oooh, a DRZ forum

gazuk

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Just found this section, which gives me one last bit of hope for my 2000 DRZ400E

Right, theres pretty much nothing you lot dont know about the GS so lets try you with a tricky DRZ question.

Since owning my DRZ 400E it has always had a cutting out problem when its gets wet.

This has now got worse (maybe the wetter weather) and I I'm off to a suzuki mechanic tomorrow but I don't hold much hope of a solution as I have already asked two different mechanics and they dont have any clear ideas apart form a carb rebuild:eek:. So I was wondering if any of you guys had experience a similar problem with the DRZ.

Basically after going through several water features it starts to cut out at low revs, expecially when going uphill. I will start again quite easily on the button, but only with the choke full on. Once started the choke can be taken off, but once it has started cutting out it tends to continue.

On one particulari bad patch last week it would only run on the choke, as soon as I used the throttle it cut out. But would then start easily on the choke again. On the road it is fine, except for last week in the heavy rain when it would cut out every time I came to a stop:mad:

So, I suppose to summarize, when wet on low revs it cuts out (especially on a hill) and will only start with the choke full on.

I have cleaned and reoiled the air filter and cleaned out the bung at the bottom of the air box but no difference. Someone did drain the carb for me a while ago.

I'm getting to the end of my tether with this bike now and have been looking a possible replacement, but after a week of investigation it still seems that the DRZ is still the right bike for me at the moment.

I have owned it for just over a year and its definately not a minter, but it starts on the button and goes well, unitll it gets wet.

Any ideas greatly appreciated.
 
gazuk said:
Just found this section, which gives me one last bit of hope for my 2000 DRZ400E

Right, theres pretty much nothing you lot dont know about the GS so lets try you with a tricky DRZ question.
Click to expand...


What's a DRZ?:nenau

Timpo.
 
Only joking......:p


Right, this bike sounds like it has been bashed or jumped so hard that the float heights are all to feck. The tab that attaches to the fuel needle valve has bent throwing the float bowl level out.
Also, check the carb balance pipes. These are the rubber tubes that hang from the carb, down towards and past the swingarm pivot.
These can be plumbed up into the airbox, but if you tiewrap them, don't collapse the tubing. New longer tubing can be purchased from any decent motor factor. It's the diesel injector bleed-back hose made of neoprene.

Let me know how you get on.....

Timpo.
 
... also check that the water drain hole on the left hand side of the cylinder head is clear. This lets water flow out of the sparking plug area.

Ensure that the HT lead has a water seal above the plug. Take it all apart, stick a new plug in, clean all the HT lead and spray with WD40 when you reassemble.

Greg
 
cheers guys, give me a few things to check, although messing witht he float bowll is probaly a litle over my abilities.

Timpo, yes it looks like the bike has had a hard life, the rhs radiatior is a little squished and the hand guards are well used. But, how does your theoy fit with it only cuts out when its wet?
 
gazuk said:
But, how does your theoy fit with it only cuts out when its wet?
Click to expand...

How wet? Like a 24" ford or a summer shower?
If the float height is in correct, the bike will be runnning lean, maybe only just on the verge of stalling at normal running temp. Yet introduce water (amount not stated by yourself, so I presumed the worst at 24" fording) and the engine cools significantly, and stalling occurs as the mixture is too weak. So as you said, the bike will then start if choke is applied.
Electrically, how does the bike know you have pulled the choke out.....? It doesn't.
The enduro version needs to be warm to run off choke sure enough, but having a bike thatis weak on carburation then it going to stop.
Try getting it wet to induce the stalling effect, and just before you think the engines is to stop, twist the throttle of and on quickly, say 5 or 6 twists straight after each other, if it stays running it's fuel starvation. The FCR carb is a pumper so each twist will be spraying neat juice into the pot.

Keep me posted on your findings.

Timpo.
 
Thanks Timpo, I appreciate the help. As for how wet the bike gets, its probaly about after a few foot deep puddles (or theres a very narow stream about 12 foot wide and 2 foot deep that usially does it). Normally I ride in the dry so its only when I encounter 'puddles' or the stream that the problem occurs. Last week I was out in heavy rain and the usual happened after going through puddles but in addition it was cutting out every time I slowed down for a junction. Keeping the revs high seem to keep it going. Also, this is more of a sudden cutting out than a stall.

