M88 carb probloms on wla

[militaryrider]

Gentlemen , I have owned My 45'' WLA for 20 years and have never touched the carb in that time , this year I have nothing but probloms with it .
I took machine out and started it for Harmony. it started and ran fine at low speeds ,My son and I rode it around all weekend , however when I accelerated it had a stumble .
I figured gum had built up over the Years , when I arrived home I removed bowl,high and low speed needles . I noticed varnish on all parts , so I disassembled bowl and cleaned everything .
Keep in mind I did not remove body from Machine , the float is original cork, that still maintained its varnish , and floated nice .
I set the float ,needles and reassembled , the Machine started right up . But ran horrable , with spitting gas from carb intake , I could hardley keep running ! After removing bowl 6 or 7 times to
see what may be wrong I checked Timing with a ohm meter , and valve clearences, to repair manual specks .
In disperation I installed new plugs , with the same result , disaster ! Please help My baby is sick

[Old - Rust]

militaryrider Try a new condenrs or coil some times when they are going bad it will make you think its your carb that is not working

[militaryrider]

Thank You , Yes I swiched the condenser ,but didn't try coil .
I will preform the coil swichout next , will keep You posted !

[Lonnie]

Ran into a similar situation once - did everything you noted - turned out to be a loose wire at the ignition switch of all places. It had loosened over time, I suppose. Tightened the screw - problem solved.

Might or might not be your problem but it does not hurt to check.

Good luck.

Lonnie

[militaryrider]

Just returned from the barn , working on machine with no luck , I thought gas may be seeping down behind bowl nut . Again another dead end ! This problom has got Me , I put a timeing light on sparkplug wires to see if it was the wires ,I have a steady spark . . Iwill check loose connection , I hope I find something simple like a loose wire on the dash !
I still have to check coil , although the timeing light did that !
Back to the drawing board !

[AdminGuy]

So it's timed correctly and the dist. is set properly. Points are clean?

[militaryrider]

Yes , I beleive I am missing something with possably the float !
I am hitting the road as we speak , vacation with my Son !
We are riding [2003 bagger fuel injection] to Tennessee.
I will hit drawing board next week , will keep you posted then .
Thanks, MR

[AdminGuy]

If you take the nut above the needle off. Stick something small stick like in to gently grab the teeth. You lift needle up it floods bowl. You let go - it should stop the flow of gas. I think that's about it. Basic plumbing stuff.

You think your float may be rubbing and hanging up? You'll see it during the above test process.

Ride safe- have fun!

[T. Cotten]

MilitaryRider!

Never does only one thing go wrong at a time.
Please pressuretest your manifold to eliminate the possibility of even the tiniest of leaks, lest you chase your tail over tuning confusions that have nothing to do with the carb.

....Cotten
PS: If you choose to retain your original float, you must avoid all oxygenated or ethanol-blend fuels.

[indianut]

Is there ANY possibility that after the first carb service you forgot to put the nozzle back in? Not trying to insult......we have all probably done it once!

[militaryrider]

I have returned from trip , so back to carb problom !
I have replaced , coil, wires ,condenser with no change .
I have removed carb body from machine and noticed that the nozzel is fitting loose in carb body . is it possable that fuel can be ****ed up through this loose fit between carb body and nozzel ?
is there a seal I am missing that goes on bottom of nozzel and spring ?
I should replace the float , this new gas we have in New Jersey I feel screwed it up !

[militaryrider]

P.S.
no insult taken Indianut , I thank You for Your imput .
I am determined to get this machine to brookfield !!!!!

[T. Cotten]

militaryrider!

Are you referring to the brass nozzle within the stem casting, or the potmetal venturi within the carb bore?

The nozzle has fuel emulsion pass through and around it freely; In fact, it serves as an accellerator "pump". Your venturi, however, must not have an airgap around its outside diameter, lest the vacuum upon the nozzel be compromised.

It is the nature of potmetal to shrink with heat and time. Even when swaged to a press-fit, it is not unusual for them to shrink to a slip fit within several months.

A common result of a loose venturi is wear around the nozzle spigot, opening a gap where it inserts through the venturi into the bore. This can be alleviated with an appropriate seal, or tinning with soft solder and carved to mate the venturi.

The 1943 Armored School handbook give in depth explanations of the carb's functions.

But please remember that never does only one thing go wrong at a time.
It is of primary importance that your manifold be absolutely air-tight, not just nut-tight. Masking an intake leak by over-carbureting leads to fouled plugs, overheating, and eventual damage.


...Cotten

[militaryrider]

Good news My WLA is back to her old self again !
I removed the carb from the machine and as stated by T.Cotten there was a air gap around the pot metal venturi .
The carb was rebuilt and reinstalled , now it runs great !!!!
I beleive this new blended gas did all this harm to this carb .

[T. Cotten]

MilitaryRider!

Shrinking venturies are just part of the nature of potmetal. You will find warnings about loose venturies in the Factory literature.
It is best to have installed at a light press fit, as it will be a slip fit eventually.
I put them in as tight as possible for this reason.

The P4gas does other bad things, of course.

...Cotten