It bit me!

Fairtax4me · 04-27-2019, 10:12 PM

So kind of a last minute thing I pulled one of the gas carts into the shop Friday afternoon for a pre-season oil change and check up. Drove it around about 10 minutes first to get the oil warmed up some and it ran perfectly other than making some squeaking sounds from the belts. The SG belt on this one was starting to slip a little last season, and the drive belt is pretty worn as well. I changed the fuel filters on this one last season at the end of the season when the carb float stuck open and flooded the engine. It got an oil change then as well, but it’s been sitting all winter. For some reason the vent hose from the carb is hanging loose, I’ll just pop that back on real quick.

Oil change, new filter, new air filter, new OE belts, and a quick adjustment of the toe angle and an eyeball check of the camber, everything looks pretty good. Grease up the front end, check the air in the tires, and take it for a test drive. Back it out of the shop and drive across the parking lot and head towards the office. Get about 100 yards and she sputters a little. Once or twice, but still running strong. Stop in the office to check the mail and pick up a UPS package. Back on the cart for a trip down the hill and across the lake, but it kinda stumbled a bit when it started... odd. Runs fine until I get to... the bottom of the hill, of course.

Now it’s a pretty consistent stumble at part throttle and power comes and goes at full throttle. Kinda feels like water in the gas, might have accidentally got some in there when I power washed it earlier, or maybe it got some condensation in the tank over the winter. I use stabil for storage, but that doesn’t really do anything to absorb water. Limp it back to the shop and head to the cabinet for a bottle of Heet because I always have at least two. Always usually. The last bottle has a splash in the bottom. Not enough to treat 7 gallons of a full tank in the cart.

Impromptu run to the parts store for a couple bottles! Did I mention the reason this was last minutes is because we have to use the cart this weekend? It’s 4:55 and parts place closes in 5 minutes. We’re only 9 miles away, but I can’t make time stop. Put in a call to the guys to say hey, set me two bottles of heet by the front door on your way out and I’ll be there in 10 minutes to pick them up. Always helpful, they got my back.

5:30 I get back to the shop, half bottle in the tank, jiggle the cart around to get the gas sloshed and stirred then off for another run to get fresh Heet treated fuel into the filters and carb. Sputtering continues. Maybe the spark plug is fouled? Pull that, it’s clean, replaced last year. Maybe it went bad anyway, set gap on a new plug and put that in. No dice, still stumbling. Maybe the coil decided to go belly up and it’s not getting consistent spark. Sure doesn’t act like that, but put the spark tester on for the heck of it. Run it, it stumbles away and away, and spark is perfect bright blue the whole time.

Ain’t got time to drain this tank to try to get water out. Find a small cup and drain the fuel from the float bowl and see if it has water in it. Nope, no water. Maybe a filter is “wet” and is blocking fuel flow, pull line off the carb and stick it in a bottle and crank the motor. Lots of fuel pumping through those clean looking filters! So what the ‘s going on at this point?! It was running perfect before, and now it’s just barely running at all. I changed the oil, and the air filter, and the spark plug. Spark is good, fuel is good. I don’t have time to pull this carb and clean it out waaaiiiiittttaminit...

Vent hose. Pull the vent hose back off the carb and try to blow through it. Can’t blow through it. Looks clean, except for all the way at the end where it goes through the frame, can’t see that end, but I give it a good yank and pull it through the hole so I can see it, Somethings in there. Grab the air nozzle and blast it out! Dunno what kind of bug it was, but it, and it’s nest, are relocated to somewhere in the atmosphere. The plastic T that goes in the end is gone, so I find a Christmas tree trim clip and stick that in there. (They make a good alternative to a lot of things in a pinch)

Hang on, Let me test it first! Hop on the cart and crank it, it sputters for a second then takes off like a bat outa you know where. Runs perfectly! Put the de-bugged vent hose back on the carb, take it for a test drive, runs perfectly! 2 trips around the block, about 2 miles total, and she’s ready to rock! Sweet! Quittin time was an hour ago, and the bass are eating without me!

I guess if there’s a moral here somewhere, it’s to not assume. I don’t really know how long the vent hose had been loose, and I should have checked it to make sure it was clear before putting it back on the carb. A blocked vent hose or vent port on the carb means the bowl can’t breathe, so fuel can’t get into the bowl any higher than the opening of the jet. To have a properly working carb, the jet has to be sumberged in fuel all the time (The reason the carb has a bowl to begin with).

