GSXR 600 SRAD '97 misfire. it doesn't like rain

[wilkinson_86]

Hi People,
I bought my '97 SRAD 600 about 3 weeks ago. Was chuffed with it until I got caught in the rain.

When it gets wet it only runs on 3 sometimes 2 cylinders. 4th fires now and again at high rpm, which gives brutal power on/power off - quite dangerous on corners! Not ideal.

The first couple of times this happened, I managed to fix the problem by removing, drying, refitting coil sticks and plugs, waving hair dryer around the cdi and a quick squirt of damp start.

Since it got wet last time, I've not been able to fix it. I had it in my garage for 2 days drying out, with coils and plugs removed / by a heater. The best I can do is.. It now runs on all 4 on tick-over, but misfires badly right throught the rev-range. Sounds like 1 cylinder is only firing intermitently.

everything looks bone dry..

I know as soon as i hit the next puddle I'll be back to stage 1 though!

Has anyone had similar problems with this bike?
Any help would be much appreciated.

Thanks

[finpos]

Tends to be because the ht leads and caps get old then get covererd in tiny cracks that fill with water then start leaking sparks everywhere. It's particularly bad on OHC engines with long plug plug tunnels, you can't see anything going on outside but it's all going off down the tunnels.

You should be able to bake the moisture out and then cover them in damp sealant, but it never lasts too long, better just biting the bullet and getting new leads/caps.

f.

[wilkinson_86]

Thanks for the quick response.

I think i'm right in saying that the 97 srad doesn't have ht leads. It's got a stick coil for each cylinder instead. They just sit on top of spark plugs. so all cables before coils are low volatge

do you know if stick coils deteriorate and crack up in the same way?

Cheers

[finpos]

I suspect so - once the insulation around the plug has broken down it'll start arcing onto the cam cover. See if you can rig up a short extension to the plug using a nut and bolt so that the stick, er, sticks up out of the tunnel a cm or so, then try turning the engine over in the dark, you'll soon see if it has.

Intermittent stuff like this is almost always down to the HT side breaking down (the low tension stuff won't really short out just due to damp) so you pretty much only have the sticks to worry about.

f.

[wilkinson_86]

ok, thanks. Will try that tomorrow.

So if stick coil is nackered, I'll see arcing from the stick to the cam cover?

[lllN30lll]

stick duct tape over your air ducts at the front and see if that cures the problem.
____________________
Turbo R1
CRF450R

[wilkinson_86]

i'll try duct tape as well. why would that help?

[lllN30lll]

Actually ignore the last, when I had carb freezing in winter i was told to block my ducts up to stop the cold air from entering the airbox.

not sure if it's the same for rain.

https://i23.ebayimg.com/06/i/001/33/c9/cf53_1.JPG
____________________
Turbo R1
CRF450R

[jaxx]

Guys, I know this dont apply, but im new to the site, and i dont know how to post my own questions, Sorry.

Can anyone help me, i have a knocking sound on my 99 750srad, almost certainly in time with the chain, whells, etc. I've been told it could be loose sprockets. Any ideas? Jaxx

[serlant]

knocking? check the condition of the cush drive

[wilkinson_86]

Sorted.

One of the stick coils is failing. Can't afford to replace it at the moment, so I sprayed coils with heat proof paint to seal the cracks and smeared heat proof grease around the tops of the coils so that water can't enter the plug wells.

seems to have fixed the problem for the time being.

Thanks for the help finpos