Starting work on my XSEleven's carbs....

[markjs]

So I got the KZ750H4 all roadworthy and licensed, so now I have the freedom to fix my XSEleven's carbs. The damn thing gets 15-20MPG. I have no idea how this is even possible, but it runs super rich. Runs great cold, and runs OK warm, but blows a copious amount of black smoke. The exhausts are just about shot, but unfortunately, I am not in any position to fix her up pretty, but rather, just want to get her running right and getting reasonable gas mileage. I have never had the carbs totally apart, but I intend to do that and clean them properly.

So my questions are, what might make it get such crappy mileage? What, if anything should I beware of when I disassemble the carbs? Are there any tricks I might use to really get them working well?

I had other questions but my mind is blanking so maybe I'll post again. I just can't wait to see her running right, considering how much I liked the bike even running somewhat poorly.

[skids]

Re: Starting work on my XSEleven's carbs....

Fix the exhaust. You can clean the carbs, but if the exhaust system is shot, don't bother making carb adjustments to "fix" it or you will have to undo all of the adjustments when you find out they did not help. It the muffs are shot, go to the Harley shop and get some brand new ones that new owners just disgard. You should get them cheap. Get clamps while your at it becaus HD sells high quality clamps.

[DiverRay]

Mark,
You will need two cans of spray carb cleaner, and possibly a few "Q"tips and chrome polish.
Take the carbs ALL the way apart, including ALL the jets out. the emulsion tube should be pushed out from the main jet side, NOT pulled on with pliers. Note the notch, as there is a "tab" in the bore that keeps it lined up.
Clean the carbs using the "Tech Tip" from the MAIN PAGE as help. If I remember correctly, you have a '78 or '79, so the floats need to be set between 27 and 25mm. each bike is a little different, so be prepared to pull the carbs one more time. ALL THE FLOATS MUST BE THE SAME HEIGHT!! The XS is very touchy in this respect. Once you have that done, bench set the sync via the holes in the throttle bore.
After the install, you WILL need to sync the carbs, adjust the idle mixture and sync the carbs once more. The exhaust WILL make a difference, but you can worry about that after it's fixed. Just tune the carbs too the engine as it is, and plan on a retune/sync once the exhaust is fixed.

[Gyrogearloose]

Ray, just for clarity, is the emulsion tube you refer to the same "main nozzle" named in step #8 of carb disassembly in Clymer's? It IS soft not easily removed by needlenose pliers as they recommend. Also, the screw plug seems to back out OK from it's threads, but doesn't finish coming out of the hole. How do you get it out and at the pilot jet?

[DiverRay]

I don't have a Clymers here, but it is probably the same part. If you have the screw plug loose, try putting a flat blade screw driver UNDER the head, and then turn it a little more. I use a tool for removing the door panels on a car, as it has a V notch in it.

[Gyrogearloose]

Thanks Ray, but the head is still down in the hole. Maybe I'm misleading in naming the part, but it's the hole that you have to stick a small screwdriver down in to engage the slot in the top of the "head"? Anyway, I did the screwdriver in the hole thing, and engaged the slot, and it seemed to back out, but then just sits at the top of it's threads and spins. It won't come out, and is still down in the hole. Am I making myself clear enough for visualization? Boy, I hate to mess up anything, as I found out all this stuff is pretty soft material. Already I've made a coupla' trips to Ace and rummaged through their metric screw section to replace Philips heads that have stripped out. And, these screws/bolts seem to be uncommonly tight! Maybe PO has been in there before. Ha.

[markjs]

OK, my experience is not on the XS, as tommorrow is the target date for me starting it's carb work, but on my '83 KZ750H4 "LTD", there was one jet/nozzle/whatever, that was recessed when fully backed out of it's threads and resisted coming out. I had everything else out, so I simply GENTLY tapped the bottoms of the carbs (and the care is taken to avoid breaking off the sides posts that the float pin is installed in) against the table I was woking at and the peices eventually came out after a few tries. A little spray cleaner down the hole before this is attempted can help if it's particularly "gunky".

Both the carbs on the KZ and the XS are the same make I believe, and they could be interchangeable so far as I know, but I have never had them out together. I know internally they are slightly different, but I would hazard to guess that they are simillar enough that the tapping trick should work on the XS. The only real problem would be if there are multiple parts in that hole, and they fell out too fast to figure out what order they go back in, but I doubt that would really be an issue. Still it would be best to have some sort of printed diagram just in case.