Keep your vent tube clean!

Even if you don’t really notice any problem with the way it runs, even a partial blockage can affect fuel delivery.

Mooncarter · 04-27-2019, 11:41 PM

Now THAT'S what I call debugging!

jclark138 · 04-28-2019, 12:04 AM

Thanks Fairtax4me -
That’s the kind of process that gets results for me - or tells me I’m heading the wrong direction- both valuable!

Rooster59 · 04-28-2019, 06:03 AM

Well done Fairtax. Your skills and experience are obvious in the methodical way you approach a problem. Wish I could say that I always follow the "troubleshooting rulebook" as well as you do.

CP241 · 04-28-2019, 06:40 AM

See what happens when you do things right? If you hadn't hooked the hose back to the vent and quick-hacked the service like so many shops do, the poor little bug would still have a home and you would have gotten out to go fishing on time

JohnnyG67 · 04-28-2019, 08:16 AM

Always the dumb simple stuff that gets you. I'm well versed in that believe me. Glad she's running right for you!

Fairtax4me · 04-28-2019, 09:14 AM

Thanks guys. Just thought I would share since it’s a good example of a routine job that didn’t go as smoothly as planned.

Usually it’s something simple! Sometimes it helps to just re-trace your steps and figure out if anything YOU did is what’s causing a new problem. This is also why a good solid test drive after doing any work is a good idea. Had I made a loop around the shop parking lot, called it good and parked it; I would have come in Monday morning to a poorly running cart, and probably a slightly perturbed boss lady (and that’s not a wife reference). Especially since I was on a river in the mountains 120 miles away with no cell service next morning at sunrise.
It works before I leave, because I don’t want to deal with complaints and broken stuff on my weekend when I’m trying to enjoy the outdoors!

04-27-2019, 10:12 PM	#1
Fairtax4me Bonafide Nincompoop Join Date: Dec 2015 Location: Charlottesburg Va Posts: 8,987	It bit me! So kind of a last minute thing I pulled one of the gas carts into the shop Friday afternoon for a pre-season oil change and check up. Drove it around about 10 minutes first to get the oil warmed up some and it ran perfectly other than making some squeaking sounds from the belts. The SG belt on this one was starting to slip a little last season, and the drive belt is pretty worn as well. I changed the fuel filters on this one last season at the end of the season when the carb float stuck open and flooded the engine. It got an oil change then as well, but it’s been sitting all winter. For some reason the vent hose from the carb is hanging loose, I’ll just pop that back on real quick. Oil change, new filter, new air filter, new OE belts, and a quick adjustment of the toe angle and an eyeball check of the camber, everything looks pretty good. Grease up the front end, check the air in the tires, and take it for a test drive. Back it out of the shop and drive across the parking lot and head towards the office. Get about 100 yards and she sputters a little. Once or twice, but still running strong. Stop in the office to check the mail and pick up a UPS package. Back on the cart for a trip down the hill and across the lake, but it kinda stumbled a bit when it started... odd. Runs fine until I get to... the bottom of the hill, of course. Now it’s a pretty consistent stumble at part throttle and power comes and goes at full throttle. Kinda feels like water in the gas, might have accidentally got some in there when I power washed it earlier, or maybe it got some condensation in the tank over the winter. I use stabil for storage, but that doesn’t really do anything to absorb water. Limp it back to the shop and head to the cabinet for a bottle of Heet because I always have at least two. Always usually. The last bottle has a splash in the bottom. Not enough to treat 7 gallons of a full tank in the cart. Impromptu run to the parts store for a couple bottles! Did I mention the reason this was last minutes is because we have to use the cart this weekend? It’s 4:55 and parts place closes in 5 minutes. We’re only 9 miles away, but I can’t make time stop. Put in a call to the guys to say hey, set me two bottles of heet by the front door on your way out and I’ll be there in 10 minutes to pick them up. Always helpful, they got my back. 5:30 I get back to the shop, half bottle in the tank, jiggle the cart around to get the gas sloshed and stirred then off for another run to get fresh Heet treated fuel into the filters and carb. Sputtering continues. Maybe the spark plug is fouled? Pull that, it’s clean, replaced last year. Maybe it went bad anyway, set gap on a new plug and put that in. No dice, still stumbling. Maybe the coil decided to go belly up and it’s not getting consistent spark. Sure doesn’t act like that, but put the spark tester on for the heck of it. Run it, it stumbles away and away, and spark is perfect bright blue the whole time. Ain’t got time to drain this tank to try to get water out. Find a small cup and drain the fuel from the float bowl and see if it has water in it. Nope, no water. Maybe a filter is “wet” and is blocking fuel flow, pull line off the carb and stick it in a bottle and crank the motor. Lots of fuel pumping through those clean looking filters! So what the ‘s going on at this point?! It was running perfect before, and now it’s just barely running at all. I changed the oil, and the air filter, and the spark plug. Spark is good, fuel is good. I don’t have time to pull this carb and clean it out waaaiiiiittttaminit... Vent hose. Pull the vent hose back off the carb and try to blow through it. Can’t blow through it. Looks clean, except for all the way at the end where it goes through the frame, can’t see that end, but I give it a good yank and pull it through the hole so I can see it, Somethings in there. Grab the air nozzle and blast it out! Dunno what kind of bug it was, but it, and it’s nest, are relocated to somewhere in the atmosphere. The plastic T that goes in the end is gone, so I find a Christmas tree trim clip and stick that in there. (They make a good alternative to a lot of things in a pinch) Hang on, Let me test it first! Hop on the cart and crank it, it sputters for a second then takes off like a bat outa you know where. Runs perfectly! Put the de-bugged vent hose back on the carb, take it for a test drive, runs perfectly! 2 trips around the block, about 2 miles total, and she’s ready to rock! Sweet! Quittin time was an hour ago, and the bass are eating without me! I guess if there’s a moral here somewhere, it’s to not assume. I don’t really know how long the vent hose had been loose, and I should have checked it to make sure it was clear before putting it back on the carb. A blocked vent hose or vent port on the carb means the bowl can’t breathe, so fuel can’t get into the bowl any higher than the opening of the jet. To have a properly working carb, the jet has to be sumberged in fuel all the time (The reason the carb has a bowl to begin with). Keep your vent tube clean! Even if you don’t really notice any problem with the way it runs, even a partial blockage can affect fuel delivery.

