1. Husqvarna Motorcycles Made In Sweden - About 1988 and older

83 430 Troubleshooting Help

Discussion in 'Vintage/Left Kickers' started by Chayzed Pilot, Mar 4, 2014.

  1. Chayzed Pilot Husqvarna
    AA Class

    Location:
    So Cal
    Husqvarna Motorcycle:
    2004 TC450,1978 390CR,1983 430 Wr
    Other Motorcycles:
    A gaggle of them
    Ok guy's, I need you all's help. I think I know what the problems are, but I just want a confirmation and your thoughts. This will be somewhat wordy.

    I have been re- doing my 430 in the restoration forum. The bike ran before I started on it. When I picked it up the owner fired it off and it was smoking. It looked like the fuel he was running in the thing was like 10:1 and it was old gas, so I wasn't overly worried.

    So last night I fired the bike off after installing the air cleaner (routine stuff). I gave it 3 slow kicks with the choke on and it fired on the first real kick. It ran somewhat OK till I flipped the choke off and it seemed like it was running out of fuel and finally went BWAAAAAAH and died. Kicked a bunch of times getting nothing. No backfires at all.

    Laid the bike over and finally got some fuel to come out of the overflows. Flipped the choke back on and it fires first kick. I keep the bike running and it has flat spots, I flipped the choke back off and it wanted to die with the BWAAAAAH. I quickly flipped the choke back on and it changed somewhat and kept it running barely. I did have some time to look at the exhaust, it was billowing smoke out of the silencer (I mixed at 36:1). Not real good in this case so I shut it down. No popping at all like the timing is off.

    I look down and there is tranny oil sprayed all over the left side of the bike and ground that came from the breather tube.

    So my thoughts:
    1. The float level is probably off
    2. The pilot circuit is plugged
    3. The wet side seal is toast and needs replaced.
    Would a bad seal create enough pressure that would shoot oil out the breather vent? I put 1500cc of ATF in the gearbox as I have read on here. I had a couple of wet side seal fail when I was racing CZ's and they never had any blow by like this.

    Whatcha all got for me. :)
  2. Joe Chod Husqvarna
    Pro Class

    Location:
    upstate NY
    pilot plugged
  3. Chayzed Pilot Husqvarna
    AA Class

    Location:
    So Cal
    Husqvarna Motorcycle:
    2004 TC450,1978 390CR,1983 430 Wr
    Other Motorcycles:
    A gaggle of them
    Thanks Joe, the pilot jet and circuit is not that big of a deal.

    My concern is the oil coming out of the breather tube. I have a bout a 12 inch piece of tubing on there right now. Would a bad crank seal give enough back pressure to spit oil out of the tube when it is standing straight up? That's all I think it can be. I am not worried about pulling it apart, the question is more of can it do this?

    Fire away.
  4. Ron Husqvarna
    AA Class

    Location:
    Azusa, CA
    Hi Scott,

    1500 cc's seems like a awful lot, over a quart and a half (50.72 oz.)

    I never knew how much oil to put in my 83 250 XC. I heard somewhere
    to fill it to the base of the filler bulge.

    Sometimes it would throw out the excess other times it did not. Maybe I didn't fill it to the same level each time, but I never worried about it.

    I don't think a leaking wet side seal would be causing the blow by. I do think it's the cause of the excess smoke.

    I agree on the pilot jet being plugged. Yours is a classic description of when it runs on the choke, but won't idle. Make sure when you clean the pilot, the passage in the carb is also clear.

    See ya in a few weeks!!
  5. GaryM Husqvarna
    AA Class

    Location:
    Austin, Tx
    Husqvarna Motorcycle:
    1981 430cr second 430 CR 500cr
    Other Motorcycles:
    1981 490 Maico
    Happen to take a seminar at Barber event. The plugged pilots are chronic now . The gas is bad. So bad pilots are not even being
    cleaned with solvent and carb spray. The brothers who restore all sorts of classic bike are using a small correctly sized machined
    pin. They gently run through the jet and get cleaned out. Gently twist.
  6. troy deck Husqvarna
    Pro Class

    Location:
    Republic MO
    Husqvarna Motorcycle:
    87 250wr 12 cr125
    Other Motorcycles:
    kx65 ty80 rm80 kdx250
    isnt there a check screw for the level on that bike or is that the older ones????
  7. suprize Husqvarna
    Pro Class

