It's Alive! IT'S ALIVE!!! MU-A-HAHAHAHA!!!

[The Mindless Philosopher]

Preliminary report:

I removed the carburetor to get leverage on the filter housing nut. Once out, I shook the gasoline from the fuel filter then breathed through it as hard as I could. My jowls looked like ole Sachmo. That was not a happy filter. I won't replace it. I will stick with the inline filter I have instead. Will reinstall the carb tonight or tomorrow then see if the fuel squirts into the primaries like it's supposed to (I don't see why it wouldn't). Taking a break for now; feeling a mite peckish...

[The Mindless Philosopher]

My responses are almost always long-winded.

[The Mindless Philosopher]

And I still wouldn't mind torching this thing...

BUT, it gets a stay of execution for now.

[Paul H]

Hang in there, it only gets better
from now on. think ++++++++
(positive)

Paul H

[The Mindless Philosopher]

Hang in there, it only gets better
from now on. think ++++++++
(positive)

Paul H

Indeed.

I had to coax it to life again by pouring gas down its gullet, but that's not surprising considering the fuel line emptied when I pulled it off the carburetor. At least it started.

Waiting an hour to see if it will fire up on its own. Not sure there isn't still some kink in the system. Only about 15 more minutes to go.

On a side note--considering this thing's condition when I bought it and all the work I've had to put into it--I am NOT the least bit convinced it had only 23,000 miles. I feel quite certain the odometer had already rolled over at least once. Neither here nor there at this point. Just my mind wandering...

[The Mindless Philosopher]

She sat for an hour in cool 55F degree air and fired back up without any fuss! Now, she just has to weather the night. Supposed to sink to 45F. Not cold by any stretch of the imagination, but on a brand new battery that was sitting on a store shelf for who knows how long before getting an alternator charge for maybe two or three minutes? Who knows? It might be a tad grouchy come sun-up. We shall see. I really want to start daily commuting on this thing again!

[Paul H]

Did you charge your new batt. before
installing it??? I learned in Suzuki school
that all batt. should be charged before
being installed. IF current is taken out
of the batt. at that point is the highest
amperage it will ever charge to. We all
remember the old saying that the batt.
is dry charged IMHO that's BS??? Every
batt. I've bought since learning this, I
have charged when I got it home.

Paul H

[The Mindless Philosopher]

Did you charge your new batt. before
installing it??? I learned in Suzuki school
that all batt. should be charged before
being installed. IF current is taken out
of the batt. at that point is the highest
amperage it will ever charge to. We all
remember the old saying that the batt.
is dry charged IMHO that's BS??? Every
batt. I've bought since learning this, I
have charged when I got it home.

Paul H

No. I've never heard this before. I didn't charge it before installing. Sure enough, the trike won't cold start this morning. All I have is a trickle charger. It's sitting on that right now. Will see how it goes.

[The Mindless Philosopher]

I had to coax it with more fuel directly to the primaries again. I'm letting it idle now, so the alternator can build a charge more rapidly than what the trickle charger can give it. This is getting old.

I won't be riding riding it to work.

[The Mindless Philosopher]

The tachometer is not working. I need to wire it back up the way that it was (remove the red lead from the igntition+ switch and tie it into the white wire). That's not what the instructions say to do, but at least it did work when it was like that. The light just fried was all.

[The Mindless Philosopher]

I guess I'll quit posting about this thing. Thank you both for your help.

[Paul H]

Please keep on posting. We're here to help
each other. Some more than others. Site
been pretty much dead till you reappeared.
Thanks and keep it up.

Paul H

[knockdolian]

What Paul said. Some people may have the Same issues but not want to post. Hang in there. Every days a school day.

[The Mindless Philosopher]

I had to chew on it for the night. You both have a point. It's just frustrating. I'll get back to tinkering this weekend. It will start under its own power sooner or later.

[The Mindless Philosopher]

It took long enough, but the pig finally turned over on its own without dumping gasoline down her gullet from a gas can.

