Engine Will Not Start

[Randbrackett]

Hi,
I put my bike kit together the other day and it worked great once I got in on the bike, for a day. I was riding home after the first day of use when I ran out of gas. I was close to a friends house, so I pedaled there and found that he had gasoline and two stroke outboard engine oil. I figured what the heck, mixed it together, and poured it in the tank. I tried to take off, it started for a couple seconds, but then shut down made a humming noise and brought the bike to a halt. Now when I Pedal like normal and release the clutch to get it started, the humming starts, and the bike becomes difficult to pedal. What is going on and how do I fix it? The first thing I did was drain the gas, and tried the original mixture I had, but no luck.

Thanks in advance for your help

 

[nightcruiser]

Hi,
I put my bike kit together the other day and it worked great once I got in on the bike, for a day. I was riding home after the first day of use when I ran out of gas. I was close to a friends house, so I pedaled there and found that he had gasoline and two stroke outboard engine oil. I figured what the heck, mixed it together, and poured it in the tank. I tried to take off, it started for a couple seconds, but then shut down made a humming noise and brought the bike to a halt. Now when I Pedal like normal and release the clutch to get it started, the humming starts, and the bike becomes difficult to pedal. What is going on and how do I fix it? The first thing I did was drain the gas, and tried the original mixture I had, but no luck.

Thanks in advance for your help

when you mixed the gas and oil at your friends house did you mix proper ratios? If not perhaps you fouled your plug? Since you've drained the fuel and added proper mix I would change the spark plug and see if she runs...
BTW I have to assume the humming noise you refer to is the sound of the motor turning over without firing?

 

[Randbrackett]

Thanks for the interest... I may have put too much oil in when I mixed the gas, but it would have been too much, not too little. The container was difficult to judge when I was pouring it. I had the same thought about the spark plug, so I changed it when I siphoned the gas. No go. The humming noise is not the sound of the engine turning over, but not catching. There is basically no sign of life. When I drop the clutch the engine just slows the bike to a halt.

 

[crassius]

if the noise isn't the clutch slipping, then check to see if you're leaking oil at the head gasket, if that's tight, then check your spark

 

[nightcruiser]

Pull your spark plug (to eliminate compression), see if the motor turns over with the plug out. (as I had already recommended to clean out any flooding from your cylinder) If she turns over with the plug out then I would check the torque on your head bolts and then put a clean plug back in and try it again. Once again, make sure your fuel is flowing and mix is right, make sure your air filter didn't get clogged. I still wonder about the humming noise you describe, I have to assume it is the motor turning over without firing, that WILL slow the bike down as you pedal.....

 

[LAguyyy]

If you havnt bought one yet, get a torque wrench. I picked up one at sears for about 30 bucks. When my head bolts were loose or stripped(another story), I heard a slight screech at higher speed and engine would die at low speed or clutch pulled. Partial loss of compression. Torque your head bolts to 10-15 ft/lbs and lose the acorn nuts, get standard.

 

[maniac57]

Sounds to me like the clutch is slipping and not turing the engine over. You may need to slightly tighten the main spring. Lots of good sticky threads on clutch adjustment.
I had a customer bike do something like the humming you describe when the clutch was slipping.

 

[Randbrackett]

Ok, so I had some time to mess around with the bike today. I took the plug out and got compression (eventually) so I put the plug back in. I got it running for about 2 miles, seemed fine until it conked out and I had to pedal it back. There is no compression when I pedal and drop the clutch. What happens is the big gear in the clutch box houseing cant turn the little gear because it is locked up. I don't know much about these engine, so I figured I would ask the same question I already did with more specific information. Its doing the same thing as it has been been doing since the original post.

 

[Randbrackett]

*The little gear is locked not the big one

 

[Toadmund]

Did you check the clutch like Maniac57 suggested?
If your clutch is slipping your gears may not turn, I assume the little gear is not moving because the big one isn't either.

Not a hard job, check your cable adjustment first, if that's not it adjust the clutch, Youtube is a good source of info on clutch adjusting.

With the hand lever in, you should tighten the flower nut until it is snug on the plate, then loosen it a bit until it until it is not.
With the lever out it should engage the clutch.

Quick explain, have to give up this computer.

 

[crassius]

if the little gear is locked, everything else will be locked if your clutch isn't slipping - do more work on the clutch adjustment & be sure your pads are clean & dry

 

[Randbrackett]

Yes it is the little gear that is locked. Which means that everything else is locked. Is that still a clutch issue?

 

[nightcruiser]

Yes it is the little gear that is locked. Which means that everything else is locked. Is that still a clutch issue?

The little gear is connected to the crank, the big gear is connected to the clutch. When the spark plug is installed there is compression in the cylinder and the little gear will be hard to turn, if you pull the plug the compression is gone and the motor should turn over easily. So if you pull the plug and can't get the gears to rotate (both) then you probably have a something wrong inside your motor. You need to determine if its something on the clutch/chain side that is hanging you up, or if its the crank or something in the cylinder, or if it is just compression(???) and investigate in whatever direction that leads...