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1997 vindicator 225 hp

J

jikkijack

New member
When I idle through a long "no wake" zone and try to get up on pad the motor goes into shutdown safety mode like it is overheated. If I shut it off and disconnect the battery and wait 5 minutes its fine again. I have replaced the water pump and the pressure is always good. Is it possible that the thermostat or power box is weak or bad. Any ideas??
 
"u dont have to disc batt to r

"u dont have to disc batt to reset -- SLOW mode,...u do,however,need to cool eng and turn off key,..u could,have a bad pwr pack,thermo sensor,u need to ck eng temps on both hds,when it does that,to rule out overheat,and proceed to sensor or faulty pack...if u r ,in fact overheating,thermos and press rel valve,would be next,if u r certain,..u have installed the pump ,and parts correctly."
 
"Thanks JW. I had the water pu

"Thanks JW. I had the water pump installed by a dealer and it cured the problem for most of the season. This sounds strange but it usually starts happening near the end of the season, not having any probs the first three months. I will check what you suggested earlier but could it possible be a weak battery issue?"
 
"You really have to do as JWB

"You really have to do as JWB says....when it is "doing it", get a temp gun on those heads to see if you are really overheating or not.
Normal operating temp is around 145F.
Alternately, you can put your hand on the head, and if you can leave it there for three-four secs without getting burned, it is not too hot.
To rule out a bad temp sensor, you can easily just disconnect the tan wires coming from the sensors at the top of each head. Gotta make sure it is NOT truly hot first, though.

I am wondering if you are getting a large air pocket in the top of the water jacket from air being introduced into the system while idling....
That would cause it to overheat, as well as jeopardize your water cooled rectifier/regulator."
 
"One other thing...if it is ov

"One other thing...if it is overheating, you should be getting a warning horn...
If no horn, and it truly is overheating, you have to fix that too."
 
Yes I forgot that part...the w

Yes I forgot that part...the warning horn and light work when I turn the key on but niether ever go off when it kicks into SLOW mode..
 
"Yeah...it may not be SLOW mod

"Yeah...it may not be SLOW mode at all.
If you have a minute, post the exact details of the engine behavior. RPM, etc.

The warning system normally beeps once on powerup, and the lights cycle thru.

JWB taught me a valuable lesson. On Systems Check engines, the warning horn will NOT sound when there is a fault condition UNLESS the engine is running. It will chirp when the key goes on, so testing of the system must be done with the engine running."
 
It ONLY happens after a 5 minu

It ONLY happens after a 5 minute or more idle in gear after the motor is warm. I will get up on pad for a few seconds and the motor kicks out and wont allow it to rev over 4k rpm...even in nuetral. It idles fine and will drive around fine. No lights or horns. I let it sit for 5 to 10 min turned off and it runs great again. What baffles me the most is it doesnt always happen. I may idle around for 15 minutes and get up on pad with no problems.
 
"if ur hitting 4k....its not s

"if ur hitting 4k....its not slow kickin in...u r prob dropping a cyl,...due to ign/comp/dirty carbs.u could also be hitting a faulty RPM LIMITER in pack..(bad pack)"
 
"1.If the engine runs fine unt

"1.If the engine runs fine until you get above 4900 RPM and then starts missing, check the orange to orange/black power coil wires with an oscilloscope (if available) or replace the pack. A breakdown inside the pack could cause RFI noise to activate the rev limiter for no apparent reason."
 
"where r u located?...i have a

"where r u located?...i have a complete 1995 evin vindicator for sale as we spk,on CL..for 1200.00,..blown pwr head/bad pistons.
i am in lockhart,tx"
 
"Yes, RPM limiter sounds exact

"Yes, RPM limiter sounds exactly what it does. I assumed that was the same as slow (safety)mode. Like I say the motor idles and revs up to 3500 smooth as silk. I assume the pack you are suggesting is the power pack. At 12 years old and $200 bucks it would be an easy fix."
 
"JW, I live in Minnesota just

"JW, I live in Minnesota just a stones throw away, ha ha. You guys are very helpful and I appreciate your help. Thanks"
 
"to be honest,...if the carbs

"to be honest,...if the carbs are spotless as well as the jets in them,..floats wking ok....i'd stick a pack on it....i thought i had a pack prob,..turned out i had the timer ring,on insideof flywheel spinning like a top...u might want to ck THAT...if thats ok,i'd put a pack on it,and if thats not it,..at least u have an extra pack for use ltr..."
 
"Thanks,thats a great point.I

"Thanks,thats a great point.I have my mech clean and check sync on carbs every spring and the motor runs like a top all the time. The problem sure seems electrical not mechanical. This Vindicator is the toughest and most worry free motor I've had. Thanks again JW.."
 
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