Terrible vacation with my doo

[68ragtop]

Here's what I would do. Take it apart & see if you can remove the springs below the bellows. put it back together without them & install the upper springs. Now the vales should be closed unless something is really wrong. Then go ride the ski tomorrow as planned. If your bog is gone, you know you found your issue. Good chance you will have a new issue where the ski won't want to rev past 5500-6K, but at least you will know whats up.

I gotta get to bed now..... Lol

 

[jammin777]

thank you very much for hanging with me you've been a huge help

 

[jammin777]

i removed the inner spring, the bellows still holds the open but when i place the cap and spring on it closes! going to try it like that.

 

[Sportster-2001-951C-Stock]

On the 951 carb, the RAVE solenoid vents the RAVE side to atmosphere when it's not energized by the MPEM, so the air inside the RAVE bellows can escape. My RAVES do come up a bit when I remove the cap and top spring, there's a spring under the bellows that tensions the captive o-ring seal keeper. once the top spring is tensioned, the RAVE is in full down position.

Item 21 in this drawing is the check valve that builds the positive pressure for the RAVE bellows to lift the RAVE.

http://partsfinder.onlinemicrofiche...seadoopwc&a=270&b=16&c=0&d=-AIR-INTAKE-SYSTEM

 

[Sportster-2001-951C-Stock]

In this drawing, item 10 is the spring that's under the bellows to keep tension on the captured o-ring:

http://partsfinder.onlinemicrofiche...&a=270&b=5&c=0&d=-CYLINDER---EXHAUST-MANIFOLD

Thus, the RAVE will lift if you remove the cap and upper spring.

 

[Sportster-2001-951C-Stock]

i removed the inner spring, the bellows still holds the open but when i place the cap and spring on it closes! going to try it like that.

I think you can't do this b/c exhaust gasses will enter and destroy the bellows and upper cap!!!

 

[jammin777]

ok good point, so weird that the rave cap springs will not close the rave or hold it down it stays up so i just now ordered new springs hopefully mine are just not strong enough
thinking about it your are right! that spring need to be there to hold the captured oring in place

 

[Sportster-2001-951C-Stock]

If you install both springs, the RAVE blade should be completely down. If not then something is misassembled.

 

[jammin777]

could it be cheap bellows? i got the from sbt and the bellows may be stiffer than say oem or a good quality one

 

[Sportster-2001-951C-Stock]

ok good point, so weird that the rave cap springs will not close the rave or hold it down it stays up so i just now ordered new springs hopefully mine are just not strong enough
thinking about it your are right! that spring need to be there to hold the captured oring in place

Are the springs swapped in the wrong position or something? The RAVE must be down when both springs are installed, if not then something is definitely wrong!

 

[Sportster-2001-951C-Stock]

could it be cheap bellows? i got the from sbt and the bellows may be stiffer than say oem or a good quality one

I'm not sure, but I think your low end performance will suck if the RAVES aren't in the down position. There's something definitely not right id the tops spring cannot push it down and overcome the lower spring.

Is the o-ring keeper in upside down maybe? The convex side of this keeper should face down and help keep the o-ring snug around the RAVE shaft.

Edit: I meant concave side, not convex.

 

[jammin777]

nope the inner spring is much shorter that goes under the bellows, i sure i have the bellows on right should be a no brainer.
and yes the concave side is down on the oring

 

[Sportster-2001-951C-Stock]

I don't think it's the cheap bellows, hard for me to believe that is the cause. Although, well, it's always buyer beware when aftermarket stuff is involved. But check that o-ring keeper that's under the lower spring b/c I'm betting the keeper is upside down.

 

[Sportster-2001-951C-Stock]

nope the inner spring is much shorter that goes under the bellows, i sure i have the bellows on right should be a no brainer.
and yes the concave side is down on the oring

Well something isn't right if once the upper cap and spring are installed the RAVE isn't fully down. There is nothing else to move it down besides the pressure from top spring.

And, the lower spring keeps that inner o-ring from leaking exhaust into the bellows.

 

[jammin777]

I don't think it's the cheap bellows, hard for me to believe that is the cause. Although, well, it's always buyer beware when aftermarket stuff is involved. But check that o-ring keeper that's under the lower spring b/c I'm betting the keeper is upside down.

i did check it and concave is towards the bottom on the oring and flat side up. im hoping the rave cap springs are too weak.
i just pulled the oring keeper to confirm and all look good. i also reinstalled the inner spring

 

[Sportster-2001-951C-Stock]

Here's an idea, if you want to force the RAVE down for testing purposes, you can stuff the upper cap with a paper shop towel.

 

[Sportster-2001-951C-Stock]

Ha, maybe someone installed the incorrect upper springs.

Edit: or the same could be true for the lower springs. I can imagine someone removed the caps and the upper springs popped off into the water or something like that.

 

[jammin777]

Ha, maybe someone installed the incorrect upper springs.

yep that's what i'm wondering. i have no idea what the po did and don't have another set to compare it to so ijust ordered new ones from osd

i think the lower spring are ok as they are not very strong but who knows. i cant seem to find any but i believe the uppers are wrong as i just tried it again and is not strong enogh to hold the rave down. they look right but may still be wrong

 

[Sportster-2001-951C-Stock]

There should also be an o-ring on the blade shaft below the housing, to see it you have to remove the housing. This o-ring helps to keep exhaust from entering the bellows when the RAVE is in the up position, and I think it also cushions the RAVE from banging the housing.

But that o-ring down there can't be the cause of the RAVE not going down at rest, I just wanted to point out there's supposed to be one there.

It's item #4 on this drawing:

http://partsfinder.onlinemicrofiche...&a=270&b=5&c=0&d=-CYLINDER---EXHAUST-MANIFOLD

ragtop's DI uses a little different design, it has a piston in the upper housing that moves up and down instead of a bellows like ours do.

 

[jammin777]

heres a pic of the upper rave cap springs

 

[Sportster-2001-951C-Stock]

yep that's what i'm wondering. i have no idea what the po did and don't have another set to compare it to so ijust ordered new ones from osd

i think the lower spring are ok as they are not very strong but who knows. i cant seem to find any but i believe the uppers are wrong as i just tried it again and is not strong enogh to hold the rave down. they look right but may still be wrong

MAybe they're DI springs or something like that, or they came from Hobby Lobby.

 

[jammin777]

hahaha lol could be

 

[jammin777]

did you see the picture of the spring on the above post?

 

[Sportster-2001-951C-Stock]

heres a pic of the upper rave cap springs

I remember my springs fit around the outside of the plastic hex nut that threads onto the RAVE shaft.

Edit: Yes, I see your photo and they do look similar to mine but it's really hard to know if they're the right ones.

When I take my caps off, those things go flying across the bilge if I'm not careful, then they roll under the motor. In a ski they probably go right in the water or across the garage.

 

[jammin777]

yea mine does too and inside the red cap