Running out of ideas!

[xs11widowmaker]

Long Shot

This may be a long shot but check to see if you have the correct pilot jets. There are BS and VM style jets. if you have the vm style you will run rich nomatter what you do. This was the problem with my bike, once I put the right style in it runs great. I also went up one size cause of 4 into 1 and pods

[Ken Talbot]

A previous owner did the pick-up coil fix. I tugged on the wire while checking the resistance and it did not vary and was within spec.

For future reference, you'll get a better test for broken wires by removing the cover and yanking on the wires while the engine is running. Pay close attention to the crimp at the bottom of the housing.

From everything you describe, it would not seem possible for pick-up coil wires to be your problem, but it sure sounds like something electrical. Maybe a cold solder joint in the TCI?

[geobiker]

Thanks for the info, when I get a chance, I will check the coils as you have mentioned. I know the plug caps are good. They are new and I checked their resistance when I installed them. Thanks especially for the info on testing the 7 wire lead . . . I don't believe that was mentioned in either of my 2 manuals (Clymer and Yamaha Service Manual). I'll let you know what I find out. Hopefully I'll have some time to work on the bike tomorrow.

[geobiker]

Thanks again to everyone that has responded. I will keep you posted as to what I find out. With all your great advice, I have to think that I will eventually be able to sort out the problem!

[geobiker]

Voltage too high?

I have received really good advice and will check these things out.

While searching some other old posts, I saw that somebody mentioned that an overcharging system could damage the TCI. When I was tinkering around with the bike last week, I tested the charge at the battery. At 5000 rpms I saw a maximum of 15.3 volts. I did not want to run the engine any higher without load, but I am wondering at higher rpms if it is charging even higher.

The Yamaha Service Manual says voltage to the battery should be between 14.2 and 14.8 volts, when charging.

I knew that an overcharging system will boil the water off a battery, which explains why the electrolye was low in some of the cells, when I pulled the battery.

Going back to the running rich on 2 & 3, could the TCI have been damaged in some manner so that the coil for those two two cylinders is not creating a hot enough spark under compression? JAT!

Based on the specs in the manual it would seem at the least that I need another voltage regulator/rectifier. Then maybe a TCI unit.

What do you think?

[Incubus]

Since you are want to examine the spark route, here are a couple of humble suggestions.

1. I do not think it is your TCI. From my experience, if the TCI is bad you aren't going to get spark. Your plugs are black. You've got spark.

2. Maybe it is not hot enough spark. Before I started replacing somewhat expensive electrical components, I would first go through all the connections between the TCI and the plugs and make sure they are all clean. With the wasted spark system on these bikes, both plugs on each coil have to have a good ground or neither will fire. They ground through the spark plugs. I forget right now and don't want to reread the whole thread. Are these the original coils and plug wires? Check the plug wires for any breaks or cracks in the insulation. Pull off your spark plug caps on 2 and 3 and trim back the wires a little, just enough to expose clean copper. Put the caps back on and see if the spark is any hotter.

3. Definitely try switching the coils and see if the problem follows the coil. If it does you might have a weak coil.

But I still think it is your carbs.

Patrick

[Incubus]

BTW, if you checked your charging system with less than a full charge on the battery (like if you kept starting it and idling it without refreshing the charge on the battery) then charging at slightly above 15 volts may not mean something is wrong. Your voltage regulator limits voltage to keep you from boiling your battery. But if the battery is low, the regulator can allow voltage to rise about 14.5 volts while the battery catches up. It shouldn't stay there, but it might go there. When my regulator went bad and started overcharging I was getting reading of 16.5 to 17.5 volts to a full battery. I would be concerned if your values were that high. Before I concluded the bike was charging wrong, though, I would charge the battery fully and check the voltage again.

Patrick

[geobiker]

Patrick:

Thanks for the input. As I have said to my wife who has patiently watched me work on this bike over the last couple of years, "I don't think that it is one major thing wrong with the bike but probably a host of little things that are adding up to cause problems.

I will certainly check the emulsion tubes when I pull the carbs. I never checked the number of holes. I believe that it was DBeardslee that said the 1100F should have the same emulsion tubes in all four cylinders. It is possible that a previous owner replaced the inner two with the wrong one, or they are just dirty.

Here is another thought as to the carbs. I know that the fuel levels are identical because I used the plastic tubing and visually confirmed the levels. Is it possible that because the inner cylinders run hotter, that they run richer, and therefore I need to drop the floats a little more ( with the carbs right side up)?

As far as the electrical goes, I don't know if 15.3 volts is so much that it would damge electrical components. I read some old posts regarding overcharging, and I am incline to agree with Geezer that I still have some poor connections somewhere. I am going to check the ignition switch for one.

As far as the ignition coils go, I bought NOS coils. The leads were supple and in very good shape. I also bought new NGK spark plug caps. I am going to double check the resistances on the coils, but I am pretty sure that they are not the issue.

The other thing I am going to do is clean all the main grounds on the bike.

I don't know if I will get it figured out this riding season . . . its a little shorter here in Pennsylvania than in Texas. The bike is dependable enough to ride, its just the perfectionist in me wants to get it right!

Take care and thanks again for the help!

[petejw]

just to throw something different out there,
have you checked your valve clearances?
i had 3 closed inake valves and it would give the
impression on the plugs of running rich.

[geobiker]

Petejw:

I had a mechanic adjust the valves when I first bought the bike . . . I assumed that he did it correctly . . . but you know what they say about assumptions. It probably would not hurt to check them. Thanks for the advice.