Running like it is running out of gas! update

Magnum Magna · April 11, 2011, 07:07:58 PM

I am still here just working a lot of hours at work. Had no time to post or even read.

Last week did a Patriot Guard ride from DFW airport to Gainsville. The last 50 miles I was afraid I was going to fall out because the bike was running like it was out of gas. At the event I changed the fuel filter hoping that was the problem. It started running just before The Man Terry showed up with his trailer to get me home. I rode it on Wednesday and to work on Wednesday night so I figured it was running again. Went to do another Patriot Guard ride ride today and after about 30 minutes and it started running like it was running out of gas again. So aborted the ride and made it to my parents house.

Me and TLRam1 are leaning towards the Auto Petcock (16970-mz5-003)just before the carburetors (not the one at the tank). I will be stopping by the Honda shop tomorrow to order one. I hope that is the problem. Getting to my parents place It would start stuttering I would pulled the chock and it would pick right back up run for about two mile then start stuttering again. If other suggestions I am will read them. Ps. The bike does not sit I have been riding so I don't think it is clogged jets. I will not rule out bad gas I was not happy with the last place I got gas. The stupid gas pump handle leaked gas all over my tank. It was leaking up in the boot area of the handle so it was not me because I am very careful not to let it drip on the tank much less run all over it.

hootmon · April 11, 2011, 07:48:01 PM

Pulling the choke out makes the mixture more rich.. That's what it acted like when my slow jets were trashed.. While you go after the vacuum shut off valve, I'd add some SeaFoam..

Greg Cothern · April 11, 2011, 08:22:25 PM

Auto fuel shutoff diaphragm is bad. Its under the tank and about 2" square with a vacuum line running to it. Replace it and your good.

Magnum Magna · April 11, 2011, 08:37:13 PM

Greg that is what Terry and I where thinking. Thanks for one more confirmation. I hate spending 150 bucks and that not being it. I figure being over 50,000 miles if it is not bad it could be a problem in the future. I looked for it in the parts finder page they call it the Auto Petcock. I don't feel like it is the slow jets. I was going down the highway doing about 5000 RPM and would start stalling. But if the Auto Petcock does not do it I was going to look closer to the carburetors and jets.

roboto65 · April 11, 2011, 08:58:18 PM

Did you guys pull the hose going down to the front right cylinder and pull a suction on it check the hose to it may have a leak those are a few things to do before ploping down the money..

Chad in Michigan · April 11, 2011, 09:40:29 PM

Quote from: Magnum Magna on April 11, 2011, 08:37:13 PM

Greg that is what Terry and I where thinking. Thanks for one more confirmation. I hate spending 150 bucks and that not being it. I figure being over 50,000 miles if it is not bad it could be a problem in the future. I looked for it in the parts finder page they call it the Auto Petcock. I don't feel like it is the slow jets. I was going down the highway doing about 5000 RPM and would start stalling. But if the Auto Petcock does not do it I was going to look closer to the carburetors and jets.

don't spend that much on that.. There is a part # just to replace the innards for $30 bucks. Let me go and find it for you.

Here it is, copied from another post on another forum. Tried and true, worked on multiple bikes so far.

Here's the part number for the cover plate and diaphram:

16953-MN5-023

You should be able to find it for around $35.

Why they don't list this out separately on any of the Magna part descriptions I've found online, I simply don't understand. However, it is listed for some other Honda models and it's the very same part.

Chad in Michigan · April 11, 2011, 09:43:50 PM

i would also replace that vacuum hose that goes from that part to the engine also. Mine had a pinhole in it that caused strange problems.

hootmon · April 11, 2011, 09:47:40 PM

Quote from: Chad in Michigan on April 11, 2011, 09:40:29 PM

Here's the part number for the cover plate and diaphragm:

16953-MN5-023

You should be able to find it for around $35.

Thanx Chad.. Will probably come in handy sometime in my near future.. !!! 80+K and still going..

LIMagna · April 12, 2011, 11:39:25 AM

The problem with the part is that it's not listed in the parts fiche for all years of the 3rd gen. If, for example, you check the parts fiche for a 2001 VF750C, it is listed there (at least at Ron Ayers):

http://www.ronayers.com/Fiche/TypeID/26/Type/Motorcycle/MakeID/1/Make/Honda/YearID/42/Year/2001/ModelID/6848/Model/VF750C/GroupID/292564/Group/FUEL_TANK

Looks like it's listed for 1998 on but they're all the same so I guess they updated the parts list at some point but never went back and updated the older parts fiche records.

Magnum Magna · April 12, 2011, 10:10:30 PM

Thanks so much for the information. I ordered the part should be in Thursday or Friday.
45.00 is much better then 150.00. I will also be replacing my clutch plates and spring from Terry. I am going to try some that are Kevlar.

Magnum Magna · May 15, 2011, 02:22:51 AM

Update

The problem continued intermittently. Working 6 day 12 hours a day I had no time to trouble shoot it anymore.

Well took it to the Honda shop to get it fixed. They said it was a bad connector going to a coil.

Bike being 17 years old and over 53000 miles and using a fuel filter a new diaphragm in the auto petcock is not a bad time to change it anyway. While it was at the shop I had a new clutch plates and springs put in. When I got the old ones back they where very much in need of being changed.

It is very much different now with new friction plates and spring. I can tell the difference with the pulling and the clutch feeling solid. I have not got on it hard yet. I am first getting familiar with the new location of the friction zone.

Got SRK3 Kevlar plates, Steel plates & springs kit EBC from Terry.

Thanks for all the help from the forum and Terry for all his special help and help ordering the plates.

TLRam1 · May 16, 2011, 08:04:47 PM

Good to hear your bike is back up and running.

Magnum Magna · June 04, 2011, 08:28:36 PM

The intermittent problem continues.

I ride it 9 miles about 16 minutes to work every day with out any problems. Last weekend I thought it was stalling after 20 miles into a ride so turned around to go back home. I was not sure if it was stalling or was it just fighting the wind . I had never used Seafoam before so I put it in the tank on Wednesday to start eliminating possible problems. Went on a charity ride for breast cancer this morning. I made it all the way but several times it starting cutting out. If I pull the clutch in it did stall until I engage the clutch again. Last month then I took the Magna into the shop it was completely dead. So the dead problem was fixed but the intermittent problem continues.

Chad in Michigan · June 04, 2011, 08:36:15 PM

try riding on the reserve setting on the fuel shutoff petcock. if it runs better the filter screen in the tank is messed up. there have been a lot of posts i have been reading lately on other forums of this happening and having the petcock fail internally as well. you can check for fuel flow by disconnecting the hose from the shutoff and having it drain into a cup or something and monitor volume of flow. also, the vacuum hose on the vacuum shutoff could have a hole in it and cause a loss of vacuum and cause no fuel flow and cause it to die out too.

Magnum Magna · June 04, 2011, 09:13:24 PM

Today after 30 miles into the ride I switched over to reserve and it ran great so I was thinking that it could have been the petcock. After about 10 miles I was just about to switch back to main when it did it again.

When changing the petcock auto shotoff I was going to replace the vacuum hose at the same time but the parts-counter did not know the size. I will take the old hose up there on Tuesday for size comparison. I believe they are original plugs so I will change them also. The scheduled replacement is every 8000 miles which sound crazy to me. I have put 30000 miles on the bike so I know for a fact they have 30000 miles on the plugs.