wbshee

Wow... syncing cylinders is about the most frustrating thing in the world. I cleaned both carbs again while I hard them off. Still clean from before but what the hell. I got the idle screws and air screws set exactly on both carbs it looks like. The carbs themselves are sync'd, in terms of the slides. Despite doing all of this the two cynliders are not running in harmony at and around idle throttle. I now have a couple questions that hopefully I can get answers for: 1) Is it normal or acceptable for carbs to be adjusted differently between the two. I feel like my left cylinder is running rich, while the right seems to be about where it should. 2) What could cause different conditions between the two? I but a new gasket on the intake manifold/boots. The carbs are cleaning than when they come out of the factory. What else? If I am searching for an air leak, what is the best way to check? Can I spray starting fluid around the boots and check for increased rev? I've inspected the boots and they look good though. Here's my current observation. I kick it over no prob, and I give it rev and both sides keep up nicely. When I start to let it idle down, the right side stays up pretty well, though it has a slightly high idle (don't think it is lean, or it would rev higher/faster probably, and not at a consistent pace). The left side however stops firing, and I think it is just sucking in fuel and not burning. If I left it run like this for more than a few seconds, it becomes nearly impossible to get the left side firing again unless you let it sit for a while, because I think it floods the cylinder from it sucking in fuel w/o burning it. Bottom line, considering the right side is running correctly, is it safe to say I am rich on the left side? Unless I were EXTREMLY lean, I should have combustion even at a lean condition. The fact that if one side is running properly, and the other side isn't running, and is very difficult to getting running at any throttle after that would suggest it is flooding, right? I put in brand new plugs, and I have only ran the engine for like 15 mins off an on adjusting things, they haven't really started to color up much. I will try to post pics of them shortly for opinions. Thanks!

Here is the problem though. One screw seats in much further than the other, so simply counting the turns provides no accuracy. I can visably see the screw on one side seated inside of the hole, whereas when the other screw is seated it is barely flush with the hole. I have an idea of how I am going to troubleshoot this. I am going to start with the carbs idled all the way down and sync them up. I will then put the air screws all the way in as well. To make sure I can count turns I am going to remove them until I can see the ends through the air screw intake hole. I will then count the turns in on the side that doesn't seat as well. I will reproduce those turns on the side that does seat well. I will then keep starting up the bike and checking for bog when barely giving any throttle. I will adjust the air screws out in matching turns until bog is eliminated. I will then check the idle, and bring the idle up on both until she idles correctly. Doesn't it sound odd my idle is cranked all the way up, yet it doesn't idle high. I would think this indicates a currently rich condition on the pilot circuit. However, right now I am working with about 2 turns out on the screws. FYI: T-5's, K&N w/ outters, rest pretty stock. Temps in 70-80's during day, about 500ft above sea level, running 310 mains, 4th clip position, and not sure what pilot I am running.

Here's the scoop. I had a TORS removal installed. After getting it back I realized I wasn't satisfied with the sync. One side idled nicely while the other side would just idle half ass. IE: You can hear the consistent firing from the side that seemed to idle well, and you could tell from feeling the exhaust it was firing every time and had good pressure. The other side however would fire about half or less of the other it sounded like, and feeling the exhaust confirms it. Now, I looked at the carb sync. The idle kit screws are nearly all in on both. You know how the air needles come to a point on each, well it looks like the slides are making contact on the part before it actually starts to taper, where the needle is the thickest (highest idle). I look at this by looking through the air intakes on both. I figured it was prolly air screw jetting, however, the screws when turned in all the way are not the same distance inwards. I think there is a stubborn spring on one or something. For instance, I can turn one in much further than the other. Everything runs great at every other throttle than idle and just barely giving it any, which would mean my issue resides in the pilot circuit, right? So I am curious, does it sound like I am jetted too rich (the air screws need to come out more?). When I had them install it, I could tell they never adjusted the air screws after removing the tors. And I had been playing with these damn screws before. Anyways, like I said, I think I am perfect on all other throttle positions above idle. How do I go about syncing these carbs when the air screws do not seat at the same position when tighten down? Can I try to measure from the small little air intake that runs past the pilot? Does it make sense my idle would be all the way turned in (slides resting on the non-tapered, thickest part) and I still have idle problems? How would you guys troubleshoot this if this were you? I'm not even sure if it is lean or rich at this point. I just know it doesn't idle properly on both cylinders, and that it has a slight bog when you barely give some throttle. I'm thinking rich, but could lean also produce a similar bog? Thanks!

Guys, I fixed everything and got in running in tip top shape. Thanks for your help. The last thing I need to do is adjust the idle just atad higher. It idles real low, and after a minute or less of idling, it keeps wanting to cut out, and finally does. I played with the airscrews and have it set perfect, between where it starts reving real high either immediately or slowly (lean) and where it won't idle and bogs (rich). So I think I just need as little as a hundred RPMs on idle and she should run just great. Thanks!

