Tecate high speed fuel issues

[FrankenWheeler]

Hi all,
My T-3 ran great all last season, but after my first trip to the dunes this year I was having all sorts of problems.

It ran crappy the first ride (cutting out, no power) so I brought it back and pulled the plug. It was fouled badly, so I put in a new one, took off the small UNI 2 stage pod filter I had just bought and changed back to the old air-filter Bigger K&N. After doing this it ran great, full power band, wheelies, etc. :w00t:

So next ride it ran perfect for 3/4 of the ride, then on the way back cutting out, no power, leaking gas...I got towed back to camp and got into my carb. Whoa! lots of gummy clear stuff in the fuel inlet, jets, everywhere. I guess it was varnished up from old gas but I had been running it all summer in my driveway and it never showed any problems. Plus my buddy never cleans his carb on his 250r from season to season and never has problems....lol jerk.

Anyway I fully clean the carb, took everything apart got all the goo out of it, reassemble everything, new plug, and I start kicking. It took a while to light off but then ran good, so I figure "cool" that was my problem. Nope, next ride same thing. Ran great at first then halfway through the ride more cutting out, bogging, lack of power. So I limped it back to camp and put it in the truck.

Now that I'm home I took the carb apart and cleaned it again, cleaned my gas tank, fuel petcock,(all the fuel components were clean, no goo) checked my cylinder p.s.i. (180 warmed up), it rides awesome in my driveway but I dont have a local spot to really test it.

I'm hoping someone has a suggestion, could it be partially seized? Or something electrical? On a side note after I got towed back to camp the first time the headlights stopped working but the whip (led) and taillight still worked. I used a multi-meter to try and track down the problem and my main positive that runs the lights and cdi only registered 0.5-1.5 volts. Dont know whats up there...I have a newer ricky stator setup.

Thanks for reading this long post you guys! :)
Nick

[Nightbiker07]

check for loose wires, bad grounds, anyhting out of the ordinary.
after a carb cleaning to rid the varnish, you should be good to go.

[BigGreenMachine]

Pull your stator and test it wth a multimeter.

[FrankenWheeler]

I'll look for loose wires, kinda doubt it tho.

BGM, Do you know what range I'm testing for with the stator? I suppose I could contact ricky stator. Would it be the same parameters as a stock stator?

[tecat-z]

I've seen many Ricky Stators go bad when the small bolts that hold the lighting coil to the plate actually back out or break from vibration. The coil then contacts inside of flywheel and ruining coil. Seems to always be the big coil. Possibly since it hangs out the farthest from the plate and putting more stress on the plate and causing it to loosen. This sounds very similar to t-3 Lopes problems with stators. Vibration it the Tecates worst enemy. It caused all of the problems with the original, oem glue on magnetic field style. Get the specs and begin testing. It can all be done on the bike by testing at the 3way connector coming off the stator. Ricky will give you the numbers on the phone.

[FrankenWheeler]

Yeah, thanks guys. Lopes pm'd me about the stator issue. The weird thing is that it runs great during start up and warm up, and even for 10-15 minutes of hard riding...then it's starts to act up. If anyone else has ideas please let me know!
Going to test the stator tomorrow.

[digity x]

well if you cant figure it out and you have the money and time you can either start over with the stator your using and wiring or you can buy a pvl system like i have works great but no more lights thats the only thing that sucks.

[Satsol67]

There has been alot of guys over at BansheeHQ that have had nothing but problems with Ricky stators. Get the specs like the others are saying and check it. If it is bad see if they will replace it. If the bolts have came loose good chance they wont. If that is the problem use lock tight. ( the blue of course).

[FrankenWheeler]

Hehe, so I got the specs from Ricky and everything checked out fine... so I decided to take the flywheel off anyways, on the lower coil the right bolt was loose so I locktighted it. Was about to put everything back together and I started looking at the woodruff key that had fallen out when I got the flywheel out. Well, the key was fine on the side that rests in the crankshaft, but completely rounded off on the flywheel side. so much that it wont even go in the groove anymore...

