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GL1100 running on two cyliders

769 Views 7 Replies 4 Participants Last post by  Bigbird0001
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I have a GL1100i with two cyl not firing - #2 and #4. Bike will crank instantly on 1-3, but nothing on the left. Additional fuel sprayed into the plenum just seems to overload the working cylinders while adding nothing to the dead pair.

Compression on both dead cyl is 165+psi.

Carbs were checked and cleaned 2-3 times, even the pressed in pilot jet removed for cleaning. Finally, a set of GL1000 carbs taken off a running bike were installed, when cranked the results were the same: #2 & #4 cold as my bankers' heart.

Timing has been carefully checked - marks line up true as an arrow. Plugs and plug caps on bad cyls were replaced with known good and coil continuity checked. Nothing. CDI boxes were swapped just for fun - results were the same.

As a final check, today I pulled the right (1,3) plug caps and connected plugs to ground and tried to crank bike on just cyl #2/4. My thinking was possibly an exhaust obstruction allowed the cylinders to crank, but immediately shut down. Nothing. When I sprayed additional gas into the intake, I was rewarded with nothing but a backfire in the exhaust and intake.

For an engine to run you need:
- compression
- fire/spark
- timing
- fuel/air

The only thing I have not verified is the position of the timing gear on the crank and camshaft... everything else has been checked. Has anyone a suggestion of something else to verify? Has anyone ever experienced one of these bikes slipping a timing gear on the camshaft or main crank? Sounds impossible but I am at a loss here.

help if you can - thanks!!!
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Have you checked the fire on the left cylinders? If the gear on the crank slips it will affect both sides and since you show good compression on the left the cam timing is good. Any chance the wires are switched on the left side?
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carbs might be clean, but there is a line that could be plugged in the plenunm, i dont know if you separated it. fuel comes travels from side to side. probably that line is plugged.
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good questions - yes, I verified that one coil is connected to the #1 and #4 cylinders, and the 2-3 coil is connected at appropriate points. I actually tried to switch the #1 and #4 plug wires, the #1 wire would not reach the #4 plug

carbs have been stripped and cleaned thoroughly - including the cross-chamber fuel line. When drain screws are pulled, the carb bowls on the left both dump approx 45-50ml of fuel, same as the bowls on the right

I have pondered what problem in the pulse gen unit could cause such an odd-ball problem, but since the right side appears to be running normally (cranks with a touch, revs even while dragging the 2 dead cyl) it would seem this is not the source of trouble... or can it?

keep asking the questions, I have tried a lot, maybe not everything
Thanks!
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i believe the coils are wired, one for the two front cylinders, and the other for the rears. so if it was spark related, it would not fire front or rear pairs, not left or right

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tomswift99 wrote:
good questions - yes, I verified that one coil is connected to the #1 and #4 cylinders, and the 2-3 coil is connected at appropriate points. I actually tried to switch the #1 and #4 plug wires, the #1 wire would not reach the #4 plug
That is wrong, 1&2 to one coil and 3&4 to the other.
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bless you my friends - ran out this morning in my Fruit of the Looms and switched plug wires on the left - bike fired up and ran properly immediately

it seems the owner had switched coils but failed to mention it. I was putting the wire clearly labled "4" on the #4 cyl, it is much happier connected to the #2

appropriate mana has been distributed, go forth knowing you have made another Goldwing owner very happy!
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Have you checked the ignition module / exciter box on the left side under the false tank? I had this problem and found this to be the problem. take the false tank off and swap the connectors and see if the problem swaps sides. hope it works

Brian
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