Hello, I need some help. Having finally got my RGS on the road after 20 years, I thought it would be a good idea to check the shims and also fit a new cam chain. that all went ok. I also replaced the rectifier as the wiring on the original was damaged. Also having fitted jota pipes changed the jets, now running 132 mains and 55 idle the original idle jets were 58's. checked the float height at 18mm, and fitted new NGK B8ES plugs. The engine turns over fine on the button, and there are good sparks from the plugs, but they seem to be dry, even with full choke. The float bowls are full of fresh petrol. but she wont fire up, just an occasional back fire. Is it something obvious that I'm missing, or does this need further investigation by some one who knows what they're doing? i.e. not me.
RGS starting problem, any ideas?
- Thread starter RGS-Ned
- Start date
Hello gain Redax5,
Just been to have a look and am happy to say that the cams are where they should be, "A" inlet and "S" exhaust. The timing marks all line up with the left hand piston at TDC. It feels like fuel not being fed from the carbs, as the plugs appear dry. The carbs were ultrasonically cleaned a couple of years ago, and she was running fine if a bit rich last summer. The choke plungers all seem to be lifting and seating ok, and there's plenty of petrol in the tank. I'm stumped.
Thankyou for your suggestion.
Just been to have a look and am happy to say that the cams are where they should be, "A" inlet and "S" exhaust. The timing marks all line up with the left hand piston at TDC. It feels like fuel not being fed from the carbs, as the plugs appear dry. The carbs were ultrasonically cleaned a couple of years ago, and she was running fine if a bit rich last summer. The choke plungers all seem to be lifting and seating ok, and there's plenty of petrol in the tank. I'm stumped.
Thankyou for your suggestion.
alan james
Senior member
Try checking the rubber inlet manifolds if they are the one piece rubber type and are the original ones they are bound to be cracked after all these years.
They will cause an air leak and make the engine very difficult if not impossible to start. Well worth a look.
They will cause an air leak and make the engine very difficult if not impossible to start. Well worth a look.
G
Grant
Guest
Take a carb bowl off and manipulate the float height manually to see if the float jets are allowing fuel into the carbs.
Actually when you remove the bowl you will already have seen if they were full of fuel or not.
You can still buy transparent bowls which would be less messy.
Is fuel flowing out of your fuel taps?
Remove them and check for rust build up in the filters.
Actually when you remove the bowl you will already have seen if they were full of fuel or not.
You can still buy transparent bowls which would be less messy.
Is fuel flowing out of your fuel taps?
Remove them and check for rust build up in the filters.
Remove the rubber bellows from one or two carbs, twist the throttle wide open and squirt a short blast of brake cleaner in the open carbs. Attempt to start imediately afterwards. Should fire, or at least cough, instantly. If it dies just as quick, you've got a fuel problem. If it doesn't fire at all, you've got either an ignition or compression/valve timing problem.
What is the battery condition? Many engines turn over fine, but won't fire due to the starter draining all the current. Leave the plugs in the head and insert new plugs in the caps, check for sparks again.
What ignition system is fitted?
piet
What is the battery condition? Many engines turn over fine, but won't fire due to the starter draining all the current. Leave the plugs in the head and insert new plugs in the caps, check for sparks again.
What ignition system is fitted?
piet
T
Terry Dymond
Guest
Had this problem with my RGS, before I replaced the ignition system. If the battery isn't tiptop turning over the engine with the plugs in draws too much current; cured by using jumper leads, bump starting or replacing the ignition system. However if that is the cause, I would expect the plugs to be wet.
At one time I couldn't start my RGS, tried everything, jumper leads, bump starting. Wasn't until I got to the bottom of the 100m drive that I realised that the rag I had put in the airbox inlet to stop mice nesting in there was still in place :
At one time I couldn't start my RGS, tried everything, jumper leads, bump starting. Wasn't until I got to the bottom of the 100m drive that I realised that the rag I had put in the airbox inlet to stop mice nesting in there was still in place :
chrisk
Hero member
- Location
- Brisbane, Australia
Terry Dymond said:At one time I couldn't start my RGS, tried everything, jumper leads, bump starting. Wasn't until I got to the bottom of the 100m drive that I realised that the rag I had put in the airbox inlet to stop mice nesting in there was still in place :
??? That'd make it a RaGS then, and it explains why they 'were' red. Like red RaGS to a bull!
