Hi, i recently picked up a 1979 scorpion whip 440... The motor has 3000 miles on it, turns freely. I'm having trouble getting it started.

It sat for 2 years before i aquired it. I have the motor all cleaned out (leaves and stuff) and all cleaned up.

Firstly, it wasn't getting spark. So i figured out that the ignition was bad. So i put a paper clip on the hot and cold (hotwired) it and magically i got spark to the motor... (i have an new ignition coaming)

I was anxious to try and start this sled, so i pump in some starter fluid through the airbox and it starts up on the 3rd pull!!!

It only runs for a couple seconds then dies... Id imagine its just running off of the eather.... I drained the tank and put in nice new fresh gas hoping maybe this will fire it up.

I prime the motor, pull the choke... pull the string and NOTHING. the motor turns but seems like its flooded?

I pull the sparkplugs to make sure i didn't foul them out with the eather. They are wet of gas and clean of any black crap.

I let it sit all night before trying again, thinking its flooded...and same thing. no starting.

what should i try to do next? take off the carb and clean it out? It must be working properly if the gas is getting to the sparkplug right? :bash:

Originally posted by satyr@Feb 9 2005, 09:27 AM
Hi, i recently picked up a 1979 scorpion whip 440... The motor has 3000 miles on it, turns freely. I'm having trouble getting it started.

It sat for 2 years before i aquired it. I have the motor all cleaned out (leaves and stuff) and all cleaned up.

Firstly, it wasn't getting spark. So i figured out that the ignition was bad. So i put a paper clip on the hot and cold (hotwired) it and magically i got spark to the motor... (i have an new ignition coaming)

I was anxious to try and start this sled, so i pump in some starter fluid through the airbox and it starts up on the 3rd pull!!!

It only runs for a couple seconds then dies... Id imagine its just running off of the eather.... I drained the tank and put in nice new fresh gas hoping maybe this will fire it up.

I prime the motor, pull the choke... pull the string and NOTHING. the motor turns but seems like its flooded?

I pull the sparkplugs to make sure i didn't foul them out with the eather. They are wet of gas and clean of any black crap.

I let it sit all night before trying again, thinking its flooded...and same thing. no starting.

what should i try to do next? take off the carb and clean it out? It must be working properly if the gas is getting to the sparkplug right?* :bash:
399960


3 basics, air, spark, fuel

1) I pulled one of these out of the field last year and the spark was bad. If equiped with points and condensors you may need to clean the points. You can have spark but it may be weak. Verify you are using correct plugs and gapped right.

2) For sure clean the carb(s). You may be getting fuel but probably not the right amount of air. Clean all the tiny passages within the carb (some are for air, some are for fuel). Clean all the jets, etc. Also check the airbox for "speedy gonzalezs'" home. Make sure you have no mouse nests.

3) If you have a fuel filter make sure this is not clogged and that none of the fuel lines are cracked or leaking. Make sure your primer is hooked up correctly and working.

Chances are it is your carb and it needs to be cleaned.

Also, rumor is to stay away from eather, it may dry out crank seals is what i've been told. If motor doesn't start on fuel, it has problems that need to be addressed. Good luck, keep us posted. :)

ok, so i tore into it tonight. :crazy:

what i found was hopefully the only problem.. .hehehe :blahblah:

there are 2 sparkplugs on top of the motor. They are gaped right. (new plugs)

If your sitting on the sled, looking atthe motor, the left plug is getting spark...

however, the right one is not. i switched the spark plug wires and still no spark. I'm pretty sure its the little back box that has 2 wires coming out of it. 1 ground and I'm assuming the other gets power from pulling the rope start?

This then sends power to through the plug wire to the spark plug then causes fire and blah blah...

well. I'm thinking my "black box" is dead... is this the COIL? This is the first sled i've actually had to ever work on.. so I'm learning...

If it is the coil, where might i pick up a new one? are they pretty universal?

thanks for the reply so far

Originally posted by satyr@Feb 9 2005, 09:18 PM
ok, so i tore into it tonight.* :crazy:

what i found was hopefully the only problem.. .hehehe :blahblah:

there are 2 sparkplugs on top of the motor. They are gaped right. (new plugs)

If your sitting on the sled, looking atthe motor, the left plug is getting spark...

however, the right one is not. i switched the spark plug wires and still no spark. I'm pretty sure its the little back box that has 2 wires coming out of it. 1 ground and I'm assuming the other gets power from pulling the rope start?

This then sends power to through the plug wire to the spark plug then causes fire and blah blah...

well. I'm thinking my "black box" is dead... is this the COIL? This is the first sled i've actually had to ever work on.. so I'm learning...

If it is the coil, where might i pick up a new one? are they pretty universal?

thanks for the reply so far
400239



A little confused by your reply. Yes those are external coils. Not sure exactly what you did, but try swapping coils. If the no spark condition follows the coil, then you have a bad coil, if the no spark condition stays on the same side (the right) after switching coils, then your points are dirty. I would bet your points are dirty but the coils do go bad. You can get them out of dennis kirk.com or any sled catalog, it is a pretty common coil and you may find it on other brand vintage sleds. About $20 for one new.

Originally posted by mopar4u@Feb 10 2005, 08:14 PM
A little confused by your reply.* Yes those are external coils.* Not sure exactly what you did, but try swapping coils.* If the no spark condition follows the coil, then you have a bad coil, if the no spark condition stays on the same side (the right) after switching coils, then your points are dirty.* I would bet your points are dirty but the coils do go bad.* You can get them out of dennis kirk.com or any sled catalog, it is a pretty common coil and you may find it on other brand vintage sleds.* About $20 for one new.
400709



Yes, im pretty sure it was the coil... I switched them and had spark on the other side with the "good" coil. Ive ordered a new one and im hoping it is going to fix it... Ill be getting the coil tonight. So ill be letting ya know how it went.

thanks for the help.

ok, i got this thing to start, but it dies after about 10 seconds of running..

if i keep giving it gas it will rev up for a second, then bog down and die...

does this sound like a fuel pump?

can i clean the fuel pump some how?

i put a fresh can of gas in, mixed at 40-1...

can the sparkplugs be gapped wrong to make it die?

what is the gap suppose to be at?

Originally posted by satyr@Feb 11 2005, 06:33 PM
ok, i got this thing to start, but it dies after about 10 seconds of running..

if i keep giving it gas it will rev up for a second, then bog down and die...

does this sound like a fuel pump?

can i clean the fuel pump some how?

i put a fresh can of gas in, mixed at 40-1...

can the sparkplugs be gapped wrong to make it die?

what is the gap suppose to be at?
401018


\
NEVER MIND ITS ALIIIIIVEEE!!


lol sorta rough runnin tho.. YAY

Better take the carb off and clean it well. I bet there is some green stuff at the bottom of the bowl. Make sure and clean both the main and pilot jet if this is a mikuni type carb, can't remember I had one I owned twice. Sold it when my dad was done with it in 89 and bought it back a couple owners later I think it was in 99. I fixed it and resold it again. Kevin