2003 Speed Not Starting + How to change injectors

Message

pcleiter · #1 Post by **pcleiter** » Wed Dec 07, 2011 8:26 pm

2003 Speed. Ran well for a while (except when I cooked the batteries with a car charger...). Had it out over the Thanksgiving holiday, riding woods trails. Gave it to my cousin to ride for a bit and after just a few minutes with him behind the bars, it began to stumble in the lower range when the throttle was applied. Nursed it back to the garage and let it sit to cool before wrenching on it. After a bit of sitting, it wouldn't start. I replaced the fuel filter, replaced the hose from tank to the filter (just cause it was about time and I had some hose handy), still no go. Pulled the air filter and hit it with ether, and got it to fire up. But it wouldn't run w/o the ether flowing. Put it back in the trailer and pulled another bike from the garage...

Back at home, checked the line pressure before the regulator and watched in awe as it shot past 60 lbs and pegged the meter. Pulled the regulator off and cleaned out the catch screen. Now pressure is sitting around 40-45 while cranking. BUT I get a stutter about a half second into having the starter cranking, and then the starter just keeps turning the motor; no fire. If I let of the starter and let it sit for a few seconds then try again, I again get the stutter at the same time, then just spin the motor with the starter.

Any suggestions? My next thing to try is to replace the fuel injectors. And that leads to the second part of my question - what is the best / most efficient way to get to them? Pull the (stock) airbox? Pull the radiator?

speedracer · #2 Post by **speedracer** » Thu Dec 08, 2011 1:48 am

I changed the o-rings on mine awhile back.I dont run a stock airbox ,I think you would have to get it out of the way,maybe not though. You will need to metal retainer clip on the injectors (small bolts)and wiggle the injector out,ofcourse unplug them,remember connection which is left and right.I did not have to remove the rad.You might put new O-rings on them before you reinstall the injectors,fuel leaks are bad.Hardest part is to get them back in!Maybe you can shine a flashlight down the throttle body while cranking to see if they are spraying.It will be a mist if the are working.Hope this helps.

speedracer · #3 Post by **speedracer** » Thu Dec 08, 2011 1:52 am

Also,are your quick connects gutted?Is there fuel returning into the tank while cranking?Fuel filter dry while cranking?

pcleiter · #4 Post by **pcleiter** » Thu Dec 08, 2011 3:08 am

Up until I replaced the fuel line, I had thought that the quick connects were gutted. But when I had the male end off the hose, I tried pushing a drill bit through it and found that it was not. So since I had it off and had the drill handy, I cleaned it out at that point. I'm definitely getting good return through the other side - pretty much shooting up against the inside of the tank. Don't know though if it is gutted though. Will have to look at it tomorrow. Will have to look at the fuel filter to see if it is being sucked dry, too.

Sounds & looks like I'm going to have to remove the airbox to get to the fuel injectors though... Sheesh, I hate working on that thing.

pcleiter · #5 Post by **pcleiter** » Tue Dec 27, 2011 2:01 am

So I got the injectors done. Had to pull the airbox to get to them well enough to work on them. Pulled out the old ones, put new fuel lines on the new injectors (they were pulled from another C'Dale that was never run), swapped out all of the rest of the fuel line while I was at it. Gave me a good opportunity also to re-route and properly size the lines. Put some di-electric grease on the o-rings of the new injectors and slipped them in. Put the airbox back together, then struggled to get the demon to start. Was still getting pretty much the same reaction - a cough and then nothing. After a few spins, it got started, rev'd way up, then died. Replaced the spark plug (with a 9 because that was all that I had handy new), and then it got started but again it rev'd way up. Let it sit overnight, went back and re-calibrated the throttle. While I was doing that, I realized that the idle was set way up. Got it to start and idle sweet. Actually, started and stopped it numerous times because it came to life better than ever after this little wrenching session. Not sure about overall improvement, but hopeful!