How I shot myself in the foot on Fathers Day....

[manshack_one]

Ok, I had to resize the photos because I was getting really tired of scrolling left to right to read your response TopCat.

Thanks for your description, It's much appreciated. I didn't get anything done tonight except buying some carb cleaner, brake fluid and an oil drain pain. By the way, what oil do you put in this bike? I think I'll try the burn out method on the cylinders first. Which brings me to my next question, where do you get your sparkplugs at and about how much do they run you? Walmarts spark plug section is lacking and the computer doesn't have motorcycles and the book hanging next to them list a plug they don't even carry.

Oh, TopCat, that brass nipple thing came off the petcock when I was pulling the fuel hoses off. Oreilly's didn't have any fuel hose. I found some on ebay that comes in 10 ft lengths but not sure about the size. Sometimes they list as 1/4" but are so thick walled it just wouldn't work.

I'm not trying to talk myself out of a good carb cleaning (ok maybe I am) but the shop said they had it running but would flood in 1/2 mile or less. They put in new carb kits and everything appears clean so I may try and just adjust the float height for now, put in some clean plugs, and see if I can't at least get the thing to start. I'd feel so much better about not buying a complete lemon if I could just hear it run for a few minutes.

[oseaghdha]

Originally posted by manshack_one


I'm not trying to talk myself out of a good carb cleaning (ok maybe I am) but the shop said they had it running but would flood in 1/2 mile or less. They put in new carb kits and everything appears clean so I may try and just adjust the float height for now, put in some clean plugs, and see if I can't at least get the thing to start. I'd feel so much better about not buying a complete lemon if I could just hear it run for a few minutes.

Hell, most of the work is removal and reinstallation.
Take them apart and make sure.
You may find there are incorrect parts in there.

[TopCatGr58]

Hey Manshack,

Sorry for the delay, but I was out actually riding my bike the past couple of days....not meaning to rub it in, just explaining why I wasn't on the forum yesterday. I got up at 5am, left at 5:30, rode ~100 miles south to meet up with Laxdad that had come down from NY with a group of ~12 V-twinners, HD's and Metric, for a week's vacation in North Carolina. We then rode east to the ocean, then south along the outerbanks, rode 1 ferry, another island stretch, then a 2.5 hour ferry ride across to the southern shoreline, then another ride north back to their hotel, and then finally my ~100 mile ride back home, total ~450 miles!
I got in about 10:45pm, and was a bit tired!

I then got up today at 7:30am today, left at 8:00 on another ~100 mile run up to Richmond area to meet up with Oldbiker648 for some fun running around his neck of the woods, some very nice twisty/sweeper roads, and also found a nice empty park lot to video a few attempts at doing some wheelies! We also found a nice open curved spot to try to shoot some action videos and still shots. Ran out of time, I had to leave and get back to SWMBO by 6:30pm tonight! Did a total of ~350 more miles today Sorry.....didn't mean to turn this into a ride report!

From your earlier photos, it looks like you have an AIRBOX, as I mentioned, did you check the hoses and "T" fittings and airbox fittings to make sure they are all CLEAR, that you can blow air thru them?? That's one of the leading causes of carb flooding, but also the float needles not making a good seal.....yours are the full metal kind. Did you check the floats to make sure they don't have pinholes in them....bubble check??

Do a search for OIL THREAD, and you'll find out why "WE" aren't responding to your question! Then read the tech tips, faqs!

As for spark plugs, there's a tech tip that lists the different brands and models that cross reference with the NGK numbers. I use Champions myself(N9YC:no resistor)local auto store at a couple bucks each, others have put in platinums, etc.! Depending on your location/climate as well as how you ride ie., short trips or long distance rides, the condition of your engine, will all affect the heat range that you pick. Best to first pick one closest to the OEM style, and then gauge how the plugs look at later times after riding a while!

The fuel hose is 1/4" ID, someone already posted about the alternative(VW fuel hose/Napa) and where to get it, but you could also go to your local MC dealer...I got some about $3.00 a foot last year!
T.C.

