WAYWARD 1998 944SS - NEEDS HELP

[Brid]

Make sure you have plenty of popcorn handy, as this is quite a tale!
The bike in question had a 944 Ferracci kit fitted, by a dealer in OK, a couple of years ago. At first try - they (somehow?)fitted a 4v top end to it, and couldn't figure out where to run the water hoses 
So, they had to start all over again, and install the correct 2v conversion. The owner says the bike never ran correctly, and after entrusting further work to a 'recognized' mechanic, was given it back (with a hefty bill) and told to 'Just ride it, it will be OK'. So, on his first ride, it went on to one cylinder 2 miles from home, and he had a long/hot push. It then got parked for over a year, until he brought it to me. It has Keihin FCR41 flat slides, and V&H slip ons, and looks nice.
1/ First job was getting the carbs ultrasonically cleaned and remounted/synced. Also found the gas tank dirty, and both fuel pump & low fuel sensor not working (both replaced and tank cleaned, but new fuel filter put outside tank)That done - it again ran on 2 cylinders, but on blipping the throttle (static on lift) - there was a definite 'breakup' starting around 5-6Krpm.
2/ HD ground cable fitted, directly from battery to engine, new starter solenoid/battery fitted
3/ Sidecase pulled and air gap re-set (both incorrect) on ign pick ups, timing backed off a couple of degrees (as per most thoughts about high compression and modern pump gas)
4/ On road test, at around 5krpm, felt like you had hit the kill switch -- back on the lift.
5/ Spark was weak, so Nology coils/aftermarket ignition modules/Taylor Spiro Pro wires fitted, along with NGK DPR8EIX plugs (gapped at 0.035") fitted. On road test - no different.
6/ Carbs pulled and float levels checked (9mm). Found jetting was - ELV needle in 4, 65 pilots, 200 main airs, 185 mains. Talked to tech at Sudco, who informed me the 'spec' jetting on the FCR41 Duals was EMT needle in 3, 60 pilots, 200 main airs and 155 mains, which concurs with Chris K's base settings (Ca Cycleworks)
6/ Base jetting installed - but NO difference on road test
7/ Needles raised to 5, but no difference - still feels like you've hit a decompressor at around 5krpm.
So - unless I'm completely missing something, I seem to have addressed most of the likely 'suspects'?
Just about to check cam belt timing, and valve adjustment, as I'm skeptical about what happened when the Dealer installed the wrong kit. Makes sense (at least to me!) that they had 'egg on their faces' after the 'boo boo', and maybe just rushed putting it back together, and 'missed' something.
The other 'anomoly', is who actually changed the jetting from suggested base settings, and what they were 'chasing'/trying to iron out?
Well, I hope to hear back from anyone ever having even remotely the same problem!
Thanks for your time - I hope the popcorn held up!!
Brid.

[Brid]

PS -- Forgot to mention the engine has a tad over 150psi static compression, on both cylinders

[koko64]

Wow.

What a shame.
That combination should normally be a really satisfying street motor.

Do you mean cranking compression throttle held wide open? I would want to see more than 150 psi which is closer to stock pistons. I've seen around 180-200+ psi cranking compression from 11:1 pistons,  both 904 and 944.

Curious about the aftrrmarket ignition. Is it programmable or just simple ignitors?

Intake. Open or stock airbox?  Open airbox then 165 main jets. 185 is drowning in fuel. Dont know why they tried  super rich main jets and those needles.  EMT is base setting as you say, I will have to check the charts for ELV to see where they were going.

If it has an open airbox or K&N barrel filters 155 is way too lean as much as 185 is drowning.

[Duck-Stew]

How did they fit a 4V 'top-end' into an SS frame?  The 2V barely fits!

Also, I'll be watching this thread...

[Brid]

Wow.

What a shame.
That combination should normally be a really satisfying street motor.

Do you mean cranking compression throttle held wide open? I would want to see more than 150 psi which is closer to stock pistons. I've seen around 180-200+ psi cranking compression from 11:1 pistons,  both 904 and 944.

Curious about the aftrrmarket ignition. Is it programmable or just simple ignitors?

