I need help fast!!!

[fastbikes]

The weekend before last I was riding my 440 and it died. It wouldn't start anymore. My husband took the head off and the keeper had came off the valve. So we replaced that and it still will not start. He said that when he tries to start it instead of air blowing out of the exhaust it is sucking it in? What could it be? I am leaving next week for vacation!!:confused:

[04'400ex'er]

Im not sure but i think the back pressure sucks a little air in when it is turning over.

[fastbikes]

well, I dont' know, but before when we tried to start it, it had some air pushing out? I don't know much about it. We had just put in a new cam could that have anything to do with it?

[04'400ex'er]

Go out in your garage and turn the kill switch off and try to start the bike. Hold your hand by the tail pipe and feel the exhaust flow. When the piston is rising in the cylandar, It will puff out some air. And when it is falling, It should suck some in. If that is what your husband is feeling, Then it is nothing.I dont think tha cam should cause this. Maybe an intake valve is stuck shut?

[fastbikes]

OK, so we finally got it to start(once) But only for a minute. Now it wont start again. it just keeps turning over but wont fire

[hondarider2006]

Did you guys check all of the wiring??

[Martin Blair]

It could be the cam if you got it in the completely backwards. I would check the obvious, plug, wiring, gas on, kill switch?

If nothing and it constantly sucks in from the exhaust and blows out the carb then it might be the cam is in 180 degress off. Is this the same bike with the edelbrock carb? read my reply in the other forum and if you cant find the screw if it is missing it could be jamming some stuff up.

[04'400ex'er]

Originally posted by HN400exracer
It could be the cam if you got it in the completely backwards. I would check the obvious, plug, wiring, gas on, kill switch?

If nothing and it constantly sucks in from the exhaust and blows out the carb then it might be the cam is in 180 degress off. Is this the same bike with the edelbrock carb? read my reply in the other forum and if you cant find the screw if it is missing it could be jamming some stuff up. True about the cam being backwards.And I herd the edelbrock carbs are hell.Try this: Remove the sparkplug and snap a new one into the boot. Hold the plug to the engine so to ground the plug. Turn the motor over and watch in the gap for a purple spark. That will let you now if your plug was fouled, or it just isnt getting spark.That will narrow down the electrical problems. Also, if the batt. Isnt FULLY charged and you have an aftermarket CDI, It sometimes wont allow it to start.

[fastbikes]

OK well I have spark, I took the edelbrock off and put my stock carb back on and it only fired once and now we cant get it to fire again, so I am a little lost. I have a wb cdi and I chaned it out with my stock one and still no difference. what else could I try?

[iride440ex]

Pull the spark plug and check the compression if it is low it will be hard to start, you said the keeper came off of the valve if it hit the piston while you tried to start it it could have bent the valve causing loss of compression.

Tony

[fastbikes]

I believe that one of the keepers came off and the other one was still on it when we pulled the head off. If the cam is in wrong could it still start or not?

[rap169]

if the cam was put in wrong, it wouldnt have run from the start.

[F-16Guy]

Originally posted by HN400exracer
It could be the cam if you got it in the completely backwards. I would check the obvious, plug, wiring, gas on, kill switch?

If nothing and it constantly sucks in from the exhaust and blows out the carb then it might be the cam is in 180 degress off.
The cam only goes in one way, gear to the right (looking from top as if sitting on bike. There is no 180 degrees out with this engine; it doesn't matter. You could be off a tooth or two, but if it was just running, I doubt it. What most likely happened is the valve and piston shook hands and now that valve is slightly bent. If so, you'll build little or no compression because that valve leaks it all out when it's supposed to be closed and sealed. that also explains the sucking. When the intake valves are open and the exhaust valves are supposed to be closed, that bent valve will allow the vaccuum of the intake stroke to draw air from the exhaust, too.

[fastbikes]

is there a way to check the valve. I had a wb all around cam in it and it ran great. Put a Hot cam in it last weekend and it started to run like crap. We adjusted the valves and it started to run better, then I was drag racing and it died and would not start again. But then last night after we messed with it and put my stock carb back on it, it ran. But it sound like the valves needed some adjusting. Then it would start after that. So does that sound like a valve proble. Sorry I am really dumb when it comes to this. I just had new valve put in about a month ago, they said would be better for my bike since it was a 440.

[seven]

My money would be on bent valves. It ran fine before till this happened. So that tells you it tweeked somthing. I say bent valves.

[fastbikes]

Well we pulled the head off and all of the valves hit the piston. Along with that my piston now has got play in it.

[04'400ex'er]

Ouch:eek2:

[MIKE400EX]

Did your engine builder check the valve springs before you put the WB CDI in there?

[fastbikes]

I am not really sure, I have had problems with the bike since the 440 was installed.

[sparky450AR]

Originally posted by fastbikes
I am not really sure, I have had problems with the bike since the 440 was installed.

Sorry to hear the trip is ruined. Sounds like its time for a new motor builder:) .