Thanks and yes, first I'll get it running and put some miles on it over this summer before really taking it apart. It would be a shame not to use it when I'll have 4-5 months of wet weather at the end of this year/early next year to do the strip and rebuild over. The seat was a necessity to fix and the exhaust issue bugs me so it's highly likely the original 50mm pipes & silencers will go back on for now until I can decide and find what I want in the way of exhausts. There'll also be a few other little TLC things that can be done over the summer, things that take a few hours without making the bike unrideable. I'm sure the non-start issue is minor as it was running when @Expat Jack took a look at it for me a couple of weeks ago and I'll be looking at that in the coming days. As for what I intend to do with it, a deep clean and sympathetic restoration to as good as new as I can get is what's planned. However, I know me and I know that will entail purchasing a few bits & pieces which aren't necessary but which look good.
Thanks for the heads up on that. The manifold/exhaust headers are different on a 998 to the 996 (it being the Testrastretta engine) but they can be changed, and I'm not sure of the diameter of those pipes in the FB post.
Running and riding Paul. Barry rode it around the block. It did take a bit of starting like I reported. Might be worth contacting him to see if this bike has “a knack”.
The non-start issue: I thought I better investigate this before doing anything else. The fuel pump primes, the engine spins when the starter button’s pressed which, to my mind, means no fuel into to throttle or no spark. I lift the tank, as I plan to remove it and drain the old fuel anyway, and discover the weirdest air filter I’ve ever seen. Anyway, the tank’s now propped up I haven’t disconnected the fuel lines so I think I might as well check there’s fuel coming out of the injectors (theyre shows type so easy to see). Sure enough no fuel spray. that’s the problem. Now the breather pipe was disconnected so I reconnect that and for some inexplicable reason decided to thumb the starter again. Fuel comes out the injectors and she starts. Hooray. But...... I leave her running for a bit, then turn her off, refit the air filter, replace the tank, wheel her outside, thinking I’ll go for a short test run, get my gear on, won’t start again . Open the fuel flap, shine a torch in to see if there’s anything obvious going on in there, shake here about a bit, thumb the starter, she fires up. Leave her running, add some fresh fuel, all’s ok so head off. All’s fine for the first 50 miles or so, then, fortunately on the way back & near home, she starts misfiring. It’s as though the ignitions been cut then restarts. The tacho goes to 0 then jumps up when she restarts, and when she does there’s a backfire as unburnt fuel ignited in the exhaust pipes. So, I’m thinking, A) a poor electrical connection to the injectors causing them not to fire or to fire sporadically, and, possibly, B) coils or plugs breaking down as the cause of the misfire after 50 odd miles Although why they’d both fail at the same time leaves a question in my mind. Next job, then is work out what’s going on in that department.
you mentioned breather pipe and you also said it wouldn't start you open the fuel tank cap to investigate ...then it runs. when it stalled out on a run you opened the tank cap did it give a big suction or intake of breath /air into the tank?
the air filter is just a cheap shit type that didn't work very well....but i dont believe thats part of the problem i would change for the BMC type.....far superior.
A once common modification to delete the in-air tube standard filters in the hope of increasing the air flow into the air box. Most common problem was the break up of the foam filter to be ingested into the engine and not many came with a support mechanism to prevent the collapse of the dome shape onto the throttle bodies. You will have advocates of this style of air filter and you have people like me who think it’s a pile of shit and needs binning. Andy
My SpongeBob Square Pants filter is held away from the throttle bodies by the injector cradles plus it also has a metal hoop frame. The bike has aftermarket CF AirTunes which don’t have the provision for the original in tube filters unfortunately. Needless to say SpongeBob is on his way out. @andyb I presume the BMC ones above sit at the junction of the air tube & air box?
yep they screw to the inside of the air box.....then the filters can slide in and out to ease removal of air tubes if required..
It requires a minor modification to the air box to attach the filter mounting block. Not complicated. Andy
No, I did consider that. I think it was just coincidental the injectors started squirting fuel after I connected that pipe (I’m not sure if it’s the breather or the drain, which had come off the plastic Y piece). I suspect a poor connection of some sort. I’m also guessing the cutting out might actually be linked to the same problem ie fuel and not anything coil/plug wise. I’ll pull the pump assembly, check it all over, and the injector feeds, replace the fuel filter (as I bet it’s the original from ore 2002) and see how that goes.
Mind you, the airbox has been off at some stage as the crankcase breather hadn’t been reconnected (it is now) which explains the grungy mess all over the engine. The upside of that however, is the engine appears to be completely free of any corrosion or flaking paint thanks to its light covering of oil. Every cloud and all
You need to remove the “sponge bob” filter and go for the bmc or standard solution. You don’t want to get your precious on fire during a back fire, which happens sometimes with these filters when they are submerged with oil and fuel.....
