So... Today I had my Monster stall for no outwardly obvious reason. This is a 1999 Monster 750. Only engine related mods are BCM air filter & Termignoni mufflers.
1. Few gauges, only speedometer, N light, fuel light, kickstand light, parking mode light, and an oil light. So, no help from the bike. NOTHING came on prior to the stall. All lights work, fuel light worked on last tank of fuel, so I'm assuming it still works, but it wasn't out of gas anyway.
2. It was really hot, pushing 90º and maybe hotter with the heat rolling off the pavement
3. Battery wanted to give solenoid clicks and not start the bike. Started fine much later on in the day. Batter was charged this morning since it had been sitting for a couple weeks.
4. I had been in a lot of start-stop traffic and running UNDER 20MPH for a good 30-45 minutes, possibly more.
5. Yes, I had fuel, at a gas station once I got things running again, it only held 2 gallons, so I should have had at least a gallon, and likely more in the tank.
6. After waiting around about 30 minutes, I managed to get it started, but it ran very poorly like it was not pulling enough fuel. It sputtered and coughed like it was running out of fuel. Choking it a bit helped but it still stalled again and I coasted into the gas station. Total distance traveled was about 1 mile, and it took about 3 minutes with two red light stops.
7. After topping off the tank (2 gallons only to neck bottom) I let it sit for a bit more making the total time stopped about 30 minutes.
8. After the gas stop, it ran, not great, but I hit the highway and it seemed to improve after I had been on the highway for about 20 minutes.
9. I KNOW it is lean near the transition from the pilot to needle, and the puttering around the city streets kept me right around that throttle opening for a good bit of time. Possible cause of overheating?
10. WAY more popping and/or backfiring on closed throttle decel was evident the rest of the day.
What happened? Just overheated? Did I vaporize fuel in the lines? Did I overheat some electronics?
Could I have caused some permanent damage I need to check for?
How do I prevent this from happening again?
JM
Before anything else change the fuel filter, check for fuel contamination and drain the fuel pump.
Filter will be easy, local Auto Zone stocks them for $5.
How does one flush a vacuum (engine running makes the vacuum) operated pump? Will gravity be enough to pull fuel through for an adequate flush?
JM
Quote from: the_Journeyman on June 22, 2011, 06:30:00 PM
Filter will be easy, local Auto Zone stocks them for $5.
How does one flush a vacuum (engine running makes the vacuum) operated pump? Will gravity be enough to pull fuel through for an adequate flush?
JM
DOH [bang] I meant carb float bowls.
I am remembering something that may affect what happened. I filled Molly up one day, and the next got fuel at the same station for the mowers. I had to had fuel drier to the fuel for the mowers because the first tank of fuel from that station through the mower, and the mower barely ran. It missed and stuttered and was really hard to start.
LOTS of heat + gas with too much water in it = boil in the lines?
Either way, I'll swap that filter & drain the bowls. Might even add a little fuel drier to the tank currently in Molly since part of that tank came form the same place the day before I got the contaminated fuel for the mowers.
JM
You might think about dumping what is in the tank then. Of course, the problem is what to do with the bad fuel.
I can put it in my truck with some fuel dryer. It's got about 15 gallons of good fuel, so it should dilute well enough. It's a V8 too, so if a cylinder misses occasionally it's not a difficult to deal with as if a twin is missing on one or both cylinders!
JM
it shouldnt have overheated. i live in texas and ride daily in 100+ degree weather and sit in traffic where my 35 minute drive takes an hour. i would check all your fuel lines and check for vacuum leaks. i recently had a problem where my tank vent got pinched and my bike would die after about 20 miles then start up again about 15 minutes later
After adding fuel dryer & running the tank almost dry and replacing with fresh fuel, I've not had the problem since.
I think I had some contaminated fuel. Even my Briggs & Stratton (those will run on almost ANYTHING) mower engine had trouble with fuel from the same station. That was bought the prior or same day, can't remember exactly.
JM