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SuzukiSavage.com
/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl General Category >> Rubber Side Down! >> Med student vs Suzuki savage /cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1357221791 Message started by wbianchi on 01/03/13 at 06:03:11 |
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Title: Med student vs Suzuki savage Post by wbianchi on 01/03/13 at 06:03:11 Hi Everyone, I am a long time lurker on this board (there is so much great information!) but am resigning to the group with a savage problem that I can't quite figure out. The bike: I have a 1997 savage, bought used a few months ago with 6K miles. The previous owner was a mechanic who worked on bikes for 35+ years and spent a good amount of time restoring this bike (which was found in a friends garage). It seems to be in very good condition. The rider: Medical student, first bike, with minimal motorcycle maintenance experience. I have entry level tools, a clymer manual, and internet access to suzukisavage.com (what more could I need, right?). I am determined to get to know this bike and figure out what is wrong with it. The problem: The engine block has an oily/gas residue accumulating around the ridges that surround the cylinder. I replaced my stock petcock with a Raptor last week (I was having the "empty tank when it was half full" symptoms described on a previous board post) and decided to take a look at the air filter. The filter is soaked with gas. There is also a very slow drip coming from the carb. The oil leve, when checked with the bike upright after warming the engine in idle for about 2 minutes, is exactly between the marking on the view glass. The question: Is this a residual problem related to a potentially leaky stock petcock? Could the engine be sucking gas off the air filter and then somehow it deposits around the engine? Is this setting off any red flags in the minds of more experienced riders that I should be aware of? Thanks for reading. |
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Title: Re: Med student vs Suzuki savage Post by ZAR on 01/03/13 at 06:19:08 Welcome to the group! Start with replacing the air filter if it's an original paper filter. Once those paper elements get wet they are ruined. As for the residue on the cylinder....it could be from the vac-sucker and carb flooding problem. Now that you've got that under control and replaced the air filter you can clean the cylinder and watch for more leaks or it stays clean. Then you'll know what your next step will be. Until you get to that point it's hard to say..... |
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Title: Re: Med student vs Suzuki savage Post by Dave on 01/03/13 at 06:41:05 Are you shutting off the petcock when you are not running the bike? The Raptor is not automatic - and should be turned off when the bike is not running. It sounds like the needle/seat in your carb is not shutting off the fuel flow completely and is not properly shutting off the flow of gas. I would recommend a carb inspection and cleaning. Update your profile information to include your location - maybe their is an experienced Savage owner near you that could help. |
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Title: Re: Med student vs Suzuki savage Post by verslagen1 on 01/03/13 at 07:50:45 584D464E414C47462F0 wrote:
are these ridges the air cooling fins? at what level does the wetness begin? |
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Title: Re: Med student vs Suzuki savage Post by Serowbot on 01/03/13 at 08:20:44 Wet airbox is probably from the old vac-sucker... if not, yer' float needle needs attention... The weepyness on the cylinder head, could be a couple of things... so, it's best to clean it real good, then watch to pinpoint the source... PS,.. I have this pain in my elbow,.......... :-?... |
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Title: Re: Med student vs Suzuki savage Post by Chris Roth on 01/03/13 at 09:04:09 70656E6669646F6E070 wrote:
When I first got my Savage I had oil and gas issues as well. I replaced my petcock with the Raptor and it did not fix it, for most it will. In my case the gas tank had a rust leak along one of the seams on the bottom - new (to me) gas tank fixed that. Regarding oil on the cooling fins of the cylinder, that is likely the rubber plug cap. I had to pull the valve cover and reseal this on mine as well. Write up is here http://suzukisavage.com/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?board=tech;action=display;num=1099227295 |
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Title: Re: Med student vs Suzuki savage Post by Dave on 01/03/13 at 10:38:40 Sarasota, FL.......I just got back from there! If I had known I could have come over last week and fixed it for YA! (Although I would have probably wanted to test ride it for the entire week!) |