    Location:
    Bendigo, Australia
    Husqvarna Motorcycle:
    WR 400, bike in a box Moto Villa 350
    Other Motorcycles:
    ktm 300
    float sounds like its way off and possibly the needle and seat is stuck shut but letting enough fuel in to slowly fill the bowl.

    you may have too much oil in the cases, it should be down at the base of the start of the filler plug bulge. (ATF will go everywhere anytime it can!)

    clean carb and check the needle and seat is operating and test pilot jet

    start the bike again and let it warm right up and see if the oil stops shooting out the hose and also if the engine smoke abates as the pipe heats up. your pipe may be coated with oil

    cheers
  8. ruwfo Administrator

    Location:
    NJ
    Husqvarna Motorcycle:
    1980 390CR, 1982 430CR, 1984 400WR
    Other Motorcycles:
    1985 250XC, 2016 FJ-09
    isnt there a check screw for the level on that bike or is that the older ones????

    No they stopped the over fill screw after 1980, as the cases where also changed

    sounds like too much oil & partly plugged jets

    Husky John
  9. grouty Auto Lover ...

    Location:
    South West UK
    Husqvarna Motorcycle:
    78 390WR, 78 390 AMX, 500 Humph
    Other Motorcycles:
    works 73 CCM 520, another 73 CCM520
    Reference to your first post - "When I picked it up the owner fired it off and it was smoking. It looked like the fuel he was running in the thing was like 10:1 and it was old gas, so I wasn't overly worried."
    Sounds like the problem may go back to then ! He possibly had it running on choke as that is all it would do.

    I too go with blocked pilot and too much oil. I seem to be lucky with modern petrol as I mix it with 115 octane leaded race fuel (Sunoco). Since I have been doing that (about 5 years) I have never had a blocked jet (touches wood !).
  10. jo360 Husqvarna
    AA Class

    Location:
    perth australia
    Husqvarna Motorcycle:
    1983 exc framed wr430 engine
    Other Motorcycles:
    ktm 520exc
    engine oil level should be upto top horizontal line marked on case near filler plug, do a leak down test ,clean pilot and check float level, if you tipped the bike over to one side the engine oil may have gotten into the vent tube.would not bother cleaning pilot just buy some new ones,but do the leak down first and check the reeds, then sort jetting carb after engine has been confirmed to be sealed.
  11. jimspac Husqvarna
    Pro Class

    Location:
    Connecticut
    Husqvarna Motorcycle:
    82 250WR, 82 430WR, 84 250WR, 85 400
    Other Motorcycles:
    86 400WR, 82 Montesa Cota 349
    You may have to burn the smooge out of the exhaust system. I had to do that on my 349 Cota after getting it running. Put it in 3rd gear and ran it up and down my 400 foot driveway full throttle until the heavy smoke stopped fogging my yard. Luckily my wife was not home at the time :)

    I seem to remember from specification that 1500cc was the oil capacity on the primary kick engines
  12. Chayzed Pilot Husqvarna
    AA Class

    Location:
    So Cal
    Husqvarna Motorcycle:
    2004 TC450,1978 390CR,1983 430 Wr
    Other Motorcycles:
    A gaggle of them
    Thanks for all the replies. I think jo360 touched on something I didn't think about. Some oil may have gotten into the breather tube when I laid it over. I have been a little busy this week with other things. I am going on a ride with Ron in a couple of weeks.

    Today I came home from work and checked the oil level as was suggested by everyone. Well, the level is ball park where it should be, so 1500cc is correct as jimspac stated and what I have read on the site.

    This week I am going to pull the carb and check the float level and jets. I cleaned the carb thoroughly I thought when I put it together. The pilot may may have picked up something or the passageway is clogged. The smoke could be from the pipe burning off residue.

    I am going to do the carb and see how it runs. If need be I will do a leak down test after that if it still smokes immensely.

