[Spetz]

Hi all. Here's the issue with as much detail as I can on what has happened..

Picked up a 2002 J3 (Canadian model) 3 weeks ago for the Mrs which drove absolutely fine until yesterday night. The only mods are a Yoshi pipe and K&N filter. Previously owner said carbs were sync'd. I noticed it wasn't that well looked after so did the following over the last five days (It was on a rear stand for 5 days too, angled a little forward due to lack of front stand):

1. Complete fairing removal including nose
2. Coolant flush with proper Kawasaki aluminum safe coolant (was thick and soupy)
3. Oil change using Kawasaki S4 10w40 synthetic (was black and burnt smelling)
4. Rewired LED turn signals to make splices waterproof
5. Pulled and cleaned K&N filter (had to pull tank obviously)
6. Greased suspension using grease nipples (don't think they were ever done)
7. Adjusted levers to make them fall better inline with hands
8. Did the manual CCT adjustment as written up here (no more tic!)

All procedures followed the service manual found here. Thanks BTW!

Everything worked fine, fired right up with no issues and I let it warm up well before driving. Took it for a test drive and first gear + RPM's would go as far / fast as I wanted. Shifted to 2nd and once I hit 4500 RPM's it bogged. It seems to sputter like it is getting intermitant fuel. Good fuel flow for about a second, then bogs down again, and repeats. Got to the point where I had to use 1st gear just to get up a slight hill. Again, 1st gear is fine and it free rev's like crazy. Also tried 3rd gear, but as soon as it hits 4500 RPM, it bogs. Never got to 4th. It never stalls out either.

The only things I can think of is that perhaps there is a vacuum line that I pinched, but the only one I can recall moving (never removed from tank, just pulled out wth tank) is the one that hangs off the rear of the tank. The only fuel line I removed was the small one from the petcock to the filter. I did notice that when physically pressing the petcock in towards the centre of the bike, it would leak fuel with the hose off. The large side ram air tubes where removed with the nose, as well as the single small Y type one in the middle of the nose fairing.

Right now I'm at a loss as it's my first sportbike, not my first bike though.

Any ideas? I'mm going to tear it apart tonight and double check the ram air system and vacuum line, pull the plugs, but any other suggestions?

When I told the wifey about the issue, she just looked away from me.. :O

 

[Strider]

It sounds like one of the air/intake tubes wasn't reinstalled/reconnected properly to the air box.

 

[riverszzr]

the float bowl vent tube--the plastic piece that attaches at the carbs........is it hooked up? is it cracked?---the smaller of the "y" lines from the upper fairing inlets---that is hooked back up and not kinked when you re-installed the upper?--that is the float bowl "vent" tube-which really pressurizes the float bowl to match the air box being pressurized

although these symptoms for that usually don't present until over 50 mph but... stranger things have happened

the line on the rear of the fuel tank is an overflow line---or the tank vent line- just make sure it is not kinked

and your #8.........this stupid erroneous advice these assholes post about that shit---totally wrong and dumb to do (if you are saying you did the ....loosen the outside bolts until you hear it click then retighten those).........follow the service manual on how to reset the cam chain tensioner, and if that doesn't work, then buy a new tensioner-it is that simple.

 

[Spetz]

the float bowl vent tube--the plastic piece that attaches at the carbs........is it hooked up? is it cracked?

Never touched the anything in carb area, will check out though

the smaller of the "y" lines from the upper fairing inlets---that is hooked back up and not kinked when you re-installed the upper?--that is the float bowl "vent" tube-which really pressurizes the float bowl to match the air box being pressurized

There was only the "Air Vent Filter" (proper name from the manual) Y pipe from the ram air ducts that I believe I disconnected and reattached. I don't recall seeing a smaller one. This one was almost an inch in diameter. I'll double check.

and your #8.........this stupid erroneous advice these assholes post about that shit---totally wrong and dumb to do (if you are saying you did the ....loosen the outside bolts until you hear it click then retighten those).........follow the service manual on how to reset the cam chain tensioner, and if that doesn't work, then buy a new tensioner-it is that simple.

I did do the "loosen tops/bottom bolt" version. Seemed to work just fine, but will do the proper reset way laid out in the manual to be sure.

 

[riverszzr]

There was only the "Air Vent Filter" (proper name from the manual) Y pipe from the ram air ducts that I believe I disconnected and reattached. I don't recall seeing a smaller one. This one was almost an inch in diameter. I'll double check.

yeah that is it---make sure it is hooked up and not kinked

 

[Spetz]

Thanks.

Final question I guess before I leave for work to start.. Reading through the manual on resetting the CCT. It states "Insert the push rod so that the push rod teeth are leaved
five notches." What does this mean? Leave 5 notches of the push rod sticking out?

EDIT ** NM, zoomed in on the small inset pic, I'm sorted out

But the last step is "Turn the crankshaft 2 turns clockwise to allow the tensioner to expand and recheck the camshaft chain timing." How do I do that without electrically turning over the engine or is that fine?

 

[riverszzr]

^ by hand with a wrench--socket/ratchet on the end of the crank.......

Remove the pulsing coil cover (right side as you sit on the bike) and then you can see the alignment marks and the crank end to turn it over


You would also need to remove the valve cover to see where those marks align to truly see that timing is good

 

[Spetz]

Solved. Feel like an idiot. It was the Y pipe, forgot to actually attach it after lining it up putting the nose on. Just did a 60km drive. Everything good to go.