The magic trick was in changing the inline filter after permanently removing the filter that was in the carburetor, and then twisting the throttle a dozen times to prime it. All's well. I'll pour a fuel line cleaning additive into the gasoline as soon as I get a chance.

I'll take it for a spin tomorrow and see if monkeying with the front wheel and fork pinch bolt improved anything in terms of the one rotor that's rubbing. I have a separate thread opened on that issue in the tech section.

[knockdolian]

I have a work mate who had a similar problem with his Triumph GT6 . The inside of the file line had disintegrated causing an itamittent start stop fault. Might pay to renew all the lines.
For information, you made diagnoses difficult because you were concentrating on the battery. If the trike is turning over strong it won’t be a battery issue. Could be electrical but not a battery.
Well done on persevering with it. Guess I won’t be getting a new headlight after all !!!

[The Mindless Philosopher]

On the bright side, my misdiagnoses are giving me some much needed experience. This should (hopefully) help me preform more precise troubleshooting steps should I encounter such things again (God forbid).

More than anything, twisting my own wrenches instead of paying someone builds my confidence in this thing. It beats being left to wonder who previously did what to it and how long ago, and when it's gonna leave me stranded in the middle of nowhere. If that ever happens, I'll know exactly whodunnit! :p

[The Mindless Philosopher]

Minor bugs aside, Hossy re-enters daily commuting service tomorrow.

I quite nearly overdosed on these while ironing the pig out.

[The Mindless Philosopher]

I got this prescription refilled. They work great with Boss Hoss!

[Foose1986]

It shouldn't take that much fuel to get started. One or two pumps of the throttle should be enough for the accelerator pump to put what's needed in there to fire. A common problem with older carbs is the vacuum boots that cover the ports. Are yours torn up or dry rotted? If so, it will be drawing in a ton of extra air making it tough to start and run terribly. Replacement boots are available at almost any parts store for around $4. It's a cheap maintenance item that doesn't require you to remove the carb.

[The Mindless Philosopher]

It shouldn't take that much fuel to get started. One or two pumps of the throttle should be enough for the accelerator pump to put what's needed in there to fire. A common problem with older carbs is the vacuum boots that cover the ports. Are yours torn up or dry rotted? If so, it will be drawing in a ton of extra air making it tough to start and run terribly. Replacement boots are available at almost any parts store for around $4. It's a cheap maintenance item that doesn't require you to remove the carb.

Carburetor Mike Stage II that's a bout a year old with maybe 1,000 miles on it. Trike sat for over a year on an empty tank. Even so, I replaced some fuel line components this weekend. It's working like a champ now. All's well.

[The Mindless Philosopher]

Entering week #3 without any ride-stopping issues! If this thing makes it beyond 5 weeks, I won't know what to do with myself besides, "Ride, daddy, ride! Hi-ho dino-sau-ar!"

[The Mindless Philosopher]

SON OF A B#$%H!!!

WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH THIS ULTRA-CURSED PIG???????

While riding home this evening, the left rear turn signal mounting tab (0.125 inch thick WELDED L-shaped bracket) decided it would just snap for no good reason. The rear bullet turn signal housing flopped into the road, bounded then somehow "kissed" the painted surface of the fiberglass. No real damage to speak of (maybe a dime-sized chip in the paint surrounded by a few pits and cracks, and some broken electrical wires), but GIVE ME A FLIPPIN' BREAK, ALREADY!!!

I just got in from work. Gonna have to rig up a new bracket sooner or later and buy yet ANOTHER new set of bullet turn signals.

I knew I would call the sinister forces of anti Boss Hoss upon me if I started singing praises of it having survived a few handfuls of days without incident, and damned if I didn't! Right on the very same day!

Oh well.

What can ya do?

Live with it.

Take my licks and keep enduring the big sow. Make her squeal again. Live without a turn signal for now.

Horse whiskers...

[The Mindless Philosopher]

I'm gonna do some hard drinking, and then I'll laugh at this shit.

[The Mindless Philosopher]

It's almost like the forces of the universe are trying to tell me to just get rid of the thing.

Grumble, grumble, grumble...

Whine, whine, whine...

Piss and moan, piss and moan...

HA!!!