non running z

[kenny z9fighter]

my z's been lyin in the garage for a while,put fresh petrol in it last week,wouldnt start,took plug lead of to check for spark and i got zapped this happened a few more times and ended up i was scared to touch it!i've got dyna coils on it,didnt like the way they were mounted so i moved them to inside the side panels,i've redone the earth cables etc,tried it tonight,nothing.gettin a good spark,petrol,even sprayed petrol up the bellmouths,not even a fart!maybe the leads are mixed up?forgot to say its a z900a4,so want to get it on the road,sick of my so tempramental buell.

[breakdown]

Hi kenny,
I take it, it was running before you laid it up, if it has been lying for quite a while could be the piston rings have gummed up in the bores. Try a bit of oil down the plug holes or if you've got a compresion tester try that. If you've got compression and the petrol is getting through to the cylinders it should fire up. Are the plugs damp after you've tried to fire it up. If not them maybe the carbs have gummed up if the old petrol been sitting in them. Is it points or electronic Ignition.

[m1ks]

If it ran before laying up and you've not messed the leads around then the firing order should be OK.
If you're getting a belt off them then you're getting current through, whip out a plug and ground it to the engine and spin it to see if theres a spark too.
My guess would be no fuel getting through, check to see if the plugs are wet, as per the previous respondant, if dry then this is your problem.
Make sure you've got plenty of welly from your battery too, one that's on it's last legs will kill itself turning the engine over and have nothing left for the ignition system
To add as well, an A4 will be points? i think, if so take the cover off and check the condition and make sure one or both sets are not corroded together where they arc

[kenny z9fighter]

got loadsa compression,wet plugs when spinning over,a good spark at the plug,etc.
the engine got a 1070 wiseco,head was done,valves ground,oil seals etc,carbs got dynojetted,dyna coils,taylor leads,pirahna ignition.
i've drove it about 100 yards in 2 years!!its not uk registered,isle of man reg.
had it running last month but kept getting shocks from it,even from touching the ignition keys.didnt like the way the coils were mounted under the tank so made a plate inside the side panels and mounted em there.
had jump leads from my car on to it,spins real fast,wont even fart or f.all

[breakdown]

Strange, Has this happened since you've moved the coils, If you where getting shocks from it I would check your HT leads and connections these must have been grounding somewhere
Another couple of things to try is
1 Take the air filter out (might be getting to much fuel )
2 Have you tried bump starting it ( a mate had a old suzuki wouldn't start on the button but bumped first time)

[kenny z9fighter]

its not started since i moved the coils so i guess all fingers are pointing there,2 of the leads broke when i pulled tem out the coils(connection came of em)put the connectors back on,i'm running carbs with belmouths so no filter,its doing my nut in!

[breakdown]

Yea it's starting to look as if the coils/leads have something to do with it. Have you got the standard coils, you could put them back on just to try. If you've got good compresion and the fuels getting through, then it has to be something with the ignition system. Deep breath aaaand relax we've all been there. You are not alone

[02GF74]

i went through this game recently.

simples - you need a spark and you need fuel or sometingthe will ignite.

remove plug lead and put a plug in the end, place on top of engine. crank the engin overand you should see spark.

for peace of mine repeat with other coil.

then ensure the lead are connected correctlyi. i.e. to correct pair of cylinders form each coil,

Z uses wasted spark so if it donlt spark, then swap the leads from the coils to the other 2 cylinders. it is better to find tdc of cyuliner 1 adn find which coil will sparl and connect that.

now if there is a spark, you need fuel.

easistart squrted into the carbs - just 2 will be enough - then crank over, engine should sputter into life, even if for a coouple of seconds,.

if it salls, then you need the mess with carbs. you need to ensure the main jet nad pilot jet holes are clear.

also that fule is getting into the carbs - is there enough perel in the tank and it the lines are not blocked? the tnaks like to rust fro mthe inside with the gro acuumualintg at the bootom - that shouldnl;t be a problem as the pick up tubes aer baove that level.

sorry if this is gettring garbeled but for somme reason, then are for me to type the message dogoes mental after so many lines nad the whoel lot scorlls so I cannot see what #I am typing, probs amass of gibberish .....

[Z1B Alan]

Just a thought your problem started with a grounding to earth within the ignition system. I notice you are using Dyna coils which are execelent however I have read threads where the mounting of these coils has resulteId in cracking the outer casing the remedy to which is to place some washers under the mounting lugs to raise the coil clear of the frame. I just wonder if this was your problem to start with as there should be no reason to move the coil positions. I suggest you go bact to the start replace the coils and find the short get the ignition right and then if it won't start check out the fuel issues.
Could you borrow some other coils to eliminate these from the problem.
Hope this helps
Alan.

[kenny z9fighter]

thanks for all the replys guys,not been able to get near it for a few days.i think ia musta got the ht leads mixed up,am gettin a nice fat spark,fuel,sprayed duck oil up the bellmouths,dont like the easy start stuff,your engine ends up like a junky needing a fix or it wont do fuk all!coils were under the tank to start with but the leads were hitting hard against the frame,so moved em,not gettin a shock anymore but it wont run!
i'll try tommorrow,keep u all posted

[Ginger Bear]

Kenny, here is a pic of my Dyna's fitted to my 78 Z1000. No problem with wire's hitting frame. I can only think yours could be mounted differently, or some sort of frame bracing is causing the problem.

Also note the bit of heatshrink around the mounting post to stop short's.

The coils themselves need to be earthed, Mikey had a problem earlier this year, where the powdercoating on the frame stopped the coils earthing properly & he was getting shocks left right & centre I believe he scraped some of the coating off to resolve the problem.
One coil should fire 1&4, the other 2&3...... Good luck

[kenny z9fighter]

cheers bear,thats where i had em mounted but didnt look as good as that!the ht's hit really hard against the frame,i never earthed them when they were under the tank,prob the reason i kept getting zapped,i earthed them now and ye,had the same prob getting an earth cause of the powder coating,but i've scraped a bit of,
i'm gonna go check the firing order today and hopefully the air will be filled with that lovely sound that only the big zeds make

[kenny z9fighter]

its allllliiiiiiiiivvvvvve well till my battery went flat anyway
its sparkin on all cylinders but only wanted to run on number 2,i reckon a new set of plugs and a carb mucking out should sort it,
bear,ta for the firing order,they were all mixed up