snapped off end of enrichment plunger

[KA1J]

Taking the carbs apart & discovered the end of one of the enrichment plungers on the XJ11 was snapped off. No wonder it idled rough while freshly starting, that one plunger never opened & was perpetually closed.... Whatever happened, the indentation for the retainer screw in the main rod where it was broken off is also elongated. Got to love POs...

Time to be creative... I'm going to try drilling a hole where it was broken off & screw a brass screw into it & try to make the head the same distance as the rest of the plungers. Might work, can't solder it in there because there's rubber at the other end of the plunger.

It would be so helpful if POs would just tell a buyer what's wrong so it can be attended to sooner than later.

[CatatonicBug]

Those plungers are available on ebay. I saw at least 2 of them when I was browsing yesterday. I have to say I've never heard of that particular item breaking before though!

[crazy steve]

...It would be so helpful if POs would just tell a buyer what's wrong so it can be attended to sooner than later.

Ah, but you'd miss the thrill of the hunt....

[KA1J]

Those plungers are available on ebay. I saw at least 2 of them when I was browsing yesterday. I have to say I've never heard of that particular item breaking before though!

Yes, thanks for mentioning that. I saw them there too & they're the right ones but they're too pricey. Mike's XS has almost the right new ones for like $8. I may have to go that pricey route if my attempts to fix this old one fail. I can picture what to do but it remains to be seen.

Looking at the end of the plunger it looks to have been snapped off as it's a flush break and it looks like a crystalline pot metal break but it's brass. Ir would be a snap to silver solder but for the rubber plug inside the shaft. I might could put that end in sand & be able to solder it (a technique I used to use when I made jewelry) but I think the screw & some locktite will be sufficient. Maybe not, I'll have to see.

[KA1J]

Ah, but you'd miss the thrill of the hunt....

The hunt or the haunt???

[DGXSER]

For some reason I'm having trouble picturing what broke. I sit the shaft end of the plunger that the bracket goes over (the bracket that has the set screw in it that ties the plunger to the enrichment rod that is moved by the cable in your case?

IF that is the problem, then I would think you could ask around and find a spare somewhere on here. I know lots of folks have parts carbs due to some piece or another breaking. That piece is most likely common to all years, but I certainly do not know that to be fact.

Also, the rubber part threads into the carb body, it can be removed without splitting the carbs. Or you can split the carbs and the plunger will fully withdraw from the carbs for repair.

[KA1J]

For some reason I'm having trouble picturing what broke. I sit the shaft end of the plunger that the bracket goes over (the bracket that has the set screw in it that ties the plunger to the enrichment rod that is moved by the cable in your case?

On the XJ11 carbs there's a cable from the left handlebar that goes to an attachment on the #4 carb body. It attaches to a keeper like there is at the end of the throttle and this keeper is attached via an arm with a set screw in it. The set screw fits into a rod that extends along the rear of the carbs with tunnels in the carbs to hold the rod securely yet allow it to slide freely.

The rod runs parallel and above the enrichment jets and you see the ends of the plungers extended from their sheath in the carburetor. At there is an arm with a screw keeper which contacts the end of the plunger. The arm has an upside down "U" shaped slot in it which fits into a narrowing at the end of the plunger. The end of the plunger has a head much like a hinge pin.

When you open the enrichment jets, the rod moves and all the arms attached to the plungers contact the end of the "hinge pin" section and in unison all the enrichment jets open & close as the rider chooses.

The part that was snapped off is the narrow shaft of the "hinge pin" so there was nothing the arm on the sliding rod for that plunger to grab onto. So when I would start the bike, it look like everything moved but only three of the plungers moved, the other remained in the closed position.

IF that is the problem, then I would think you could ask around and find a spare somewhere on here. I know lots of folks have parts carbs due to some piece or another breaking. That piece is most likely common to all years, but I certainly do not know that to be fact.

Also, the rubber part threads into the carb body, it can be removed without splitting the carbs. Or you can split the carbs and the plunger will fully withdraw from the carbs for repair.

