[hgree]

I pulled up in traffic on pretty steep grade to a red light in a town that I was unfamiliar with and the lady behind me pulled up exceptionally close to me and left no room at all for a slight rollback to engage clutch prior to take off. I let clutch slip just a little to create forward movement on the up grade and pulled out on to the main street. Within a block the motor started cutting out and I pulled over and the motor wouldn't run. Upon inspection oil was leaking out of the rear exhaust manifold. Pulled the rear plug and it was fouled. Front plug was clean. Cleaned and replaced plugs and motor started with some spitting and sputtering but finally picked up enough that I limped it home. Got home and put in new plugs checked oil and everything looked fine. Scooter started and ran fine, I rode 50 miles to and from work and no problems.

Any thoughts on where the oil came from???

 

[Woody]

Thats a tough one, had a similar prob with a Kaw V-twin(lawn tractor) The shop mechanic said I had overfilled the oil and it was getting pushed out of every orafice in the motor, I had 20 hours on that oil change so I don't know if in fact that was the problem. They drained and refilled the crankcase and changed the air filter as it had oil in it to. It ran fine after that but I still don't buy their diagnosis but anything is possible though I doubt you had to much oil in yours.

 

[wwmkwood]

Make sure your airbox drain tube isn't clogged or crushed. The crankcase oil vapors are vented into it and can condense. There is a small tube at the front that runs down along the radiator to drain it.

 

[hgree]

Had 2400 miles on oil change and level was good; small bubble in sight glass on center stand w/ engine off and nothing in sight glass w/ engine running...

The grade of the street was steep enough to cause any oil to back of crankcase tho..

No oil up front and front cylinder was clean just the rear cylinder.

 

[hgree]

New development!!!....

I went out and tried to start the motorcycle today and it backfired gas from rear exhaust and wouldn't start. Then raw gasoline poured out of exhaust pipe condensation hole in bottom of muffler. I closed tank petcock valve and will have to find someone to help fix????????? Evidently backfiring and oil in cylinder has messed up carb(s)? I checked the oil in crankcase and it doesn't smell like gas but I will still change it after carb repair.

Anything else I need to look at?

 

[free wheel-e]

are you getting spark in the rear cylinder?
thet would be the first thing i check when raw gas is present?

 

[Woody]

If you're not going to get it looked at right away I would pull the plugs and crank it to get all the fuel out the cylinder and spray with fogging oil just for good measure.

 

[Loran in Npvl IL]

If you are getting that much gas, then the carbs are to blame. some crud could have made it into your gasline (from when it was in a steep incline) and now the float valves are not closing properly.

 

[rckmtn]

I have not worked on the Kaw carbs yet but I would check the float level. It sounds like the rear float stuck open or the float level is to high and fuel spilled into the cylinder. This coulspossibly cause the problems you describe by "washing down" the cylinders and going past the rings to dilute the oil.

 

[hgree]

Thanks for all the input!! I pulled the carbs and am overhauling them. I didn't find anything major pulling them off other than the keeper on the throttle slide had come loose on the rear cylinder carb. They were clean and no junk. No parts locally, had to be ordered naturally. Excess gas did make its way into oil and am changing oil prior to restart. While bike is down waiting for parts I am going to do stator fuse rewire and relocate regulator/rectifier.

Thanks again for the comments...

 

[Loran in Npvl IL]

From another bike website, also check your petcock. The only ways for gas to pour into the cylinders are because bad float needle valves, improper float valve hight, improperly routed/connect lines to petcock, or if under vacume the petcock leaks from the vacume port down into the carbs. Double check the petcock hose connections to make sure they are connected to the correct places on the carbs.

 

[hgree]

Regoated....

I did not relate the two but my problems started when I installed the Scootworks degoat. A retired Kawasaki mechanic (8 Years ago) told me that on late '96 to early '97 models that a back pressure problem existed due to a small vent line oriphice in the vent lines to the tank and/or carbs and/or gas petcock. This caused back pressure problems and did not allow gas to flow properly through the running engine creating the flood out situation and way too much gas. He couldn't remember which vent tube it was or where it was exactly.

Rather than pull tank and carbs again I chose to Regoat (since I didn't have the funds for V&H) to see if it would clear up flood out problem. Guess what??? No problems at all since regoat. The mechanic also said that the custom exhausts removed the problem as well and that whatever was changed and made smaller was corrected on the later '97 models and at least up to early '99 that he knew of. I figure removing the baffle plate from the Kaw mufflers with degoat would also relieve the back pressure problem as well.