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Title: Re: Med student vs Suzuki savage Post by wbianchi on 01/03/13 at 18:21:12 Thank you all for the responses...working on this bike feels the same as developing a differential diagnosis. I have been shutting off the petcock religiously after reading all the horror stories on the forum (which is ironic, because I ended up with fuel/oil in the air box anyways). I have a new air filter coming in on Friday. I'll clean out the air box as best I can, throw the new one in, and then clean up the cooling fins around the engine (where the gas/oil is accumulating). After riding for a bit I'll recheck the air filter and engine for leaks. Hopefully the new petcock will have fixed a problem that I discovered retrospectively. There is a saying in medicine: when you hear hoofbeats, think horses and not zebras. I was initially thinking the hoofbeats meant time to clean the carb. Thanks for the input, it will help me nail down the more basic problems first. |
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Title: Re: Med student vs Suzuki savage Post by wbianchi on 01/03/13 at 18:21:56 Ah man, that would have been a good deal for both of us! 0D363B2C3D312A2C373F322D5E0 wrote:
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Title: Re: Med student vs Suzuki savage Post by wbianchi on 01/03/13 at 18:25:03 Gimme about 7 more years of school (I'm only in my second year) and I can try and work that elbow problem out for ya...so hang in there! 5442554850454853270 wrote:
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Title: Re: Med student vs Suzuki savage Post by jcstokes on 01/03/13 at 18:44:11 Since you have the raptor, it may pay to remove the tank so you can clean around the head fins thoroughly. |
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Title: Re: Med student vs Suzuki savage Post by wbianchi on 01/04/13 at 14:47:42 Hey Everyone. Big problems now, hopefully I can get a bit more assistance. I put in the new air filter and cleaned up all the miscellaneous oil. I tried to start the bike and the battery wouldn't turn the bike over (new battery that I bought 4 mos ago). I trickled charged the battery and put it back and the bike started on the first try. I took the bike out for a spin and there was horrible hesitancy when I pulled back on the throttle. So much so that there was barely any acceleration. I limped back home and put the bike in park and shut it off. Then, just to try and see how it started back up after the trickle charge, I tried to start it back up. Now, when I try to start it all I hear is a big click. Bike is in neutral, kick stand is up. The acceleration problem suggests carburetor problems (all of a sudden after a new air filter?). The click...I have no idea. Did I somehow all of a sudden have my starter go out??! To add insult to injury, as I sat on the bike and scratched my head the exhaust melted thru my pants and burned my leg. This is getting incredibly frustrating to say the least. |
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Title: Re: Med student vs Suzuki savage Post by Serowbot on 01/04/13 at 15:29:48 Bummer... It does sound like carb... a jet may be plugged, or the needle slide is sticking... She needs a cleaning... The loud click,... is a decompression relay, (it makes the engine easier to turn over at start by lifting the exhaust valve for a fraction of a second)... That's a normal sound... Now,.. why your battery is dead, is another can o' worms... but,... since you replaced it recently, let's just check that battery connections are good.... (a loose connection will affect charging and starting)( also, check the ground strap connection at the rear of the engine near the clutch actuator)... ... and lastly,... (new to bikes?),... wear jeans.. (they don't melt)... ;)... |
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Title: Re: Med student vs Suzuki savage Post by justin_o_guy2 on 01/04/13 at 15:38:59 Came home, stuck 'er in Park & shut 'er off did ya? OoooH!... that's a big possible!... turn the key off, one notch too far, and you'll have the taillight on all night...(good thinkin', JOG) -Serow ;)... |
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Title: Re: Med student vs Suzuki savage Post by wbianchi on 01/04/13 at 18:51:56 Haha, that's how I have the 'new battery' that I do right now...made that mistake when I had it for the first month. Never again! |
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Title: Re: Med student vs Suzuki savage Post by wbianchi on 01/05/13 at 07:01:24 I don't see "ground strap connection" anywhere in the clymer manual....is this the blue wire near the metal bar that moves when I press on the clutch? I hear two clicks when I try and start the bike. The battery is definitely charged. Per the manual, I think that means the delayed relay to the solenoid and decompression lever are both working, so maybe this is a short somewhere? The terminals are firmly attached to the battery cables, so I don't think I made any mistake when I put the battery back in. Anything else I can do that woud help with a diagnosis? I don't have a voltmeter or even understand how I would use one, but those seem to be mentioned on the board and in the manual quite a bit when it comes to electrical problems.... Man...an electrical problem AND and carb problem. Am I just a lucky guy? 6E786F726A7F72691D0 wrote:
