A real brain buster

Brandon E /

Mar 21, 2001 01:53PM

Here's the scenario:

I forgot to bring my moped into the garage last night and it was left out in the humid night air all night. I went out to start it this morning in fog with about a mile visibility and it started and promptly quit without sputtering or misfiring. It would run fine for a few seconds and then quit firing all together. It was all or nothing. I put it in the warm garage, started it and rode it about a qarter mile and it started to quit again. I put it back in the garage and it only runs for a few seconds at a time. I pulled the carb apart, and fuel flowed freely throughout the whole thing. I pulled the spark plug and checked the spark, and it is bright enough to see under fluorescent lights.

Here's the stats:

1977 Puch Newport (same as a Maxi)

2hp engine

over 6000 miles

Just took a 20 mile trip two days before, no problem

50:1 oil mix, 2 stroke snowmobile oil (it was all the gas station had)

inline fuel filter, flows fine

30 to 40 degrees F outside

Biturbo Exhaust

Re: A real brain buster

Ron Brown /

Mar 21, 2001 02:45PM

Brandon,

As Click and Clack say, "doesn't anyone screen these calls?".

You are going to have to figure out somehow if it quits for lack of gas or spark.

When it quits, can you keep it running, or at least trying by giving it a shot of choke. If so, something, maybe water, is plugging your main jet.

If not, you probably have some dampness somewhere in the ignition system but don't ask me to explain why it would recover so quickly.

You may be able to verify this by connecting a spare plug to the plug wire as soon as it quits and check for spark immediately. Two people could do this faster than one.

By the way, silicone spray is my favorite ignition system waterproofer, just don't spray it on points.

Good luck,

Ron

Re: A real brain buster

SteelToad /

Mar 21, 2001 02:50PM

I used to have the same conditions when my lawnmower had gas in the tank.

If you shake the bike up a lot (mixing the water with the gas) will it start again ?

I just used the regular automotive fuel dryer (alchohol) or just plain 91% alchohol

from the drug store.

Re: A real brain buster

Brandon E /

Mar 21, 2001 06:15PM

I let it sit in a heated garage for a few hours and all's fine. Must have just been some condensation on the ignition. It runs good now. Thanks for your help, guys.

Brandon E

Re: A real brain buster

gimmejimmie /

Mar 21, 2001 09:05PM

Brandon,

There is a clear spray sealant made by CRC to waterproof ignition systems, after it's applied, it dries like a clear plastic shield, works great.

I use it on my boat engine, you can find it in auto parts stores. Make sure the bike is warmed up and dry,

spray all your wires, but don't get it on your points like Ray said.

You can usually spot old/cracked wires jumping spark when it's damp and in the dark, or by feeling the wires while it's running, you'll get a shock but it won't kill ya.

hell, I enjoy a jolt every once in a while, yep.

Re: A real brain buster

gimmejimmie /

Mar 21, 2001 09:13PM

correction ... like RON said, not ray....guess I had too big of a jolt.

Re: A real brain buster

Ron Brown /

Mar 21, 2001 09:32PM

/Jimmie,

This is Ray..err...Ron.

Use silicone spray, the other stuff lays a hard to remove coating of plastic on top of your electrical stuff which is worse than the original when it ages. Clean everything well, then silicone spray. It may not look as shiny but it will work as well and you can clean and re-spray any time you want.

Ron

Re: A real brain buster

jimmiegimme /

Mar 21, 2001 10:50PM

different strokes...

silicone is good, but it just does'nt last, the sealant I mentioned should be applied in a thin coat, like a spray paint, not a heavy coat that would crack with age.

The wiring on Brandon's ped is almost 25 yrs.old and the insulation on the wires could be starting to crack, this sealant will get into the cracks and seal and not wash off in the next rain or wash job.

Re: A real brain buster

Ron Brown /

Mar 22, 2001 08:50AM

Jimmie,

To each his own.

I am a year round rider and have used silicone for years without ruining any ignition components. I use it on cars too and have not replaced a distributor cap or very many plug wires since I stated using it.

Once a year, I clean all the high voltage components to get the salt and crud off, then spray with silicone. Have not had a high voltage ignition problem since. What the silicone does is cause the water to bead instead of wetting the whole surface, this eliminates continuous conductive paths and prevents arcing.

Having had to clean off the laquer type sprays after they deteriorated, I won't use them again, but that does not mean they won't work for you.

Ron

brandon

stonnerdog /

Mar 24, 2001 11:28PM

i have a 77 puch new port too its brown the only other color thay orginally came in , i read in a earlyer post of yours that you put a biturboon your ped sence i have the exact same ped how much faster does it make u go i get on average 35 now.

Re: brandon

Brandon E /

Mar 24, 2001 11:45PM

Before I had my biturbo my speedometer was broken, so I'm not sure how fast it went beforehand. I think mine averaged 30 before the biturbo, but that was being followed by a Blazer with a slow speedo. I've fixed my speedometer since then, and it has a little pin that limits it from registering above 30. But with the Biturbo, the needle is buried at full throttle on flat ground, and 3/4 throttle downhill.

Brandon E

P.S, the newport is the same as the 2 HP Maxi, just with pinstripes and a cooler tank decal :)

MOPED ARMY

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