1988 Cougar starting issues when warm

Still having problems...Well I had the carbs off set them to specs and still having problems...It starts 2 pulls every time if it sits for a day..But if you shut it off after warm up, an leave it sit anywhere from 5min. to 2 hours it takes sometimes 20-30 pulls to start again...I tried every trick.choke no choke,1-3 primes with and without choke, no throttle 1/4,1/2, 3/4 full throttle. No choke and no throttle at all, but still impossible to start after warm up.
It is a 1988 500FC cougar. it works great when started, top and bottom end no hesitation anywhere.Did't always do this..New plugs
PLEASE HELP!!!!!!VA

I'll take a stab at it.. Is it possible the needle / seat is wearing / old to the point after warmed up floods the bowl's, which would foul out the plugs?? When was your last carb rebuild?? Just had this problem with a friends polaris.. We had to pull it 100 times plus to get it to start..

I'll try also, def. think about what auggie said.... If after that many pulls on a warm motor.. i would check my plugs and see if there wet,,, or dry,, i would think your either getting to much gas, or none at all, I had a 86 cougar that melted a piston in michigan, in 87, because of a air leak, in the intake track some where,, these sleds weren't cats,, er suzuki's best stuff..... allthough i was running the heck out of mine...:devil: good luck! let us no!!

To tell you the truth I don't think the carbs have been done,what all should I change in them,main jet,needle jet....??,I just put new Carb. boots on it because of a couple of cracks,the rest of the air intake side looked ok...Thanks VA

I don't really wanna tell you to take the carbs off again on a running machine but.. I would clean the carbs for sure if I had this problem to start.. Bowl's off look for any varnish in the bottom.. If present you'll be spraying and scraping and with a small paper clip clean out the main jet.. About the main jet remove it from the carb use the clip to clean out the little holes, look through it also and spray it out.. Remove the floats next which will lead to the needle and seat pull that out also look at the little point on the needle, with your finger wipe it off.. seen varnish build up on these.. Which may be your problem.. Take out the seat next. again spray the crap out of it.. Instead of the normal over the shelf carb cleaner which will work, I head out to the local Johnson/Evinrude Boat/Marine shop.. They have some carb cleaner in a spray can that works better than again thing i've ever used.. Eats the varnish and crap with mininal scraping.. OH forgot when you have the bowl off turn the carb like it would be installed on the sled move the float up and down make sure the needle is moving freely and not sticking.. One thing I can also stress.. do one carb at a time, just in case you forgot how something goes back together.. Then ya got one to look at..

Good Luck with it.. Plus let us know.. Also if I forgot something someone please add to this!!

THINK SNOW!!!! :bigsmile:

Auggie,I am so sorry I should have told you when I changed the Carb boots I did clean and carefully inspected the carbs.I use stabilizer periodically which keeps the carbs very clean but was wondering what I should change inside to rebuild....There is no obvious wear that I can see??
Thanks again

mainly the needle, i still think that is the problem..

another thing to check is the pulse pump

another thing to check is the pulse pump

Thanks How do I go about that?? VA

its your fuel pump not sure where it would be exactly on your sled if you follow your fuel line from the carb you will find it. there will be a hose connected to the crankcase that is the vaccum line it should be dry. you can take the pump off and take it apart there is two diaphrams in there they can dry out and crack and leak gas into the motor and/or they will not be able to pump fuel. its worth a check.

its your fuel pump not sure where it would be exactly on your sled if you follow your fuel line from the carb you will find it. there will be a hose connected to the crankcase that is the vaccum line it should be dry. you can take the pump off and take it apart there is two diaphrams in there they can dry out and crack and leak gas into the motor and/or they will not be able to pump fuel. its worth a check.
Thanks I'll check it out

Are the plugs wet after you let the sled sit for a while? A way to try something is run the sled come to a stop hit the kill switch and then shut the gas off then go back out and try to start it then if its starts easy then check your floats I always shut my gas off when I not running.

Shut the gas off and use the kill switch to shut down the sled then come back and try it, you did not say if the plugs were wet when you come back to restart it.

Thanks ,I have put new plugs in it when this happens and still won't start ,plugs are wet.I have no way of shutting off gas on this sled,It comes from the tank to the fuel pump to the filter to the Carbs. ...VA

Just for the sake of trying.. Next time this happens and you go to change the plugs, before you put the new ones in.. Pull the crap out of it ( 6-8 times ) with the plugs out and the throttle to the bar.. Watch to see if alot of fuel vapor comes out or for the matter even raw fuel when pulling.. Turn the key to off also.. After pulling try installing the plugs and pull to your hearts content, if still no start check the plugs again.. Let me/us know the outcome, your problem really is eating at me..

Just for the sake of trying.. Next time this happens and you go to change the plugs, before you put the new ones in.. Pull the crap out of it ( 6-8 times ) with the plugs out and the throttle to the bar.. Watch to see if alot of fuel vapor comes out or for the matter even raw fuel when pulling.. Turn the key to off also.. After pulling try installing the plugs and pull to your hearts content, if still no start check the plugs again.. Let me/us know the outcome, your problem really is eating at me..

Thanks Auggie and all for taking an interest in this. The machines are "up north" right now, we leave them there for weekend trips for the winter so I will definitely try your suggestion next weekend and let you know what I find.I was hoping it would be somthing simple,now just hoping to make it through the winter ,then if it is time consuming work, do it in the spring ..... VA