Author Topic: Tune up?  (Read 2368 times)

Offline stevehuckss396

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Tune up?
« on: August 04, 2013, 10:11:05 PM »
I went back into the Peewee V4 thread (you know where) and found that the Peewee first started in January of 2010. It has not been running well and at the Maker Faire last weekend it wouldn't even rev up. I decided to do a tune up on it. The cap was made of clear acrylic and had many cracks from heat stress. When I pulled the rotor out it cracked in half. I made a new cap and rotor and installed a new set of spark plugs and that did absolutely nothing. Next I did a flush on the entire fuel system. I even pushed a drill bit thru all the fittings and passages in the carb and still nothing. It still idled great but labored to get up to speed. I thought maybe the timing was out of wack so I put the timing light on and noticed that the ignition was not firing properly. The timing seemed to be drifting around so I pulled the distributor expecting to find something loose. Well all was tight and I could not find any trouble in the distributor. While I had it out I figured I would replace the sensor and see if that was causing the trouble. I put everything back together and BAM it runs like brand new. I guess the sensors can get weak or something. You read on here that sensors fail and all but I thought I would post this to point out to the membership that sensors can become a problem without completely failing. The engine has been running for 3-1/2 years and anybody who has ever sat next to me at a show can tell you, I run the hell out of them. They are running on and off all day and never cool down so I got my moneys worth out of the sensor. If your struggling with a gremlin and your pride and joy just isn't running the way it used to, try a new sensor.
Do not be like the cat who wanted a fish but was afraid to get his paws wet.

Offline steamer

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Re: Tune up?
« Reply #1 on: August 04, 2013, 10:35:07 PM »
Thanks for posting that Bubba!....I know I'd spend and inordinate amount of time trying to figure that one out!  :praise2: :praise2:
"Mister M'Andrew, don't you think steam spoils romance at sea?"
Damned ijjit!

Offline b.lindsey

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Re: Tune up?
« Reply #2 on: August 05, 2013, 01:01:28 AM »
Thanks Steve...I haven't had that problem yet but if I do this post will save some time no doubt!!  Such little problems can a bear to find and I'm sure this would have been the last thing I checked if I checked it at all. Now I just need to remember this tip when the time does come :)

Bill

Offline stevehuckss396

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Re: Tune up?
« Reply #3 on: August 05, 2013, 01:15:41 AM »
I was surprised to find it was the sensor. After all it ran fine at idle. I figure I would relate the story because most people would get it running at idle and assume the sensor is good. Has to be good, it's running!
Do not be like the cat who wanted a fish but was afraid to get his paws wet.

Offline b.lindsey

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Re: Tune up?
« Reply #4 on: August 05, 2013, 01:41:43 AM »
True enough Steve...and trouble shooting small engines can be be a real "twilight zone" at times!

Bill

Offline Don1966

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Re: Tune up?
« Reply #5 on: August 05, 2013, 01:43:21 AM »
Steve,  if you had a Hall sensor some times they have leakage current due to semiconductor failure. At low speed this would not be noticeable. The sensor never turns completely off, so high speed it's like it doesn't turn off at all. Hope this explains things a little for you.

Don

 

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