CHECK those fuel filters as well when issue arise!!!

[79XS11F]

My 79 restored bike has been acting up lately. Rough idle, vibration just plane being a pain in the back side. I had been delaying removal and cleaning of the carbs because I could typically get her to work well enough by tapping on the carb bowls and running her with the petcocks in the prime position. Anyway I could time to remove the carbs this evening for a look see. Everything inside was good and all fuel passages were clear. There was a small amount of sediment in the bowls but that was it. The FUEL FILTERS appeared to be a good as the day I bought them but that was not the case. In spite of appearing like new the filter for number 1 and 2 was plugged to the point that I could not even blow through it. The filter on 3 and 4 was only slightly better. I did a test by putting some fuel into the lines and sure as you know what, The fuel only came out the other end of the filter one drop at a time. SO, even if your filters look like new, shiny and all, they may be plugged near solid resulting in fuel starvation.
Rob

[mharrington]

I run inline small fuel filters on my bike. Are you referring to the screens on the tank petcocks? When I first got my bike the screen domes covering the needle/seat units were gunked up real bad.

[79XS11F]

I am talking about the in line filters many use between the petcocks and the carbs. They are typically clear plastic with brass fiber filling. Some are square shaped others are bullet shaped. They must get dirty from the inside out. Mine appear like new to look at with no discoloration at all but proved to be pretty much plugged up.
Rob

[CaptonZap]

I am talking about the in line filters many use between the petcocks and the carbs. They are typically clear plastic with brass fiber filling. Some are square shaped others are bullet shaped. They must get dirty from the inside out. Mine appear like new to look at with no discoloration at all but proved to be pretty much plugged up.
Rob

It depends on how the fuel flow is through them. If you make it go through the end that shows the outside, the crud has more area to plug up, and takes longer to do so. Plus, you can see when it gets to the point of needing replaced. CZ

[79XS11F]

According to the lad at the shop they really should be installed with the fuel flow arrows in the correct orientation. In any case their pretty cheap so I'll just change them out every spring. But I gotta say, when they appear like new I would not have considered them to be in need of replacement. I discovered that they were plugged by happenstance.
Rob