xj1100 float hieght

[cycleguy]

any of the XJ owners know the correct way to set float hieghts on the XJ1100 ? the factory manual shows 3mm +/- 1mm below float bowl to screw contact point. in another picture shows measuring from bottom of carb! which is correct? Just rebuilt carbs -- has'nt been run since 92! did yhe trans backcut, valve job ect. only 4,000 miles on the bike. i set the floats measured at the float body to screw! would like to know for sure before starting it. thanks in advance cycleguy

[Ken Talbot]

The idea of checking fuel level in the bowls is to get all four carbs drawing up the same amount to get the fuel to the venturi.

The plastic tube method in the shop manual gives you an idea where each carbs is, but you still need to remove the carbs, turn them over, remove the float bowls, and adjust "by slightly bending the float arm tang" - as illustrated. This gets to be real tedious real fast if you put it all back together each time you "slightly" bend a tang. IMHO, it is pretty much impossible to get all four bowls the same this way.

Instead, with the carbs upside down and bowls off, use a caliper to measure the height from the body of each carb to the top of the float lobes (which is actually the bottom of the lobes as the whole bank is upside down). Don't worry so much about what this measurement is, just make sure you get all four floats adjusted to the same height. I actually shoot for +/- 0.5 mm, not the 1mm specified. If you want a starting point, pick any one of the existing heights and set the other three to the same amount.

Remember, the first time through is just to get all four floats exactly the same. Once you get it all back together, sync'd and 'colortuned', you can move along to reading plug colour to see if you're running just right, or rich, or lean overall. Then you go back in and adjust the floats all again if needed. I.e. - if your plugs are all consistently black, you go in and lean it out lowering the fuel level, by setting the floats so they ride lower in the bowls. Because the carbs are upside down, this means you increase the height from the carb body to the float lobes.

[Larrym]

Visual Aid

What Ken said but with pictures by Ken as well:

http://www.xs11.com/forum/showpost.p...9&postcount=12

If Ken ever cancels his Photobucket account I'm gonna be SOL...

[henri]

Float Level

I have been having trouble with that very same issue the past week or two.

The visuals Ken have are spot on and works. My manual have one method for the float hight and one method for the clear tube method. So I decided to use them in combination.

The float height I set using calipers with the depth measurement. As said earlier, turn the carb bank on its head and remove the float bowls. Then set the calipers to the correct depth. Mine is 25,7 mm. Measure both sides of the float so that the highest part touches the calipers without depressing the float at all. Try and get all of them exactly the same. If you have rubber floats, great. I had badly bent copper ones and it took a while.

Then I verified my settings using the clear tube method. I built a stand from square tubing pipes and used a level to get the carbs absolutely level. With the float bowls replaced, connect a tube to two of the drain plugs at the bottom of the carbs and put fuel in using a tank of some sort. Keep the tube ends above the carbs while you put in the petrol. Don't smoke while doing this or check the level with a lighter. (There are cases of people that have done this) The fuel level in the clear tube should be equal and just above the ridge on the upper half of the float bowl. Mine measured +/- 3mm from the carb body. Repeat for the other two carbs and the compare the two outer carbs. This way you will be sure the level of the entire carb bank is equeal and correct.

I know this have been covered in quite a few threads, but I thought maybe the explanation could help.

[81xsproject]

Do yourself a huge favor and forget fuel levels. Just set the floats to 23mm and be done with it. It's way easier, way faster, and way harder to screw up. You won't notice any difference in the results as long as you do a good job.

[clcorbin]

Do yourself a huge favor and forget fuel levels. Just set the floats to 23mm and be done with it. It's way easier, way faster, and way harder to screw up. You won't notice any difference in the results as long as you do a good job.

Does that mean that you have to play with all the jets/emulsifiers/air jets/needles etc if you need to make an overall change to the jetting?

[bikerphil]

Does that mean that you have to play with all the jets/emulsifiers/air jets/needles etc if you need to make an overall change to the jetting?

Usually just the main jets, sometimes the pilots jets though.