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In the picture below you can see a properly timed evo motor. If You think you might be out of time, remove the pushrods and pull the cam cover. Confirm your timing marks on all three gears. Now take a close look at the notch in the end of the cam where the rotor attaches. That notch should be at approximately 3:30 as shown in the pic. This will tell you that you cam is close to being properly timed to the gear... the notch should point at the 9th tooth on the gear from the timing mark counting counter clockwise.. Also can you post a pic of your Ignition rotor?
With the notch for the timing cup at approx 3:30 o'clock, the front exhaust is near fully open, all other valves closed.
Unless programed with a PC on the Dyna, or switches properly selected on the HI-4, the ignition doesn't fire for 3 revolutions.
Modern "starting fluid" is about 90-95% lubricating oil (next to worthless). With the stubby intake manifold, vacuum at crank over is a lot different than any other automotive engine and liquid gasoline will not burn until heated to it's flash point and even then, it needs oxygen. Properly atomized gasoline lights off real easy. You can shove a fire hose with fuel into the intake and it'll never fire.
It started and ran for 10 seconds... to me, pulling the cam cover seems desperate.
So assuming you timed the ignition module correctly at TDC on front cylinder compression stroke, I'm sticking with my initial suggestion of cleaning the carburetor, verifying the idle and enricher circuits are clean and open and the float needle/seat isn't plugged. Hook a car battery to it with jumper cables so it can turn over at full speed. Unless they're already warmed up or otherwise "right," these Evos, won't start at a slow turnover speed.
Tearing one down without thoroughly checking the ignition (you've done) and fuel delivery (you haven't) may prove to be an exercise in futility.
I'll second the notion that the carb should be made good before busting into the motor.
tried with a known good battery. Verifiy with a battery tester that the starter was getting about 270 CCA which should be enough jsut for the motor with no other electronics attached. Hooked up the regulator just in case. My buddy had another CV40 carb that was known to work - checked it up quickly and threw that on and no dice. If i pull the choke all the way there is like a fire and a fire there and then farts of white smoke through the carb. This white smoke farting through the carb has been happening all along - could that be oil? Maybe the oil ring didnt seal correctly or something - would that still show compression? Feels like next step is atleast tear down of rocker and cam cover to check timing per the above pics and manual and then if that looks right i am going to take the heads off - this thing is a brick otherwise anyway..
Pull the push rod tubes real quick and see if you have adjustable push rods.. If so take six flats turn off of each intake valve and then try it.. In other words take one full turn off the pre-load on the adjustable push rod and lock it back down.
And then try to start it..
Some Sometimes it is easier to check the easier possibilities before tearing apart cam chest as others have said.. I'm thinking it's a new bike to you and your not sure if it has adjustables and possibly the previous owner didn't adjust them properly... Just a possibility..
Last edited by 98hotrodfatboy; Nov 16, 2020 at 02:06 PM.
I have personally had bad experience with the Crane HI-4.
The weak link for me was the coil. It tested good, but wasn't. It kept eating the rear plug wire.
Put a stock pickup back in the nose cone, stock ignition module, and dual-fire coil.
If you don't believe me, read the Amazon reviews.
Thanks all - will start to slowly pull things out to check out starting with pushrods, rockers, cam chest, etc and hopefully not but if required to the heads and jugs. Will post some pics on how much more worse i make this LOL
Just a little tip because your not totally familiar with Evo's.Take a lot of pics. I'm only saying because we have seen a lot and can pick an issue pretty quickly. Not only that, it helps with assembly...
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