Dying 98, what's the problem?

[Milton]

Good afternoon steamer gurus. I was heading out for a weekend campout with the 98. Stopped for gas and filled up 5.3 gallons. Rode for 3 miles and got stuck in construction traffic for about 20 minutes, temperature raised to about half way. Got out of construction and rode about 7 miles and then turned off the freeway to take a frontage road. As I am decelerating on the exit ramp the bike feels like it is running on just 2 cylinders. Roll up to the stoplight to get on the frontage road and the bike dies, won't start, crap. Light turns green and I try to start again and it fires up and I ride off.

Get to the top of the hill (4-6 miles) and I have to get on the freeway again, bike dies after about 1.5 miles and I mean dead. Pull off freeway take my gear off and try the starter. Bike fires up but immediately dies when given throttle. Call my son to tell him to get ready to come get me but can't reach him. After about 20 minutes it starts back up and seems to run fine. Think I can continue for my camping trip.

Pull off on a frontage road again and bang dies again. Pull over wait a bit fires up and I'm on my way home. It does this again 4 more time. Just pull over wait a couple to 20 minutes and it fires up and rides off. If I don't wait long enough it will fire up but when given throttle it dies.

It kind of feels like it is running out of gas but its dying is pretty abrupt. Could it be the pick-up sensor. Just (< 200 miles) put new Nology coils on, even though the Gills had never given me any problems.

Oh, and the bike has 56630 miles on the clock. Has run beautifully up to this point.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Milton S.

[Mustang]

yep  guaranteed it's the ignition p/u sensor on the crankshaft that is the classic symptoms of it failure

[JetdocX]

Mustang bears the truth.  Classic!

[CoolHandLuke]

The way to confirm this, is when it dies, the RPM indicator will go to zero.

If it is fuel, or some other fault, the RPM indicator will still have a reading.

[Milton]

Thanks guys. I think that pretty much confirms the problem, and CoolHand, that is exactly what happened with the RPM. I was thinking how could my RPMs go to zero when the engine was still turning over via compression.

Luckily I have a new ignition p/u sensor here at home. A couple of years ago, when I first got the steamer, I was going over this forum trying to see what were the major problems with this bike so that I could check/fix any existing issues or travel with the appropriate spare parts. I was getting ready for an extended trip to Seattle and British Columbia so wanted to be ready in case something rotten happened on the road. Ordered new Nology coils and the p/u sensor but they both arrived too late to get them on the bike before I was ready to leave (wanted to replace the coils and have the sensor as a spare) so I just wrapped them up and dropped them in the bottom of the side case. Fortunately there were no roadside maintenance needs.

Anyway I got the p/u sensor on the bike this morning and was planning on going for a moderate ride. I noticed that my rear break lever was loose so I tightened up the shoulder bolt and what do you know but it was sheared off. I hate to think what could have happened if I really needed to get on the rear break in a situation. So now there she sits until I can call a local stealer on Tuesday and see if they have one in stock (both stealers are closed on Mondays), but its doubtful that they will as it is rare to find any parts for the 98 in stock.

[Mustang]

So now there she sits until I can call a local stealer on Tuesday and see if they have one in stock (both stealers are closed on Mondays), but its doubtful that they will as it is rare to find any parts for the 98 in stock.

meh , the dealers never had spares when they were new , everything is 2 weeks . need brake pads ....2 weeks
need a gasket .....2 weeks
etc etc

[CoolHandLuke]

Anyway I got the p/u sensor on the bike this morning and was planning on going for a moderate ride. I noticed that my rear break lever was loose so I tightened up the shoulder bolt and what do you know but it was sheared off. I hate to think what could have happened if I really needed to get on the rear break in a situation. So now there she sits until I can call a local stealer on Tuesday and see if they have one in stock (both stealers are closed on Mondays), but its doubtful that they will as it is rare to find any parts for the 98 in stock.

I am glad it's not just me.  Every time I come to do some work on my bike it feels like I find or create another problem :)

[JetdocX]

I am glad it's not just me.  Every time I come to do some work on my bike it feels like I find or create another problem :)

It gets to the point that you just stop doing anything besides oil changes.... :lol:

[Mustang]

I am glad it's not just me.  Every time I come to do some work on my bike it feels like I find or create another problem :)

It gets to the point that you just stop doing anything besides oil changes.... :lol:

[97tiger885]

I am glad it's not just me.  Every time I come to do some work on my bike it feels like I find or create another problem :)

It gets to the point that you just stop doing anything besides oil changes.... :lol:

I now strongly believe three things:

1.  If it isn't broke, don't fix it;

2.  Don't go looking for problems; and

3.  "With the toe bone connected to the foot bone, and the foot bone connected to the ankle bone, and the ankle bone connected to the leg bone.  Oh mercy how they scare!"

[Milton]

Whoo hoo, I can ride this weekend. The stealer had the bolt, only cost $14.00 whereas BikeBandit has it for $8.05 and at least a 2 week wait. One of the very few times they have actually had a part for the 98.

Oh, and Mustang, I've taken to cutting my own gaskets. Faster and much cheaper than the stealer and not that difficult to do, as I'm sure you would know.

[Milton]

Thank you gurus, that was the problem. Went for a 400 mile ride on Saturday and not a bit of a problem.