Time to do the carbs

[vincer]

I have to clean the carbs. Should I get rebuild kits for the carbs and if so where can I find them for an 82 xj1100? I went to Partsnmore and they did not have the kit for an XJ. I have been all through the carbureter maintenance and did not find a source for rebuild kits.

[cokeman]

Vince: When I rebuilt mine I used kits for an 81 XS. All the same parts. I picked them up at a local shop. I think they were around $15 per carb.

[mro]

MikesXS.com

kit for BS34 III around $12.00 ea
Rubber tipped float needle, seat and gasket.

mro

[81xsproject]

you seldom need the kits and it can usually be done cheaper without. Especially with the 80's carbs because the idle mixture screws don't get smash as easily or broken off. You could probably do it with just new bowl gasket, float needles, and idle screw seals all of which are easily attainable between mikesxs.com and cycle recycle.

[Crazcnuk]

What you get in a MikesXS rebuild kit is the bowl gasket, needle w/seat, seat o-ring and the little rubber pilot jet plugs, which are not needed for the 80 carbs.

There isn't really anything else that you would need, unless you find something broken, bent or worn out.

Oh, and I have an '80 with one 'mashed' idle mixture screw!! Leave it to my luck to get the 'seldom' ones...

[trbig]

It depends on WHY you say it's carb cleaning time. If it's simply running rough, then I'd maybe get some bowl gaskets, but you'll probably be able to salvage those if you are easy about taking the bowls off. Better yet... make them yourself. Pretty simple.

If it's been leaking gas out of the carb throats, then I'd just go ahead and get needle valves and seats. I don't know the MikesXS prices, but here's a link to

Partsnmore.com


If your carbs are stock, the idle mixture screws will have a brass plug over the top of them. Several people on here advise to pull that brass cap with a small screw screwed into the hole and pried out. If the bike was running fine before and it just has some crud that needs cleaned out... I would advise AGAINST pulling these plugs and messing with the mixture. I've never had my brass caps off and the bike purrs like a kitten now and doesn't blue or yellow the pipes. If it ain't broke.. don't mess with it!




Tod

[vincer]

Pod Filters

I got some pod Filters from Cokeman over the weekend and put them on. While doing so I pulled the carbs to get the air box out. When I had the carbs out I turned them on thier side to get them out of the way for a minute. I then reassembled everything and put the pods on. The number one carb was dripping a bit after reassembly, but after a few easy taps it quit. Later that evening when I went to put the bike away I noticed a huge wet spot underneath and saw the number 3 carb had a steady drip. So I am assuming that when I turned the carbs on thier side that there must have been some crud in the bowl that got up onto the float valve and that is what is causing the drip. So If I am going to take them apart then I want to clen them while I am at it. But I have had absolutely no trouble with them until now. so maybe I should just take the bowl off and see if I can clean out the crud. Like you said "if it ain't broke then don't fix it".

[Ken Talbot]

Re: Pod Filters

Originally posted by vincer
so maybe I should just take the bowl off and see if I can clean out the crud. Like you said "if it ain't broke then don't fix it".

Remember that leaking float valves also indicate a problem with the vacuum-operated petcocks on a standard, or in your case with the XJ which is like a Special, a faulty octopus. If either of these systems is working properly, you won't get a leak. If you have any leak, both systems are defective.

[vincer]

Ken, so if this is the case would fuel only come out of one carb? You would think that the fuel would come out of all the carbs if the octopus was bad?

[Crazcnuk]

No, as he said it means 'both' systems are at fault.

This means that the octopus AND the float needle have to be bad for it to overflow.

From the info we have this means he has one bad float needle (possibly just dirt) and a leaky octopus assy.

[Crazcnuk]

No, as he said it means 'both' systems are at fault.

This means that the octopus AND the float needle have to be bad for it to overflow.

From the info we have this means you have one bad float needle (possibly just dirt) and a leaky octopus assy.

I would take it out out for a short highway cruise, first, as it may flush the speck of dirt out.

[Ken Talbot]

Crazy's on the right track. The flakey octopus is allowing fuel to keep flowing from both petcocks after the motor is off. Vincer is experiencing gas leaking from #1, and then from #3. Just taking off the bowls and cleaning them out is not going to get out the cr@p that is holding the float valves open.

[egsols]

When I had the carbs out I turned them on thier side to get them out of the way

By turning the carbs on their side maybe the float needle springs got misaligned and are now binding slightly. Just a thought. Pulling off the bowls and checking for free movement on all of the floats will tell. I once had a little bit of shellac on the float pin which keep it from moving.

Like Craz and Ken said the fuel will only overflow when you have BOTH a float and octopus issue. If the octopus works properly the fuel will shut off and the bowls should not overflow as no more fuel will be added.

I still have my octo but have been in the habit, for many years, of turning the pcs to off. Using the pcs helps to keep them from sticking and leaking later on.