My 1997 2510 has been a neglected machine for quite a while. I've been sifting through it bit by bit and I'm just about all fixed
The one problem I can't seem to figure out is this...
It starts and runs great. Idles smooth with a low steady RPM. The problem is that after it has run 5 miles or so and is nice and hot it starts to make a light popping noise, I can't tell if it is an intake or exhaust noise, under full power and you can feel a loss of power and a slight skip. The skip is more a soft than a spark skip might be.
Wires, plugs are new. Carburetor has been rebuilt, valves adjusted.
Would love to hear from someone that might have had this problem and found the problem.
Thanks!!!

 

sounds like a lean mixture. you say valves are set, so thats where I would go next. raise the needle a notch would be the easy thing to do. if its only at, or near full throttle then main jet too small. it could also be electrical though... a coil getting weak & heat breaking it down. maybe ohm it out cold and then hot & see if there is a difference. sometimes you can detect a bad one, but you can't prove it's good because the meter does not stress the insulation like the real circuit does. I would also check routing of the high tension lead & be sure its away from the frame.

 

I've been paying attention to how the problem is occurring. Since I posted my last post the mule has been running well with plenty of power every day and then all of a sudden it starts the loss of power thing and the ( I agree the problem is lean) lean popping sound. So for an update here's what I came up with. I replaced the fuel gauge because It could not be read any more. When I took it out of the tank I shinned a flashlight in there. WOW! There's more large and small junk pieces floating around in there than a stirred up mud puddle! I think what might be happening is one of these floaters is getting sucked up to the opening of the fuel intake pipe in the tank. Shutting the engine off and starting again makes it run good again.
I'm going to try coating the inside of the tank with a rust sealer for fuel tanks. I'd rather a new tank but $365.00 is a bit pricey for a 4 gallon fuel tank. Can't find any alternatives either! Parts for these things are wicked expensive!!! I wonder why???