Hello again,

Unfortunatly i think i have a very bad problem with my 3 wheeler. when i first started using this thing last year, the engine seemed to perform fine and the pull start was easy to pull. Then when i took it out this spring, I started to notice the engine was getting stiff (hard to pull over) this problem escalated from being stiff just the first couple of pulls to constant. So i thought maybe it was a dry start. So I changed the oil and mixed new oil with LucasOil heavy duty stabilizer. That didnt seem to do much so i did a compression test, it read 142 PSI, about normal.

So anyway i ignored this issue for a while until now. The engine has become very stiff, very hard to pull over. So i did another compression test and it now reads about 50 PSI. The engine is pretty easy to pull when plug removed.

Everything on this bike is completely stock and has never been ridin very hard. I'm really not sure what to do next. I'm thinking it could be a number of different things; like valve adjustment, oil pump, worn rings, cam chain etc.

What should i do next?

Also, not sure if this matters but engine has been running rich for a while.

Connor

 

I suspect the auto decompressor is causing your low compression reading,...which is fine for initial start up. A 185 with only 50PSI of constant compression wouldnt run more than a few seconds.

I would check for the valves being too tight first. Then inspect the camshaft bushing for wear. Then the cam chain.

 

whew! what a relief! Here a was thinking I was out of a trike that i spent so long fixing up, I checked the decomp lever and somehow the spring was disconneted and the level was flopping back and forth freely. I will get a feeler gauge tomrrow and do a valve job and also keep you posted.

Also, i have been warned by many people not to do a valve adjustment alone for the first time, but can't really see how i could mess it up, just adjust the intake and exhaust valve until there is slight resistance on the gauge. I do have a manual with pictures. What could a noob like me do wrong?

Thanks.

Connor

 

Ok so i did a valve adjustment, and set the gap to be .05mm. The pull cord was pretty easy to pull but as soon as it started up it started ticking pretty bad. When i did the valve adjustment i did it on a cold engine and set the flywheel at TDC, the funny thing is though at TDC the valves would still move up and down. Is this normal? About an 1/8th of a crank backwards and the valves were all the way down. I also looked into ignition timing, I read in the manual that if the timing is correct then the flywheel should stop and line up with the "F" at idle. I don't have a tach, however i did adjust the throttle to screw to idle extremes while watching the flywheel and it never stopped, just kept spinning. I also adjusted the cam chain tension and removed the pulse generator and rotor to inspect the cam chain and sprocket, but didn't get to the camshaft. Cam chain and sprocket looked pretty good, well lubricated. Haven't checked the generator air gap yet. I guess its possible that I but the Pulse generator and rotor back on wrong, but don't think so because i followed the manual pretty well.

The other thing is the compression, I connected the spring back on the valve lifter and disconnected the cable so that the end of the lever was resting on the cylinder head. Did a compression test, 90 PSI this time, little better but certainly not what it used to be, 142 PSI. I am almost certain that it has to do was the installation of the valve lifter but not sure how to fix it. I did remove the valve lifter while doing the valves and had a little trouble getting it back on.

Does anybody know why my engine is ticking so bad and why the dompressor ins't shutting off all the way?

Thanks

Connor

 

Ok, so i went and got a timing light and figured out how it works and now feel like a huge idiot! The flywheel is not supposed to stop spinning its supposed to spin and the F is supposed to line up with the index mark when the light flashes, right? Ok, so this timing light i gothas an inductive pickup thing along with two cables that i am supposed to hookup to the battery. I read somewhere that i could hook this up the the positive side of the coil. Are theese wires simply just to power the unit? and therefore could I just take a battery out of, say, my lawnmower and power it that way? Another thing, at TDC the valves are still open meaning this could not be the top of the compression stroke? Would I adjust the cam chain on the cam sprocket to fix this?

Another thing, I still don't know what RPM my trike is idling at and i realize that at a certain rpm the timing advance starts, if that that were to happen i would get an inaccurate reading, right? And i also need to know RPM so that i can make sure that the timing advance is correct to. For $100 more they sell a higher end timing light that includes a tachometer at the local store. Do I need this thing to do the job right? ANd will this thing work on my trike?

Thanks for the help

Connor

 

Both rocker arms are free to move when the engine is set to TDC. And yes, the F mark is the mark you go by when using a timing light.
Any battery from ANY source will work with your timing light. It's only to power the light. The signal prod on your plug or plug wire is what signals the light to go on and off,...so yes, any 12V battery power source will be fine to use.

As for the RPM in which the advancer works, I cant remember anymore and dont have a manual handy at the moment, but I do know that it well enough beyond idle that setting the timing by a timing light isn't going to be affected by the ignition advance.

As for the decompressor being "part way" engaged,.... that isnt possible with the engine running. If that were the case, the exhaust rocker arm or the decompressor shaft in the head would be obliterated in the first few seconds. It's a fully mechanical process and the deompressor can not be "stuck" when the engine is running. Something would give,...and you would definitely know it when it happened. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

 

Thanks KNOWSALOT,

I did a timing check and the timing was fine. As for the decompression lever, how is it possible that i get a reading of 90 PSI, 52 PSI under what it used to be, and it still performs the same?

Also, the valve train still tickes pretty bad at idle, but alot worse when i apply throttle. So i checked the cam and cam bushing like you said, both good, the cam sproket and chain look as if they are in good condition. But not sure how to measure this, I dont really want to pull the cylinder head if not completely necessary. Could the cam tensoiner or guide be worn? Remember this only started happening after I adjusted the valves. Could the valves be worn after having them tight for so long? How do i check?

I guess I'll go check the valve clearances again, but im going off a 84 - 86 200S manual that says intake and exhaust should both be set to 0.05mm. Could someone tell me the proper clearances for a 1982 185s? and/or email me the manual? That would be super helpful.

Thanks

Connor