Runnung on three cylinders

[OldVet66]

Started the bike the day before yesterday and number three cylinder wasn't firing. Had to keep going, didn't run too badly but sounded a little odd. I thought maybe a float needle was stuck and it would start working when it bounced around a bit, no luck there. Any ideas, fuel, electric, or old age?

[chuck hahn]

Tap on the bowl with a screw driver handle. I always advocate removal of the resistors in the caps ( if you have resistor caps ). To tell, look down into the caps. If you see the plug gripper thing has a slot, unscrew it and dump the contents into your hand. thje ceramic thing is the resistor...replace it with some 1/8 inch brass or copper rod cut to the same length.

NOTE:: 2 and 3 wires have a spring. the spring goes in first, then the replacement rod, and then the gripper thinmg

[Big T]

Pull the #3 plug and see if it's all wet, or completely dry

wet=bad petcock

Dry= air leak

[chuck hahn]

IF your wires are still good and long enough, trim about 1/4 inch off and rescrew the cap on..good fresh connections do wonders.

[OldVet66]

The answer to the problem was old age, not the bike's but mine. Cracked the bowl drain, plenty of gas. Put a wire loop in the spark plug wire, arced about 3/4 in. to the clutch cover. Plenty of spark (running Dyna green coils and 8mm suppression wires Chuck). When I pulled the boot to check the plug there was no little cap on top of the plug, just the threads. I have a real good but old timing light, made a post tacked to one of those little caps on both ends so I can hook up the light on the inner cylinders. Must have been last year when I timed the bike, when I had a Dyna module go bad. I put the boot back on without the little screw cap. I guess arcing in the boot to the plug finally knackered the plug, it was dead as a door nail. It was certainly wet. Pulled a plug from one of my spare motors and back in business. I wondered why I lost a little mileage and it didn't sound just right but not enough to go looking until regular maintenance. Just goes to show how good the Dyna coils are and how much it sucks getting old.