it has been pretty cold here for the last weeks, up to about 20- degrees celcius, but i have still been driving. today when i was gonna start it up, it just wouldnt start. spark - yes, gas - yes, but when i screw of the bottom of carb, no gas streams thru, so i quess the fuel line is plugged. i pull it of and i blow in there and thick slimy gas comes out, i fix it and when i put all back togheter it still wont start. so i quess something is plugged in the carb. like the middle thing where needle is going down to. so does anyone else have this problem and is there a way to get pass it on these cold days without putting it inside.
Cold Weather.
- Thread starter dytesaft
- Start date
I'd bet what you may be suffering from is as simple as a lil water & crud in the fuel - not uncommon really.
Pull the float bowl off and have a look, can't hurt to clean the carb a bit
While it wont help w/water - are you runnin' a fuel filter?
Pull the float bowl off and have a look, can't hurt to clean the carb a bit
While it wont help w/water - are you runnin' a fuel filter?
*shrug* depends on how glopy it is - you can drain water by usin' the drain screw on the bottom of the float bowl, as water is heavier than gasoline it'll collect at the lowest point. If there turns out to be a lot of crud then yeah - a full cleanin' is in order. If there's a lot of crud in the carb - than w/e filter yer usin' is failing you and ya outa look fer a different brand (I like the inline ones w/a metal mesh, paper ones like the 2stroke oil too much lol).
Some small amount of water will always build up, as the temperature changes condensation builds up on the inside walls of the tank above the fuel level, so the easiest thing to do to combat water is to keep the tank full... not that it helps with any water/crud ya might get from the gas station heh
Some small amount of water will always build up, as the temperature changes condensation builds up on the inside walls of the tank above the fuel level, so the easiest thing to do to combat water is to keep the tank full... not that it helps with any water/crud ya might get from the gas station heh
i am cleaning carb now, and i will put it back togheter tomorow, when i used drainscrew earlier today, i came out only a little but when no gasoline would come down to the carb, i check the line and it was totally plugged by so i blew the "jelly" out of line and the off/on thing and it is open now, i ran the bike 2 days ago with no problems, but yesterday it was like 20- degres celcius so i didnt drive it, and today it is all filled with jelly so it has to be water in tank, so i will do a full cleaning and get new fuel tomorow!
First off, -20º C is only a balmy -4º F, a temp I ride in alla time and am actually quite happy that it's that "warm" lol
While oil will thicken at a higher temperature than gasoline (much to diesel owners dismay) 2 cycle oil freezes at -25º F and gasoline doesn't "freeze" until well below -97 degrees F (I think it's actually -150 or so), given the mix ratio of oil/fuel in your typical 2 stroke - I doubt that's the problemNOAA said:
Last edited:
Sorta on topic
Check out the gearbox oil it freezes at -26`c
YouTube - Top Gear - Winter Olympics Special - 2006 part 2
Check out the gearbox oil it freezes at -26`c
YouTube - Top Gear - Winter Olympics Special - 2006 part 2
Its the water which gets into the lines that freezes and causes the problem at this temp, not the gas or oil.
Maybe you other cold weather riders can help me with this. I have just assembled my first bike with a Grubee 48cc.
I have attempted riding here in Colorado in 30*F weather. The bike will start fine, give it a bit of time to warm up, choke off and take off. 5 minutes later it doesn't want to run, and I need to mostly close the choke again and chug home. Is it the engine itself that gets cold, or the carb getting cold, which makes the choke neccessary? Could I just wrap alluminum foil around part of the engine or should I make a shroud to direct heat to the carb?
Thx,
Rod S
I have attempted riding here in Colorado in 30*F weather. The bike will start fine, give it a bit of time to warm up, choke off and take off. 5 minutes later it doesn't want to run, and I need to mostly close the choke again and chug home. Is it the engine itself that gets cold, or the carb getting cold, which makes the choke neccessary? Could I just wrap alluminum foil around part of the engine or should I make a shroud to direct heat to the carb?
Thx,
Rod S
It runs fine when the temp is in the 40's and 50's.
It sure seems to be temp related cause if I stop and let it warm up again, I can then ride for a few minutes till it cools off.
I'm running 32:1 now.
Stock plug, looks good and gapped at .20
All the bolts snugged up with threadlock.
I'm at 6000 ft. so may need to change the needle setting, but it runs good when warm.
Rod S
It sure seems to be temp related cause if I stop and let it warm up again, I can then ride for a few minutes till it cools off.
I'm running 32:1 now.
Stock plug, looks good and gapped at .20
All the bolts snugged up with threadlock.
I'm at 6000 ft. so may need to change the needle setting, but it runs good when warm.
Rod S
I was thinking when I posted that everyone would say it's common with these engines. I thought maybe with the long intake the heat from the engine wasn't getting to the carb. What exactly needs to warm up before a choke can be stut off? Is it the piston expanding in the bore, a change in compression, or the fuel so it vaporizes? I should know this, but never gave it much thought.
I know the plugs that came with it aren't too good, but I've got two of them. Do they expect them to have a short life? I may try an NGK plug, but will wait for warmer weather. Evidently they do run in the cold though. On YouTube I've even seen where they put tracks on and ride in the snow.
Rod S
I know the plugs that came with it aren't too good, but I've got two of them. Do they expect them to have a short life? I may try an NGK plug, but will wait for warmer weather. Evidently they do run in the cold though. On YouTube I've even seen where they put tracks on and ride in the snow.
Rod S
Thanks for the help Nougat. I rode today in about 45* weather and it was fine except for a a short time when I had a long fast downhill. I pulled over, waited a minute and took off. It just seems to be at speed it just cools off. If I get time I may try setting the needle a bit richer. My main concern now is getting a new ildler pulley. I wore a flat spot on the dang thing, then found the threads were all boogered up. Took an hour to get it off. Arrgghh!
Rod S
Rod S
How cold can it be and still ride a snowmobile? I think it all depends on how well you bundle up. My bike is now running in all temps. I can't remember what I did to it, but temp doesn't seem to be a factor anymore. Just cover up your bare skin and watch for frostbite and icy roads.
If your engine wants to die when WOTing for a short period of time, you might have overheating problems. That could be explained by a lean mixture if you have a leak somewhere. How is your plug?
