Hi guys, need some urgent help please...

After spending a month rebuilding my 1994 400L and getting it running fine yesterday, it died on me whilst I was running it in today. (Boo Hoo!)

I was chugging across a flat field, pretty quick, on about 3/4 throttle and I heard a funny noise (maybe a backfire, but the wind stopped me hearing it properly). I slammed the brakes on and it died as soon as I stopped. When I tried to restart it the starter wouldn't turn the engine over and I couldn't do it with the cord. My first thought was seized engine, but after another try it turned over fine. Despite having a good spark, compression and fuel flow, it just won't go.

I'm thinking maybe the reeds have broken, as when I took the top off the carb and removed the slide there appeared to be smoke in the carb chamber.

Any other ideas before I strip it down?

 

Having had a good look round on the net, I'm almost certain it's the reeds, which is a total pain in the ***, since the bike is currently sat in the middle of a field!

If anyone has any other ideas, please let me have them!

 

just rebuilt the same bike took. it out for the first time today and it caught on fire. burnt the whole back end.still runs fine. no more plastic to burn ..... with yours i'd cheek the floats first.mayby they stuck. those reed were a bitch to get in and out real tight place... dayg. my compression is 150psi now from110.

 

Wow! At least mine hasn't caught fire yet! (Although if it did I could claim on the insurance!)

Just setting off to try and rescue the beast... will check the floats when I remove the carb to look at the reeds. Will give an update when I get back in...

 

What compression # did you get. How did the plug look? Any metal on it? I don't think it's the reeds, and you don't want to know what I think it is. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-sad.gif[/img]

 

I would love to know what you think it is!!

I have now stripped the bike down and found it to be the piston skirt on the exhaust side that's broken off. (See my other thread.)

 

Polaris UK thats what I was about to say the problem was. the same thing happened to me when my skirt broke. Had to hike about 5 miles back to my truck through the woods.