Engine problems on 1989 Phazer

[ttyR2]

A friend of mine has a 1989 Phazer 480 that was flooding out after running for a while. I went through the carbs, cleaned all the jets thoroughly, blew out all the passages with carb cleaner and compressed air, reset the float levels (one was way off) and generally put it back to factory specs.

He took it out again today and said it ran perfect for about an hour, then started acting like it was flooding out. This is almost exactly what it did to me last weekend when I borrowed it. The fact that it runs for an hour or so before the problem happens is starting to make me think it's an ignition problem. It doesn't backfire or anything, but the engine won't rev up past the initial drive belt engagement and won't move the sled (classic signs of carb problems). Having been through the carbs, I'm ruling them out at this point, but when it happened to me last weekend, the plugs were very wet.

What else do you guys think I should be checking? It's fan cooled so it *shouldn't* be overheating but that's possible. He said he had new pistons and rings installed some time in the recent past.

 

[SummerSucks10]

Maybe a sinking float, crack in the diaphragm in the fuel pump?

K.

 

[Bauer]

Does it run better after it sits a while or still boggy?

 

[ttyR2]

I can't say. The guy towed it back and put it on the trailer today. He didn't try it after it cooled off. Any idea what it uses for a fuel tank vent? Curious if that could be plugged and not bleeding off pressure as the gas sloshes around.

 

[Bauer]

I can't say. The guy towed it back and put it on the trailer today. He didn't try it after it cooled off. Any idea what it uses for a fuel tank vent? Curious if that could be plugged and not bleeding off pressure as the gas sloshes around.

The vent was my first thought. It comes out of the top of the tank on the fipper side and it's supposed to go under the headlight above the air box to the clutch side. Then down behind the secondary. Sometimes poeple think they have a better idea and run it down under the carbs or where ever.. My 89 had this problem gas got in the vent and it would hardly move. Re routed it and been fine since. But if the plugs were wet I may try to unscrew the sparkplug caps trim them back a little and try it again. Corrosion can be a problem on the end or even throughout the wires. Does he have the fancy lil screw on tips to the spark plugs? if not he should if they aren't on the plug they may be up in the cap. I've had more than one set rattle out and strip.. It's worth a look. Also the klump of wires just behind motor more or less under the oil tank can get wet and such. There aren't very many so it may be worth cleaning them and putting a little dielectric grease on em..

 

[ttyR2]

Turns out the owner does have the Clymer manual for the sled. It even lays out how to properly set the oil pump cable (easy as pie). The freeplay in the oil cable is checked by seeing how far the cable sheath can pull out of the adjuster at idle (something like 0.8"). Same way I adjusted the choke cables.

 

[Bauer]

Turns out the owner does have the Clymer manual for the sled. It even lays out how to properly set the oil pump cable (easy as pie). The freeplay in the oil cable is checked by seeing how far the cable sheath can pull out of the adjuster at idle (something like 0.8"). Same way I adjusted the choke cables.

You adjusted the choke cables...

 

[ttyR2]

Yes, so they had some slack in them. The way the carbs had been set, the choke was permanently on as the cables were too tight.