94 ZX7 Question continued...

[tg305]

I bought a new battery for my ZX7 because it wasn't firing well and it was billowing smoke (noted in a prevoius post). Anyhow I charged the battery just placed it in the bike and it fired instantly. Still pouring whitish gray smoke. It felt as if it would stall if I backed off the throttle so I kept it revving. I noticed a huge puddle of gas dripping from the moisture hole in the exhaust can on the bike. I shut it down bwefor I burned my garage up. Any ideas as to what may be wrong? It only leaks when the bike is running. Fuel pump? Tim

[Jonno]

i think its getting too much fuel into the cylinders, so I would be checking out the fuel delivery system. Pump is ok.

[mrmina]

how old is the bike?
how many km's on the clock?
any rattle/loose noises coming from the engine?
is the smoke a light or dark gray?

[Rossi]

The little lever on the left bar is "the choke"
turn the bugger off


Seriously though, sounds like a carburettor problem.....who told ya to buy a battery to cure smoke from the exhaust

[I-K]

Still pouring whitish gray smoke.

As it should for a good two or three minutes after first starting up. It should take that long to boil off all the moisture which would've condensed in the exhaust.

Did you let it run for that long, or just a minute or 90 seconds or so?

It felt as if it would stall if I backed off the throttle so I kept it revving.

Old fuel in the tank could cause that, quite plausibly. You did say you hadn't ridden the bike for a couple of months before all this malarkey started.

I noticed a huge puddle of gas dripping from the moisture hole in the exhaust can on the bike.

Sure it's fuel, or just petroleumy-smelling water? The drain hole in the muffler serves to let out water which condenses on the muffler walls; the pressure fluctuations which act when the engine is running "shake" the dregs of that water out.

The inner walls of the exhaust are coated in exhaust grime; unburned fuel and leftover aromatics (which are what gives petrol its smell) fixed in place with soot and whatnot. It only makes sense that the expelled water will have mixed with this crud and come out of it smelling like fuel.

Does that make sense to you?

I've been watching the news. You guys are getting some serious frosty bollocks at the moment (and doesn't Connetticut get some mad fog, too?). Plenty of scope for moisture to accumulate anywhere moisture can, and that includes the exhausts and fuel tanks of bikes which have lain idle for a while.

Unless the engine's emitting some really awful noises when it's running, and unless the smoke is burnout-thick (escaping condensation should billow like, say, the smoke from a campfire; very perceptible, but still quite transparent), start it and let it run at slightly elevated revs, either by using the choke or blipping the throttle with no choke, for a good couple of minutes, until it's hit normal operating temperature and sat at it for a bit.

If the smoke persists even after the bike's been running at operating temperature for, say, a minute or so, then you_might_have a problem. Otherwise, do like Frankie advised while enroute to Hollywood, and, come springtime, rotate your bikes a bit more intensely. Try to take every one of them for a run on, like, a weekly, or, at a stretch, a fortnightly, basis at least.

[tg305]

I'll try to anawer the questions all in one post, thanks for all the responses! Regarding the battery..... I forgot to mention the bike was cranking over very slowly, subsequent to a charge too. It was 3 years old, so I needed to replace it just to get a good crank.

I kept it running for about 1 minute maybe a minute and a half. The bike has only 8000 miles. The smoke was light gray in color. The fluid on the ground was gas, I'll try to restart it today and check more closely to see if it was watery gas. Maybe I'll swab it up with a rag and torch it..... If it ignites - it's gas!!! The motor sounded very tight but stumbled a bit at idle... I'm thinking now could I have fouled a plug and am running on 3 cylinders with one carb being flooded with raw gas?

You are right we've had some weird weather of late 50 degrees and humid followed the last 2 weeks with subfreezing temps for highs.

I bought new plugs too. I'll swap them out and dump the fuel too and put fresh gas in it. I'll check back with you guys after I do some of the things you suggested. Thanks for the help Tim

[Felix]

I was actually going to suggest you try and burn the suspect "gas" - good thinking.

Given all the problems you have, moisture build up seems to be a common theme - it could account for plugs being less than ideal, but while you're at it, check the condition of any plug leads etc.

Could be something stuck in the carb, but do the simple stuff first.

[tg305]

It was warm enough to attempt to locate the source of my smoking problem. Actually I discovered my starter is acting up as well. I have a new, fully charged battery and I hit the starter and the bike clicks.... after a few more stabs at the starter, it fired up. That's a whole separate issue I suppose.

My number 1 plug wasn't firing and it seems to be the source of the whitish smoke and the erratic idle and the puddle of gas that was dripping from the exhaust can. I swapped out the plugs - (could Kawasaki have buried the plugs any deeper into the motor?). Cleaned the air filter and refired the bike. Still no activity on the number 1 plug. Since both 1 and 4 cylinders are fired off the same coil, is there any other electrical part that could be causing the lack of spark at that one cylinder? I don't know what the IC igniter does specifically and wonder if it could be that part.

Tomorrow I'll pull the plug and see if the plug wire is defective.....

Tim

[tg305]

my problem was a fouled plug.... no idea how it crapped out on me, but all seems well for now!!!! Been too cold for a good run up on the interstate highway

[Felix]

Success!

Good stuff!