Ok so the starter fluid yielded no results, so I took of the gas tank and cleaned the carb

I did get a Harley muffler and replaced the factory jets with lances jet kit only using the jets annotated on the progressive carb tuning guide on this forum, I used the 1st step category for having a Harley or k and n filter, those jets weren't clogged when I pulled them out but I did do a good cleaning of the carb, I was curious about the 2 jets up by the diaphragm if those should be changed also with any of the jets provided in lances kit.

Also I'm going to run to the store to replace the spark plug since I have the tank off, the plug that was in it was an nkg dpr8ea 9. Any other suggestions on a better plug for this bike before I swap it out?

Note I did test the spark plug again and twisted up the lead to see if it was bending wile mounted keeping the spark plug from igniting, which it had no problems

To test the spark I just took the plug out, grounded on the block with the lead attached and saw a nice blue spark. I do not have a compression tester but possible could get my hands on one, is that something difficult to do?

To check compression you put the gauge in the spark plug hole - some of them have threads like a plug so you can screw them in, some just have a rubber tip that you press into the hole.

Then spin the engine for a few seconds with the starter and read the gauge. Should be somewhere between 140-200 psi. If it's not in that range there is a mechanical problem in the motor.

HOWEVER; 90% of the time when an engine won't run the problem is spark or fuel. Was the carb float bowl full of fuel when you took it off ? And you did check that gas is flowing from the petcock into the carb.

Idle mix,.. will only affect idle...
I'd put the pilot jet back to stock,.. and the spacer if possible... then, try it from there...
...(What's yer' main?... #150?...)... we are tending to over-jet...

+1 on the vac petcock for being known for doing that sort of stuff at full speed AND for making the bike a biatch to start when it refuses to flow any gas.

Here is the test .....        http://suzukisavage.com/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1251932429/1


My 25 cents is on the Infamous Poorly Designed Vac Petcock for being the whole mess the whole time (providing he has one that is).    

Wattaya say boys?

Any takers ???

there is also another possibility, even though he said he used a stabilizer in the fuel.   If the tank wasn't completely full since this bike has sat since Oct. Condensation and such would have definitely built up in the tank. Water would have been on the bottom of the tank and that is what he would have been trying to start the bike with.  After pulling the carb and all the attempts to start it he got most of the water out that was on the bottom of the tank, so this is why it is now starting, but still running like crap because the fuel is still 5 months old and needs replacing.

R.F.

Glad ytou got it, REAL glad I was wrong,
& Ill never understand why a plug would act different under compression, I just know sometimes they do,

oldNslow wrote on 03/18/13 at 08:57:30:


Several things have changed in modern cars that allow spark plugs to last a long time....some of them don't apply to the Savage.
1)  Computer/Oxygen Sensor operated fuel systems precisely control fuel mixture.
2).  No lead in fuel.
3)  Spark plug tips are now made form exotic metals that are very durable and resist the rounding off that old conventional plugs did.  Round electrodes make poor spark.

Our Savage has a choke/throttle enrichment lever, a primitive carb, and a conventional spark plug......we don't get the high mileage out of our plugs.

Several times I have suggested that there was no need to buy an exotic spark plug for our engine - it was not going to make any more HP than a stock plug.  When I found out that the exotic plugs are only a couple of bucks more than a stock plug.......I changed my mind and I installed an NGK Iridium.....it won't hurt anything....but I am not sure if it will help anything either.  I would not think there is any reason to buy a $ 15.00 double or quadruple electrode plug!