    And..........with the new fuels you should see what it does to rubber parts inside the carb. I have 450 Husky modern bike that it ate away the rubber tip on the needle jet. This new fuel sucks big time. It is only good for a couple of weeks.
    Rroad likes this.
  13. 1982 XC 430 Husqvarna
    AA Class

    Location:
    Seattle Wa
    Have You had the Pipe off the Bike ? Over the years the Mice might of filled it with stash of grain for safe keeping. And then somebody ran it with way to much Oil and..... When You pull the Fuel Hose off the Carb and turn the Gas back on dose it gush out or dribble?
  14. Chayzed Pilot Husqvarna
    AA Class

    Location:
    So Cal
    Husqvarna Motorcycle:
    2004 TC450,1978 390CR,1983 430 Wr
    Other Motorcycles:
    A gaggle of them
  15. Chayzed Pilot Husqvarna
    AA Class

    Location:
    So Cal
    Husqvarna Motorcycle:
    2004 TC450,1978 390CR,1983 430 Wr
    Other Motorcycles:
    A gaggle of them
    OK, here's the update after yesterdays adventure. The pipe is clear, nothing in it. New reeds. I swapped out the intake manifold just because I had a new one.

    I think the float level may have been to low. Reset the floats to one of the diagrams on found on the site. Checked out the pilot and it had a 45 in it. I had a new 50 so I stuffed that in.

    Fired the bike off and it seemed to be a little better. Not much smoke out the exhaust as the residues burned off I think. Still seems like it is not getting enough fuel, even though the fuel line is dumping fuel into the carb at a rate that is not restricted. I think the needle may be set a little lean so I will mess with that today.

    Here is the part that really has me baffled. While I had the bike running for about 1 minute or so the tranny oil is spewing out of the breather tube. This is what came out. This is also where it is suggested the oil level should be.

    [IMG]

    Here is where the oil level is now after it spewed out a bunch more. I'm open to any suggestions. Maybe the ATF is too thin? Just for comparisons sake, I have a 76 YZ400 that is a big cased motor and it takes 1000cc.

    [IMG]
  16. justintendo klotz super techniplate junkie

    Location:
    mercer, pa/northwest pa
    Husqvarna Motorcycle:
    84 250,86 400,87 430,88 250,95 360
    Other Motorcycles:
    99 kawasaki zrx 1100
    you certainly dont have too much in there...i always thought that spewing out the overflow was related to being too thick and/or cold temps. my 88 used to do that running bel ray gearsaver and it got below 50 degrees....went to thinner oils like atf or 10w-30 oil and it went away...i usually fill my primary kickers to 1500cc and its about the next line up from your fill point. like right when the fill hole taper ends...i wonder if somehow crankcase pressure is finding its way to the gearbox??
  17. suprize Husqvarna
    Pro Class

    Location:
    Bendigo, Australia
    Husqvarna Motorcycle:
    WR 400, bike in a box Moto Villa 350
    Other Motorcycles:
    ktm 300
    definitely some blow by happening there, leakdown test in order I rekon...
  18. Chayzed Pilot Husqvarna
    AA Class

    Location:
    So Cal
    Husqvarna Motorcycle:
    2004 TC450,1978 390CR,1983 430 Wr
    Other Motorcycles:
    A gaggle of them
    That is where I am probably going to go with it.
  19. gr8effex Husqvarna
    AA Class

    Husqvarna Motorcycle:
    1981 430XC
    Other Motorcycles:
    1980 KTM 420, 1975 Penton 250
    Most likely your main seal on the tranny side has blow by. The seal will cause it to run rich and will pressurize your cases causing oil to blow out were ever it can. Just a thought.
  20. Chayzed Pilot Husqvarna
    AA Class

    Location:
    So Cal
    Husqvarna Motorcycle:
    2004 TC450,1978 390CR,1983 430 Wr
    Other Motorcycles:
    A gaggle of them
    I messed with it a little more the other night. Took the carb back apart and noticed the float needle had a problem with the spring loaded pin that contacts the float tab. It was stuck full on out which was not letting enough fuel in. I raised the needle two grooves and fired the bike. Runs much better but still has the lean condition when the choke is off. Choke on, it runs perfect. The carb is clean and it is not smoking like a wet side seal. It is only blowing oil out the breather tube at extremely high RPM. Talked with my buddies at the bike shop that are mechanics and we are narrowing it down to the dry side seal. If I get time this weekend I will try a leak down test. Too much going on right now.