The Suzuki mechanic by me was shut so no luck there. I'll try again next week to see if he will check the float hights. In the meantime I'll check the carb balance pipes and the stuff Greg said.
 
fixed it

Sorry for the delay, but it took me and to get some time to sort it out then even longer to get out and give it a test. Eventually took it out last weekend in the wettest conditions I've been out in and it did'nt stall once :D (except for when I crashed and I wire caught on the lock stop and snapped, but thats another story).

I eventually found the fix on thumpertalk. The problem was to do with the 4 vent hoses comming from the carb. Because they hang at the same level as the swinging arm, when going through any water that comes up that high all vents are under water and the carb cant breath, so it stalls. The quick fix, which I did is to re-route two of the hoses higher (under the tank). The proper fix is to tee off from each vent and exit those hoses higher. In addition to this I discovered that all my vent were full of hardened dirt, so the ends were snipped and then vents cleared with a knitting needle.

Now runs great, so I'm definately keeping it. I even just ordered a set of bar risers, so the spending begind:D
 
Timpo said:
Only joking......:p


Right..........:blagblah
Also, check the carb balance pipes. These are the rubber tubes that hang from the carb, down towards and past the swingarm pivot.
These can be plumbed up into the airbox, but if you tiewrap them, don't collapse the tubing. New longer tubing can be purchased from any decent motor factor. It's the diesel injector bleed-back hose made of neoprene.

Let me know how you get on.....

Timpo.
Click to expand...

Post #3 didn't cover that then.......:confused:
Glad your sorted anyway.......:thumb2

Have you done the sprocket bush mod yet...... it's very important as a seizure often offends!:eek:

Timpo.
 
:blast at the time didn't understand what the balance pipes were, then never reread your post (until now) when I was slighty more educated. You were indeed spot on.

Havent come across the sprocket bush mod. I thought the cam chain adjuster mod (replace with manual cam chain adjuster, which I haven't done yet) was the most serious one.
 
The standard bush behind the drive sprocket is normal steel. It will rust, damage the oil seal and oil will leak past it.

Cheap and easy to replace with a stainless bush (widely available) :thumb2

Andres
 
gazuk said:
Havent come across the sprocket bush mod
Click to expand...

Do it as it will fail......... Oil is lost without the rider noticing, leading to engine seizure.
As Outtomunch mentions, kits are readily available, eg, fleabay.

gazuk said:
I thought the cam chain adjuster mod (replace with manual cam chain adjuster, which I haven't done yet) was the most serious one.
Click to expand...

The camchain adjuster fails when bikes have been revved high, the slap in the chain damages the snail/spring effect of the adjuster and it fails to take up slack correctly. A typical chain rattle is evident when the adjuster is malfunctioning.
My DRZ still ran the standard assembly with no trouble after 8 years of trail riding, but others with a violent (yet unrequired:toungincheek) riding manner have had to fit the manual adjuster.

Best of luck.

Timpo.

PS. I heard that in a garage near to my house is a 500 mile only DRZ400E, been owned by an older gent, and he wants rid....... watch this space.:thumb
 
Rushy said:
Just out of interest where from and how much did you pay for them .................if it's not too cheeky to ask :p
Click to expand...

+1 please - it's the one thing I feel would really improve my bike, the bars feel way too low (and that's with higher bend Renthals).

Andres
 
I'd recommend these risers from Canada

78_riser_complete.jpg


They move the bars up by 1½ inches and forward by 1.375 inches. You can use the standard cables.

If you have a DR-Z 'S' model and you want to keep the speedo, you need the spacer kit too.

About £58 delivered.

Greg
 
Made a set of similar risers meself Up and forward along with the high dakar Renthal bars
I had to reroute the front brake line and clutch cable and give a bit more freedom in the throttle cables by flipping the grip over so that they're facing down.

Much more comfortable (I'm 6"2) but the up and forward make the steering very vague..Fine in the slow stuff, not so confidence inspiring on faster trails.
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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