Could cam chain being loose cause this?

[XSive Okie]

Probably has been touched on already, but in searching the old posts, I could not find exact answer. Symptoms: from 1200 RPM through 3000 runs poorly (not smooth at all), spits and sputters, and seems to lack power. From 3500 and up smooth as silk, has ALL the power and no spit/sputter or misfire attempts. I have not done the chain adjust since getting bike last winter, and am going to try it tonight, along with checking spark plug gap. Seems pretty easy to do. Are these typical symptoms or should I check something else as well?

[SFerinTEXAS]

Are these typical symptoms

NO to the chain and maybe to the plugs but adjust it anyway and check plugs cause you should.To solicit useful suggestions you need to provide a clearer picture of the situation.

Sudden problem? Been noticing it a long time? bike been ridden a lot or sitting up? Last time carbs competently gone thru?Using inline fuel filters? Checked battery water levels and voltage?(i'm not kidding, I pulled carbs convinced pilots were trashed up because of a low end stumble and soon found my new, less than 3 month old battery had dropped water level below the plates) Lower RPMs depend mostly on the battery than the altenater .

anyway the more info you give will narrow down suggestions you get.

Check the battery anyway cause you should.And its easy.And you should.And I should on both of mine cause its been a while. Thanks for reminding me.

[XSive Okie]

Battery level is fine, bike gets ridden everyday that weather allows, began to occur at the end of last summer but getting worse (more so in warmer temps 70 degrees and above), no inline filters, carbs gone through just before I bought the bike from father-in-law by an old-time mechanic. Ran pretty darn good when I acquired it, and I use good fuel from respectable station that does not contain ethanol.

[DGXSER]

I would agree that the cam chain tensioner is not the problem. I say this because nothing about the cam chain tightness will change with RPM. So if it gets better with higher RPM it is either a timing advance issue, or most likely a carb issue.

Since the RPM you mention coincides with the main jets taking over the fuel flow, it is more than likely an issue in your pilot jet circuits.

[cywelchjr]

The RPM range mentioned just happens to be the range where the system is pretty much off the idle circuit, but is not on fully mains but rather on metered mains, being metered by the vacuum slide needles. So if the vacuum slides are not work right, or the needles are worn, or if the emulsion tubes are not clean you can get problems in this range. The end game here is that they need to be cleaned. You MIGHT be able to get away with running some seafoam through the system (I have NOT had good luck with anything else, but that is just my experience.), I run about 1/3 can to a tank in my standard about twice a year. If things are still flowing through a circuit at all it can often clean it out for you, and at worst it will make the cleaning job easier when you pull the carbs to clean them.

[TopCatGr58]

no inline filters, carbs gone through just before I bought the bike from father-in-law by an old-time mechanic. Ran pretty darn good when I acquired it, and I use good fuel from respectable station that does not contain ethanol.

Hey Okie,

Hate to say it, but no matter Where you get your gas from, the age of the tank will most likely have micro rust especially in the joints/crevices of the tank where you can't see it, but it can form and get into the carbs!

You need to put some inline filters on it first and foremost. You can Try Seafoam or Berryman's in the tank, but unless it's GUMMED up type blockage, it may not do much for rust particles and such. You will most likely need to pull the carbs and re-clean them, perhaps not quite as extensively as before, but still need to pull the mains/pilot jets, emulsion tube, pilot adjusting screw, and spritz thru all of the circuits. You should NOT need to separate the carbs from the rack.

T.C.

[old_chopper]

I just got mine on the road and it has a little of the same symptoms, no popping or sputtering though. It just picks up a ton at 3000 or so. I have a stage 3 kit in the carbs and I think it's a little rich at that point. How have you enjoyed this early summer?

[petejw]

up2 3000rpm, is usually pilot circuit (idle mix screws/off idle ports/
air/pilot jets),
float levels and/or valve gaps, check them out
and set to spec and see how u go.

[XSive Okie]

[QUOTE=old_chopper;323441 How have you enjoyed this early summer?[/QUOTE]

We have already hit 98 degrees and I'm not ready for it, more of a winter person.

Thanks for the responses guys, general consensus seems to be carb issue, so I will run some stuff through until I get enough down time to pull and clean them. Did take the plugs out to re-gap them and found 1 and 4 had BP7ES, and 2 and 3 had BP6ES, so two new plugs on the way from parts store. The "7's" were both fouled very bad. Went ahead and did the chain adjust for good measure, and going to pull air filter and clean it out this evening. If nothing else, it gives me and my 7 year old son something do that doesn't involve a damn video game!

[CatatonicBug]

JAT, but what about pickup coil wires? Have you looked at that lately?

[LoHo]

More random crap to look at: see if you have holed a carb diaphragm, so that at idle they are all down, and at full vacuum they are all up, but in the middle range, the holed one doesn't open as much and the bike sputters because in that range, the carbs are not synched (due to uneven reactions to the same throttle position).

The checking and repair of these things is in the Repairs section farther down the forum list.

[cywelchjr]

More random crap to look at: see if you have holed a carb diaphragm, so that at idle they are all down, and at full vacuum they are all up, but in the middle range, the holed one doesn't open as much and the bike sputters because in that range, the carbs are not synched (due to uneven reactions to the same throttle position).

The checking and repair of these things is in the Repairs section farther down the forum list.

Yup, the range of the sputtering is where the diaphragms are kicking in, and not kicking in will cause some really strange stuff to happen and not so good running, especially on just a few cylinders.

That said, the symptom on 1 and 4 sounds like it could be pickup coils as those two are paired electrically and that is one of the ranges where pickup coil problems can show.

[XSive Okie]

Loho and Cy- more good advice, and much appreciated! Going to wrench on it some more tonight. I would like to get her running as good as can be, got a poker run coming up May 21st and will be taking SWMBO with me this time and problems with the bike would not make her happy!

[XSive Okie]

Okay, found that the 1 and 4 coil was horribly weak, and carbs were gummed up. PO gave me a box of spare OE parts, so I had a coil to put on, and ran some Berryman's B12 with next tank full of gas and problems seem to be gone for now. Mikes XS green coils are now on my wish list. Once again thank you guys for all the responses. This site is an invaluable tool if you own one of these bikes!