EASY STARTING AFER A MONTH

[SQ4MN]

QUICKER STARTING

If you have a bike with a mechanical fuel pump instead of an electric one there can be a starting problem. When I let my V8 Chopper sit to long it lets the gas evaporate out of the float bowl. When I go to start it the battery must spin the motor for a while to get the mechanical fuel pump to pump gas back into the float bowl, once that happens the motor instantly fires. If the bike is ridden regularly there is no problem as the gas has not evaporated and the motor starts instantly. The problem is that it this is hard on the starter and the battery. The Boss Hoss has an electric fuel pump and a bigger battery so this is not an issue with it. When I first got my V8 Chopper it was just a gravity feed from the tank to the carb and it always kept the fuel bowl full which let the bike start instantly. The problem with the gravity feed was that it starved the motor for fuel at higher rpm's so the mechanical pumps were adde and the starvation problem eliminated. Today I decided to add a second fuel line from my tank with an inline "on and off" valve to the carburetor. By doing this I can turn the inline valve on after the bike sits for several days and let gravity fill the carburetor float bowl, then I must turn the inline valve back off so that when the bike starts the mechanical pump will pump the gas to the carb and not thru an OPEN inline valve back to the tank. Its an easy plumbing job using a three way tee fitting right after the original petcock. The biggest modification is that you have to make the inlet fitting on the carburetor have TWO hose barbs to connect you fuel lines to instead of the single barb that is stock. I bought a straight brass hose barb and brazed it to the original fitting. Now if the bike sits it starts as if its been running every day.

[petitemoose]

Excellent Idea! It is little things like this modification that make the bikes just that much better. I can't see the factory doing that because one day a tool of an owner will leave the valve open and send the fuel to the tank then complain to high hell that the bike is messed up.

[Ron Radulski]

QUICKER STARTING

If you have a bike with a mechanical fuel pump instead of an electric one there can be a starting problem. When I let my V8 Chopper sit to long it lets the gas evaporate out of the float bowl. When I go to start it the battery must spin the motor for a while to get the mechanical fuel pump to pump gas back into the float bowl, once that happens the motor instantly fires. If the bike is ridden regularly there is no problem as the gas has not evaporated and the motor starts instantly. The problem is that it this is hard on the starter and the battery. The Boss Hoss has an electric fuel pump and a bigger battery so this is not an issue with it. When I first got my V8 Chopper it was just a gravity feed from the tank to the carb and it always kept the fuel bowl full which let the bike start instantly. The problem with the gravity feed was that it starved the motor for fuel at higher rpm's so the mechanical pumps were adde and the starvation problem eliminated. Today I decided to add a second fuel line from my tank with an inline "on and off" valve to the carburetor. By doing this I can turn the inline valve on after the bike sits for several days and let gravity fill the carburetor float bowl, then I must turn the inline valve back off so that when the bike starts the mechanical pump will pump the gas to the carb and not thru an OPEN inline valve back to the tank. Its an easy plumbing job using a three way tee fitting right after the original petcock. The biggest modification is that you have to make the inlet fitting on the carburetor have TWO hose barbs to connect you fuel lines to instead of the single barb that is stock. I bought a straight brass hose barb and brazed it to the original fitting. Now if the bike sits it starts as if its been running every day.

Great fix. Sounds good! Now if you can only figure out how to stop ALL V8 Choppers squealy alternator belt that would be even better. LOL!

[SQ4MN]

The alternator belt on my V8 Chopper does not sqeak, my drive belt on my Boss Hoss also does not squeak. I have a bike not a trike but if you bring your trike to me here in Las Vegas I will bet my 2000 dollars against your 1000 dollars that I can fix it. You pay for parts. It can be fixed but you need to leave it with STAN or some other competent mechanic until its done. Probably not convenient but it can be fixed, its not impossible but it will not fix itself.