i need engine help please!!
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Squid
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 17
i need engine help please!!
so i just picked up a 1999 superhawk not running, so i bought a new battery and started messing with it and got it running but still not right. would die after i reved it. and tonight me and my friend were looking at it and we took all of the top of the air box off and we looked down through the front carb to the valves on the front cylinder and they aren't moving when i crank it over...... thats my problem 
anyone have any suggestions on what it could be or anything else i can do to text what else it could be? i can post pictures or answer any question that might help me. thanks
anyone have any suggestions on what it could be or anything else i can do to text what else it could be? i can post pictures or answer any question that might help me. thanks
Senior Member
SuperSport
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 987
From: Asheville, North Carolina
Could be a few things, First, if you have removed the airbox- you mite as well remove the front valve cover. probably give you more information to what could be wrong...
Possible problems - CCT have gone. Timing chain jumped off the cam gears. lobe on cam rounded off..
But just for question sake.... Spray some (WD40, carb spray) on top of the valve.. Then see if the liquid disappears or stays...
Possible problems - CCT have gone. Timing chain jumped off the cam gears. lobe on cam rounded off..
But just for question sake.... Spray some (WD40, carb spray) on top of the valve.. Then see if the liquid disappears or stays...
Über Member
Superstock
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 293
From: Virginia Beach VA.
so i just picked up a 1999 superhawk not running, so i bought a new battery and started messing with it and got it running but still not right. would die after i reved it. and tonight me and my friend were looking at it and we took all of the top of the air box off and we looked down through the front carb to the valves on the front cylinder and they aren't moving when i crank it over...... thats my problem anyone have any suggestions on what it could be or anything else i can do to text what else it could be? i can post pictures or answer any question that might help me. thanks
anyone have any suggestions on what it could be or anything else i can do to text what else it could be? i can post pictures or answer any question that might help me. thanksRead this
CCTs-How to change OEM to Manual Ape CCTs - SuperHawk Forum
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Squid
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 17
so if it was the cct on the front cylinder it would run but not rev up? i'm assuming that part has to due with durty carbs from sitting for two years. but back to you said spray it ontop of the two valves i can see and then crank it over and see if it gets sucked in the cylinder?
Senior Member
SuperSport
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 987
From: Asheville, North Carolina
looking down on top of a symetrical valve-not really accurate,
the liquid spray is Yes to see if the valve is opening- And will yes get sucked into the cylinder... Proving the valve is opening..
The bike not rev-ing , is probably a carb problem...
If the engine cranks up, and has not been running in two years.... Probably best if you don't just start rev-ing it ... right away
Let the bike run at , an idle. Let it warm up to full temperature, Let the fan cut on, a go off...
Let the bike wake up, after being dormant...
the liquid spray is Yes to see if the valve is opening- And will yes get sucked into the cylinder... Proving the valve is opening..
The bike not rev-ing , is probably a carb problem...
If the engine cranks up, and has not been running in two years.... Probably best if you don't just start rev-ing it ... right away
Let the bike run at , an idle. Let it warm up to full temperature, Let the fan cut on, a go off...
Let the bike wake up, after being dormant...
Banned
MotoGP
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 5,942
From: Lake View Terrace, CA
I doubt the engine would run without a lot of very unhappy sounds if the front valve train was FUBAR.
As you have already run the engine, pull the carbs, put your hand over the rubber isolator (the bit the carb mounts into) and crank the engine.
Does it suck on your hand?
If yes, clean the carbs and try to run it again.
If it does not, clean the carbs and pull the front valve cover to see what is going on.
As you have already run the engine, pull the carbs, put your hand over the rubber isolator (the bit the carb mounts into) and crank the engine.
Does it suck on your hand?
If yes, clean the carbs and try to run it again.
If it does not, clean the carbs and pull the front valve cover to see what is going on.
Senior Member
Superstock
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 258
From: Santa Clara, CA
Before you go buying a whole bunch of stuff double check what's going on, replacing the engine is probably not the most cost efficient thing to do.
When you say that it looked like the valves weren't moving from the top of the carb, which valves were you looking at in particular?
When you look down the barrel of a carb you should see a slide needle, and a throttle plate and then it connects to the engine from the bottom of the carb (IIRC).
Double check your compression, because yes, putting your hand in front of the carb boot will tell you whether there is vacuum for the carbs but it doesn't tell you the overall comp. of the engine.
When you say that it looked like the valves weren't moving from the top of the carb, which valves were you looking at in particular?
When you look down the barrel of a carb you should see a slide needle, and a throttle plate and then it connects to the engine from the bottom of the carb (IIRC).
Double check your compression, because yes, putting your hand in front of the carb boot will tell you whether there is vacuum for the carbs but it doesn't tell you the overall comp. of the engine.
Senior Member
MotoGP
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 3,871
From: Phoenix, AZ
If you put a couple drops of oil in the spark plug hole and run the compression test again, it temporarily seals the piston head/rings. If your compression then increases, it means that rings needed to be sealed and the ring or walls are bad. In other words, the temporary oil seal caused the bad piston to temporarily be less bad. If the compression stays the same between the two tests, it means there was no issue with the piston and your valves or possibly head gasket are bad... hope this helps.
Senior Member
Superstock
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 380
From: Warrenton Virginia
just pull the front cover, it's 4 longish specialty head cover bolts. 2 on the bottom and 2 on the top kinda hidden behind the radiator hose and oil cooler. Check the cam chain. Is it in one piece? check your valve clearances, anything ridiculously out of spec probably means a bent valve. If the valve train was fubar I would just replace the head.
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Squid
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 17
okay, everyone has been a big help so far, i like this forum quite a bit so far! and i plan on doing some tests and stuff to it tomorrow and i'll let you guys know what i come up with after digging in to it more.
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Squid
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 17
so i dropped off the bike to my friends fathers house yesterday, he's way smarter than i am when it come to bikes, and he just called me and said that the front cylinder spark plug wire was being grounded through a hole in the plug boot. so my question is where can i get new boots? i've looked all over online and still can't seem to fine any. does any one know of a place that may sell them?
Banned
MotoGP
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 5,942
From: Lake View Terrace, CA
Honda, ATV Parts, Scooter Parts, Motorcycle Parts,CRF,CR,MX Parts, Goldwing parts
Position #8 $14.83 ea.
Position #8 $14.83 ea.
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Squid
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 17
okay so i finally took off the valve cover off alittle bit to see the cam sprocket and the chain came off and is just laying in the bottom there by the crank sprocket. so my question now is is there a link someone can give me that shows me how to retime it? and this there anything else i should look for when i do it? i plan on replace the tensioners with manual ones but i'm just wondering if i should look for anything else?