The RGA must have been named by Domenico the dyslexic design guy.
Dellortoman
Hero member
- Location
- Tasmania, Australia
No start but occasional backfire on cranking sounds like spark plug leads on the wrong plugs.
Rufustbear
Hero member
- Location
- Manchester
make your self a piston stop (use an old spark plug) find tdc and check your timeing marks again on the cam wheels ,sounds like your one tooth out on both cams,hence back fire,find top dead and work from there.
CLEMTOG
Hero member
plugs lead round the wrong was as mentioned by Cam above, but also, check the actual fuel, if it is stale and that can happen in as little as eight weeks, you will be chasing your arse, also I will bet that you have removed and refitted the battery and have a minor lead on the wrong terminal, next remove all the fuses, clean them and the holders, replace, and give then a good squirt of ACF50 before you put the cover back on
CLEM
CLEM
Hello again,
and firstly a massive THANKYOU to everyone who helped with suggestions on how to fix my naughty RGS, The carb manifolds are new machined billet type with new rubber sleeves and a drop of sealant, so I'm sure it's not them. The timing marks all line up as they should, and fresh petrol with lead replacement additive and octane booster added is in the float bowls. the tank has been flushed out recently, so I would hope there isn't much debris in it. I even squrted some "start, you bastard"(WD40) into the carbs whilst she was turning over which produced a couple of back-fires. The finger of suspicion is pointing at the battery, as after leaving it on charge over night, she fired up and ran fine for around a minute with no tank on, but once she stopped refused to start again. I suspect that even though the battery is only 18 months old it's not longer up to the job. Love the sound on start up, but that tank is a pain in the bum to keep taking on and off, Seriously thinking of trading her in for a Thruxton.
Once again, thankyou everyone.
and firstly a massive THANKYOU to everyone who helped with suggestions on how to fix my naughty RGS, The carb manifolds are new machined billet type with new rubber sleeves and a drop of sealant, so I'm sure it's not them. The timing marks all line up as they should, and fresh petrol with lead replacement additive and octane booster added is in the float bowls. the tank has been flushed out recently, so I would hope there isn't much debris in it. I even squrted some "start, you bastard"(WD40) into the carbs whilst she was turning over which produced a couple of back-fires. The finger of suspicion is pointing at the battery, as after leaving it on charge over night, she fired up and ran fine for around a minute with no tank on, but once she stopped refused to start again. I suspect that even though the battery is only 18 months old it's not longer up to the job. Love the sound on start up, but that tank is a pain in the bum to keep taking on and off, Seriously thinking of trading her in for a Thruxton.
Once again, thankyou everyone.
Dellortoman
Hero member
- Location
- Tasmania, Australia
RGS-Ned said:
G'day Ned
"Start Ya Bastard" or equivalent products like Aerostart are definitely not the same as WD40.
Aerostart is mostly ether, which is very flammable and not too fussy about air-fuel ratio so pretty much any mixture will ignite.
WD40 is a mixture of de-watering agent, lubricant and penetrating oil. It's not very flammable in itself, but the hydrocarbon propellant in the can will cuse it to burn if you spray it onto a naked flame. I'd be very surprised if a petrol engine would actually fire on the stuff. Maybe a Diesel would run on it.
If you've been squirting WD40 down its throat it might explain your starting problems.
Cam
Take the battery to Battery World Shop or equivalent and do a load test,also wack a Multimeter on the terminals while the engine is going and the lights are on.It should register 14 and a bit volts.Any more or less while its reving at 3k and its The Regulator not charging.Mine does all that but flattens the battery while sitting for a week or so,also suspected to be the regulator allowing charge to pass away through it.Do some tests,battery's are to expensive to chuck away if its still OK.
Am guessing you have fresh fuel its not as simple as stale fuel I guess.
As Vince suggests check battery voltage when cranking as if you are still running the original BTZ ignition it needs good voltage when cranking.. if not you wont get a hot enough spark .... just some back firing.
Look at it this way the more you pull the tank on an RGS the easier it gets
As Vince suggests check battery voltage when cranking as if you are still running the original BTZ ignition it needs good voltage when cranking.. if not you wont get a hot enough spark .... just some back firing.
Look at it this way the more you pull the tank on an RGS the easier it gets