How do you deal with flooded engines?

[nickw]

Well I'm pretty sure my engine is flooded bad, guessing it's the needle/seats leaking.  I've since disconnected the pulse line and pulled the plugs and opened the carbs up to try to dry it out.  After sitting over night it almost starts but then soaks the plugs.

Anyways, how do you guys deal with flooded engines?  Would holding a propane torch over the spark plug holes and slowly turning the engine be a bad idea?

[mswyka]

Yes, that would be a bad idea.

Do you have the right fuel pump on that sled?  Have you cleaned and/or changed the needles and seats?

When I have a flood problem, I pull the plugs out and give the engine a few good pulls.  If the crankcase is flooded, it may have spilled over into the pipe, the pipe might need to be drained to avoid additional problems.

[jimvw57]

remove the plugs, lay sled on the recoil side and pull it over a few times. That will drain the fuel out of the crankcase.  Remove the exhaust pipe(s) and drain the fuel out of them.  Flush them with water to get out as much of the fuel as possible. Let them dry overnight . Fix the problem that caused the flooding.

[MaxThrottle]

I totally agree with the blow torch being a BAD idea.... unless you want to be know as Nickey "Boom Boom" W.  I simply remove the plugs, Pinch (clamp) off the fuel line, Pull the engine through a few times, remove the clamp/pinch and have a beverage (or two). After about 5-10 minutes, put the dry or even new plugs back in and I usually have a successful start. I have had a carb that would NOT seat properly and ended up with similar symptoms. Rest assured that it is probably a minor issue but trying to isolate it may take some time. Fuel pump delivery rate could possibly over feed but usually the carb bowl float will protect from this happening. Additional diagnostics..... With the machine NOT running, put a paper towel sheet below the fuel pump and another sheet below the carb to see if you have any slow leaks let it sit for a few days and check to see of you have any blue fuel dye staining on the towels. If you're have a seating problem at the carb this may be a good way to verify. ( I suggest the one under the fuel pump too because if your fuel pump has too much back pressure, because of being too powerful, you can have a ruptured/damaged fuel pump diaphragm/seal.    Good Luck.

[nickw]

Appreciate the advice.  I'm guessing it's the cheap needle/seats i put on the carbs.  For now I've had it "airing out" for the past few days.  I'll give it another shot tonight.  For now I'll leave the pulse line disconnected and plugged off to avoid any more excessive fuel being dumped in the crank.  The fuel pump is off a 440 intruder so I'm assuming it's the correct piece.  Looks the same as the stock one I pulled off. 

[jimvw57]

The pulse line dumping fuel into the motor is not the same problem as the needle and seat in the carbs. BUT... if the crankcase gets full enough, it could fill the pulse line with fuel instead of fuel leaking past the fuel pump.  Cheap insurance is to rebuild the pump and put new needle and seats in the carbs.

Don't forget to check for the extra hole in the gaskets for the anti-siphon circuit on the fuel pump..

[ChaChi]

I have always had great luck pulling the crank case breather on my drifter a few pulls and she will fire... There was an underlying issues with the carb tho and it needed a good cleaning. But that masked the issue until I could repair it properly...

A fuel shut off should IMO be standard on every sled... it's a good way to make sure no one rides off on ur vintage iron and if she likes flooding while she sits it will fix that too! Although they shouldn't do that....

[jimvw57]

Unless you forget to turn the valve back on... been there, done that. I opted for fixing the problem instead of the fuel shut-off band-aid.

[ChaChi]

Not turning the valve on is a good way to store a motor, pin the oil injection as she bogs out and a give her a couple squirts of fogging oil... Also the shut offs are a good idea in case you get a gas leak... There is a reason most new sleds have em, well worth 10 or 20 bucks IMO... I do agree tho it's a band ad fix for stuck floats