This 295/S is fighting me to the end!! Help!!!

[monte44]

I got my 295 all finished up and had it at waconia for basically the first ride with the exception of the 4 feet in the garage. I found out real quickly that I am way off on something (carb or clutching). It starts real easily and will idle all day long but when you wanna move it has no power at all. At half throttle it barely moves no power at all!! They are the stock 295 carbs soaked twice new 1.5 needle and seats 190 main pto 160 mag 30 pilots one turn out on the air screw. I have the needle clip one notch above the middle groove. Choke plungers are new and seating. Good spark 115 pound compression on both. To me it seems VERY rich it even blows a little gas in the airbox but like I said will idle all day and starts good. Do I need to turn out the air screws more? I have the gas mixed at 1 pint to 2.5 gallons like it says on the fuel door. My clutching is a 102c white spring E weights secondary spring in hole 1. Now my other problem is that it is blowing light bulbs and the tach is very erratic it show 8000 when it is idling the tach is nos and is the old style. I have tried two used voltage regulators and still the same. The machine is freshly painted am I not getting a good ground? I scrapped off some paint where the regulator mounts still no luck. Is the tach and the bulb blowout related?? Any help would be great.

Thank You,
Aaron

[400brian]

You have to have the correct tach. The points ignition tachs are different.

Get yourself an in-line spark tester and take a look at what you have. I'm guessing you have an ignition component that is not up to the task. CDI box or Stator.

[JDT]

As for the toasting of bulbs it may be a bad connection somewhere between the regulator and the stator.
An ohm meter should pinpoint the location. The ground on the regulator and the stator are critical.

Also note that a bad ground on the CDI, Stator or engine can cause the lack of proper spark which Brian was mentioning.
Therefore both problems could be related.

[400brian]

That was a thought I had today. Is the voltage reg well grounded? Is the engine well grounded?

[monte44]

Thanks guys I will look at the grounds again. Sorry I forgot to add that I used a NOS AM54169 CDI box which I believe is for the 77-78 liquifires? I was told that will work on the 295/S correct? When running it has never backfired could a weak stator have anything to do with the lack of power or am I over looking something. What is the main ground for the voltage regulator? Is the body of the regulator the main ground to the belt guard. Also I have the main ground strap running from the aluminum plate where the CDI mounts to the aluminum fan shroud which I think should be a very good ground. Sorry to keep picking your brains but I am soooo close to finishing this awesome machine no turning back now!


Aaron

[JDT]

The Black wire on the reg is the ground.

Note that it is important to also have a good heat conductive connection on a regulator.

As RPM's increase or electrical load decreases the excess voltage is turned to heat by the regulator. If it is not making a heatsink type connection with a piece of metal to draw this heat away from the regulator body it will overheat and burn out.

Newer style regulators and some large capacity regs have heatsink fins on them to aid in excess heat dispersion.

Older style ones realy on a mechanical connection to remove heat. Mounting a reg on plastic in not going to do the trick. A painted surface is better than nothing but bare metal with a light layer of heatsink compound is best.

A single wire reg has to have a zero resistance mechanial connection to ground to funtion.
A two wire reg has to have a electrical ground as some manufactors do not use the mounting tab as a ground.
An ohm meter will prove what type you have.

[JDT]

As for the ground strap used on the CDI boxes to the engine shrouding...
The shrouding has paint on it. Careful placement of washers on the strap will insure a good ground through the shroud mounting bolts.

Also note that the alum strap is making physical contact with potmetal(zinc) on the cdi boz and painted metal on the shrouding. Dissimilar metals do tend to corrode(electralysis) when moisture is present. Like snow.

You want to check the starp ends at least one a year for evidence of white power. Remove this with a wire brush and apply a layer of dielectric gel.

Loosing the ground on the CDI with make it run for crap at a minimum and toast your CDI as a worst case senario.

[River Rat]

Aaron.. All the info from the guys is great advice and should be done and checked over..If you do all this and it still won't run..Take the exhaust off and try it again.. Damn critters... I have had more than one experiance with this...That damn mouse piss turns to concrete...I have had to chop saw the middle of the exhaust and clean it out and weld it back together.. Just my thought... Frankie (Iowa,,land of the deere,,corn and mice..)

[DLDeere]

Todd

but bare metal with a light layer of heatsink compound is best.

What do you use for a heatsink compound?

H

[DLDeere]

Aaron,
I'm working on electrical problems on my 295 also, but it's on the lighting coil side. Headlight starts out bright but then turns dim as soon as I move the engine past idle. Stays dim until turning off and starting up again.

Anyway, I have a 295 service textbook with good info on using an ohm meter to check electrical components. I have scanned the pages to my computer, but am not sure where I can upload a pdf file to the web and then link it to here.

Anyone know a way to attach or link a pdf file to this forum?

Howard

[JDT]

Howard you can buy a tube at your local Radio Shack. It is a white pasty substance that looks like toothpaste but does not taste very good. Cost like $2.

[JDT]

Howard you have a bad regulator. As rpm increases the voltage goes up and the regulator is breaking down there fore droping the voltage below the disired 12 volt output. I bet it gets really hot also.

[lwb140]

right wrong or unnecessary on my 340/s i put additional ground wires on the cdi to motor and coil bracket to motor ,not sure about the 295s but with the rubber grommets and new paint involved seemed like a good idea , they are pretty unnoticable ???? wade

[JDT]

Better safe than sorry. An extra ground can't hurt.