85 250 big red starting problems

[Joshs]

Hi I have a new question,

I just got this big red and have now have put a rear end in it. That is working great btw.

My new problem is starting the machine; When I go to start it it acts like it isnt choking. If I choke it it starts for a second reved pretty high then dies. If I try to start it not choked it takes a while to even kick over, then it will barely idle till it gets warmed up.

Once it gets good and warmed up it runs pretty good, the only thing I notice wrong is a dead spot when you drop the throttle. If I rev it normally no dead spots or very little.

My dad said the hesitation when I dropped the throttle was not uncommon on the bikes, and the hard start was problably the enricher circuit probably not working since it starts and runs great when it gets warmed up.

He is making me fix this thing on my own so I took off the carb, cleaned it well the choke seems to be working well and all passages are clear.

Here is what I have done, any other ideas would be great.

* Cleaned the air filter and lightly oiled it
* New plug
* Cleaned the tank inside well, it had rust and crap (alot of rust was in there)
* Cleaned the petcock and screen filters in there
* Cleaned the Carb
* Added new gas (after I cleaned the tank)
* Checked compression (160 pounds) Doesnt smoke or anything when its running

How does one check if the enricher is working right? I am at a loss there. And if it is the enricher why does it run high only a few seconds then die?

Again thanks in advance for any help, Josh

[bigreddaddy]

Welcome Josh,


Did you clean all of the jets in the carb? Are you running an inline fuel filter? With the carb off but still having the throttle cable connected, check to see if the cable is working correctly. If your not running a fuel filter those jets in the carb can get plugged real quick with a rusty tank. Go through the carb again real good, and run a filter. You can get one at a hardware store used for lawn mowers.

By the way, I think the "enrichment circuit" your referring to is the PILOT JET, which is located right next to the MAIN JET. Make sure after you clean the little holes in the jets you can see sunlight through them. I use guitar string and run it through those tiny holes to make sure I get the crud out.

[Joshs]

Thanks for the replies. I will break it down and recheck the carb out and the parts mentioned today.. I am out of school now and I have to get this thing going.

I apologize for so many questions but how does the enricher pludger work exacly? I had asumed when it was pulled it let more gas into the engine, perhaps I am wrong if the hole goes to the outside of the carb.

[clinton]

was there any oil coming out of the spark plug hole when u changed it? do u know where i can get a new back rack for a 84 200cc honda three wheeler?

[Joshs]

There was no oil coming out of the plug, the plug looked kinda burnt brownish.

I got home today and my dad had gotten some por-15 tank sealer and we cleaned and acided the tank, dried it and coated it. I cannot put gas in it for 5 days now so I decided to work on the looks of the bike now.

I will pick this up where I left off in 5 days when I can try to start it again. In the meantime I will also clean the carbs again as well.

[ScottZJ]

Well just put it this way with big reds, when you feel that you have cleaned that carb to your best ability, then Clean again! LOL That is one thing with reds, if you have a nice clean carb, those suckers will start like a dream with no issues. If you have a bad/dirty carb, you could be in a world of hurt. Personally I like the 20$ rebuilt kits and say the heck with trying to clean out the parts. This makes it easy to narrow down what could be the problem when you add new parts.

[BigRedBlair]

make sure your choke is screwed in right and maybe check your valves out.