starting a bike that's been sitting

Man, I don't get on my high horse very often, but I'm up here now. The engineer in me is dying every time one of you post something about starting a bike that has been sitting for awhile by uning starter fluid. STOP DOING THIS. Please let me drum something into your heads.
Starter fluid (ether) is only to be used when the air temperature is too cold for gasoline to vaporize. Now, gasoline vaporizes at (if'n I 'member right) about 70 degrees farenheit, but a modern ignition can produce a spark hot enough to get gas to this point in a combustion chamber well below zero F. Now, our vintage Kawasaki ignitions do not fall into that category, so if you were trying to start you bike at, say, 20*F, I'd say starting fluid might be in order. Maybe.
But starting fluid has an incredibly low octane rating, which means it burns REALLY FAST, which is REALLY HARD on engines. I've torn engines apart to replace shattered rings becouse some numbnuts used this stuff in warm-weather conditions.
So, if you are trying to start an engine that has been sitting, don't be lazy. First change the oil, pull and clean the spark plugs, then do the hard work of taking out the air filter, and spray aerosol carb cleaner down each throttle bore. Not a lot, mind you. Like raw gas, too much carb cleaner will wash the sides of your cylinder bore down, removing oil. That's not real good. But carb cleaner is a whole lot closer in octane and specific heat to gasoline than ether is. If the engine starts, it will be running on something fairly close to what it was designed to run on. Then if it starts and dies, you can start playing with the carbs. And if it starts and keeps running, you didn't damage it in the starting process.
OK, I'm done. Carry on.

Hey pstrbrc ,

Do you have the time and inclination to write up a "How To" article about a good safe way to get a long idle engine running again?

This topic comes up over and over again. If we had an authoritative article to refer to it'd be a real asset.

If you'd like I'll work with you on it.

Bill

KZCSI

Post edited by: KZCSI, at: 2007/02/25 09:09

Welcome to the club, I have been preaching the evils of using starting fluid (ether) in gasoline motors for a long time now.

Gasoline sprayed into the intakes from an oil squirt can is a lot safer for the motor and works well.

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The only thing I've ever used ether for is re-seating the bead on a truck tire that spun loose of the wheel while being run at a low psi for better "gription" while off-roading. :whistle:

Beadlocks aren't DOT approved, and therefore illegal to be used on any vehicle that will ever see public roads here in Calif.



Bug spray works in a pinch as a starting fluid, but I wouldn't recommend using to much of it! :pinch:

Anyone ever use WD-40 as a "starting fluid"?

RetroRiceRocketRider wrote:

The only thing I've ever used ether for is re-seating the bead on a truck tire that spun loose of the wheel while being run at a low psi for better "gription" while off-roading. :whistle:

Beadlocks aren't DOT approved, and therefore illegal to be used on any vehicle that will ever see public roads here in Calif.

What do you do? Light the ether to seat the tire back on the bead?

OKC_Kent wrote:

RetroRiceRocketRider wrote:

The only thing I've ever used ether for is re-seating the bead on a truck tire that spun loose of the wheel while being run at a low psi for better "gription" while off-roading. :whistle:

Beadlocks aren't DOT approved, and therefore illegal to be used on any vehicle that will ever see public roads here in Calif.

What do you do? Light the ether to seat the tire back on the bead?

Uh huh, I never used it on anything but big truck tires, but it should work on smaller ones as well.

OKC_Kent wrote:

RetroRiceRocketRider wrote:

The only thing I've ever used ether for is re-seating the bead on a truck tire that spun loose of the wheel while being run at a low psi for better "gription" while off-roading. :whistle:

Beadlocks aren't DOT approved, and therefore illegal to be used on any vehicle that will ever see public roads here in Calif.

What do you do? Light the ether to seat the tire back on the bead?

yeah ive seen the old truck and tractor repair guys do it to seat tires on rims but i dont reccomend it,very very dangerous if youve ever seen a split rim go zinning through the air or a tractor tire bounce up and hit someone it really sucks.

RetroRiceRocketRider wrote:

Bug spray works in a pinch as a starting fluid, but I wouldn't recommend using to much of it! :pinch:

Anyone ever use WD-40 as a "starting fluid"?

AAAAARRRGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!:pinch: :pinch: :pinch: :pinch: :pinch: :pinch: :pinch: :pinch: :pinch: :pinch: :pinch: :pinch: :pinch: :pinch: :pinch: :pinch: :pinch:
Look. Anything flammable can "work". But what damage are you risking to the internals of the motor? Is it harder to scrounge a can of carb cleaner, (which is sold at just about every convenience store!!) even if it's not right at hand, or tear down the top end to repair the damage?
Doggone it! PAY ATTENTION!! Whatever benefit there is in using the closest thing at hand DOES NOT make up for the damage done. And the damage done might not be obvious right away, but it could shorten the life of your bike considerably.

ive always liked the old carb and tranny fluid down the plug holes trick on motors that have been sitting a while it helps loosen up gummed up rings and gets a little lubrication to things then try turning motor over without plugs to make sure nothing goes clunk inside.unless the oil is really nasty or watered down with gas id try and get the motor warmed up 1st to help flush all the trash out of it then drain it;)im no engineering genius though,just someone with a little real world experiance:P

Post edited by: wireman, at: 2007/02/25 13:43

Why would anyone use ether to seat a bead on a split rim truck wheel? All the split rim truck wheels I have seen have tubes, heavy equipment split wheels are a different matter.

my bad,i was thinking about something else and that got thrown in the mix.i have seen tractor tires blow off rims though.