Intake. Open or stock airbox?  Open airbox then 165 main jets. 185 is drowning in fuel. Dont know why they tried  super rich main jets and those needles.  EMT is base setting as you say, I will have to check the charts for ELV to see where they were going.

If it has an open airbox or K&N barrel filters 155 is way too lean as much as 185 is drowning.

Koko64 - The compression was just a quick check to see if both cylinders were the same. On cranking, it sounded like the ignition timing was way advanced - but a lot of that was a bad battery, which 'sank' to only 4 or 5 volts on starting. Whilst checking the 2nd cylinder, the starter solenoid decided to stick, so it was mad panic to get the battery cable off! So - no w/open readings taken, but I really don't think lack of compression is a serious issue. The igniters are not programmable. Airbox is stock. As mentioned, both Sudco & Ca Cycleworks gave the same base jetting, for the 944 motor. As per them, slow air screw is at 1-1/2 turns out and mixture at 3/4 turn out.

Duck - Stew -- I have NO idea how they managed it, but that's the story from the owner, who's father had to deal with cussing them out!

[ducpainter]

Maybe Eric will chime in on his experiences with the appropriateness of the base jetting of Keihins...on any version of the 900 motor.

[Speeddog]

900SS with hi-comps, FCR41's, and open airbox

EMS needles, clip on 3rd
165 mains
50 pilots
Main air jet 200
slow air screw 1 3/4 turns

Dunno what the plan was there with the ELV needles.
I suspect that was a hail mary.

Just to make sure we're on the same page, clip position 1 is furthest from the taper.

I've found that 'baseline' setting of air screw and fuel screw is nearly meaningless.
+/- 1/2 turn on the air screw is a big change.

All that said...

I think there's an ignition problem.
Have you put a timing light on it?
Perhaps the flywheel is off a tooth.

[koko64]

It has a stock airbox. Is that unmolested with the lid intact? If so start with the SUDCO 155 mains base line.

I was wondering about the ignition being aftermarket. As has been suggested it may be set up incorrectly or something associated with it is.

Better check everything after what has happened, you'll probably keep finding stuff.

[Brid]

900SS with hi-comps, FCR41's, and open airbox

EMS needles, clip on 3rd
165 mains
50 pilots
Main air jet 200
slow air screw 1 3/4 turns

Dunno what the plan was there with the ELV needles.
I suspect that was a hail mary.

Just to make sure we're on the same page, clip position 1 is furthest from the taper.

I've found that 'baseline' setting of air screw and fuel screw is nearly meaningless.
+/- 1/2 turn on the air screw is a big change.

All that said...

I think there's an ignition problem.
Have you put a timing light on it?
Perhaps the flywheel is off a tooth.

Just spent a couple of hours going through electrical connections, remaking grounds and slathering everything with (more!) dielectric grease. Fired it up and put the strobe on it (again!) and it's doing what it's supposed to down there, so - the flywheel can't be off a tooth. As mentioned, the airbox is stock - and, can Sudco/CaCycleworks be that far off with suggested 'hard' jetting? It runs fine with small throttle blips, falls back to idle quickly (around 1200rpm) so - the pilot circuits are clearly pretty darned close. But - as soon as you try and rev it over around 5/6K, it breaks up horribly.

[koko64]

What brand ignition boxes?

[Brid]

Procom PE-C-MD900-A boxes. An odd thought, but maybe someone switched the pick up coil wires at the igniter box plugs? LH box in Horizontal cylinder, and wires in plug are L-White and R-Red. Vertical box is L-Black and R-Yellow. The Haynes book I have (91 to 96) doesn't show any colours on the pick up wires in the wiring diagram, but does say Horizontall cyl is the Red/White pair & Black/Yellow for the Vertical. Anyone have a running bike with same colour coding?
BTW - Airbox is stock - not molested!!
AND - please remember, it had this problem with stock coils/wires and the Kokusan boxes, but the spark was weak.

[Brid]

[img=https://s31.postimg.org/f9f6tgax3/001.jpg]

[ducpainter]

Sorry...I have to chuckle. 

[Brid]

Sorry...I have to chuckle. 

Did I miss something?

[ducpainter]

Did I miss something?

The completely OEM airbox lid and all this talk of upgrades made me laugh.

Did you miss something?