Clearing The Air!!!!!

**mitch** · 03-15-2008, 12:54 PM

Great

Jim
Good your recovering from your accident, hope things are getting better for you. Im glad you posted to clear things up. Youve done some nice work from what pics i saw. Welcome back and dont be a stranger
DOUG

**JACKHAMMER01** · 03-15-2008, 01:31 PM

Thanks Mitch. Recovery is a major PITA! Unfortunately, I did have to relocate my business, and only re-opened a little over a month ago. Actually, in January I acquired a new space, tried to do the wrenching myself, but wasn't able to do much. So I hired a helper that I could teach the vintage bike skills to, and he has been a big help. As far as being a stranger, that will depend on the attitudes of others on this forum, not me. But I do thank you for the kind words of welcome.

**jetmechmarty** · 03-15-2008, 02:03 PM

That was an education on many levels! Here's hoping you enjoy a full recovery.

**TomB** · 03-15-2008, 02:51 PM

TomB, those carbs in the photo you posted were NOT TC's

I posted the photo in a light hearted way to try cheer TC up, he seemed real p!ssed at the time, and also to wish him luck in the recovery of his carbs.

The luck appears to have worked.

Hope the luck works for you with business and health too.

Tom

**JACKHAMMER01** · 03-15-2008, 03:36 PM

Thanks to all.

**prometheus578** · 03-15-2008, 04:05 PM

"Glad that's cleared up."

And thanks for being a good sport about it, Jim.
We can only operate on the info we have at the time, and unforseen circumstances, like yours, are few and far between.(Quite a bit different than that %$#~* E bay seller that ripped me and 65 other people off last month)
Gee, could that have clouded my judgement?
Glad that you're up and around and have the shop open again.

**81xsproject** · 03-15-2008, 04:41 PM

I don't think that you can deal in vintage bikes and not have had the experience at least once. You send your more money/barter-item and nothing ever shows up in the mail.

Jim, I would be willing to be that it has happened to you before as well. If not consider yourself very luck. We are glad to see you back here on the site. Like Prom said, a situation like yours is usually not why parts never reach there destination. So, please don't take anything said in the previous posts personally. As for your current situation, I wish you the best of luck with the new biz and a speedy recovery.

**TopCatGr58** · 03-15-2008, 07:37 PM

Hey Jim,

Guess I should have looked closer at this forum before I posted my reply in the "where's my tank" thread, since I clearly hadn't seen THIS thread!

I wasn't pissed, just curious as to what had happened to you, and I'm sorry that it was such an ordeal and hardship on you!

I'm pretty sure I've got an old special tank with some petcocks on it that I can remove and send you(the petcocks)....no charge. It's an extra dented tank that I won't have a use for. Can't say what condition the rubber valve/gasket is in, but rebuild kits are fairly easy to get from sources like Georgefix on Ebay, fairly cheaply.

And you possibly only really need to use one, folks have done flow tests, and 1 easily flows more than enough fuel to keep all 4 carbs running with plenty to spare. The only thing is a little less reserve IF/WHEN you let it run that low since the bottom of the tank would be split by the inner divider section! A couple of quick tank slapper movements would probably slosh enough to keep you going till the next station??

Would just block off the other hole in the tank, and run a "Y" splitter to feed both pairs of carbs!

I thought you really wanted the look of the teardrop special tank on your machine, and already have it custom painted and such? Fred isn't in that big a hurry to get it back, and would probably prefer the Standard tank anyways, so if you wouldn't mind holding on/waiting till you receive the petcocks and get your Special tank working before deciding to send one back, I'm sure Fred would appreciate it as well!

You mentioned that the 1 set of carbs you got from Canada were essentially trashed!

I thought you had ordered a second set, or was it that the set from Canada was the only ones you ordered but had not arrived in time for the bike show?

Were the rubber diaphragms all messed up, what was the extent of damage to them?? I feel a bit bad about leaving you with a bike without any operable carbs!

Several folks have recently been doing some carb swaps, like putting more modern GXR carbs on their XS11's with much success, better mileage and performance and ease of tuning! Might do a search for those threads, might be able to get some locally, JAT!?

Okay, I'll get out in the SHED tomorrow and see where I've got those petcocks, and pull them to send!
T.C.

PS, Tom's post was just a humorous jest, letting me know what a bank of carbs looked like thinking that I might have forgotten what they looked like since they were on your machine the past 6 months!

Again, no biggie, and apologies for having doubted you!!

