HEET/GasDry, winter riding and frozen jets

CARP! got three miles from home. as soon as i turn into the Mobil station, it dies. completely. i stuck my finger thru the foil and felt the carb...nice and warm. not hot. so, its not icing up.

i'll try another new plug. then iginition. then carb. then, if none of those work, a new magneto. theres no possible way its not one of those, right?

now, here's the deal: 3 out of 4 times i thought i froze up, have been within 100yds of the mobil. 2 out of 2 flat tires (both fronts...that hasnt happened in years) have been picked up at the mobil.

if, indeed, the mobil was built on an indian burial ground, shouldnt i of all people be exempt from the curse? i lived with the lakota Sioux for 8 years, so i think i should get a pass.

RON: meythl alcohol
 
Spunout said:
CARP! got three miles from home. as soon as i turn into the Mobil station, it dies. completely. i stuck my finger thru the foil and felt the carb...nice and warm. not hot. so, its not icing up.

i'll try another new plug. then iginition. then carb. then, if none of those work, a new magneto. theres no possible way its not one of those, right?

now, here's the deal: 3 out of 4 times i thought i froze up, have been within 100yds of the mobil. 2 out of 2 flat tires (both fronts...that hasnt happened in years) have been picked up at the mobil.

if, indeed, the mobil was built on an indian burial ground, shouldnt i of all people be exempt from the curse? i lived with the lakota Sioux for 8 years, so i think i should get a pass.

RON: meythl alcohol
Click to expand...

Offer up some sage and tobbacco offerings next time before you build one up to appease the restless spirits.
 
She says "Check to make sure the gas cap is venting properly and doesn't have some ice blocking the vent."
 
Joe, Good Thought. It Could Be Something That Simple!! Give The Wife An Atta Boy. Like When You Lose Something And Then Find It. It Is Always At The Last Place You Look!!!
 
Bikeguy Joe said:
I'll talk to Mrs. Joe, she's half Sioux.
Click to expand...
nice. tell her i said, "wopila, kola!" for the gas cap idea.
but, that isnt it. the bike is stored indoors until its time to go, so theres no ice on cap and i have plenty of fuel in the line/filter. good idea, though.
we got 9-10 inches of snow in 24 hrs, and the plows arent keeping up very well, except for the main roads. i wont be able to test new plug, or coil, or carb, or magneto until tomorrow.
.sno.

EDIT: could a non-venting cap still be a problem, even with full fuel line?
 
Last edited:
Mrs. Joe says "Remember Wounded Knee and Pine Ridge."

and yes it could be the non venting cap. Even with a vented cap, it could draw enough air to freeze up, like a small version of carb icing.
 
Hi Spunout,
Sorry to read of your cold weather motor trouble. Hope there's room for another 2-cents worth of advice ... can't resist.

I used to do a lot of shadetree mechanic work on snowmobiles up here in Michigan. One thing I can say for sure ... you don't want any kind of water anywhere in your fuel system. Even if it doesn't freeze up, it'll foul your spark plug(s).

One of the best and easiest ways to keep water out in the first place is not to pour gas into your tank directly from the can you store your gas in. Instead, siphon the gas into your tank from the storage container, being careful to let the siphon only pick up gas from the top half of the can. Any water in the storage can will have settled to the bottom if you haven't shaken it up. (HEET or some other brand of dry gas is pretty much a necessity too.)

One way to tell if you have a water/fuel problem is to pull the spark plug as soon as your motor quits. If you have a water problem you'll see water on the plug ... on the electrodes or maybe all around the ring. If you can't tell if it's water or gas you're seeing wipe it with a finger ... water and gas feel different and spread out different on your skin (excuse me for stating the obvious ...just trying to be thourough).
Also carry extra spark plugs becasue once fouled by water they don't seem to recover completely.

If the plug is completely dry with no smell of gas, your fuel filter may be clogged with water. A good cold weather trick ... put two inline fuel filters on your gas line. If water plugs the first filter you can just pull it off and discard it and hook up your gas line to the next filter and keep going.

Finally ... old, "stinky" gas is a no-no. Better to throw it out. Same with sooty or carboned spark plugs. Two-cycle engines can go through a lot of plugs in cold weather ... good to change whenever in doubt. You can save the "doubtful" plugs for summer if you like (easier walking then! lol).

Hope this helps you make it home ... or at least all the way to the warm Mobile station! Have fun riding and be safe.
.trk.
 
Last edited:
You know what mike?

Thats some very sound advice as i ever heard. It took me probably a few months after my first build to get the moisture issue solved besides the issue with fuel leaks with the stock fuel tank setup. Another thing i found that helps keep your lines un-adulterated is to keep the fuel shutoff close the the Carb so you have fuel contently in the lines and somewhat visible so if it starts to get cloudy you know you have a moisture issue. Just make sure its not to close as to melt do to engine heat during the summer.
 
right on, mike. that IS good advice.

i'm not admitting defeat, but i wont be messing with it for awhile.

luckily, a guy at work is now able to give me rides to/from work, and i have a couple builds to do.

so, for now, all that stuff will be back-burnered.
 
Has anyone tried iso-heet? its supposed to be compatible with 2 stroke gas and diesel engines. I just put a few drops in my fuel tank before I go to bed, I'll see if it fires up tomorrow.
 
TBH as an all season commuter regardless of weather conditions - I gotta say there's no reason in the world to use any sort of gas-line antifreeze or water remover with these lil two strokes.

If you're concerned there may be water in the fuel system, simply drain a bit from the carb bowl. If ya can manage it, drain a coupla tablespoons into a clear glass container - if there's water present, it'll form beads or a layer easily seen on the bottom as water is heavier than gasoline. If there's a lot of water, drain & flush the carb and tank & check your fuel storage can.

Still... having said that, I'm sure I've had more than my fair share of water contamination & it's never been a problem *shrug* Jus' ride the bejabbers outa it ;)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top