After 2 hours: fixed! (longish)

So I fancy doing some more work on the Z200, and I fire it up, and
duff-duff-duff, off it goes. And then I realise that I haven't connected
the fuel line to the carb (ermmm...) so there's petrol pissing
everywhere, so switch off, re-connect, press starter button and.....

.....nothing.

Hm. Electric start, kick, and a run-and-bump all produce a big fat zero.
Oh bollocks, time to check for a spark. Yeah, there is one, but it's
erratic and very weak. How odd. Clean plug, re-insert, same difference.

So check all the wiring from points to coil to plug, which has been done
by the previous owner with those horrible Scotchlok things, so if
there's going to be a problem it'll be here. Out with the multimeter and
check the circuit. Alles in ordnung.

OK, so now I'll check the timing. That seems spot on. Hold spark plug in
one hand, cautiously flick the points, and zzap! OK, yes, we have
current getting to the plug.

Oh joy, it's starting to rain. Right, let's do this in the garage, but
to make room I've first got to move the Trophy and the Benly out of the
garage. Damn.

Right, now we're in the dry. Well, if we have current getting to the
plug.... maybe I just can't see the spark in daylight. Let's check the
carb. Fuel getting through... yup.

Pop off the QD float bowl, and yes the float valve is working. Re-attach
float bowl, and petrol pisses everywhere. Shit. Float's got stuck. Take
it off, very carefully replace, and it's still pissing everywhere.

****. Take carb off, invert it, remove float bowl, find a little section
of float bowl gasket is protruding and the float is catching on it, set
it up perfectly, replace bowl, replace carb....

And we still have a silent Z200. Time for a coffee and a think. It was
working fine until I switched it off. And it was working fine before
that. So it's unlikely to be the carb. It's got to be ignition related.
Damp kill switch? It's been sitting in the torrential rain, after
all....

But the switchgear is brand new. Never mind, undo switchblock, and blast
with WD40. For good measure check all connections from kill switch.

Right, it could be the ignition switch. It's a 25 year-old SOB, after
all, and it could be corroded. I've got a spare ignition switch and key
on the donor bike, but somehow I doubt it's the ignition switch.

If I'm getting current to the plug, and I am because I'm getting a shock
off it, why aren't I getting a spark?

It *can't* be the spark plug because it's brand new. But I really can't
see a spark no matter how hard anbd close I look.

B7ES plug..... quite a hot plug. Have I got anything similar? BR8ES:
old, rusty, one grade harder, and with a resistor (hence the R), but
we'll just stick that in the plug cap and have a look, but it can't
possibly be the spark plug.....

.....AAAARRRGGGHHHHHHH. Yes, it can.

Remember, kiddies - always check the bleedin' obvious and simple first.
And what the hell is it with me and bloody spark plugs??????

 

I noticed that Message-ID:

Oh come on...

 

It was somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the
drugs began to take hold. I remember
(The Older Gentleman) saying
something like:

I've found that a few times - plugs failing suddenly; you'd think they'd
gradually go down (and do, in many cases) but a plug that was working
fine then suddenly isn't is a real head scratcher.

--

Dave

GS 850 x2 / SE 6a
SbS#6 DIAABTCOD#16 APOSTLE#6 FUB#3
FUB KotL OSOS#12? UKRMMA#19 COSOC#10

 

Heh. I cut my 2-wheeled teeth on an old MZ, a CZ and various Vespas and
Lambrettas. Dirty, oily old fashioned 2-strokes.
This taught me to always, no matter what, suspect the spark plug first.)

 

Snippety snip

I always check for a spark with an insulated steel rod that I
push up into the cap and then hold to the engine. I know what
its like to check a whole system and then find the plug is buggered.
Another time I once thought I had a sparking problem so
I checked the whole system on my CB250 and got no joy.
In a moment of complete brain freeze and stupidity I held the end of a
screwdriver in the cap while I turned the bike over. The jolt I received
threw me clean on my back and my arm tingled for ages afterwards.
I have a little bit more respect for the power delivered down a HT lead
nowadays.
taz.

 

Many years ago when I was in REME and insulated plug caps were something of
a rarity we used to check for sparks by shorting the plug out with a
screwdriver. The only problem was that the army, knowing soldiers better
than most, provided screwdrivers with the metal bit extended all the way
through the wooden handle, so that they would not be harmed too much if hit
on the end with a hammer. This had the result that one held the screwdriver
a lot more carefully on the second and succeeding plug tests than one did
the first time.

Ron Robinson

 

I know, I know......

 

LOL
taz.

 

In

speaking as someone who's known the right dishonourable Mr H for a long,
long time, I can hereby confirm that he always suspects the spark plug
first...

"oh dear, my engine appears to have caught fire and melted into a lump of
molten aluminium"

"just whip out the plugs, give 'em a clean, it'll be right as rain"...


--
Pete M

Ford Capri - Mercedes 500 SEL - Sierra XR4x4
COSOC #5
Scouse Git extraordinaire. Liverpool, Great Britain

 

I spent fecking ages once trying to trace a misfire on a car to which I'd
just fitted new plugs, one of which was dud from the word go.

you don't suspect new plugs. this bugger was about 20k ohms between casing
and centre pin, ISTR.

same results from a rotor arm on the V8 110 not long ago, shorting from the
top to the post inside, via an invisible fault. That took some tracing,
too.

 

"oh dear, my engine appears to have caught fire and melted into a lump of

Reminds me of that Toyota pickup truck top gear dumped in the sea and then
lost, I think they had to get the coast guard to find it. Wiped the plugs
out etc.

Each week they subjected it to more abuse, fire, dropped from a great
height, even threw a caravan at it nut each time it started.

Amazing what you can do by just cleaning the plugs.

Brian

 

Indeed not.

 

Thus spake The Older Gentleman unto the assembled multitudes:

"Check the circuit." The first words ever spoken by Mr Spock in Star Trek.
You're in good company.

I'll get my coat.

 

Brian Price () gurgled happily, sounding much
like they were saying :

Especially on a diesel...

 

I noticed that Message-ID:

Well you have glow plugs which fail with monotonous regularity also.
And on my Peugeot engined Synergie they are next to impossible to get
at. Stunning piece of design - not!

 

Well you can fool some of the people etc etc.

 

The Older Gentleman says...

53 feet usually

 

And when all four go (but still give a weak spark) as they did on my
400 recently, they really are the last thing you look at :-}