my SG started running like garbage out of nowhere...

[ERM83]

lemme backtrack on the last reply...

#4 is firing on cold start up. i checked the spark with an inline-spark tester, and it was all good. however, after it warms up and i hit the throttle, THEN it starts failing.

[motoman]

As suggested, I suspect a faulty coil, from either an internal short or housing fracture once coil warms up a bit. Once coil is cool, even an ohm check across both poles of coil could easily show it to be okay.

[BA80]

If the wires are long enough try the coil swap. Or, just swap the wires from 1 and 4 as you said before and see if it moves to #1.

[skids]

As suggested, I suspect a faulty coil, from either an internal short or housing fracture once coil warms up a bit. Once coil is cool, even an ohm check across both poles of coil could easily show it to be okay.

I dunno. He says it fires on startup and then fails. I think it runs on startup because of the starter jets, and then fails when the choke is released. It sounds to me like a fuel delivery problem with the pilot jet circuit. Maybe an adjustment, or maybe plugged idle jet passages.

[skids]

so, i did the header water spray-test...1, 2, and 3 are fine, but 4 wasn't even hot at all...i could touch the pipe without even remotely burning my hand. stops firing as soon as the engine starts to get even relatively warm..

Eric

The bolded text is why I said that.

[motoman]

I dunno. He says it fires on startup and then fails. I think it runs on startup because of the starter jets, and then fails when the choke is released. It sounds to me like a fuel delivery problem with the pilot jet circuit. Maybe an adjustment, or maybe plugged idle jet passages.

.....more likely carbs are having electrical issues....... as previously stated.

[BA80]

.....more likely carbs are having electrical issues....... as previously stated.

Brant, a flat tire is an electrical issue in your mind. Ha ha ha ha

[motoman]

Brant, a flat tire is an electrical issue in your mind. Ha ha ha ha

Yeppers............electrickery all leaked out for sure.

[BA80]

Yeppers............electrickery all leaked out for sure.

Could be the magic smoke too.

[motoman]

Could be the magic smoke too.

Hmmmm........do got a lot of that here statewide also.

[ERM83]

Nope, you were all wrong....

THERE WAS UNICORN-CRAP/DRIED BIGFOOT-PISS CLOGGING THE IDLE CIRCUIT.

It was the coil...yanked the carbs, checked them/cleaned them while I was in there (why not, right??), and everything was immaculate. I was actually pretty blown away! GOTTA LOVE PRISTINE CARBS.

I ordered new coils on thursday...they got here in the city at 3am saturday (I TRACKED THEM LIKE A PARANOID SPOUSE), and this is how impatient I am/how much I love mah special lady: I called to see if I could pick them up from the UPS hub. Here in louisville, you can't...you can at certain stores on saturdays/sundays around the U.S., though. Gotta wait until monday during the day.

MONDAY IS GOING TO BE AWESOME...

Eric

[TopCatGr58]

Hey Eric,

What coils did you order??? Accel/DynaTek? 1.5 ohm or 3.0 ohm? If you ordered hi output coils, yes you are going to enjoy them. If 3.0 ohm, then you will need to bypass the ballast resistor to send 12V all of the time to the coils, not just during starting. But, if you ordered 1.5 ohm coils, then you keep the ballast resistor in circuit. Some folks have also suggested a slightly larger plug gap with the hi output coils.

T.C.

[ERM83]

Hey Eric,

What coils did you order??? Accel/DynaTek? 1.5 ohm or 3.0 ohm? If you ordered hi output coils, yes you are going to enjoy them. If 3.0 ohm, then you will need to bypass the ballast resistor to send 12V all of the time to the coils, not just during starting. But, if you ordered 1.5 ohm coils, then you keep the ballast resistor in circuit. Some folks have also suggested a slightly larger plug gap with the hi output coils.

T.C.

Sure did get the 3 ohm, and already knew about the ballast bypass! That was actually one of the first things I researched on here when I got the SG running.

Also, quick update: the 1-4 coil was DEFINITELY the problem...the resistance was WAY out. I figured out how it happened...I tried to fix the plug wire for number 1 and it WAS successful, however the heat-shrink came undone, thus opening up the crimp. I think all that wet weather shorted it out. I'm actually about to put the primary wires on the new ones and figure out the mounting situation...