yesterday, my '92 vulcan 750 began running on 1 cylinder, much like the problem mentioned here by several other people- but mine idles fine with both cyl's while in neutral, or if i put it in gear with the clutch held in & rev up the rpms. the front cyl cuts out as soon as i start moving. if i really give it LOTS of throttle, the 'bad' cyl will fire a little bit, sporadically(just enough to make for a slow, very jerky ride). this is all unaffected by rpms, gear, or speed. i have also noticed white smoke in the exhaust from the right(front) tailpipe, & there is a small amount of oil seeping from around the flange where the exhaust pipe enters the front cylinder-head. im broke, with a 9-mo daughtr, & have to use this bike to get to work! somebody please help, i have no idea what to do!!!
running on 1 cyl. & oil(?) leaking from exhaust-pipe flange...!?
1 - 9 of 9 Posts
Joined
·
277 Posts
sounds like you blew a gasket in that cylinder because you mentioned the "white smoke". you also mentioned oil by the exhaust pipe flange, tend to think the rings might be the problem. but i would first check the ignition electrical system to make sure you are getting spark. i would pull the plugs in that cylinder and start the bike and see if you got spark. if you have spark, then its one of the other problems i just mentioned. not a pretty picture. it requires an engine pull and a rebuild. if you do that you pretty much have a new engine. by the way, how many miles on the bike, and do you know the maintance history of this bike?
ride safe, john
ride safe, john
Joined
·
277 Posts
another thought, you cam chain might have had it too.
i forgot to mention, for about a week before the front cyl started cutting out, i was hearing a ''squealing jingle'' coming from somewhere on the right side, only when moving in the lower gears or at low rpm's(the sound may have been present at higher speeds but i couldn't tell).
today i emptied the tank/carbs & let the carbs sit full of seafoam for a while, and this seems to have fixed the problem of running on 1 cyl, but is there any way to know how long this might last? im about to leave to work out of town, but can't decide if it would be overly foolish to ride or not...
today i emptied the tank/carbs & let the carbs sit full of seafoam for a while, and this seems to have fixed the problem of running on 1 cyl, but is there any way to know how long this might last? im about to leave to work out of town, but can't decide if it would be overly foolish to ride or not...
Joined
·
277 Posts
good old seafoam saves the day again. i take it no white smoke now. i would ride local till i,m convinced the problem is solved
Joined
·
382 Posts
Double check your oil level and make sure your bike is not "making" oil. This would be a sign of a stuck float.
If seafoam seemed to fix your problem, then it is a carb issue. Still may not hurt to replace the plugs (you don't know when they were replaced last). If you are using it for a trip, keep using seafoam at every fillup just to be sure. If you are going away and just letting it set, fillup the carbs with seafoam and empty them when you get back.
If seafoam seemed to fix your problem, then it is a carb issue. Still may not hurt to replace the plugs (you don't know when they were replaced last). If you are using it for a trip, keep using seafoam at every fillup just to be sure. If you are going away and just letting it set, fillup the carbs with seafoam and empty them when you get back.
Joined
·
5 Posts
I had the same problem cy cam chain broke How hard will itr be to change?
Joined
·
1,647 Posts
Are you sure the chain broke? It's pretty hard to break one. Chances are if it's broken it has taken whatever sprokets and gears with it when it went if the engine was at highway speed.
Difficulty is dependent on several factors. How adventurous are you in doing it yourself? If you feel up to the task, GET A MANUAL!! That is the best advice I could give anyone thinking of doing this. Redneck engineering is not going to work out very well here. If you decide to embark on this adventure, here are some more questions you need to ask yourself.
Do you have the place to tear it down, store it while you wait for parts to arrive, and put it back together again?
This is not a cheap endeavor. It will most likely cost you in the 3-400 dollar range in parts. If you have a mech do it, count on at least $75/hr for labor with about an 8 hour minimum. If you do it yourself, you will have the satisfaction of knowing that you did it and you will become intimatly familiar with the inner workings of the engine and will be able to tackle just about any other problem that might arise. I wish you luck and enjoy the fun while learning about your bike.
Difficulty is dependent on several factors. How adventurous are you in doing it yourself? If you feel up to the task, GET A MANUAL!! That is the best advice I could give anyone thinking of doing this. Redneck engineering is not going to work out very well here. If you decide to embark on this adventure, here are some more questions you need to ask yourself.
Do you have the place to tear it down, store it while you wait for parts to arrive, and put it back together again?
This is not a cheap endeavor. It will most likely cost you in the 3-400 dollar range in parts. If you have a mech do it, count on at least $75/hr for labor with about an 8 hour minimum. If you do it yourself, you will have the satisfaction of knowing that you did it and you will become intimatly familiar with the inner workings of the engine and will be able to tackle just about any other problem that might arise. I wish you luck and enjoy the fun while learning about your bike.
1 - 9 of 9 Posts
Join the discussion
Join now to ask and comment!