starting hard

[reno1100]

Hi everyone,
I am new to this site. I just purchased a 2000 marauder 800. The
previous owner didn't ride it much (only 2000 miles on it). I noticed
the gas was old so i drained it and cleaned the tank out. to start it,
i had to use some starting fluid. Ran a little rough, rode it a few
miles, filled the tank and parked it. The next day, it would not start
again. I had to use starting fluid again. I noticed that if i am
running the bike and stop it, it will start right back up, but if it
sits for an hour or two, will not start easily. today it started after
about 20 minutes of trying. my question is, do i need to take the
carburators off and clean them? If i add some carb. cleaner and run
for 50-60 miles, will that clean it out or is there something else
wrong with it not even related to the carburator. also, i did check
the fuel pump and it is working properly (according to haynes reapair
manual). any help would be great and thanks in advanve.

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[Clint]

Welcome. You probably will need to clean them, but try a tankfull treated with Seafoam and a good hard ride. It just might do the job.

[Easy Rider]

The next day, it would not start
again. I had to use starting fluid again. I noticed that if i am
running the bike and stop it, it will start right back up, but if it
sits for an hour or two, will not start easily.

First let's get the basics out of the way.
When starting cold, you are using the choke and not opening the throttle, right ? If the choke is cable operated (that is, if the choke lever is not mounted directly on the carb(s), check the mechanics of the cable to be sure the mechanism on the carb is actually moving properly.

Having that out of the way, you probably need a carb cleaning. In your situation you probably need more than a standard dose of cleaner. Easiest way is figure a standard dose for a full tank and then add that amount to a half full tank. Techron and Seafoam have good reports from users. Run it long enough to get thoroughly warm (hot) and then let it sit overnight. Fill the tank and pray!

Good luck!

[reno1100]

thanks for the info. i ran some seafoam in it today. went on a 50 miles ride. I will let it set overnight and see what happens. as for the choke, is not directly mounted to the carbs. as far as i can see, when i pull the knob out, there is movement on the carbs. don't know if it is moving inside the carbs. on another note, i have gas coming out of what i think is the overflow hose off the tank. any ideas what might be causing that? thanks again. todd

[palanon]

It's prpbably not from the tank. Could be the drain hose for the air box. If so, it's probably a sticky float in the carbs.

[Aussie Steve]

You might want to pull your plugs to see what mixture your'e running. The air filter may be blocked and when you run choke it makes the problem worse. But I would concur with the carb cleaning if the bike stood for a fair amount of time.

[reno1100]

Well after trying seafoam and letting it sit overnight, it still will not start without spraying a little starting fluid into the airbox. i'm going to have to break down and take the carbs out and clean them.

about the fuel coming from the tank, i followed the hose and it ran to the bottom of the tank. i have 3 places to hook up hoses to the tank, one is reserve, one is on, and the other has this hose hooked to it the runs to the bottom of the bike. i notice it leaks a lot of gas when i adding gas to the tank, not even filling it. after so much leaks out, it slows and then stops. on the third hose hookup, is there a check valve that is in the tank to allow air in and gas not to come out? if so that might be the problem.

[Aussie Steve]

You know you may have just hit upon a problem some of us never think about. These days with sealed systems (for environmental reasons)I for one didn't stop to think you need air in to let fuel out...guess I'm always looking for something to rip apart!

[Madwrench73]

try starting it with the fuel cap off. that will tell you right away if your tank vent is plugged or otherwise failing

[reno1100]

update,
well the seafoam worked....sorta. putting it into the tank didn't seem to do anything, so i diconnected the hose going to the fuel pump, connected a short hose and sucked it right out of the seafoam can until the bike stalled. let it sit for about 24 hours. started hard, which i expected. seem to run a lot better. started great that evening (which it was not doing before), ran it a little. would not start in morning. so it cleaned them, but not enough. i really think the bike sat for too long and it is really gummed up.

today i broke down and dropped it off at my local suzuki dealer. i decided to add hard krome exhaust, so i figured he could do it all, adjust and change the jetting as needed at the same time. thanks everyone for all the help. should get it back tomorrow so i will update then.