98 Xplorer 300:
Every now and then the exhaust pipe slightly pops off the exhaust manifold. I'm talking about the beveled piece that makes a 180 degree bend coming off the engine held against the engine with a spring on each side of the pipe. It's not hard to get it back on. I can either grab the pipe and give it a slight push and it pops right back on or if the engine is hot, I can hit it with the end of a ratchet or a stick.
The main reason this is a problem is when the pipe pops off the engine, it creates a lean mixture (because of no exhaust valve being a 2 stroke), sucks air back into the engine and creates too lean of a mixture for the engine to start. It doesn't actually pop all the way off, just enough to cause starting problems.
This is seems to occur not while actually riding but rather when I shut the engine off. I've had this happen multiple times it's starting to get annoying. So when I go and start the engine and it doesn't want to start, I end up flooding it not realizing what has happened. If the engine happens to backfire, then I immediately know the problem.
One time I pulled it onto my trailer to go riding. I get to my destination and the bike wouldn't start. I was like, "Well Snap!". I pulled the plug, turned the engine over, sprayed some starter fluid into the carburetor and the engine backfired :eek . I hit the pipe with the end of a ratchet handle and next time I crank, the engine fires right up.
The last time this happened was the other day, I had the bike parked in a storage building behind my garage. I tried to start it and eventually it backfired and I knew what the problem was.
There was this one occasion it seemed this pipe did pop off while riding. I noticed the engine got much louder and when I stopped, the engine stalled. A quick look showed that the pipe had popped off.
What's the cause and what's the fix? Have the springs lost their tension and they need to be replaced with new ones?
One fix might be to run a piece of wire through the springs and twist the ends together.
Every now and then the exhaust pipe slightly pops off the exhaust manifold. I'm talking about the beveled piece that makes a 180 degree bend coming off the engine held against the engine with a spring on each side of the pipe. It's not hard to get it back on. I can either grab the pipe and give it a slight push and it pops right back on or if the engine is hot, I can hit it with the end of a ratchet or a stick.
The main reason this is a problem is when the pipe pops off the engine, it creates a lean mixture (because of no exhaust valve being a 2 stroke), sucks air back into the engine and creates too lean of a mixture for the engine to start. It doesn't actually pop all the way off, just enough to cause starting problems.
This is seems to occur not while actually riding but rather when I shut the engine off. I've had this happen multiple times it's starting to get annoying. So when I go and start the engine and it doesn't want to start, I end up flooding it not realizing what has happened. If the engine happens to backfire, then I immediately know the problem.
One time I pulled it onto my trailer to go riding. I get to my destination and the bike wouldn't start. I was like, "Well Snap!". I pulled the plug, turned the engine over, sprayed some starter fluid into the carburetor and the engine backfired :eek . I hit the pipe with the end of a ratchet handle and next time I crank, the engine fires right up.
The last time this happened was the other day, I had the bike parked in a storage building behind my garage. I tried to start it and eventually it backfired and I knew what the problem was.
There was this one occasion it seemed this pipe did pop off while riding. I noticed the engine got much louder and when I stopped, the engine stalled. A quick look showed that the pipe had popped off.
What's the cause and what's the fix? Have the springs lost their tension and they need to be replaced with new ones?
One fix might be to run a piece of wire through the springs and twist the ends together.