2001 EC200 - No Fuel Flow Into Bowl

[mlyle11]

Hello all,
Long time since I've posted. My 100% rebuilt EC200+ (as like to call her) has been performing amamzingly all season. She is one awesome woods eating machine. Of late she has started to not start after sitting for a few days. This is a simple but perplexing problem. I've combed through the archives and haven't seen a similar experiance. Most of them have the opposite problem... too much fuel, leaking out the overflow, etc.

After a few days sitting, my float valve is 100% stuck closed. The only way I can get it to start is to take the fuel line off the tank valve and used compressed air (very low PSI) and blast the fuel line. I have tried to use the my old lungs and blow the fuel through the line, but it is just not enough to pop the float valve out of the seat.

When I hit it with the air,fuel blows out all the vent hoses. Then I put the fuel line back on and presto... fuel flows freely and I could kick start her a bare foot! After doing this once, she will run all day and start perfectly, even with long breaks. She will sit over night and normally start on little half kick. Let her sit 2 or 3 days and the valve is closed hard.

I have replaced the float valve, even though the old one looked fine. The viton seat was in great shape, not wear ring at all. The seat looked good too, though my eyes aint what they used to be. I will take the carb out this winter and do a real inspection. I wondered if the seat had some wear that was biting into the viton.

Again, the bike runs and starts great, after I dislodge the needle. Just wondering if anyone eles has had this challenge.

Thanks all!

[Jakobi]

Maybe the seat like you suggested. Maybe the fuel is gumming up a bit. Have you tried another brand? Have you recently changed oils? I was going to suggest a new float valve but you've already done that. No wasps/hornets/ants building nests in your breather tubes?

[desertgasser300]

Originally Posted by Jakobi

Maybe the seat like you suggested. Maybe the fuel is gumming up a bit. Have you tried another brand? Have you recently changed oils? I was going to suggest a new float valve but you've already done that. No wasps/hornets/ants building nests in your breather tubes?

That was gonna be my question after reading the post. Breather tubes maybe partially plugged?

[Rick]

Have you changed fuel brands??? Oil brands? Maybe the fuel is swelling the ceet / o-ring, causing it to stick?

+2 on checking the breather lines....could a vacuum be causing an issue? Plugged up breather line?

Off topic...kinda...are you the guy that has the 200 jug on a 250 bottom end by chance?

Good luck....let us know what you find out.

Thanks

[mlyle11]

That would be me, except sorta the other way around... I have a 250 jug/piston on a 200 bottom end. That's how I bought it. Supposedly it was a direct swap. I know it runs like a crazy Spanish horse! I put in a new piston in last year and had the lower end rebuilt. The guys at Hall's in Springfield did the bottom end and said they had never seen the top end done like that, but it works like a champ. It a Wiseco 849M06640 piston in a 250 jug. The rod is the stock 200 rod. I don't think the rods are different between the 200-250. According to an engine manual I have the crank/rod assembly part numbers are different (200 is ME200512000, 250/300 are ME250212000), but the rod only assemblies have the same part number for a 200-250-300 ME25612100. So does that mean the CC is all in the jug piston so I now have a 250? Or is the stroke of the crank different and I have 225 or so? Not sure, but I can keep up with any 250... Ok sort of hi-jacked that thread


Anyway. She is kept in a climate controlled garage, no bugs, I've run through 10-15 gallons of 93 octane, running golden spectro 40 to 1. It may be 3-4 weeks between rides sometime. I have not tried a complete drain and refill for some iffy gas, but I have definitely run through several tanks and different fuel sources. She always runs great once I "clear the pipes".

Breather tubes are all brand new, and when I blast the air through them they definitely cleared out! However, that has me thinking... this may have started around the time I ran all new lines. Hmmmmmm maybe I have something kinked or on wrong. I replaced them all one at time, but that may be it. I'm going to go check them now and see if anything is kinked or blocked. It could be those damn tubes!

[desertgasser300]

Check the fuel tank vent tube as well.

[Rick]

Let's here more on the 225 GG......once you get the crab sorted out!

[hamilton]

I don't know if this will help, but it sounds alot like my 2ts starting. Starts fine next day after riding but is a bear to start after sitting a week. I think its because I run my float bowl fuel level lower then most. This is my weekend routine, turn fuel on. Lean over till foot peg touches the ground, pick up.You should see fuel on the ground from vent tube. Should start in four or five kicks with choke.

[Jakobi]

Don't forget to check the one on the tank cap too Are you storing the bike with the bowl full or drained? Maybe try the opposite and see what happens. I always just shut the bike down, turn the fuel off, and put it away. Starts 1st or 2nd kick every time hot or cold (choke on). I run a low fuel height too.

In regards to the engine, the crank is different between the 200 and 250/300. It has a different stroke. The rod is the same part along with big end and little end. If you machined a 250 cylinder to the right height for the 200 stroke it would all bolt up really easily. Working out where you want to machine from to get the port timing right would be another consideration. Its basically an overbored 200.

[mlyle11]

I checked all the vents, and they seem to be clear, or I cleared them in the process and didn't know it. I tried the "tip her over till she leaks fuel" method and that seems to have worked. Started first kick after 5 days. I also run fuel level low, so I'm wondering if the best method may be to turn off fuel (which I always have), and drain the fuel bowl. Maybe the tip method accomplishes the same thing. I normally see 2 or 3 weeks between rides, so maybe it was just too long with float valve closed in the seat. I was ridding more last year, so it sort of correlates.

Maybe I should ride more!!!

Will keep posted over the next few start ups.

Thanks fellow GG riders!