My "PS3" Blaster is alive!

[Colby]

I have a small question for you blaster guru's. So I was trying to see about messing with the pilot jet setting and seeing if its correct. I warmed the bike up and let it idle. Right now the air screw is 1 1/2 turns out and it idles nicely. From what I have read you are suppose to adjust it either way until the fastest idle is achieved. For me, the fastest, and best idle was at 1 1/2 turns. Either way slowed the idle down until it finally would die. So am I in the right place? From what I read, I thought the idle would get much faster at a certain point and then you adjust it back down to desired idle. My desired idle is at the fastest point, which really isn't that fast to me.

Does this sound right? Is it suppose to be able to be adjusted to a very fast idle? If you need to hear my idle, check out the video in my first post in this thread. I let it idle for a couple seconds and that is the fastest I can get it to go.

 

[scotj77]

sounds like a pretty decent idle speed to me.

 

[Colby]

sounds like a pretty decent idle speed to me.

Thanks. It's good, but that is the fastest it will go. From what I understood reading jetting threads, you are suppose to adjust it either way for the fastest idle to make sure you don't need to go up or down in pilot jets. So since my fastest idle is 1 1/2 turns out, I am good?

I guess I was just thinking I could make it go faster than what it is now. I am happy with that idle, so I am not complaining about it, just trying to make sure my experience sounds like the correct procedure. I'll be sure to post some pictures after testing day tomorrow.

 

[scotj77]

think ya might be over thinking it a tad bit. lol but at least you're thinking right!!

 

[Colby]

Did the first plug chop today:

 

[Colby]

So after some more riding today I am convinced there is an air leak or something else wrong with the motor. It runs great at first. I was able to complete some plug chops with no problems. I first started to suspect an air leak after the second plug chop. Yesterday the #290 was lean. See video above. So I went up to a #310. Still lean. That does not seem right. So I put in a #330, just trying to get it rich. Still lean! The grey got a little darker, but going from #290 to #330, the ring on the plug never turned brown.

Furthermore, after I rode around for 10-15 minutes the motor would just not want to run. I just had no power at all across any throttle position. The motor would heat up then slowly just not run anymore. It would get harder to kick at this point. I let it sit for a few minutes, then it fired right back up and let me drive it back to the truck. I let it cool down for an hour and went to start it again. Fired right up like nothing was wrong. I rode it around and it ran great. Then, again after about 10 minutes of riding, it loses power and doesnt want to run or idle.

Is it overheating? Would an air leak cause this, even though it runs 100% fantastic for the first few minutes of riding it? I need to order the leakdown tester and check it for leaks.

 

[Awk08]

/\ sounds like you already know whats happening,
and if it isn't already fried, it will be soon if you continue to lock it up by overheating it
i'd be doing a compression test, a leakdown test to identify the leak before you tear into it, then pulling the intake and exhaust to inspect for piston damage

edit...all them plug chops were lean

 

[Colby]

So I went to 3 different hardware stores looking for the supplies for a leakdown tester, and had no luck. I asked several different people at Menards, Home Depot, and Ace Hardware for a schrader valve aka tire valve and they had no idea what I was talking about. All the pressure gauges were for 0-100 PSI. So I did a search online and found this thing:

0 - 15 psi 1/10 Increment Gas Test Gauge-94352 at The Home Depot

So now when I get this I just need to add the PVC pipe to the other end and I will have a tester. I'll let you know the results as soon as I can.

 

[Awk08]

both my testers have 0-100 psi gauges, they are slicks early models, i just make a mark with a sharpie right between 5 and 10 psi.
and you can get the shrader (tire valve) at a tire shop/garage, cut the bulb end off and clamp it into the hose.

 

[Colby]

Quick Update:

That thing at home depot is gone, all sold out and no back orders accepted. So I looked around at work for parts. Since I work at a hospital as an equipment technician I found some parts and made myself a tester. I used a 0-15 PSI gauge and some rubber tubing, a T, and a valve. I made sure this test fixture didn't leak. No pressure lose after 1 hour.

Saturday will be my chance to leak test the motor. I am really hoping the leak will be something besides crank seals but that is what I am expecting. I will probably make a video of the process. You guys can watch me stumble through it.

 

[Larry's Shee]

Even crank seals aren't that bad to do.

 

[Colby]

Ya I have just spent so much time getting this thing running I am dreading tearing it apart again. I did get the motor out of the bike this morning. I figure it's easy to take out and it gives me more room to work with so why not. I had to go to work today so didn't get the chance to leak test it, plus I bought the wrong size PVC pipe for the intake. Tomorrow will be the day, stay tuned.

 

[Colby]

Ok the leak down test process went great. I hooked up my home made tester and pumped it up to 7 PSI. I could tell right away it was leaking. The needle was slowly moving (on a 0-30 PSI gauge). So I pumped it back up to 7 PSI and began spraying soap and water on the reed cage. And that was it. It was leaking at the top between the reed cage and intake boot. Bubbles popping up everywhere. I figured I would fix one leak source at a time (if there were multiple) so I went ahead and sealed it up with some RTV. 24 hours later I came back and pumped it back up to 7 PSI. There was no obvious movement like before so I let it sit for 5 minutes. After 5 I came back and it had not dropped any. I let it sit for another 5 minutes and after I came back it had moved only the thickness of the tick mark for the 7 PSI mark. Basically moved from slightly above the mark to below the mark, I would guess 1/5 of a PSI. I consider this good, since it could be from my leak tester itself or something minor.

Hopefully this solves my overheating and jetting problems.

 

[Awk08]

yeah that leak test was good, time to get it heat cycled and jetted with plug chops