Most dealers stopped using them in the early 70's after the factories bought some engines on warranty. Vehicle would come in with a misfire and oil fouled plug early on. Techs didn't get paid much to R&R a plug and clean under warranty flat rate so often they didn't get the blasting material out from the oil down along the center porcelain. Needless to say, when it fired up the stuff did get blasted out and ended up down on the rings and now they had a real oil user/burner. I was twisting wrenches summers at the time and they starting paying us to R&R the plug with a new one and the old one was kept for field service rep to inspect and destroy in their monthly visit. I have been watching for one at a garage sales and auctions since I moved here to eastern WA and not seen one yet. Maybe someday. Max

I agree that this could be a low battery.  You can fairly easily check battery resting condition AND starting condition with any cheapo voltmeter.  If the lead-acid battery resting condition is 12.05vdc or less then the battery is only 25% alive - or less.   Resting battery at 100% should 12.6vdc.  I assume you have refilled water levels as necessary but 13 months standing time is probably enough to sulfate a old battery to death.

Likewise, while discharging battery can not sag much voltage before the Savage has significant starting and running problems.  There is a good description of lead acid battery voltage curves here http://www.arttec.net/Solar_Mower/4_Electrical/Battery%20Charging.pdf

Also when push starting, sometime 2nd gear works better than first (to spin faster), and start on a hill, or get someone to push.  Veteran dying-battery rider here - the 25%-alive-battery can crank the motor, sounds fine but it WON'T start without help.

Get a good battery...  Post when you fix it.

Felt vacuum on carb side
Battery =13.2V
put in 1 tsp oil in cylinder, rotated engine
spark plug gap=correct
spark plug little sooty/not wet
air filter is brand new
still wont start
something is happening in the cylinder cause the plug is black but it sounds like there is no fire happening (only air coming out of exhaust)

Im going to borrow a compression guage and check the compression even though i believe its good cause i can feel it when i crank the engine with the plug removed, and probably clean the carb again. I know fuel and air is getting in the carb, just not sure if its getting further even though it did run once.  Thats what i dont get, it ran, and then i didnt touch it, and it wont run again.

Carbon fouled plug will not fire well enough to start the bike.   And ,  too many chemicals used to clean can actually burn and leave a film on the sparkplug causing weak spark too.  

My suggestion....  spend the 2-3 bucks and yet anohter new plug.  If it gets wet or carbon fouls then you know it is too much fuel getting in .  

Also, on the new plug, use a propane torch to dry any wet gas off.  A cigarette lighter may leave carbon.  If the plug gets wet,  crank the motor over without the plug in to dry out the cyclinder.   Do not use steel wool on the plug to clean carbon because the ceramic  will get coated with steel and give poor spark too.

tried wd40..no change
put in brand new spark plug...still wont start
guess ill clean the carb again

flyingace419 wrote on 02/21/09 at 11:26:03:


Is plug wet???

Serowbot wrote on 02/21/09 at 12:27:16:


I like the guitar string idea, but only for cleaning small carb passages.  As for as the jets, I'd be nervous about cleaning them with as steel wire.  A brass wire or a copper one would be better for that, I think.