Hi all.  Well, I got my replacement head for my 95.  My brother and I got it installed and the engine back in the bike.  Now it will turn over but will not fire or start.  The carbs are off right now and we're spraying starting fluid directly into the intake tubes. 

I've removed each of the spark plugs and there is spark. 
When we reassembled the motor we were sure to follow the steps in the Haynes manual regarding the markings on the cam sprockets, and the 18 pins on the timing chain, position of rotor and what not.  I am at a loss. 

Does anyone have any advice?  Has this happened to anyone else?

Don't try to start the bike on starting fluid.  Ether is a good way to blow the new head off the bike.

Possible problems include:

Valve timing off.
Spark timing off.  (Kinda difficult, the rotor *should* only go on one way.)
Insufficient spark.  (Should be bright blue and energetic, not dark red and feeble.)
No compression due to dry cylinders, insufficient cranking speed, or incorrect valve timing or shimming.

Before you go any further, take the valve cover off and re-check the timing. 

Then, I would put the carbs back on, charge up the battery and try again.  If everything is in order, it should run.  Put a teaspoon of oil in each cylinder if necessary.  Ether will wash down the cylinder walls.

double check ALL of the wiring connections. you can also remove the valve cover, and double check your timing chain has not jumped when torqued, and is correct. mine slipped one tooth when i installed my new head. it would turn over and finally start after like 10-15 trys. i went back and looked and sue enough i was one pin off on the intake side after lining up the exhaust. You should be able to do all of this with the engine in the bike still, with the right tools. might be a little harder to get it all torqued, but its possible. thats how i did mine.
good luck

Alright, well, removing the valve cover to double check the timing marks was my next move.  I guess I'm gonna do that now.  Fingers crossed.

Ok, I took the valve cover off and checked that teh timing was still right.  All's well there.  18 pins between the 2 and the 3 on the cam sprockets, notches facing inward etc. 

Put it all back together and tried and still nothing. 
I've put gasoline in the spark plug holes and more nothing. 
There is spark, and it's blue. 
Not using ether anymore, got some gas in a spray bottle. 

It backfired a couple of times though and then put a couple of plumes of white smoke out the muffler.

This is my first bike but I've always been handy with cars.  I haven't even had it running yet since I got it.  Argh!!

Do you not have the carbs? Hook em up up cause your just not getting a steady supply of fuel thats atomized properly. I use  a bottle w/ clear tube hooked to the fuel intake spigot on the carbs so i dont have to hook up everything, just throttle and choke. also u dont have to worry about the frame petcock and the fuel goes right in.

I have the carbs but I wasn't having any success getting her started so I took them off so that I could shoot gas straight into the motor.  It won't fire even when I put gas in the spark plug hole (into the cylinder).  If you guys have suggestions...I'm all ears (or eyes).

Try the carbs again w/ fuel straight in , should start after a few trys when the bowls fill up, but will be faster than with the tank and other lines hooked up.

you will never get the bike to start without the carbs on. and the choke needs to be on, or the bike won't probably start either. just make sure all the lines are connected correctly, and the airbox should be on too so that the mixture is correct.

Alright, well, in the morning I'll put the carbs back on and give it a go that way.  Any more suggestions would be appreciated in case this doesn't work.  Thanks, gang!

u might need some new plugs after using that ether, check em and have a few on hand

I've got two extra but all four look good.

Ok, carbs back on and still nothing.   

Quote from: thousandlegs on February 12, 2009, 09:28:04 AM
Hi all.  Well, I got my replacement head for my 95.  My brother and I got it installed and the engine back in the bike.  Now it will turn over but will not fire or start.  The carbs are off right now and we're spraying starting fluid directly into the intake tubes. 

I've removed each of the spark plugs and there is spark. 
When we reassembled the motor we were sure to follow the steps in the Haynes manual regarding the markings on the cam sprockets, and the 18 pins on the timing chain, position of rotor and what not.  I am at a loss. 

Does anyone have any advice?  Has this happened to anyone else?

if you just replaced your head, are you sure all your gaskets are on right and sealed, your bolts are torqued, valves have enough clearance (shims?) piston rings are tight, etc?  I'm skeptical...

Let's start from the basics here.  You need suck, squirt, bang, and blow - compression, gas, spark and air/vacuum for the uninitiated.

bang? You have a fat blue spark - check for now.  even with off timing you should be getting something.

suck? with one plug in but unplugged and the other out, jam the end of a rag or put your thumb over the other plug hole.  Does it shoot the rag out, or push your thumb off?  if no - no compression.  If yes, try the other side.

squirt?  has your gas sat?  Change it.  when you turn your petcock on prime, does it leak?  With the chicken on prime and the float bowl drain screw loose, does gas come out on each side of the carbs?  Did you check your jets and needle?  Everything on the carb move freely?

blow?  do you have the carb tight in the manifold and airbox?  Are there O-rings b/w the manifold and head (mine DIDN'T have these when I got it, hence it wouldn't start...).  Is your filter clean, intakes not blocked?  All the vacuum tubes clear and going to the right places?  Exhaust clear? that is not rhetorical- remind me to tell you about wasps nests someday...

Last shot - spray a tiny, tiny bit of carb cleaner into your air filter with the carbs and everything together.  Jam a rag in the hole quick and hit the starter.  You might have a crack or other vacuum leak hiding somewhere.

Well, I got her running yesterday.  It's a hard start but it will run now.  Today I think I'm gonna take the carbs apart and give them a good cleaning to see if that helps things.  I don't know how long the bike was sitting before I got it.  They're probably full of rust and varnish.