What would cause a WLA to stall when warm - Harley Forum

Lethal Farce · #1 07-20-2008, 11:31 AM

I took a new to me WLA for several short rides this weekend. After less than a mile, the bike would start stalling at or approaching idle. Plugs look good, and it is getting gas to the carb. Starts easily cold. Any ideas?
Thanks, LF

JCourneyaP · #2 07-21-2008, 12:04 PM

Lethal:

You started your post "I took a new to me WLA ....." All I can say is Huh?

Lethal Farce · #3 07-21-2008, 12:20 PM

What is this Grammer class? Did you really not understand the question or did you just wan't to give me some sh_t? Please forgive me if it was an awkward use of words.

First part - "new to me" means just that. Recently aquired, no knowledge of problems, maintainance, and or if it runs, etc.
Second part- WLA meaning a motorcyle built around the time of WWII. Approx 66 years old.
LF

shovelmike · #4 07-21-2008, 12:57 PM

Hello there Lethal. JC's a good guy. Yeah I guess he got a little picky there, try not to take it personally. I knew exactly what you were saying.
I haven't messed with WLA's any, but have some Servicar experience (same 45 cu. in. engine). We had a similar situation in which we would get a big air bubble in the fuel line and it would starve for gas and die. We would purge it, only to have it happen again. The owner sold it before we got it all sorted out. Maybe yours is a similar deal. Congrats on getting a great old bike! You might want to check the ignition coil, often they will work when cold and mess up when they get hot.

Lethal Farce · #5 07-21-2008, 01:07 PM

Thanks, Mike.
All I can say is; that is a beautiful little girl. Prettiest smile I have ever seen. Hope all goes well. The bike does not seem real important anymore. Definitely, more important things to do than bickering w/ JC over the internet. Haha
LF

shovelmike · #6 07-21-2008, 01:14 PM

Thanks Lethal. We had her and her brother over for the weekend, great time!
That's my wife (34 yrs.)/ her grandma hugging her in the picture. I'm a sucker for a pretty girl with a pretty smile, anything they want they get!

Lethal Farce · #7 07-21-2008, 02:46 PM

I think it may be the gas cap. One of the other forums suggested maybe a vent issue. I looked at the cap on my other (non-running) bike and it had several noticable vents holes between the cap and liner. The cap in question did not. Maybe some one used a non-vented oil cap by mistake. I will hopefully test it out later. Congrats on 35 years, not too many can claim that anymore. You got a couple of happy looking girls.
LF

BaggerDad · #8 07-21-2008, 04:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lethal Farce

I think it may be the gas cap. One of the other forums suggested maybe a vent issue. I looked at the cap on my other (non-running) bike and it had several noticable vents holes between the cap and liner. The cap in question did not. Maybe some one used a non-vented oil cap by mistake. I will hopefully test it out later. Congrats on 35 years, not too many can claim that anymore. You got a couple of happy looking girls.
LF

The old bikes need to breath through the gas caps or it would create a vacuum slowing the delivery of gas. So yes it might be the gas cap.

Good luck.

Wrightturn · #9 07-21-2008, 04:59 PM

Hey Lethal,

This is one you really want to have the manual for. Don`t expect much help from the dealer. I rode a trike that had the same engine that belonged to the shop I worked for. I was a teenager and will claim faulty memory. When it did not want to idle you had to clean and reset the breaker points. It had manual spark advance and just before you had to replace the points you could cheat and roll back on the spark advance. It would always start but you did have to have a relationship with it to go anywhere.
Shovelmike may have this one figured.

JCourneyaP · #10 07-22-2008, 02:18 PM

Mike and Wright, Thanks for helping Lethal out.

Lethal- Never said this was a grammer class. My grammer is far from perfect. I did not know What a WLA was. I did not have the time to search and find out. Your question made "No sense" the way you asked. I figured it was some sort of bike you took posession of.

Out of all the members and visitors to this site only 4 were kind enough to give you a reply. One was me asking for you to explain. I dont give a rats @ss about grammer. But if you are asking for assistance on a issue I would read over the post before I submitted it to make sure it explains and makes sense for us maybe not so smart guys.

Trust me. I am not a fan of bickering. Why dont you post a picture of the bike so we all can see.