Ok, this morning I started it up again. I had both sides firing, because the side that was dead started to produce luke warm exhaust out the back. The pipes also warmed up, but nothing like the strong side. I can tell it just isn't running well, because the strong side produces very powerful exhaust, while the weak side produces very weak exhaust out the back. Again, not being an expert be any means, I think the right side might be lean, which would account for the misfire/backfire. It also makes what I think is the pinging sound people refer to. Again, not even close to a pro, been 7 years since I owned a two stroke, so I could be way off. I'm just confused because if both carbs are in perfect sync, they should be running the same. This leads me to my other big question... what is up with those pilot screws! Is there any good reason they should not be there? With them all the way off, wouldn't that produce an exceptionally lean condition? Also, won't switching the spark plug caps as you suggested screw up the firing. IE: It will fire while they are down instead of up since they are reversed? Thanks for your reply, all help is greatly appreciated. My local shops are all closed up today cus they are itchin to get to the dunes. All I can do at this point is take your guys' advice and hopefully get it going.

PS- To give you an idea of the setup, I have t-5's, k&n filters with outerwears, 290 main jet (pilot unknown), and everything else basically stock. I also confirmed the choke tube was properly linked between the two. Like I said, I had a float stuck down, so a took it apart and put it back together. I rattled it prior to installing and you could hear it moving. Pretending that fuel is not entering the cylinder, I would suspect it is a stuck float up, but doesn't sound plausible since I just took it apart and checked. What else could it be? Reeds..? Not quite up on my two stroke mechanics just yet. Again, please let me know anything I can try to troubleshoot this. Despite just buying this thing, and being very disappointed so far, I already had a big plans for riding with everyone on Saturday, so I'm down to try anything you guys throw at me to get back in business ASAP. And one more thing. Supposedly the top end was replaced a little while ago and has only had a handful of rides on it. Thanks again.

Ok, here's the deal. Have had a couple Banshees about 7 years, and have since been out of the scene. Got back in the other with a used '98. When I test rode it, it was great. Very clean, but despite I good check for critical stuff and peformace, I didn't inspect every last screw or anything. Now, when I got home, I was letting it idle and I noticed the right pipe wasn't really producing exhaust. More of a sputter. I figured it was a fouled plug. Pulled it and it was really wet and dark, tried to ground and spark it with no luck. Being night time I figured I would just pick up plugs the next day and get it running again. In the mean time, I peformed some general maintenace (filters, tranny oil, brake fluid, etc) and I brushed up on my Banshee jetting to see if everything was correct. Well, upon further inspection of the carbs I found the following problems: 1) Idle screws were not set to same position. 2) Sync was off on the throttle cable. 3) Pilot air screws missing on both?!?! Yes, unless there is some reason why they would be removed on both carbs, or unless I am totally an idiot, they are gone. These are stock carbs iwth TORS. From what I understand, they should be on the side of the carb that has the punch hole (slide window) and the idle screw is on the other side. There is a threaded hole where it should be from what I understand, but not there. Ok, looked every where for replacement screws, couldn't find any, had to order them (holding off though until I get more info). So I decided since it seemed to run rich overall I would just clean and synch and see how it worked in the mean time w/o them. Well, I cleaned the hell out of these things and synced em up. Put in brand new plugs. 1st kick, she started alright, but again, only on one cyclinder. The cyclinder that fires runs great and strong it seems, even carrying the other one. The running side warms up quickly, the other side (pipes and exhuast) it as cold as before it was started. All it does is sputter a little smoke here and there. I pulled the plug on the side not running, grounded it and kicked it. I got a spark. The plug was not totally dry either, so **some** fuel must have been entering (or might have been left over, who knows). So my questions are: 1) What is up with the pilot screws. Are my asumptions that there is a problem here right or wrong? 2) What can I do to troubleshoot that other cyclinder that is not running? If I get a spark, I must not be getting fuel into the cyclinder, right, or it would be running (good or bad, but still running)? I know the carb is getting fuel, because after cleaning the carbs, the float stuck on the carbs that feeds the dead cynlinder during reassembly and was dumping fuel all over the floor (obviously that was fixed before starting =). The slide and main (again confused about the pilot) were clean and in working order. I tried disconnecting both TORS plugs, and no success. It still persists at higher throttle, so I don't think it is a fuel/air problem. I'm just really frustrated because I left the Banshee scene because of maintenance problems before (perhaps I just have bad luck buying used bikes =( ). Despite maintaining and babying them, fatal problems would eventually occur. Anyways, any help would be really appreciated. I haven't even been able to go out and run this thing since I've bought it. I'm getting very discouraged, and being fairly mechanically inclined (at least good with tools and following directions =) ) I refuse to merely take it to a shop and pay more money until I have exhausted my own resources. Thanks for reading this whole I thing, and I hope someone can help me get this thing onto the dirt before I go crazy.