[Wingnumberone]

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Trailered home a sick '88 1500 a while back. Chased down some wiring problems, and installed a 90A CompuFire alternator. Changed oil, checked tire pressure, chucked in some SeaFoam, filled the tank and went for a brief rip last Sunday. Ran decent, a little rough in spots but not too bad. Idled smoothly when warm, and pulled nicely. It's my first time on a 1500, so I don't have anything to compare it to.

Jumped on the thing this afternoon (a week later)for a brief jaunt, and it barely runs. It DEMANDS full choke for a few minutes after start-up, so when it was running a little chunky at first - I figured it would clean itself out as it warmed up. . . . Not So.

It's running super-rich all of a sudden. Barely idles at all, ticks over at less than 500rpm and stinks like gas BAD. It doesn't do much of anything until 2,500 rpm. I had it at a friend's house, and he said he could smell the gas as I rode by. I barelylimped it home, and it stalled in the garage.

I'm going to dig into it a bit tomorrow - check for blocked air cleaner, stuck choke, etc . . . . It's probably nothing major, I was just wondering if this is a common thing with the 1500s (going rich all of a sudden), and whether any of you guys may have run into it before ??

 

[grambo]

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other than crap in your jets...or air cleaner...check the fuel shutoff valve for leakin...that can go funny anytime and even after it sets awhile...giving a rich run

 

[chris in va]

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Probably float level. Mine is older, but one of the floats was way too low in the bowl and really dumping gas like it was going out of style.

 

[agnogel]

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i would go for a stuck choke valve

 

[sdfrank]

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I think you're on the right track checking the Carbs. But also check vacum lines, a friend just purchased a 1988 Gl1500 that has sat up for over 4 years. We had the same issue you are having and after a tune up,new fuel pump (accord)& sinc the Carbs & a few Miller Lite.....It turned out to be a cracked vacum line.

 

[rayworx]

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Some years back (when I worked as a service manager at a Honda dealership) there was a customer that had the same kind of problem. Sudden rich running... would hardly rev up. His 1500 was still under warranty so he was all ticked off... warranty this and warranty that. Anyway we found a Snickers wrapper inside the air intake.
Now just how was I going to write a warranty claim on that??

 

[Wingnumberone]

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rayworx wrote:

. . . . . Anyway we found a Snickers wrapper inside the air intake . . . .

Heh. No candy wrappers on this one.

It does have a nice-looking K&N air filter (something I don't have to buy now). Those are some odd-looking carbs, with the choke sliding in from the side like that.



I'll have to backit out, and fire her up to see if she makes enough vacuum to pull the chokes off - hopefully get a chance to mess with it this week.

 

[Big John .25]

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Try running it without the air filter. and double check, the filter. If it was cleaned with gasoline it can come apart in little pieces and be sucked into the intake. Also if a K & N type filter is oiled wrong (wrong oil or too much) the filter won't flow very well.
Also bikes that are setting for awhile become happy nest havens for all sorts of small animals.

Also could be a restrictive exhuast, an internal baffle may have rusted while setting and the shaking and being run again may have caused something to have come loose .

 

[exavid]

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Sudden rich running sounds like one of the carbs has a bit of dirt in the float valve. Check the sparkplugs on both banks to see if one side has sooty plugs.

 

[agnogel]

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looking at the photo your fuel filter looks like it needs changing also the carb slides are very black you might be better off to pull the carbs and do a good cleanout you can then cheque the choke fuction