Do you guys think that when I rev up high the crank was spinning faster than the flywheel causing the ignition problem?

[oOGoFastOo]

probably i had a lawnmower do that, the key broke and it wouldnt run for $#!t.

[wizzard]

it can't be good! Fix it and let us know.

[Satsol67]

I wouldnt even put that key back on. If its rounded its just a matter of time before it breaks. They are cheap just get a new one.

[ATCT]

So I'm curious, what happened? Also, I'm about to buy a RIcky Stator. Are there any to avoid the problem people stated?

[FrankenWheeler]

Well, sorry for not posting this thread for awhile. I haven't been out to the dunes since the first posting (work hehe). I just went this last weekend and she ran crappy at first, so I tried adjusting my float level and that helped. Then it ran amazing for 1 3/4 rides until I rode back to camp slowly, (waiting for someone limping a bike back) for about 2 miles and then it started crapping out again like it was out of gas.....

When we got back to camp it just died and wouldnt start, so I figured I had just fouled the plug or flodded it from all the bogging. I put a new plug in and she still wouldn't start, ( I cranked the kickstarter while the plug was out and it sounded flooded). Any way I left it alone until nightfall and went to kick it again and she started right up! I went to go for a quick camp test and it died again and wouldn't start...after that I gave up and rode the dirtbike.

Any ideas? Eariler in my post I got the voltage specs from Ricky Stator and everything tested fine. So I'm confused. It's acting like its running out of gas but the fuel system is flowing fine. :wondering

Thanks again guys, Nick

[tecat-z]

I'd pop the fly and have a look at the coils. You may have broke one of the small screws that attach coils to stator plate. There's four of them. Trust me, this happens with R.S. Coil will then touch inside of fly, but it wont grab and grind it up like the oem with glue on mags since R.S. fly is smooth on inside. If coil vibrates back into "normal' position it will start and give good reading. It's where i'd look, and can be checked in minutes.

[money89tractors]

Replace your coil. The opposed twin briggs engine have this problem, They will run amazing until they get good and warm, then theyll do one of 2 things: 1. theyll keep running until you shut them off, then they have to cool for a few hours before they will start again, or 2. theyll run until they get good and hot, then just die and not start till they cool down again. Sounds like the same deal here, ive had it happen with many things.

-Phil

[3Razors]

From reading it sounds like the stator is on its way out or already is. I've had two tecates do the exact same thing you are describing. Especially how when you let it sit then go back to start it up and it seems to run good but then during riding it starts acting up.

The Ricky Stator plate for the Tecate seems to be a real hit and miss one. I went through like 3 of them on one bike, but Ricky always sent me out another no charge. Some people haven't had any trouble though.

[FrankenWheeler]

Ok, i'll look at it again.

I remember back in December when I had this problem I took the flywheel off and one of the coil bolts had backed out and the coil was rubbing on the inside of the flywheel. :(

I didnt notice much physical damage but do you think it may have caused damage just by rubbing a bit? Guess I'll see..hehe

Thanks guys.

Razors, maybe I'll see you again at buttercup sometime.

Later!!

[3Razors]

A 3 wheeler group ride is happening at Gordons Well (other side of buttercup) quite a few members of the other 3 wheeler site are coming. Any chance of making it out there this pres. day weekend?

On the stator plate, none of the screws on mine backed out..They just became nonfunctional with no physical damage. I tried to get an explanation from Ricky Stator but they didnt have an answer...

[FrankenWheeler]

I'd love to go this weekend but I have work and wife obligations...:crazy:

When I get the t3 running good again I'll msg you about my next trip.

Later!

[Dirtcrasher]

It's funny, years back I'd never blame the ignition. I thought it would run or wouldn't and that was it.... Then my buddies CR125 started doing weird crap, wouldn't start hot, bogged down and other symptoms we could not figure out. Until he bought a rebuilt stator and it all went away..........