WHAT THE @##$%!!!!

[adsmike@adelphia.net]

Somebody please help me. I just bought a 65 Deram with 9200 miles on it. Replaced the petcock, tightened the starter, put new gas in it.

So, as I was attempting to start it, I took off one of the spark caps to take a peek. Finally got it started, very rough, starter disengages constantly. And then...smoke...engine quites. I look down and see very small redish-brown pieces of "foam?" and dirty fuel on the floor. Then I look up and see that I had failed to reconect the spark plug wire on one side.

So, my questions are:

1. what was the foam stuff? Gasket?
2. why was the fuel so dirty? Rusty tank?
3. did I screw it up by forgetting to reconnect the spark plug wire?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Mike H.

[piecutter]

Sounds like seat foam. Sometimes it crumbles and falls out of the bottom of the seat pan. Even more fun is when mice harvest it and stuff it in the exhaust where they like to build there nests. I made the mistake of starting one up inside the service department that had been in a shed for decades. Foam, grass, seeds and nut shells everywhere. I was not appreciated that day.
It could also be that some one stuck aftermarket foam air filters on it that have dried out and started to crumble.
Tank dirt, rust, etc. gets down in your carburetor float bowl and ends up getting stuck in the float valve, the fuel keeps flowing til it comes out the overflow tubes and it usually wont stop til it runs the tank dry or you shut off the fuel cock.
It definitely sounds like you need a tank and carb cleaning.

[piecutter]

Oh, and just reconnect the spark plug wire. Should be fine.

Interesting side note. One of the newer, younger techs in the shop last week was working on a bike and had removed the plug to check the spark. He placed a shop rag over the hole to keep the air/fuel mix from blowing out freely when he kicked the motor over. (next time, shut off the fuel and drain the carb first!) I had just walked in through the back looking for a light for my cigarette when I noticed the bright orange glow coming from the mechanics bay, and him rather sheepishly grabbing the fire extinguisher. You can guess what had happened.
A rag may slow down the flow, but it also sits there and soaks up a volatile mix of vapors and acts just like a big wick on a candle. A few kicks later and there's plenty of vapors wafting around for that little spark on the end of the wire to find.
No harm done, just a burnt rag, a little mess and a hurt professional pride, but let's all use a little common sense and not burn up any already hard to find vintage parts!

[adsmike@adelphia.net]

Piecutter. I think you are definitely right about the carb as that is exactly what happened. That reminds me, too, that when I first filled the tank, the carb was leaking like crazy out of the screw at the bottom of the bowl. I tightened that, not knowing what I was doing, and then it started to pour out the overflow valve. Oh well, I couldn't wait to start the thing, so I went ahead anyway! And now I know that there was so much fuel that it overflowed the top of the crankcase, poured through the hole for the generator and spark plug wires, into my generator and "chain case?", then onto the floor, where it mixed with the rust from the chain and foam from the seat!

So, now my questions are:

1. Rebuild or clean the carb? How?
2. How do I get my generator off to fix the disengaging chain from the starter?

Any ideas?

Thanks
Mike

[adsmike@adelphia.net]

Piecutter. I think you are definitely right about the carb as that is exactly what happened. That reminds me, too, that when I first filled the tank, the carb was leaking like crazy out of the screw at the bottom of the bowl. I tightened that, not knowing what I was doing, and then it started to pour out the overflow valve. Oh well, I couldn't wait to start the thing, so I went ahead anyway! And now I know that there was so much fuel that it overflowed the top of the crankcase, poured through the hole for the generator and spark plug wires, into my generator and "chain case?", then onto the floor, where it mixed with the rust from the chain and foam from the seat!

So, now my questions are:

1. Rebuild or clean the carb? How?
2. How do I get my generator off to fix the disengaging chain from the starter?

Any ideas?

Thanks
Mike