Two Problems

[Aches n Pains]

Made my first post a couple of months ago (http://www.xs11.com/forum/showthread.php?t=24860). General recommendation was to ride it a while and see what it needed. Great bike and a blast to ride.

1979 XS1100 Special

Two new problems.

1. I removed the octopus. A day or two ago left the gas in the on position and put about a quart on the floor before I realized it was leaking. Came out the vacuum hose from #2 cylinder. No fuel in the cylinders or in the oil. I've lost track of how I planned for the hoses to run but the connection now is shown in these two pictures.

Vacuum end -


Carb end -


Any suggestions on how I should proceed. My instinct is to cap the line at the carbs but then I'm concerned that the carbs might drain into the cylinders if I leave the petcock in the on position.


2. Lubed both the throttle cable and the clutch cable. Clutch cable adjustment at the handlebar was all the way out and cleaning the cable seems to have released it further. Followed the Tech Tip to adjust at the clutch end. Loosened the 12mm nut and the Phillips head adjusting screw will not move in either direction. Don't want to bugger up the Phillips head so I thought I'd ask for suggestions. Three pictures might help.

Clutch lever out with adjustment at 1/2 of it's length at handlebar



Clutch lever in with adjustment at 1/2 it's length at handlebar. Approximately a 1/2 - 3/4" movement of the arm but clutch is not disengaging.


Removed locking nut, washer, and clutch arm


Thanks in advance for your help.

Doug

[Athedra]

I had a similar problem. Recommend stripping your carbs, resetting your floatbowl with the creditcard "trick", and refitting them. I also changed my petcock to be off at the on position, and are now driving permanently in primary position. Did this by removing the vacuum pipe, and blocking the holes on the vacuum mechanism side to prevent it from doing anything.

Just a suggestion.

Your vacuum pipe is correct. So nothing to change there. The clutch sounds as if you might have a broken spring inside. It is possible that your springs callapsed between your plates. Dont know if I am right, but that is what I would check next.

[bikerphil]

The vacuum hose pictured is run correctly. If the carb(s) are flooding when petcock is left on, it means a couple of things. The float is sticking and/or the needle and seat are leaking. The float can stick either by hanging up on the gasket or it can be crudded up. The needle and seat leak because it has dirt in it, the gasket ring is bad, or they are just worn out. Also make sure your vent lines are unobstructed. These are the upper lines in between the carbs that run to the air box.

As for your clutch, try some penetrating oil around the threads. Put the nut back on loosely and try to get the screw to turn. You must be able to turn it to get a proper adjustment. Worse comes worse, you'll have to remove the clutch cover to investigate. HTH

[XSokieSPECIAL]

If you hve removed the octy, which I do not personally recommend however opinions vary. You must be certain your float valves are in really good shape.

Without the octy, turning off the tank valves seems to be a MUST.

Don't know HOW it could have come out of the vac port since it is at the top of the carb and fluid as a rule doesn't flow uphill.

[trbig]

I don't know what the threads are on that allen headed bolt, but if you have a spare clutch, you can double nut the shaft and use the wrench to get that broke loose. If it was me, though, I'd pull the clutch cover off and see of those little balls are in a bind. When you install that cover back on, you have to pull out on that adjuster arm and hold pressure on the balls on the back side.

As for the gas coming out of your vaccum line... Not understanding how that could even be possible? The line is on the TOP of the carb...

I can't see if you have an airbox or pod filters. If it's pods, it will run out of the back of the filter, down the carb and drip off the front side of your carb down very close to the area where that line goes through the side of the case on the back side and onto the floor right under that pickup coil cover and in front of your shifter cover.

Sounds like float needles and seats are needed if they are leaking.


Tod


P.S.... And Greg types faster than me apparently..

[DGXSER]

Carbs question.

If you had gas coming out of that tube opening in the carb, you most decisively got fuel into the cylinder IMHO. I also doubt seriously you had gas up there, it would have filled the air box and the garage to that level first.

If you had gas on the gorund under the bike, the float needle valves (or the float as Phil pointed out) IS the culprit. The petcock will stop fuel from flowing to the carbs, but the float valve stops it from flowing into the carb bowl. Blaming your petcock for the carb overflowing is alot like blaming your shutoff valve down by the floor for your running toilet. Its just there to let you service the toilet bowl components when they fail. Same principle with the petcocks. Spoken by someone who walked out yesterday morning to a puddle under the bike. Turned off petcocks till I got home form work, then pulled the carbs and cleaned up the needle and seat and rechecked all the other passages. Back on, with the same petcocks and all is well now.

BTW, be aware that running with your petcocks in the prime position eliminates your reserve fuel. When it goes dry, the tank is dry! A good test if gas got in the oil I learned on here from severl smart folks is to put a stick ro something in the oil, move away from the bike, and see if the oil lights easily. If it does, you have gas in there.

As to the clutch, I would first put some penetrating oil on the phillips screw there and let it soak a bit then try to turn it. If still no-go. Then put the bike on the sidestand and pull the clutchpan (no need to drian oil if done this way, but you might need to anyway if gas got in the oil.) then remove the clutch and check the components as mentioned earlier. If you look at the tech tip on the 2nd gear dremmel fix, it gives excellent details and pictures of removing the clutch.

[Athedra]

Carbs question.

BTW, be aware that running with your petcocks in the prime position eliminates your reserve fuel. When it goes dry, the tank is dry! A good test if gas got in the oil I learned on here from severl smart folks is to put a stick ro something in the oil, move away from the bike, and see if the oil lights easily. If it does, you have gas in there.

Yep can vouch for that, bike goes BRRRrrrr BRRRrrrr BRRRRrr when you gear it down and stil dont want to restart. As you stop next to the road trying to figure out why, you open the fuel tank, and you can hear the crickets play with the needle in the, and while you open it up, watch out for the camel walking around in there.

[XSokieSPECIAL]

Yep can vouch for that, bike goes BRRRrrrr BRRRrrrr BRRRRrr when you gear it down and stil dont want to restart. As you stop next to the road trying to figure out why, you open the fuel tank, and you can hear the crickets play with the needle in the, and while you open it up, watch out for the camel walking around in there.

I don't think Beastiality has anything to do with it.