What the hell did I do?

[SouSy]

So I put a valve cover gasket on and I put the the zl900 back together enough that I figure I can lay the gas tank on the frame and try to start it.

I left the emissions stuff off, I flipped the reed valves over and pointed the hoses out, I put the vac line that went to the air valve on the #1 and 4 carbs and held my thumb over the opening of the line while I cranked and it wouldn't start. After It finally started the choke was fully on and it would barely idle and then die, then after it died I noticed that gas was pouring out of somewhere. I also noticed that the hoses on the reed valves were pulling vacuum.

I put everything back like I found it with the exception of the emissions stuff so why the hell is my bike doing this, i'm so frustrated :(

[zl900_moab]

Gas pouring out of which somewhere???
Don't be too frustrated, there are people on this site that have FORGOTTEN more about these bikes than I will ever know....Hang in there.
moab...

[zlMark]

So I put a valve cover gasket on and I put the the zl900 back together enough that I figure I can lay the gas tank on the frame and try to start it.

I left the emissions stuff off, I flipped the reed valves over and pointed the hoses out, I put the vac line that went to the air valve on the #1 and 4 carbs and held my thumb over the opening of the line while I cranked and it wouldn't start. After It finally started the choke was fully on and it would barely idle and then die, then after it died I noticed that gas was pouring out of somewhere. I also noticed that the hoses on the reed valves were pulling vacuum.

I put everything back like I found it with the exception of the emissions stuff so why the hell is my bike doing this, i'm so frustrated :(Why would you flip over the reed valves? They are designed like a check valve and need to be installed correctly to contain exhaust gases. Yes they pull vacuum, thats why it's called the air suction.


All you need to do is cap the #1 and #4 vacuum ports, 7/32" caps work well. These ports are located on the carb throat, engine side.
Remove the air suction valve and long hose from the tee under the tank.
Remove the rubber cap and spring clamp from the air suction valve and put it on the open tee under the tank.
If your still running the airbox then put a nickel down in the hole(grommet) where the main air suction hose used to be.
This is so simple to do. I don't know who said to flip the reeds over but they are wrong. I don't even know if they can be flipped over and fit.

The bike will run just fine but make a gurgling noise if the air suction isn't capped off properly providing the vacuum ports are capped off. The gas pouring from somewhere has nothing to do with the air suction. So where is the gas pouring from??

The tees that go between the 1-2 and 3-4 carbs are vents. You didn't close those off did you?

[SouSy]

Why would you flip over the reed valves? They are designed like a check valve and need to be installed correctly to contain exhaust gases. Yes they pull vacuum, thats why it's called the air suction.


All you need to do is cap the #1 and #4 vacuum ports, 7/32" caps work well. These ports are located on the carb throat, engine side.

Alright vac ports on 1 and 4 are capped w





Remove the air suction valve and long hose from the tee under the tank.
Remove the rubber cap and spring clamp from the air suction valve and put it on the open tee under the tank.
If your still running the airbox then put a nickel down in the hole(grommet) where the main air suction hose used to be.

This is so simple to do. I don't know who said to flip the reeds over but they are wrong. I don't even know if they can be flipped over and fit.



I read it on here somewhere to flip the reeds and plug the lines, but I just went out and did it your way. I can't believe I didn't think to do it that way anyway.




The bike will run just fine but make a gurgling noise if the air suction isn't capped off properly providing the vacuum ports are capped off. The gas pouring from somewhere has nothing to do with the air suction. So where is the gas pouring from??

The tees that go between the 1-2 and 3-4 carbs are vents. You didn't close those off did you?


I never touched the 1-2 and 3-4 tees. As it sits I have the 1, 3 and 4 vac lines pluged, #2's vac line is going to the petcock.

Its still not running right, its like its flooding or something. I can let some fuel run into the carbs and then pull the line off and hold the throttle wide open and it'll start and run until the carbs run out of gas but if I start it and connect the line it acts like it floods and dies. I'm clueless:help:

[zlMark]

You might have a stuck float valve. Most likely the float valve is getting dirt from the tank. You really need to fix this because fuel in the oil or combustion chamber will ruin the motor.

Common problems:


Petcock filter warped. Fix: replace with pingel manual petcock
Float valves leaking. Fix: repair or send them to rick
So where is the fuel coming from?
If fuel is going into the airbox then it's also going into your motor. Guess what happens when the combustion chamber fills up with gas and then you try to start it?....ka-plooey

[zlMark]

Is it sucking gas through the #2 vacuum line? plug #2 and put petcock on prime and try it. Don't forget to put petcock back in the on or reserve position when done.

[SouSy]

SOOOOOOOOO I figured it all out, I said I never touched the 1-2 and 3-4 tees, and that was true, but after I looked a little closer today I noticed that the lines coming off the 1-2 and 3-4 tees were teed into another line and thats what was plugged into the petcock.

The real fuel line was plugged, and the tee the connected the vents must have cracked when I did the head cover thus leaking when I tried to start it. I have NO idea how this thing ran.

So now all is well except the fact I need to find a new temp warning light sensor. Do we have any hook ups on that?


P.S. I STILL can't find that thread that said to flip the reed valves around but I KNOW I saw it here. They are in right and capped off properly now though. :hello2:

[gds]

Flipping the reed valves has been mentioned here several times.
Yes it is a process that a certain loveable high ranking member here has described but I won't dime the big man out (he probably got the idea from someone else in this forum). It dates back to '07 I do believe. I read his post and was thinking of doing it until seeing another thread where someone else said to do it and ZLMark stepped in and said not to do it and gave his own process.

[zlMark]

SOOOOOOOOO I figured it all out, I said I never touched the 1-2 and 3-4 tees, and that was true, but after I looked a little closer today I noticed that the lines coming off the 1-2 and 3-4 tees were teed into another line and thats what was plugged into the petcock.

The real fuel line was plugged, and the tee the connected the vents must have cracked when I did the head cover thus leaking when I tried to start it. I have NO idea how this thing ran.

So now all is well except the fact I need to find a new temp warning light sensor. Do we have any hook ups on that?


P.S. I STILL can't find that thread that said to flip the reed valves around but I KNOW I saw it here. They are in right and capped off properly now though. :hello2:Good deal


Flipping the reed valves has been mentioned here several times.
Yes it is a process that a certain loveable high ranking member here has described but I won't dime the big man out (he probably got the idea from someone else in this forum). It dates back to '07 I do believe. I read his post and was thinking of doing it until seeing another thread where someone else said to do it and ZLMark stepped in and said not to do it and gave his own process.I'm gonna search it out and delete it!!:laughing7:

[paulfun]

"I'm gonna search it out and delete it!!:laughing7: "<!-- / message --><!-- sig -->

Good Idea!

[zlMark]

I deleted or edited the offensive posts