Spark

[CR500PHIL]

Based on Rosco's suggestion I pulled apart the carb tonight to inspect the float valve. The top of the float valve has some pretty serious grooves worn in the four raised sections of the body. I bet this was sticking and hence no fuel etc. I have another used carb coming but tomorrow I will try to locate a float valve locally so I do not have to wait for the carb to come although finding one may be difficult in this neck of the woods. There is one positive note to all this problem investigation - I have learned a lot this summer about the CR500.

[nmdesertrider]

New PWK is the best money you can spend on one of these bikes

[CR500PHIL]

New PWK is the best money you can spend on one of these bikes

That will happen but it will be later - I have spent a lot on this bike this summer and I am buying another car now so that upgrade will have to wait a while.

[AMA714]

Interesting side note... I had a PJ on my 500 and felt it was a little dirty down low. Had a 50 pilot, A/S at 1/34 out, 1369 needle top clip (lean)

Bike started and idled great just felt fat on bottom, I assumed the the shared idle choke circuit may hav had something to do with it, so I bought a 39 PWK.... Well now its worse..lol

I started with a 42 pilot, 1472 need (3rd clip) Idle screw is buried and its fat, blubbery and no idle!! Back to the drawing board.

Anyway, my point is, you are probably off on the pilot like I am.

[CR500PHIL]

Interesting side note... I had a PJ on my 500 and felt it was a little dirty down low. Had a 50 pilot, A/S at 1/34 out, 1369 needle top clip (lean)

Bike started and idled great just felt fat on bottom, I assumed the the shared idle choke circuit may hav had something to do with it, so I bought a 39 PWK.... Well now its worse..lol

I started with a 42 pilot, 1472 need (3rd clip) Idle screw is buried and its fat, blubbery and no idle!! Back to the drawing board.

Anyway, my point is, you are probably off on the pilot like I am.

Once started mine runs fine in all RPM ranges, idles and nice chocolate colored plug - I would call the jetting very good. The problem is starting and not consistently so. The float valve is worn and I have another carb on the way. Once tuned properly I think PJ carbs are fine. The big thing to remember as you discovered is that the pilot jetting alters the effectiveness of the choke and idle.

[ChumlyRocksa540]

The other thing I thought of is since I have a large Clark tank and an older style PJ with the straight inlet my fuel hose is an S shape. It seems at times that there is an air lock because of this in the fuel line. Again something that getting a newer PJ or PWK will fix since the inlet is at an angle. I think with the cash I have spent on this this summer a used PJ is about the only option since it will cost me another $250.00 for a new PWK. At least this route I can use the new body and mis and match the worn parts.

I had a very similar problem with my 85 the air lock deal it took me 30min to fix after I found it

[100hp honda]

how you get a airlok when the carb is below the tank and you only got 3" long hose

[2strokeforever]

good question

[CR500PHIL]

how you get a airlok when the carb is below the tank and you only got 3" long hose

My line was much longer than 3 inches due to the S shape required due to the large tank and older style carb inlet. Either way I have a newer style carb now but that was not my big problem anyway. I found an underlying problem which I am in the process of getting rectified.

[AMA714]

What else was going on Phil??

[CR500PHIL]

What else was going on Phil??

My bore was not round - when I put the new top end in it - it ran fine for a while but when the rings wore in the compression dropped. When full of oil the compression was high enough for it to start sometimes. In addition to this I originally had a spark issue that I sorted out as well. The bottom line is I should have had it bored but I did not. I learned that trying to take a short often causes more misery than just doing it the right way the first time. I have another cylinder being bored by a well known expert on here and another set of rings coming. Accordingly to the way it pulled before it should be fun with way more compression and a 250 ignition - I cannot wait to try it.