Could this be a coil problem?

hyfax

Sounds good. I'll do it. Looks like I've got lots of inexpensive options before I go out and buy a new coil. The coil that's on it now is a dyna, and seems to be a quality part (from what I've read).

TQuentin1

I would also get a small flashlight and your eyeball down in your tank and see if there is a layer of water in the bottom. Open up the float bowl dump on the carb if it has one and catch a half a cup or so from the drain hose in a glass jar. See what that looks like especially at the bottom of the jar. Any stuff there (like water)?

If you have a water problem, close the valve out of the tank and pull the hose off. Route another one to a gas can, open the valve and drain the tank. Going in from the top, try and syphon out any water you can see. After you have as much out of the tank as you can get, cut the cross hose and try to make sure both sides of the tank are empty. You might want to raise the back of the bike at this point to shift fluid forward, or just pull the tank off. However you do it, pour some alcohol in the tank and wallow it around. Try to hit both sides of the tank. Syphon out everything again and eyeball it again. Look good? Then replace the hoses and fill it back up with new clean 93 octane. Use the old stuff in your lawn mower.

TQ

hyfax

I'll drain the tanks tomorrow. I'm out of commission anyway since I pulled the rear wheel to add some polished stainless rotors, pads and to clean a few years worth of road grime from everything. Glad I did, it cleaned up nice, but the rotors didn't come in so I've got the weekend to chase down this problem. I briefly looked at the intake ant I think it could be leaking, and my rear rocker gasket (I think that's what it's called. Upper gasket on rear cylinder.) is leaking.

88Heritage

Changing out the intake gaskets and the upper rocker gaskets isn't too much trouble. If your taking the tanks off to drain and flush them then I would do the gasket work while you have the tanks off.

hyfax

Thanks to everyone who responded. It looks like glider and heritage had it right. My intake was missing a bolt and I could move it up and down. The rear jug was black from backfire. New gaskets and bolts, and it's rock solid.

I picked up a whole new set of tin with fresh paint at a garage sale for an unbelievable price, so the tanks are coming off tomorrow. I geuss I got more work to do with the rocker gasket, but it only makes sense to do it now. Man, this is torture. I'm burnin' summer, but it's going to be a whole new bike when I get back on the road.

smitty901

Still a good idea to run a little sea foam or product like it through it for a while to clean it up

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glider

Glad you located the problem and got it fixed.

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hyfax

The problem lives on! I replaced my intake manifold gaskets and bolts and cleaned out the tanks. I didn't get the rocker gasket replaced yet, but can't believe that would cause this problem.

I was on my way home yesterday and while I was sitting at a light I felt a lot of heat coming from the rear cylinder. It happened fast. By the time the light turned green, I had dropped the rear cylinder. I stopped for about 15 minutes and the problem went away. I didn't have a plug wrench to check for spark, and I haven't replaced the coil yet. I'm going to get one at lunch. I'm going to do the plug wires and plugs at the same time.

I was planning my first long ride tomorrow night, but now I'm considering trailering it. This problem is very inconsistent. It's only happened twice now, once on a hot day with the wife, and once on a not so hot day when I was alone. I'm still glad I did the intake work, it had to be done, but my question is, does anyone believe a leaky rocker gasket could cause this problem, or like me, do you believe it's the coil? Also, what is the gasket below the rocker gasket on the cylinder called and is it a lot more work to replace since I'm going almost that deep anyway?

glider

From what you say,it still sounds like an intake leak when it comes on like that. Lean is hot also. Key is to find out if you have spark when this happens. Check the spark plug tip where the wire attaches to see if it is tight and the plug wire fully on the plug.

I highly doubt the gasket is causing the problem here.

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hyfax

It wasn't the coil. I replaced it and still have the problem. It's happening more now with less time in between each episode. I would say that in addition to a leaky rear rocker gasket, I've got a blown head gasket (99% sure). The oil from the rocker made it hard to tell. The rear plug is white from running so hot.

Now, is this the way the bike would act with a blown head gasket? Would the head gasket have caused the cylinder to get hot (could it be sucking air through there?) or did the hot running cylinder cause the head gasket leak? I'm getting closer.