Post incident postmortem

[blackhawkfan]

I advised in my last post that my scooter started once again after I replaced the cap on the spark plug.  However, I can't help but wonder if there is anything else going on with the scoot, since I wonder why it stalled out only when I went WOT.  Could I have also flooded the engine?  What about going WOT made the cap come off the spark plug?  If the engine is flooded, what has to be done to restart the engine?  Could this incident, since I tried numerous times to restart the scoot before I found the disconnected cap, have damaged the plug? 

If I do use liquid wrench to try to loosen the plug, how long should I wait after spraying it on before trying to remove it?  Before I replace the plug, does the cylinder holding the plug have to be cleaned of the liquid wrench, and if so can it just be wiped off or is there some specific cleaner to use?

Thanks in advance for your input?  FYI, I've started the scoot up twice since the incident but due to rain haven't ridden it anywhere.

[Chris0381]

Let the liquid wrench sit over night. Just a squirt or two so dont flood it. If its pooling in the morning, get some cloth and absorb what you can before removing the plug.

Could be a choke issue were it doesnt close fully when engine warm making it too rich or an air restriction of some sort (dirty air filter) or mis-adjusted air screw at factory; but the airscrew is mainly for 1/4 throttle but does have affect at other throttle ranges maybe..

Are you for certain the original owner didnt change anything like putting in a too large main jet or modifying the airbox in any way.

[blackhawkfan]

I'm the original owner, and I can't imagine my dealer did anything to my scoot before delivery.  Where is the air screw located, and how do you adjust it?  I assume the choke is located in the carb, If so I'm going to have to take it to a shop

[Urbestfriend]

You know,  A Deer ran into me 4 years ago with minimal damage.  I picked it up and spent several days cranking it over and over again.  Finally I found the spark plug wire had fallen off.  Then it started up.  Then I'd be riding and it died three or four more times and the plug cover had popped off again.  Somehow the wire got rerouted and was shorter.  I worked to get more slack in it and have had no more issues.

[Chris0381]

I'm the original owner, and I can't imagine my dealer did anything to my scoot before delivery.  Where is the air screw located, and how do you adjust it?  I assume the choke is located in the carb, If so I'm going to have to take it to a shop

The airscrew is located under a brass cap that has to be drilled out to get to the airscrew. There are reports of the airscrew being mis-adjusted at the factory. If your bike initially ran well for quite sometime, odds are the airscrew is not way off.

The choke is that electrical gadget on the carb. If bad, would be cheaper to replace it yourself than to trailer the bike to a dealer. I believe its also called The Bystarter.

[blackhawkfan]

Can the spark plug cap be duct taped in place, or would that screw something else up?  I tried to push it on firmly but with what you were saying, Chris, I worry about a reoccurrence.

[Chris0381]

Can the spark plug cap be duct taped in place, or would that screw something else up?  I tried to push it on firmly but with what you were saying, Chris, I worry about a reoccurrence.

A properly operating sparkplug wire should firmly snap onto the plug and stay put. If it doesnt, its loose and needs pinching with pliers to make it tighter or a new spark plug wire. It should never have to be taped in place etc. Doesnt the cap have a grove in it also to help keep in water tight and in place?

To test if the wire grips the plug, take any ole sparkplug and pop it in the wire boot and see if it clicks in.

[Yager200i]

The airscrew is located under a brass cap that has to be drilled out to get to the airscrew. There are reports of the airscrew being mis-adjusted at the factory. If your bike initially ran well for quite sometime, odds are the airscrew is not way off.

The choke is that electrical gadget on the carb. If bad, would be cheaper to replace it yourself than to trailer the bike to a dealer. I believe its also called The Bystarter.

The airscrew can also get gunk built up around it. My scooter (fuel injected, but it's still got an idle mixture air bleed screw to let air past when the main butterfly valve is closed, as well as an idle air bypass valve) was idling rough when cold. I tore it down from the gas tank to the air cleaner, the intake plenum, the idle air bypass valve, and everything. Cleaned everything thoroughly. When I took the air bleed idle mixture screw out, it had green gunk built up on it. So I cleaned the tip of the screw off, and sprayed cleaner into the screw hole to clear the gunk out.

No idea where the gunk came from... the fuel injector is further downwind, and there was no buildup upstream of the idle mix screw. Perhaps it's a cheapie brass / bronze screw that got verdigree on it? No idea.