I think from what I've read it's the 81 special & XJ that have the same carbs. I looked on Mikes XS for a replacement but I didn't see mine on there.

If you look on this page http://www.mikesxs.net/products-35.html#products and scroll down to Part #48-2002, you see what is exactly mine except mine also has a needle in the center of where the rubber is (What was snapped off on mine is the narrow part of the thin shaft perhaps it was snapped when someone wrenched on it?). If you now scroll down to Part #48-0775 you see the needle. What I need is a combination of the end of part 48-2002 and the body of Part #48-0775.

Maybe someone has the part I should ask, the part happens to be on fleabay but at a far too high a price & I don't mind repairing anything within my abilities. I just discovered this late last night when I was just starting to rebuild the carbs.

[Ken Talbot]

For some reason I'm having trouble picturing what broke.

Pretty sure he's talking about the brass plunger in one of the carbs, not the actuating rod that connects all four plungers together.

[SFerinTEXAS]

I can not find where you have explicitly said so, so I'd like to know if you have removed the broken plunger? There was a recent post about frozen plungers. That seems to be the most likely cause of this.Or a gorilla with a hammer

[SFerinTEXAS]

When you stated that the actuating rod showed a gouge where the set screw goes then I figure it would not move and someone tried to hammer it free.

[KA1J]

I just got the bike about 6 weeks ago with no history to go with it. but I Guess this partially explains the roughness it has when starting cold. Starts well when it's warm.

I can not find where you have explicitly said so, so I'd like to know if you have removed the broken plunger? There was a recent post about frozen plungers. That seems to be the most likely cause of this.Or a gorilla with a hammer

The plunger came out just fine but it's missing the narrow part that forms a head like a short shank hinge pin, it's snapped of at the base.

When you stated that the actuating rod showed a gouge where the set screw goes then I figure it would not move and someone tried to hammer it free.

That's a real possibility. I was guessing someone might have broken it off when they tried to loosen the nut that holds it in place & the wrench hit it. No idea but it's gone.

[natemoen]

Can you tell if the shank is still stuck down in the hole? I would think if its out you should be able to fine one here or from a dealer pretty easy.

[KA1J]

Oh no, the carb is fine so far as I can tell . I haven't opened that one up yet, I'm doing them one at a time. I did though remove the enrichment plunger just fine, it was not bound inside at all. It's the last 1/4" of the small diameter shank & its head that is missing.

[DGXSER]

Got it clearly now. There is one or two on fleabay for about $25 shipped.

For a cheap and relatively inexpensive fix, depending what tools you own already, here is one possible fix. Grind/cut what is left of the small diam stub off so you have a smooth end on the larger diam part. Then tap a hole in the end of the brass and thread it, use a shoulder bolt of the same diam as the smaller dia. section and thread it into the hole. When finished, it will have the same effect as the original design. I highly recommend getting the shoulder bolt from a good hardware store and not a Lowes or Home Depot. Their hardware is made from crap pot metal that snaps like a dried twig. DAMHIKIJK

[KA1J]

Got it clearly now. There is one or two on fleabay for about $25 shipped.

For a cheap and relatively inexpensive fix, depending what tools you own already, here is one possible fix. Grind/cut what is left of the small diam stub off so you have a smooth end on the larger diam part. Then tap a hole in the end of the brass and thread it, use a shoulder bolt of the same diam as the smaller dia. section and thread it into the hole. When finished, it will have the same effect as the original design. I highly recommend getting the shoulder bolt from a good hardware store and not a Lowes or Home Depot. Their hardware is made from crap pot metal that snaps like a dried twig. DAMHIKIJK

Thats kinda what I had in mind though there's some really great ideas from this thread that I am considering. The piece is already flush and the way it looks, the brass on this plungher is extremely brittle, it looks like it snapped off where the break off site looks like 200 grit sandpaper but flat. Doesn't look like there's any of the small diameter stub left on it.

I appreciate the suggestions.