**Stralya** · 03-15-2008, 08:41 PM

I feel the love....

**fredintoon** · 03-15-2008, 10:35 PM

Keep the Special tank

Hi Jim,
Sad to hear you'd been broadsided and I wish you a full and speedy recovery.
Fer chrissake DON"T send my spare Special tank back to me, that'd do neither of us any good in as much as I'd be out the postage and so would you and neither of us would have the tank we wanted. And yeah, TC sez you already gave it a custom paint job. I have two phone numbers for you and will call you soon but not now it's 10.30 pm.

**JACKHAMMER01** · 03-16-2008, 04:14 PM

First off, TC, it was a pleasure actually meeting you, after we had spoken by phone & email on numerous occasions over the last couple of years. And not for a moment did I think that you were pissed. Your drive to MB was completely understandable, all things considered. And as soon as I remember which box contains the extra jets for your carbs, those will be in the mail back to you. I didn't even think about those when you stopped by the shop. My apologies on that, it was a simple oversight.

The carbs that I was waiting on for the show back in October, the ones from Canada, finally did arrive, around November 6 or 7, I can't really remember. But at that time I was still in the hospital, barely able to think, much less move or even piss in a bottle without help. (That is not a fun thing, having to have help to take a piss. sorry for the crudity of that statement.) When I finally did get a chance to open them up and look at them, I knew that I had wasted over $200, just to hold a 4-bank of trash. Had it been just the diaphrams, I could have ordered new ones. I have a source that supplies them at $65 each, new. But the bodies were extremely pitted inside, without much hope of repair. Oh well, such is life!

I appreciate the offer of petcocks, and I also have a source for rebuild kits for those at $22 each. They will come in handy for the tank. Yes, I wanted/still want the teardrop look on this bike. But at this point, I was under the impression that just sending Fred back his tank was the best road to take. As I read today, that was the wrong impression. Thankfully. And thank you.

Fred, I did get your email today. And yes, I have already custom painted the special tank. But had I sent it back to you, I would have repainted it the orange you spoke of first, as a way of apologizing for the time taken, etc. But I don't mind waiting, if you don't mind. FYI, the standard tank has no leaks, and will be in primer for you, with new petcocks already installed. Ready to go! Thanks for your patience.

TC, I have a line on another set of carbs here locally. So don't feel bad about leaving with your carbs in hand. All is good, so don't fret.

Later to all, it is time to eat.

**TopCatGr58** · 03-16-2008, 09:06 PM

Originally posted by JACKHAMMER01

I appreciate the offer of petcocks, and I also have a source for rebuild kits for those at $22 each. They will come in handy for the tank. Yes, I wanted/still want the teardrop look on this bike. But at this point, I was under the impression that just sending Fred back his tank was the best road to take. As I read today, that was the wrong impression. Thankfully. And thank you.

Hey Jim,

The petcocks(2) are packaged up and will be in the mail tomorrow! They are a bit rough looking, but should clean up nicely with a good rebuild kit providing the kit has all of the proper O-rings, the one that goes around the valve handle, the 5 holed round washer/valve that goes inside, as well as the Oval one for the tank seal, the felt washers for the mounting screws, it may even have a new wavy washer!

I pulled the filter towers off, and soaked them in carb cleaner, they were full of varnish and gunk, they are quite clean now. They are just a pressure/interference fit into the petcock bodies. You'll still want to tear down the petcocks, soak and possibly ultrasound to get all passages clean. I even included the mounting philips head screws, but you may want to use socket hex head instead?? Hope this gets your Teardrop tank going for you!

Stay well, and busy!!

T.C.

**fredintoon** · 03-16-2008, 09:31 PM

petcock filters

" the filter towers - - - - are just a pressure/interference fit into the petcock bodies. "
>
Hi Jim,
that is, the filter towers are "supposed" to be a push fit in there. One time I was out riding and went onto reserve. But switching to reserve didn't let any more gas flow. Hooray for the jerrycan of extra fuel! Tore the tank off and pulled the fuel taps after I got home. Both filters were rattling round loose inside the tank, probably been that way for months. Which meant I'd been innocently riding with no reserve and unfiltered fuel all that time. Me, I'd fix those filter towers in place with a smear of JBWeld, alleged interference fit or no.

**jetmechmarty** · 03-16-2008, 09:36 PM

Hey Fred!

I'll bet you were on your XS650 when that happened! The Eleven doesn't vibrate so much.

Clearing The Air!!!!!

Clearing The Air!!!!!

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