[manshack_one]

When you guys put your carbs back in, do you push them onto the airbox side boots first or the cylinder side first?

I got the carbs apart and everything is sqeaky clean. Everything appears to be in order. I'm pretty sure the floats are set right. Got them put back together but can't seem to get the boots to slip on. Tried WD40 but they just seem to keep catching.

Also, when you're looking at the carb with the float bowl off, what's that screw for right below that main jet in the middle for? There's another jet underneath it but I was wondering if that's supposed to be screwed all the way down or if it's the screw everyone said to leave out a little.

[oseaghdha]

First things first:
Make sure all the clamps are quite loose.
Insert carbs into the inlet to the head first.
Attach air box to carbs.
Tighten clamps.
Install air box bolts last.

You should check the float height by measuring.
The other screw reveals the idle jet, which needs to be removed and cleaned along with the passages. Lightly seat the jet when reinstalling. This is the jet which may be incorrect if the wrong kit was used, could be part of your flooding problem.

[planedick]

Better way...

I hav found, after at least 50 times, that putting the carbs into the airbox and tightening the clamps first then move the whole setup forward into the cylinder boots. Putting the airbox on last is a PITA because the boots are too soft and very hard to reach and stretch around the carbs.

[Bud Manley]

I used Vaseline to slip the boots in easier. I don't like using wd40 because it degrades some stuff.

also works well for fuel injectors and butts.
or so I've been told.

[manshack_one]

I am severely frustrated by my lack of technical expertise. To the best of my knowledge there is no spark on the bike. I went out and bought an ignition tester that you push the plug wire onto and then clip to the engine but even it didn't spark. I'm just wondering if there's some kind of safety feature built in that I'm not doing right. The key is on, the kill switch is in the middle, the neutral light is on and verified by rolling the bike, the starter and engine are turning over well. I'm just missing something easy I know it. All the fuses appear intact. I'll pull them maybe tonight when i get a battery for my voltmeter to test them. Once my voltmeter is running I'll search the forum for ignition testing and start working through that.

[DiverRay]

Try looking at the "tip over" switch. It's located under the fuel tank, just above the coils. If it went bad, no spark. You can bypass it easily, just make a jumper wire to short the two pins on the connector. I would try that first, as you do NOT need to do anything but pull the tank.
I think if you look at the main page, and go down to the electrical modification section, you will find a thread.

[manshack_one]

I'll look for it later. Maybe tonight. I just end up frustrated everytime I go out there and can't make anything work.

My offer still stands if someone would be willing to come over and spend about an hour with me. I'm in Crockett TX. I'll be off for 2 weeks starting Friday. Probably starting Monday I could entertain a visitor. Beer and Barbecue!! MMMMMM.......

Oh, and maybe a ball game on my 120" television.

[TopCatGr58]

Hey Manshack,

I think Ray may be thinking of the XJ's sidestand switch which requires jumping! The Tipover switch under the tank is normally OPEN, not jumped, only when the bike leans to 60 degrees or more does the switch close and then connects the black/white wire to the ground wire shutting down the TCI! So...you will want to just remove/unplug it to bypass it, you don't want to put a jumper on the connector.

During starting, the TCI sends power directly to the coils bypassing the ballast resistor, but once the bike starts, power is then routed THRU the resistor to the coils! If the starter motor is turning, then it's not the KILL SWITCH. It's either the ignition FUSE, or the TCI, or the Ignition high tension coils! Get that battery for your meter and get to testing!
T.C.

[manshack_one]

I guess my kill switch is broken because it turns over no matter what it's turned to. The bike has been dumped on the right side and I wouldn't put it past the PO to have hotwired it to be on all the time. It only rocks to two positions anyway instead of all three.

I've got batteries and a printout so I'm off to check some voltage.

[manshack_one]

I've moved my technical problems to a different thread in the XS discussion forum under "what would cause a bike not to spark".

Just FYI for those of you still hanging in there with me.

Thanks Guys!


I'll still keep this thread updated with any significant progress and hopefully one day a picture of me actually piloting this monster!