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Title: Re: Med student vs Suzuki savage Post by Dave on 01/05/13 at 07:30:28 The ground strap goes from the negative side of the battery and travels down and attaches to the engine just above the oil level window and behind the clutch actuating lever on the right side of the crankcase. You should probably have your battery tested. I bought a new one and it only lasted 4 weeks before it failed - sometimes batteries go bad before their time. And the carb......take it apart and clean it. |
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Title: Re: Med student vs Suzuki savage Post by wbianchi on 01/05/13 at 12:38:07 Hi All, So I decided to start from the top today. I took the battery out and went to Trak Auto; their battery tester said the battery was good to go. Went back and reinstalled the battery, really slowly to make sure I wasn't forgetting anything. Bike in neutral, kickstand up, two clicks and then nothing. From what I can tell, it looks like the ground wire is attached (pic). A bike needs fire, air, and fuel to run right? I pulled the gas tank (full, and new petcock works fine) and worked my way down to the spark plug. I wasn't able to get the plug out, even after an additional trip to purchase a second king of spark plug wrench. The wrench, however, won't fit down in the plug well. What's the deal here? My bike didn't come with a tool kit on it, so is there a special wrench that everyone is using? Regardless, the plug looked almost brand new (previous owner must have installed it before selling it to me). I put the bike back together and still no luck. The first click I hear comes from directly under the seat (ignitor unit?) and the second seems to be decompression solenoid. This makes me think that there is probably no problems with the wiring, because the electricity is getting to these parts. I think I need to overcome this initial electrical problem before I rip the carb out and start cleaning. What should be my next move? Could the starter motor have gone out? Clymer's manual suggests that only professionals try and remove that... |
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Title: Re: Med student vs Suzuki savage Post by Dave on 01/06/13 at 04:34:25 Put a volt meter on the starter terminal and determine if the electricity is getting to the starter when you push the starter button. You could use a test light - but it would be helpful to know the voltage (if any) that is getting to the starter. |
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Title: Re: Med student vs Suzuki savage Post by Oldfeller on 01/06/13 at 07:31:38 You have to buy a "thin wall" deep spark plug socket -- the parts stores sell them as the new cars require them too. |
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Title: Re: Med student vs Suzuki savage Post by mikey2004 on 01/06/13 at 09:06:41 im in sarasota too. rebuilding the motor on my 99 savage that i just bought for 500 dollars. the guy i bought it from told me about a problem that sound exactly like yours. he told me he bought a new charginf system and it fixed the problem. hope this helps. |
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Title: Re: Med student vs Suzuki savage Post by Serowbot on 01/06/13 at 09:20:50 Do you have a car?... Try jumping it with your car battery... Don't have the car engine running when you do it... Connect the jumper to the positive battery terminal. and the negative to the engine block of both vehicles... When finished,...disconnect negative first... |
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Title: Re: Med student vs Suzuki savage Post by MileHiRider on 01/06/13 at 10:43:43 I agree with Serowbot, I don't think you've totally eliminated the battery as the problem. If it starts with a jump, you need to look at, or have a mechanic check the starter. |
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Title: Re: Med student vs Suzuki savage Post by MileHiRider on 01/06/13 at 10:50:00 I meant to say if it doesn't start with a jump....... |
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Title: Re: Med student vs Suzuki savage Post by ToesNose on 01/06/13 at 11:15:35 How long are your rides usually? The LS650's charging system doesn't accell at charging when you take allot of short rides under 30 minutes, especially if the battery wasn't charged 100% to start. |
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Title: Re: Med student vs Suzuki savage Post by Digger on 01/06/13 at 20:17:53 56757D7F7C75757C6B190 wrote:
That'll work. FWIW, I use a simple 18mm deep well socket for the plug..... |
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