did you check fuel pressure?

 

No..........

.........I have not. What would I need to do that? The fact that it still will run on 1 cylinder would mean that it has fuel pressure, no?
Gregg

 

Not likely a fuel pressure problem as it runs on one cylinder. The injector has two wires, one supplies power (15 power, hot when the key is in the run position). The other wire is the ground. The ECU controls the ground, when it completes the circuit the injector opens.

If you don't have voltage on the hot side or if the ground wire is open, the injector will not fire. If the ground side is shorted to ground, the injector stays open and sprays constantly - enough to hydro lock.

I would connect a voltmeter, key on and see if I have voltage. Make sure there isn't an excessive voltage drop. On the ground side a test light can be put in series, while cranking you should see the light go on and off if the ground circuit through the ECU is working.

 

The fact that it runs on one cylinder would make me believe that the fuel pressure isn't the problem...except for one thing. DemonTech asked if you checked fuel pressure, I'm pretty sure DemonTech is TJ from Corse Superbikes in Milwaukee. hmmm.

 

bad plug maybe, try the easier stuff first

 

Thanks for the ideas guys. I guess Dave R has the right idea to check the easy stuff first. I will be amazed if I get that lucky-it just usually doesn't work that way for me! When I pulled the plug to check for spark it fired then. Could it still be fouled if I saw spark? I know one thing for sure, getting the torx head screws out of the metal tabs that hold the injectors in is no picnic! I'll let you know what I find.
Gregg

 

Hi Gregg,
I had a fuel injector fail on my '04 ST3. It was brand new and I almost didn't make it home. Puked white smoke, ran like crap. Three weeks later the new injector was in and it's been fine ever since. How many miles on your bike? I hate to think that could happen again.
As an aside, when I picked my bike up from Nichols after the 12,000 mile service (4 years later), they asked me if I'd ever had an injector problem.
Why yes, why do you ask?
Apparently there are three bolts that hold the injector in. One was loose, one had backed out almost all the way and the last one was missing. This is after two different dealers had had my bike in for 'service'.
I can't complement those guys at Nichols enough. If you can get there and you aren't, you're missing out.

 

Simple to test...

Unplug the ignition coils or pop the boots off the plugs. Take the tank off, without dumping all the fuel out of the lines. Open up the throttle bodies and shine a flashlight down there. Then, push the starter button and see if it squirts fuel. You can usually see the fuel pretty well, especially if the bike is cold.

Yes, I've seen stuck injectors before. They work like a solenoid and can fail like one too.

 

Buy or borrow a mechanics stethoscope. Put the tip of the probe on the base of the injector. It will make a nice clicking noise if it is working. Listen to the good cylinder to compare. You can also use the tip of a long screwdriver and put the end of the handle against your ear.

I have never heard of an injector getting stuck while the bike was running. It is much more likely that the fuel injection control unit is bad. If you don't get a click from the injector. you can swap the plugs from the front and rear injectors if the leads are long enough. If the problem switches to the other cylinder, you know that the brain is bad.

 

The injectors will click, but what says there isn't something clogging the ports themselves? Debris from faulty fuel filters can easily get into the injectors and foul things up.

I still don't think its the issue and my testing method doesn't require any "guess" work. These bikes are LOUD when you attempt to start them and of course run them. Being able to hear the clicking of the injectors through a screwdriver is gonna be almost impossible.

 

Found the problem

Well, after making sure my injectors were spraying fuel, I pulled the valve covers off he horizontal cylinder & saw that the shims were missing on the right side. I have a bent valve but no other damage-piston, valve seat & guide all look OK. Thanks to all who helped with suggestions.
Gregg

 

EEK, thats one hell of a lot different then running on one cylinder!

Not good news, I wonder how that happened?

 

Wow
Suddenly my dead injector seems really insignificant.
Good luck with the repair

 

??????????

Not good news, I wonder how that happened?[/QUOTE]

Still trying to figure that out.

 

Did a belt come loose?

 

No John, the shimstack somehow seperated itself from where it should be.
Gregg