CANNOT START 1959 G3LS

[PhilipSpicer]

I would be grateful for help please: My 1959 G3LS 350 will not start, having been a good starter until last October. I would get some misfiring once warm and put this down to an ignition fault or fuel. Then no spark at all. So I have replaced: plug, cap, coil, points and condenser and battery. Now I have a good spark. Fuel quality is good.
I cleaned the carb and found a blocked pilot jet. Fuel seems to be getting through but will not start. Although it is hard to be certain with a new spark plug. Contact breaker gap is correctly set. I get a backfire sometimes but still cannot start. Despite having not adjusted the timing when I replaced the contact breakers I guess it must be the timing or auto advance/retard mechanism?
No magneto as this is the coil ignition model. I saw an earlier post saying be wary of dismantling the adv/retard mechanism as they are tricky to re-assemble.
Please can someone advise on checking the timing please? Or is there something else I should be doing. Many thanks, Philip

[SPRIDDLER]

Welcome to the Forums!

I cleaned the carb and found a blocked pilot jet. Fuel seems to be getting through but will not start. Although it is hard to be certain with a new spark plug.

Can you explain the difficulty you're having because it's a new spark plug?

Please can someone advise on checking the timing please?

It will give you some initial guidance on page 36 ('Setting the ignition timing') in the Owners Manual here:

http://archives.jampot.dk/book/Owners_m ... models.pdf

[PhilipSpicer]

Many thanks, I'll let you know how I get on with setting the ignition timing. The spark plug remark was that I cannot tell if the new plug is wet with fuel, given that is easier to assess with an oily, black plug.

[jackstringer]

How deep into the Shire are you?

I am not far away if you want to bring it over on a weekend and I can help prod it with a stick.

Another option is to stand in the middle of Pewsey with a bottle or two of Red wine (cheap will be ok) and say that you will give this bottle of wine to anyone who can get this bike to run. There may be a flash of lightning and hollow/evil laugh then ITMA might appear from a hedge. He is a font of knowledge and used to be on here but left a few years back and if you can find him he is a really nice guy. I visited some 10 years or so ago so not sure how he is these days.

[PhilipSpicer]

Jack, All, Sorry not to reply sooner. I am at Codford, just after Warminster, close to the A36. The good news is that the bike is starting well after I found the new spark plug had a broken connector at the top where the plug cap connects. I put the old plug back in and started first time.
Running well at low revs and speed but the moment I accelerate it loses compression and misfires. It limps along, preferring second gear if I try to go up through the gears. If I run it up to full power standing still it is running rough, misfiring and backfiring occasionally.

Possibly linked to this I have noticed ever since the problem began last autumn that the kick start is noticeably harder and backfires more violently if I get it on the wrong stroke. I have to ease in the de-compression lever a touch in order to get the kick start lever moving downwards. I have read elsewhere a valve seating issue may be the problem, or a broken piston ring, or the head gasket, although there are no signs of a problem with that?

Grateful for any advice team. Many thanks.

[Andy G]

Sounds like running lean? Possible blocked main jet or fuel feed from tank as it sounds like it's ok when only on pilot. If you add some choke does it improve power in third?

So, having identified it as a fuel issue, you'll be aware that the first general rule now says it's timing!

[PhilipSpicer]

That's good advice, thanks. I'll give it a try.

[Duncan]

Are you running 6V and inadvertently using the EMG position?

[jackstringer]

Phillip I'm just north of Sh*t and Smellit so not too far.

I had an issue where not enough fuel was getting into the carb plus it needed a clean. Also worth checking the fuel cap isn't blocked.

[PhilipSpicer]

Starting well now so thanks all. I will go over the carb again as I think fuel is the likely issue. Applying choke once in Third makes things worse, as you would expect.