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Just went to take the scooter out. Started up fine and ran choke off for about 3 minutes, the it started do sound weak. Then started to sputter worse, slowed and dies.

Would not restart.

Fuel line on, nothing in the exhaust.

I did add new fuel last week from last fall, but it's run fun on a few short trips since then.

Think it's skunks fuel?? Any other ideas?

Go!

I gotta go run that errand now, but I'll be back in a few.

boo.
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Oh, it's a 1977 125ts.
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Dunno about skunky fuel, could be something there. I've left gas in the tank for over half a year with no problem(no stabilizer), but who knows


Pull your plug & see if it's wet or dry. If wet, it's flooded but I'm guessing it's dry & you aren't getting fuel. You can verify by squirting a little premix down the carb throat & seeing if it'll fire up.

You may need to go thru & clean the carb, lot's of how-to info, Mercato site has a good one. While it's off you can check for good fuel flow out the fuel line by just opening the lever. Could be the fuel valve or inside tank is blocked somehow. Also check your gas cap vent, if bike runs fine with the cap open, it's probably plugged. Does the tank look clean inside?
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V oodoo wrote:
Dunno about skunky fuel, could be something there. I've left gas in the tank for over half a year with no problem(no stabilizer), but who knows


Pull your plug & see if it's wet or dry. If wet, it's flooded but I'm guessing it's dry & you aren't getting fuel. You can verify by squirting a little premix down the carb throat & seeing if it'll fire up.

You may need to go thru & clean the carb, lot's of how-to info, Mercato site has a good one. While it's off you can check for good fuel flow out the fuel line by just opening the lever. Could be the fuel valve or inside tank is blocked somehow. Also check your gas cap vent, if bike runs fine with the cap open, it's probably plugged. Does the tank look clean inside?
Plug is.....damp? How would it flood after running for five mins?

Plug also black so replacing.

Gas tank is clean.

If it is flooded, just wait?
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Ok, started up; had been resting for 1 hour. Ran for 10 seconds then sputtered and died quickly.

New plug is wet.
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Maybe the needle . Couldn't hurt to replace . It can cause flooding .
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My guess is a dirty carb. Give all the jets and passages a good cleaning.
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Agreed. But you could verify good fuel flow first, it's pretty easy. To pull the carb, you'd unscrew the banjo fitting from the carb anyway(no need to undo fuel line). Do that & turn on the tap. Lot's of fuel coming out? Proceed to carb cleaning...
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Have to pick up tomorrow morning. Need to go to a birthday party BBQ....in the rain.
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A good carb diagnosis method is to pull the air filter off and look down in ther barrel and give it gas. Look to see if there is a good spray. If not, do what is posted above to check fuel flow, then work your way to the jets. Also watch after the throttle is off,and if fuel keeps dripping into the barrel, then your flooding and your float bowl/ needle is most likely your problem.
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Also, just order a carb rebuild kit, and get an extra float and needle while your at it, they're cheep. It's always a good thing to have on hand. If you don't need them now you will soon, and shit always breaks when the shops are closed.
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Ok, fuel is flowing. Everything looks clean and in good shape.

Is fuel supposed to pool in the float bowl? It was full and I don't see anyplace it's supposed to go.

Carb rebuild kit. Ill get it, but not tonight.
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External inline image provided by member with no explanatory text

External inline image provided by member with no explanatory text
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u need some Carb 101, Dugan!
see the little holes down there in your 2nd pic?

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From this informative thread from last spring, that special time when when most everybody is trying to get their shit running right Razz emoticon
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Great graphic! So fuel should not be pooling there I assume?
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In case you didn't know, I have no clue with this stuff.... Which is why I bought it!
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Dugan wrote:
In case you didn't know, I have no clue with this stuff.... Which is why I bought it!
Clap emoticon

No prob, I am pulling for you. It's the journey grasshopper, not so much the destination

Wait, what was the original problem? Maybe drain the old gas & start over? These things are often/usually/always hard to start. Take your pick.
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V oodoo wrote:
Dugan wrote:
In case you didn't know, I have no clue with this stuff.... Which is why I bought it!
Clap emoticon

No prob, I am pulling for you. It's the journey grasshopper, not so much the destination

Wait, what was the original problem? Maybe drain the old gas & start over? These things are often/usually/always hard to start. Take your pick.
First post . There was no problem:(
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So no fuel in bowl is normal right?
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There DOES need to be fuel in the float bowl, that's where the carb sucks gas from. But the float MUST close the inlet before it OVERFLOWS and subsequently FLOODS your motor.
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I think I may have got it. Brass tube from needle to other space was blocked. Fuel drains from bowl mow
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So this guy (split ring lock washer)

Was hanging out at the bottom of the carb housing.

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Not sure if I missed it and it fell off or was loose in there before. I don't see any witness marks for its position.
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Looks like one of the washers for the 2 bolts that hold the carb down.
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So all back together, but still not starting and the plug is very wet.