04-27-2019, 11:41 PM	#2
Mooncarter Gone Insane Join Date: Oct 2016 Location: Richmond, VA Posts: 14,214	Re: It bit me! Now THAT'S what I call debugging!

04-28-2019, 12:04 AM	#3
jclark138 Runs with scissors- Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Da UP Posts: 1,962	Re: It bit me! Thanks Fairtax4me - That’s the kind of process that gets results for me - or tells me I’m heading the wrong direction- both valuable!

04-28-2019, 06:03 AM	#4
Rooster59 Gone Wild Join Date: Jul 2017 Location: East Central Missouri Posts: 1,955	Re: It bit me! Well done Fairtax. Your skills and experience are obvious in the methodical way you approach a problem. Wish I could say that I always follow the "troubleshooting rulebook" as well as you do.

04-28-2019, 06:40 AM	#5
CP241 Nincompoop village idiot Join Date: Apr 2018 Location: Michigan Posts: 9,673	Re: It bit me! See what happens when you do things right? If you hadn't hooked the hose back to the vent and quick-hacked the service like so many shops do, the poor little bug would still have a home and you would have gotten out to go fishing on time

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04-28-2019, 08:16 AM	#6
JohnnyG67 Getting Wild Join Date: Jan 2016 Location: Upstate NY Posts: 93	Re: It bit me! Always the dumb simple stuff that gets you. I'm well versed in that believe me. Glad she's running right for you!

04-28-2019, 09:14 AM	#7
Fairtax4me Bonafide Nincompoop Join Date: Dec 2015 Location: Charlottesburg Va Posts: 8,987	Re: It bit me! Thanks guys. Just thought I would share since it’s a good example of a routine job that didn’t go as smoothly as planned. Usually it’s something simple! Sometimes it helps to just re-trace your steps and figure out if anything YOU did is what’s causing a new problem. This is also why a good solid test drive after doing any work is a good idea. Had I made a loop around the shop parking lot, called it good and parked it; I would have come in Monday morning to a poorly running cart, and probably a slightly perturbed boss lady (and that’s not a wife reference). Especially since I was on a river in the mountains 120 miles away with no cell service next morning at sunrise. It works before I leave, because I don’t want to deal with complaints and broken stuff on my weekend when I’m trying to enjoy the outdoors!