The frustration continues

[Giggity]

So I've been trying to get my 79 Standard running on all 4 cylinders with no luck. It's a project that sits for months then I get amped up about getting it going again.

I had to replace 3 pilot screws as the tips were broken off and stuck so bad I had to drill them out after trying all other removal methods suggested here. Put the carbs back on and only cyls 2 and 4 would fire. (New Mike's black coils installed prior along with new caps and wires.)

Let it sit for a while (months) and took carbs off again to clean passages again and set float heights again. Started it and cyls 2,3,4 were firing. I checked to make sure 1 is getting spark. It is.

Carbs back off, re-cleaned passages on 1. Started it back up just a few minutes ago and only 2 and 4 are firing again.

What's going on??? I love my GSA but really want cruise around on the XS!

Anybody here near Longmont, CO that can help?

Thanks

[stevestrom]

Check that your plug wires are hooked up properly. one coil fires 1 and 4 and the other coil fires 2 and 3.

[Incubus]

Did you only check to see if the cylinders are firing at idle or did you check the entire range? Carb trouble can manifest in many ways. Many, many ways.

I ask because knowing whether the bike is only firing at certain ranges can help to pinpoint the problem. If you have problems in the pilot circuit you the bike will not fire at idle or low rpm, but will fire at higher rpm ranges when the main jet kicks in. Spark problems will be pretty constant through all ranges. Pickup coil problems occur at specific ranges.

Start the bike. Rev it up to 3,000 or 4,000 and hold it there for a while. Check the headers. Are any of them cold now?

Patrick

[Giggity]

Wires are correct. Will try checking at higher revs tomorrow.

[Rickrod3]

Just my 2 cents

do you have good compression on all cylinders?

Do you have spark on all cylinders?

Are the plugs wet?

I find that if you you follow a process it helps.

I also believe you have to keep at a problem till you kick its butt.
I would first get it to idle then go through the ranges.
HTH.
Good luck
Keep us posted.

[Rickrod3]

This may also help

http://www.xs11.com/forum/showthread...=3299#post3299

[petejw]

pull the plugs out and ground them to the
head, just to make sure your getting spark
on all 4 cylinders, do this with either new or
cleaned plugs,
ive found if its usually just one cylinder not firing
that particular carb is flooding from a leaky needle
and seat.
try the other test that the other guys have suggested
and see how u go.

you'll also find if you had to drill the mixture screws out
and have enlarged the hole in the carb, thatll cause problems
in getting a good idle.

stick with it and good luck.

[strom]

New coils or not... just for the hell of it, try with old coils...

But first... it could be a broken pick-up wire. Also measure the pick-ups and coils with a multimeter... specs are somewhere in the tech tips section.

How about spark plug caps... should be 5kohm.

Even if you used new spark plugs... swap them for old ones and test again... especially if you use NGK.

The idle jet holes are conical... if you drilled them out, they probabbly arent anymore. But in any case, all cyls should fire up in higher revs, if you can get it that high on only 2 cyls.

You might also check the membranes in the carbs... but be careful not to tear them.

Pre-sync the carbs... theres a technique in the tech tips using a small gauge solid wire to get them all relatively synced.

Then again... theres a lot of links on this site that mention "triple clean" and "carbs"

[Giggity]

Just took it for a ride around the neighborhood and #1 is still cold. It is sparking. It really bogs down unless fully choked.

Baseball bat and cliff repair might have to happen tomorrow.

[DiverRay]

Blow some air into the VENT tube. If you have a critter that crawled up and died in the vent, the carb will not work.
I know what you are going through, as my '79 is doing the same thing! I've even changed the carbs out for another set, and it still doesn't want to run well...

[Giggity]

The tube when disconnected is clear. When connected to the middle drive (?) no air will blow thru. Should it? Top end of tube vents to atmosphere as I have pods on if I did not mention that.

[DiverRay]

The vent tube I'm talking about it the one on the carbs. The top "T" between 1&2, 3&4 is a vent. The bottom "T" is the fuel feed line. If the vent is blocked, you will have a flooding problem and then no fire on the plug.

[bikerphil]

Is the spark plug wet with gas in the cylinder that's not firing? It could be a loose pilot jet. Have you opened the bowl drain in that carb to make sure it has fuel? Could be the float is stuck at the top and not letting fuel in. How about at a higher rpm, does the header heat up then? Be careful, don't use compressed air in the vent tube, it will collapse the brass floats.

[Giggity]

I blew into the vent tube between 1 and 2. Fuel came out of both filters so that tells me it is not clogged and fuel is in bowl #1. Plug is not wet. I was able to loosen the pilot jet the other day but it would not drop out. I could blow air and carb cleaner thru it though. Oh, header did not heat up after riding around the block at higher RPM.

[DGXSER]

What does the #1 plug look like after the ride?

I had one needle installed wrong some time ago. On the later model carbs, the needle is not adjustable, it rides on a spring. Anyway, that one cylinder ran like crap when at lower RPMS, until the needle lifted.