I pulled the carbs for cleaning. I did not tinker with it much once removed (all 4 at once). Removed the side with float bowls, cleaned the jets with carb cleaner and then reassembled.

I labeled the hoses pretty well when I was disassembling everything, and I'm pretty sure they all found the right home when I re-assembled.

Now when I try to start the bike, it just wont start. The battery is fully charged, the fuel pet **** is turned on. It sounds like it wants to start, with a little almost cough noise, but just doesn't turn over.

After reading some troubleshooting threads, I think the next step to see if the plugs have spark or are fouled.

Just wanted to know if anyone can suggest something obvious I might be missing after doing this type of maintenance. Eg. do I need to pour fuel in the carbs manually to prime them or something?

 

In the title you menton the manual cam chain tensioner. Did you do that as well when you cleaned the carbs ? Does the F4 have a fuel pump ? When the bowls are empty after cleaning, it can take some time to fill them and get the bike running again.

 

Easy way to check if the bowls are filling is to open the drain screws on the float bowls. If gas pours out, the bowls are filling... Which reminds me: double-check that you closed the float bowl drains

Been there, done that

 

another thing to make sure of is that you didn't tighten the pilot jets all the way down. they need to be set anywhere from 1.5-2-5 turns out from being bottomed out. If they are seated all the way down, it will block the flow of gas and the bike won't start.

 

thanks for the replies

I re-tightened the pilot jets to the same setting there were before i took them out. However this was what felt like tightened all the way down. I.e. when i initially removed the float bowls the jets all seemed to be screwed all the way down, i could not tighten them anymore, I tried to bottom them out but couldn't.

If I do loosen them up, is it safe to loosen them all 1.5-2.5 turns each? I'm not sure how to find the optimal position now?

I will try the drain screws to see if fuel is filling as a first step.

Any other suggestions while i'm tearing the bike down again?

Much appreciated

 

we may not be on the same page here. the pilot jets are not inside the float bowl, they are on the outside of the carb, in front of the float bowl on the bottom of the carb. They are external so they can be adjusted with the engine running. If you flip the carb over, they are directly in front of the float bowl...( front meaning towards the engine).

if you didn't remove these jets, then that may also be a problem. Many times, dirt and debris from cleaning the float bowl can become wedged in the pilotjet's port. they really should be removed and cleaned. These are the jets that need to be set. What you want to do is count how many turns it takes to bottom them out before you remove them. Then, you know how far out they were to start with and can put them back in the same place. Just don't over tighten them as it can ruin the jet. Just snug them until you feel them bottom out. There will also be a spring on them, make sure you don't loose it. Depending on what year your bike is and where it was from, there may be caps over the pilot jets. If there is, you will have to remove the caps to gain access to the pilot jets.

the jets inside the float bowl get tightened all the way. there is no adjust ment for those.

Also, the floats are very sensitve, and if you accidently bent any of the thin tabs, you may have floats that are not adjusted correctly.

Honestly though, I'm just throwing ideas out there since this is all over the internet. It could be a set of fouled plugs or any number of things.

 

Check the petcock valve again. I just did a carb rebuilt and after I installed the I had the same issue that u speak of with a cough but no start. After thinking for 20 I turned the valve and after two attempts of starting the bike turnd over and ran. Only other thing I had todo was set the idle screw.

 

i pulled the plugs, they seem to be fouled, there is oil on 3 out of 4 and the tips are blackish. These are relatively new plugs so i am going to try cleaning them, re-gapping them and re-installing. Hopefully that fixes the problem, I'm not sure what else to check for.

 

also, thanks for the suggestions guys, its really helping

i loosened the drain screws and fuel came out, so I dont think its a fuel delivery problem.

If the bike doesnt start after cleaning the plugs I am going to remove the jets and clean them. I think i need a special tool to remove the jets which i do not have.

 

Keep in mind, even though they are new plugs, once these plugs foul, they may need to be changed. They are very finicky.

I would get a hair dryer and place the plugs directly in front of it on high heat for awhile. Your going to want to make sure the plugs are completely dried out. I would say 5 minutes or so should do it.

Also, with the plugs removed, crank the engine over a few times. This will accomplish two things. One, it will clear the combustion chamber out in case there is still excess amounts of gas in there. Two, it will let you know if one or more of the carbs are sticking open. If you have a continous purge of a gas mist coming out, something is wrong. With the engine cranking over, you shouldn't be able to see any amount of fuel coming out as its being cranked. Initially there might be as it clears, but there shouldn't be a continous flow.

For the tool, you can usually buy on on ebay for like 20 bucks. Just check to make sure what style you have. Some bikes have a D shaped end, while some have a slot.