I'm thinking its flooded now. Anything I can do to hasten things along in drying out?
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Vader19 wrote:
Looks like one of the washers for the 2 bolts that hold the carb down.
It was. Found its partner on the second screw.
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This is a very helpful video for the novice to a carb rebuild on one of these bikes:

Once you have rebuilt correctly and secured the carb body to the bike, confirm that fuel is flowing out of the tap, and then turn to the spark plug.

To test for spark, plug a new(ish) plug into the lead, switch on the ignition, and crank the bike with the end of the plug grounded to the frame. (No need to turn on the fuel for this.) You should see a fat blue spark. If you see no spark, and you have a known good plug, you have an ignition fault.

If you do see a spark, and you still get nothing after reconnecting your lead to the plug in the cylinder, there are a few possibilities: (1) poor compression (unlikely, but not impossible); (2) your fuel mixture is jacked (unlikely if you rebuilt correctly and set the screws to the correct baselines); (3) your timing is way, way off (unlikely if it was running normally before and you have not messed with the stator position).

My guess is that it should fire up with the carb rebuilt correctly and the choke out a LITTLE bit (do not crack the throttle when you kick). Possible that you have a fouled plug -- in which case you just need to replace that. Keep us posted!
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Flooded eh?
from another recent thread
Quote:
I've played this game too, be sure your float needle is good(needs to be RED rubber tipped). The black rubber tipped ones fail when exposed to alcohol in the gasoline.

Sometimes I don't have a new plug & have to just dry off the old one with a fresh kleenex. Easy to double check that you have good spark at this point too, while you have the plug out. Then leave choke OFF and I found it helps to hold the throttle wide OPEN to get it going after flooding. Be sure to kick it over good several times(throttle wide open, gas lever turned off) to get some of the gas out of it while the plug is out. Sometimes I've had to dry the plug twice, but not yet trice.
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nomadwarmachine wrote:
To test for spark, plug a new(ish) plug into the lead, switch on the ignition, and crank the bike with the end of the plug grounded to the frame. (No need to turn on the fuel for this.) You should see a fat blue spark. If you see no spark, and you have a known good plug, you have an ignition fault.
The lead is the wire that is on the engine, right? Then connect the bent part on the other end of the plug to ground with some other wire I have laying around?
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The lead is the wire that connects to your spark plug -- it has an L-shaped cap at the end (called the "spark plug cap"). Disconnect that cap from the plug in your engine and insert another plug.

Then "ground" the end of the lead (w/the inserted plug) by holding it against a floor rail, the head of the motor, or any other piece of metal on the bike. Hold the insulated part of the lead -- do not hold the plug or you will get a nice jolt when it sparks.

You can also use the plug from your motor, if you first remove it. But I would use a clean working (new) plug, since the one in your motor may be the problem. To do this test, you can use any old plug that fits the cap -- it does not need to be the right size. If you get a good spark, consider cleaning or replacing (with the right size!) the plug in the motor.
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Got it. I'll give it a shot tomorrow. Thanks!
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sticking choke?
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Checked this morning and I have a good spark. Hopefully this evening it will have dried out enough and start right up. *finger crossed*
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joshzingzing wrote:
sticking choke?
Doesn't appear to be.
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mighty_triceratops wrote:
Also, just order a carb rebuild kit, and get an extra float and needle while your at it, they're cheep. It's always a good thing to have on hand. If you don't need them now you will soon, and shit always breaks when the shops are closed.
I'd like to get the carb kit, but I'm not sure which one I need. The stores never have my model listed. 125t.s.

Closest stuff I find is usually for the px 125.
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Best I can tell from your picture you have a Del Orto 20/20 carb. Get a kit for that carb...
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The kits for SI carbs are pretty much all the same. There will be extra gaskets. Your main concern is probably the float valve.

You shouldn't have to wait more than a 10 minutes or so to start after flooding. If it is taking several hours to dry up, you've probably got a leaky valve.

Turning your fuel tap off after flooding or riding will prevent this.
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astromags wrote:
You shouldn't have to wait more than a 10 minutes or so to start after flooding. If it is taking several hours to dry up, you've probably got a leaky valve.
Finished putting it back together, tried it once then had to go take care of something else. The plug was wet though when I pulled it.

I'm hoping for the best.
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Hello

The residue that you have in the carb may well have blocked any one of the jets or galleries and you need to clean them, worth checking the fuel filter in the carb fuel banjo and see if you are getting adequate fuel flow.

Good Luck

Grumpy
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When you try tonight, give it a kick with the choke OFF. Assuming no progress, my money is on the carb/flooding. Call up Gene at Scooters Originali and get the carb kit/float for your Dell Orto (looks like a 20/20). Also make sure that your fuel petcock is shutting off -- unplug the fuel line (with petcock OFF) and make sure that nothing flows out of the line for 15/20 minutes.
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called Gene, and my local guys; no luck. The search continues.
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