Got her running, but part 2

[prez342]

Thanks to Matteis for sending me another float bowl.
After putting it on she started right up though #3 carb would not work. Rechecked the floats in it, it looked fine. It is getting gas. Next step is to replace the spark plug (it is clean). I never had a problem with this carb before. wondering if it might be that I took the Octy off and possibly should have caped off the air tubes or put them in the wrong hole. I also know the next step would be to check the coils (never had a problem with them before)
Any ideas?

[MindWebs]

check the pick-up wires, see link.
http://www.xs11.com/xs11-info/tech-t...pictorial.html

hmm, that idea was flawed... 2 pickups 4 cylinders...

i'm not sure which coils you have but it's easy to check them...
pull off a wire, hook a spare spark plug to the wire, rest it on the engine casing so the plug gets it's proper ground and turn the key on and push the starter button and watch the plug and see if you have spark while the engine is turning over.

and back to your vac line comment...
if you've removed the octy, the sync port inbetween the carb and engine must be capped off, if it is not capped, this will allow extra air into the engine and cause that cylinder to be very lean on fuel.(light or white plug)

all of the spark plugs should show a nice light brown color to the porceline
insulator around the electrode, about the color of cardboard.

if it's darker you are likly running rich
if it's lighter you are running lean

all 4 sync ports must be capped when driving the bike.

if you'll keep checking we'll try the best we can to help.

hope this helped.
some of this is also covered in the service manual.

i'll post the links for them in just a few minutes.

[Larrym]

Elimination

Gas in the float bowl of #3 is a good thing. But it must make it up through the tubes/jets/orifices and make it into the cylinder.

And you know #3 carb is not working because....um...???

Just because #3 cylinder exhaust pipe is cold?

Check for spark at #3 plug. If it's OK then go back in to #3 carb and compare it to the #4 carb which is working perfectly, right?

Make sure that there are no vacuum lines or ports which are open to the air when they should be connected.

[prez342]

I think I got the carb number wrong. The problem carb is the one under where the octy was. Yes the pipe is cold and when I get another spark plug I will test it with the wire off.
There is a tube comming off the boot by this carb, does this need to be capped and there is another tube comming from the same area on the engine does that one need to be capped. Thanks for helping a novice like me.

[bikerphil]

The port on the #2 carb goes to the vac. advance under the left ignition cover. If you are running the octy, the vac. line from it goes to one of the carb boots. All other 3 carb boot ports should be capped.

[Larrym]

Umm.. Just like Phil said.

I don't have the "octy" on my bike but then the Clymer's manual lays it out the way the builders meant it to go. If you don't have a manual then you can use the "member" search function here on the site and look for "Catatonic Bug". His website has the repair manuals in a downloadable form.

Basically the octy has a lot of lines leading into and out of it. Only one line is used to turn the fuel on/off and that is the one which connects to the carb boot on #2.

The other line that connects to the actual carb body of #2 is the one to control the vaccum advance which is down beneath the left engine cover near your left big toe.

All the other tubes/ports on the other carb boots are connected to gauges and used in the marvelous "carb Synch" process.

[MindWebs]

pictures in books..

some books and pictures will probibly help.

These are free downloads, i just loaded them.
enter safety code in top right corner and click download
Then click regular download.
open it or save it to your hard drive... whatever you'd like.

here you go:

Vacuum gauge calibration instructions
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=WC0A3044

YamFactoryXS1100Manual.pdf
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=ZXHFKEDY

ShaftDriveManual.pdf
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=42QVZYLC

XJ1100 service manual .pdf
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=E0OXIB5H

XS1100SFPartslist.pdf
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=ZKDCH8AN

Yamaha_XS1100_Owners_Manual.pdf
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=7SRUNM0P


Have fun!!

[DiverRay]

You did pull the plug and put it in the proper way? If you have gas in the bowel, you should have fuel in the engine. Do a "finger" compression test. Pull all 4 plugs, stop up #2 with your finger and see if you can hold it while the engine cranks. If you can, you have a problem. This is also the time to test the spark plugs in air. Plug all 4 into the caps, lay the metal part on the head and watch for spark on all 4.
If #2 is not getting spark, I would try the cap first. Unscrew it off the wire and use a volt/ohm meter to check it. It should be no more than 5.5K Ohms between the wire side and the spark plug side. If it's higher than that, it needs to be replaced. Go to any auto parts store that carries NGK spark plugs and have them order you 4 new caps. They should be about $4.50 each, and last another 25 years.

[prez342]

This will be todays project. I also think that by routing the hoses in the proper way and plugging up boot on number two it might work, if not it's on to the spark test. I will send you out comp for your part, it work just fine.
Thanks again.