Date: Jul 2016 Motorcycle(s): Ninja 250 Posts: A lot.
MOTM - Oct '18, Aug '17, Aug '16
|
The chance of Sea Foam doing anything helpful is near zero. It's 10 to 30 percent isopropyl alcohol, which I wouldn't want in my fuel system. You have a better chance with a PEA based cleaner that Danno suggested above, but it's still not a sure thing. Chevron's Techron is one.
https://seafoamworks.com/uploads/pub...210608-sfi.pdf Last futzed with by Triple Jim; September 7th, 2023 at 11:57 AM. |
|
September 7th, 2023, 08:24 AM | #10 |
ninjette.org certified postwhore
Name: AKA JacRyann
Location: Mesa, AZ
Join Date: Dec 2011 Motorcycle(s): CB125T CBR250R-MC19 CBR250RR-MC22 NSR350R-MC21 VF500F CBR600RR SFV650 VFR750F R1M ST1300PA Valkyrie-F6C Posts: A lot.
MOTY - 2018, MOTM - Nov '17
|
The isopropyl alcohol in Seafoam is similar to ethanol in modern petrol. Absorbs moisture from air, causes separation and all sorts of corrosion and clogging problems.
You'll want to use fuel-system cleaner with heathy dose of PEA: - Red Line SI-1 - Techron Concentrate Plus - 3M Max Strength Fuel System Cleaner #08814 - Royal Purple Max Atomizer 18000 - Gumout All-in-One (might be off list soon due to lowering amounts of PEA) If you've ever done any carb scrubbing and cleaning with Seafoam, then tried PEA cleaners, you'll notice they work A LOT better. |
|
September 7th, 2023, 07:23 PM | #11 |
ninjette.org newbie
Name: Josh
Location: SoCal
Join Date: Sep 2023 Motorcycle(s): Ninja 250, KDX 220 and a few Ducatis Posts: 6
|
Perfect, thanks. Saved me the trouble of searching for which are PEA products :-)
|
1 out of 1 members found this post helpful. |
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Starter Relay/Starter Problem | Time Mage | 1986 - 2007 Ninja 250R Tech Talk | 13 | July 13th, 2012 05:02 AM |
|
|