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Ok i'm stumped on this one

9722 Views 24 Replies 10 Participants Last post by  Unstuckable
ok let me give you my bike set up....

i have an 06 foreman 500 S
i'm running the DJ 170 needle on the 3rd clip (i think)
K & N airfilter
stock exhaust with spark arrestor removed and a tip added
i'm not running a air box snorkle but i do have my 2 carb lines vented because i thought that would help this situation.

ok heres my situation.....i've been riding my bike lately and it runs great when i'm just riding around....once i get into a hole with water in it (maybe up to your knees) i'll be running fine and then the bike just starts spitting and stalling and sometimes shuts off......now if you have ever sunk your bike and had to drain the airbox and run it for a while until you can actually get a full throttle response thats what its like.....i'm not sure if i'm actually flooding the bike out because i have the 170 without a snorkle or if something else is happening. I've sprayed some silicon spray on as much electrical stuff as i can find but i've still got the problem.....i got really fed up with it today so i figured i would ask everyone to help me out

should i drop down on the main jet or should i play with the a/f screw.....i don't really get into enough water to put the full snorkle on it. if you turn the screw out is that more air or more fuel?

i just need help cause this is really pissing me off now
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I appologize for asking this..but this is the same thing that Slidellforeman had.. He did not have the bottom carb drain tube plugged. Once he plugged it, he was fine up to water to the seat. I didn't see where you plugged it, but you may have already done it, but didn't post it.. That would be my first thought...
it was my understanding that the carb drain had a valve on it that only allow outward flow not inward......guess i was wrong about that
does it suck in?
it has a check valve that in theory should work. i had my bike for just a few months before mud and water filled my carb. this was 6 hours into a 3 day ride, needless to say it ruined my weekend. i just plugged mine with a small screw and no more problems. also, did you fill your plug with dielectric grease. didn't see that.
i forgot this. the water you are rideing in could be turning to steam and going in the airbox through the stock snorkel. i had a friend who had this problem on his bike. you can put a snorkel on your bike that isnt permanant for less then $35.
Ya'll brought up a good point. I have heard of everyone talking bout "steam" choking the motor but have never had this problem.. That is because I HAVE a snorkle. Makes sense now..

And yes.. water will creap up the carb drain hose. Learned this the hard way. Had a friend do the same thing to my bike when I was stalling in water. When he temporarly shoved a stick in the bottom hose, I went thru the same hole 2 minutes later and was fine..

Worth a shot joecamel..
the only problem i found with this setup is if you flip your bike. i dislocated my shoulder a couple months ago and once i got my bike on all 4's it wouldnt start. i finally pulled the screw out and gas flowed, it had flooded out. that is the only problem ive had with it. it has also been said that when trailoring it you should turn the gas off. i do it about 3/4 of the time but havent ever had a problem.
i'll try the screw thing next weekend when we go out and if that don't work i'll be back in here to talk about it again.....thanks for the quick input guys
QUOTE ("natedizzer":ujsadunp)
i'll try the screw thing next weekend when we go out and if that don't work i'll be back in here to talk about it again.....thanks for the quick input guys
no problem. give 'er a shot. ive it dont work someone can help you. think about the snorkel. my thoughts on it are insurance. that is the reason i originally put mine on.
The towing of the bike thing is true.. You may not be traveling that far. I trailer mine over an hour one way and this is enough to cause a vaccume past the snorkle pulling gas from the carb into the air box.. Bad news when you get there...
so the only problem with putting in the drain plug is when your roll it
and rincon you could make yourself a cover for your intake
I have the same snork as joecamel, works great, until you flip it lol, then it still helps, aint that right chip lol
I had thought of that... Getting a PVC end cap and placing it over the end.. Would definately work..
PLUG UP THE DRAIN TUBE!!! IT WORKS LIKE A CHARM. at 1st i didnt understand how water could get into the bowl when you actually had to unscrew a screw to let fuel out. since i put on a snorkle i had to rejet the bike. when i had the bowl off i was able to blow in and out of the drain tube with the screw closed. so i put silicone around a screw and shoved it in. sat. was the 1st time out since i did everything, and i was able to go through holes that before i would stall out in. i mean i was in hole that the water was over my racks. my buddie has a 350 rancher and his drain tube has a check valve in it. so he was good to go.

mike
I had the same problem ( should say still have the same problem) I have a screw in my drain tube and it STILL cuts out and sputters in anything over knee deep. I guess I will snorkle mine and if that doesn't work I think I will be selling this thing! I hadn't had any problems until about 3 months ago and now its everytime I get into any mud or water up to the top of the tires or over them it wants to die out. I am going to take my carb apart this week and clean and check everything out in it. I am reluctant to snorkle mine since I ride in alot of undergrowth and that would be something that could get broke off easily. I used dielectric grease in the sparkplug boot and the rectifier plugs but I haven't found anything to fix this problem. The mechanic told me to do the same to the ECU which I will do while doing some bodywork this week also. But I am literally at my wits end on this thing to the point of if this doesn't fix it, its for sale.
flyinscootnpilot.. If you are getting muffler deep in water before it spits and sputters, this is probably the 2 electrical connections under the rear right ( throttle side ) fender. Vaughn's Foreman was WATER TIGHT until he hit muffler deep. These 2 connections need dialectic grease on them. Once you grease these, it will stop spitting and stalling.
I got those two connectors on the rectifier. It really only does in when the rear gets down into the "stuff". I can't see how it would be the exhaust from the way it runs when I get out or if I can get it revved up while its sputtering it'll "kinda" run right again, until its dipped again.
Yea...I don't think it is the muffler... But if you put the grease on the connections... than it is not that.. Hmmmm
sounds exactly like my problem....i just haven't put a screw in my drain plug
well when i finished washing my bike today i went ahead and siliconed the pull start cord and found the carb drain.....i don't know if anyone knows those little rubber pieces that go on the ends of closet shelving....the white wire type that you can cut to fit and stuff....well anyway, these white caps go on the end of the cut shelves......well i went ahead and put the screw in the end of the tube but then i put the cap over it.....i thought about putting just the cap on there but i didn't know if it would be effiecient....or if stuff could knock it off....anyway just thought i would pass on an idea and i'll let yall know if the screw fixes my situation in the knee high water
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