125cc Leopard starting issues

MarcusIrwin

MarcusIrwin

Member
Hey pretty new to water cooled 2 stroke engines, I bought a 125cc IAME Leopard that I was told runs, and when I went to set it up on my kart all it wants to do is turn over. It has air, fuel, and spark, I got a new coil and that didn't do anything for me either. I even put some starting fluid straight onto the top of the piston and it still didn't want to even pop (popped once very loud after multiple tries thought weeks). any ideas, I would love to get this thing going?
 
It may not be turning over fast enough to fire, is the onboard battery charged up pretty well? Avoid starting fluid as tempting as it is. It has no lubricating qualities and is even worse when you spray it on an air filter because it just washes all the dirt and dust through into the motor like liquid sandpaper.
 
Most people have an external starter for Leopards, because even when the onboard works, the brushes eventually vibrate themselves to death also... You can usually find an external starter on here for $150-200 IIRC. Alternatively, a fully charged battery with max CCA, and good brushes...
 
The nice thing about a two-stroke, if the piston is going up and down, and it's got compression (and it doesn't need to be all that great) and spark (at the right time) and fuel, it's going to run. Do a checklist on those things and see what happens.

It's possible it's not turning over fast enough on the start, but it would have to be awfully slow turning over. Find someone with a handheld starter and try that.
 
alvin l nunley said:
The nice thing about a two-stroke, if the piston is going up and down, and it's got compression (and it doesn't need to be all that great) and spark (at the right time) and fuel, it's going to run. Do a checklist on those things and see what happens.

It's possible it's not turning over fast enough on the start, but it would have to be awfully slow turning over. Find someone with a handheld starter and try that.
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I ahve had the same issues with my Wankel, especially when cold and i 1st start it. It has the onboard starter but prefer to use the handheld.
 
I run a modified Leopard in the RWYB class. First thing get rid of the starter it will cause a lot of problems and use a hand held starter. Next pour a little mixed gas down the spark plug hole. If you have spark and compression it will fire. I had the same problem the plug looked wet so I thought it was getting gas but would not start until I put gas down the plug hole.
 
medusa51 said:
I run a modified Leopard in the RWYB class. First thing get rid of the starter it will cause a lot of problems and use a hand held starter. Next pour a little mixed gas down the spark plug hole. If you have spark and compression it will fire. I had the same problem the plug looked wet so I thought it was getting gas but would not start until I put gas down the plug hole.
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If you had to that most times it means something is not right. Carb issues?
 
If you had the carb and reed cage off make sure the little pulse hole is lined up from the case all the way to the carb. However your issue is probably that the onboard battery isn't strong enough to turn the engine over fast enough. When I ran a leopard I only used the onboard starter in an emergency. Otherwise it is just easier to use an external starter.
 
alvin l nunley said:
The nice thing about a two-stroke, if the piston is going up and down, and it's got compression (and it doesn't need to be all that great) and spark (at the right time) and fuel, it's going to run. Do a checklist on those things and see what happens.

It's possible it's not turning over fast enough on the start, but it would have to be awfully slow turning over. Find someone with a handheld starter and try that.we
Click to expand...
Ted Hamilton said:
Most people have an external starter for Leopards, because even when the onboard works, the brushes eventually vibrate themselves to death also... You can usually find an external starter on here for $150-200 IIRC. Alternatively, a fully charged battery with max CCA, and good brushes...
Click to expand...
Scrad said:
If you had the carb and reed cage off make sure the little pulse hole is lined up from the case all the way to the carb. However your issue is probably that the onboard battery isn't strong enough to turn the engine over fast enough. When I ran a leopard I only used the onboard starter in an emergency. Otherwise it is just easier to use an external starter.
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flattop1 said:
Crankcase pressure check , cylinder pressure check and ignition timing check .
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Well I have used a handheld starter but maybe it weans charged up enough, it does turn over quite quickly brand new battery with 12v, it does have spark for sure (new coil) and I can see the spark when I have the plug out (new plug). Also it does have fuel residue coming out of the carb so pretty sure its getting fuel just like my kt100 would do, I'm just really lost hahaha, maybe timing issue? How do I move forward with a timing issue tho? The guy I bought it from (who I don't think its lying) said when he had it on his kart recently and it ran fine.
 
And make sure you have a strong handheld starter, not just one with a small battery, especially if you don't have much experience setting carbs or messing with 2 strokes.
 
Timing you would need a degree wheel or in the hole method .
Me I would find the spec for the timing . Then find the firing point , roll it to that position , then check too see where the piston is in relation too that . It should be very near tdc. Not half way down . That's a rough check , not 100% .
Your in the hole or actual degrees is the accurate method .
Is it electronic control box ignition . Control boxs can be finiky . Everything is grounded good and connected properly ?
 
Leopards are notorious for not starting with the onboard starter. Set your carb needles at 2 turns out from just snug for the low speed ( the one closest to the engine) and 1 turn out for the high speed needle( closest to the airbox). Use a BR10 EG plug, gapped at .030. If you have the key start harness make sure the key is turned one position to the right , thats the run position. If you have the pushbutton box it will run with out doing anything else. Use the remote starter but makes sure its fully charged. If its cold you usually have to cover the airbox inlets with your hand to choke it for a few seconds before it will start. Also, remove the fuel line from the carb inlet and blow into the fuel tank vent to remove any airbubble from the fuel line first. Leopards are notorious for having spark with the plug out, because the engine spins faster with no compression. When you install the plug the engine doesnt turn fast enough for the ECM ( the A box) to tell the ignition to fire. I always start ours cold with a remote starter, then typically as long as the brushes haven't broken they will start with the onboard starter ok when they are warm
 
MarcusIrwin said:
Hey pretty new to water cooled 2 stroke engines, I bought a 125cc IAME Leopard that I was told runs, and when I went to set it up on my kart all it wants to do is turn over. It has air, fuel, and spark, I got a new coil and that didn't do anything for me either. I even put some starting fluid straight onto the top of the piston and it still didn't want to even pop (popped once very loud after multiple tries thought weeks). any ideas, I would love to get this thing going?
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If it popped real loud, like a back fire I bet it broke a reed. Leopards and x30s break reeds easily, any back fire at all usually blows out a half of one side. If you have fuel blowing back out of the front of the carb that is a tell tale sign. You can text me at 315-335-3550 and I can help you out. Dan El Diablo Racing Engines.
 
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