New to the 1100 With Questions

[va_blue_stang]

Hello everyone, been looking around this sight and it looks just like the place I been looking for for information on my new toy. Couple of weeks ago I bought an '82 XJ1100 from a friend at work for $400 dollars. Looks like it has been really taken care and in good shape, but I have a couple issues to work out.

1st- He had taken the carbs off and gave a really good cleaning, they look spotless inside. He decided to take the factory air box off and put pods on it. He finally go it running with the pods it but it ran horrible. When I got it he brought me the airbox and I painstakingly put it back on with a new air filter. Now the problem begins. Its hard to start now, but once started it will idle between 1000 and 1500rpm. As soon as I touch the throttle it dies. What would be suggestions to start with to fix this problem?

2nd- When it is seting and idleing the #3 & #4 cylinders get hot as hell and the header pipes from them do. THe #1 & #2 cylinders only get warm at best and aren't hot enough to burn you when they're touched. I have a timeing light that i checked with to make sure all the plugs are firing fine. While the pods were on there those cylinders heated normally also, all this came along when I reinstalled the airbox.

All your help is greatly aprreciated. I work alot of hours and my response time may slow at times. This is only my 2nd bike with the first being a '79 xs750 special. It's been so long I have forgotten all the tricks and tweaks to these great inline motors.

Thanks, Mitch

[MrOzz]

Hi Mitch, Welcome to the forum.

Do you know if any of the jets were change? You might have to adjust the pilot screws. You might also have to sync the carbs.

How do the plugs look?

[va_blue_stang]

No jetting was done.
#1 & #2 look to be running a little rich
#3 looks good
#4 way to lean

[Big Beadle]

Hey there check to see that 2&3 jets in the carb are bigger (richer), i know you said that there was no jetting done (that you are aware of!!) and while your in there clean the jets main,pilot emulation tubes and the needle and seat the emulation tubes need to be knocked out through the top so be super careful when putting the diaphragm back in that you don't pinch them when putting the tops back on!!! P.O. troubles are everywhere they pop up all the time and with no idea on why it was done like that in the first place so good luck and let us know on how you make out Another thought is that the jets from 1&4 had got switched with 2&3??(just a thought not a known fact)

[TopCatGr58]

Hey Beadle, just an FYI, Yamaha gave up on the staggered main jetting sizes fairly early, so the 80+ year models usually had same size across all 4, and he's got an XJ, the 82.

With R&Ring of the OEM airbox, I'd look at your fuel lines to be sure you didn't get them kinked, restricted. 1-2 paired together is usually a fuel issue.

The XJ also uses the Octy, lots of hoses to mix up as well as kink or get clogged!

Even though the carbs looked spotless, unless you were there, you don't know how deep he actually went to cleaning...like removing the pilot and main jets, emulsion tubes, etc.!? Hard to start can be clogged Enrichener jets...they are pressed into the float BOWL down that little tube on the side where the brass tube on the carb body sticks into, use carb spray to squirt there to ensure open/clear flowing, watch the splash back in your EYES!

Also, don't know if the PO SOAKED The carb bodies in caustic carb cleaner...that can damage the butterfly shaft seals causing a vacuum leak, which can also cause hard starting since it can't effectively suck on the fuel thru the enrichener circuit with a leak around the shaft seals....and you do know where the Enrichener(choke) lever is on the XJ....on the handlebars left side!?

And as was stated, both proper bench synch, and then vac. synching, as well as also the little brass caps off of the tops of the pilot SCREW/ adjusting towers on the front top of the carbs....if still there, then not truly cleaned!

T.C.

[Big Beadle]

OK Thanks T.C. for the FYI tip, the why the op had described his troubles
No jetting was done.
#1 & #2 look to be running a little rich
#3 looks good
#4 way to lean
Almost sounds like they "could" have been switched, ya never know what has been done to the bike, the "PO blues" pop up everywhere and when least expecting it, My 79 special has same size 1-4 so like i said "just a thought"\

Like T.C. said try a good thorough cleaning of all the jets&passages, Compressed air and carb cleaner will deffinatly help you along your way of doing so, and ditch the octy (my opinion) as long as the needles&seats are all in good shape you should have no problems with just straight fuel lines&FILTERS to the carbs. Check the plugs make sure they are all in good shape, same gap,and heat range (no brainier)

Clean&sync carbs
proper fuel
proper spark

[va_blue_stang]

sorry it took so long to get back with everyone. the beast is alive again. I cleaned the carbs and synced them. Ran new fuel lines, cut off valves and gas filters.

Now I have a new question. Can the fuel lines become air locked? The left line is pouring plenty of fuel through the filter and the right is barely dribbling until i take the line loose at the filter then it pours from the open end.

Any suggestions is greatly appreciated.


Thanks Mitch

[Incubus]

Yes, the fuel lines can get air stoppage, particularly if you are running in-line filters. If such filters are in place, make sure they are vertical so they cannot trap bubbles. Also, check the routing of your fuel lines. Your carbs are gravity fed, so the lines should slope downward, not have hoops and whirls.

Patrick

[crazy steve]

Also check flow direction through the filter; some will flow better one direction, not so good the other way...

[va_blue_stang]

Ok today i got rid of the air lock problem and she's running better but still not perfect. I have a float sticking in the #1 carb and when I rev it up a little white smoke from the tail pipes. The bike has hardly been started since 2008.

What is an easy fix for a dummy for the float sticking?
Also what could be causing the smoke problem and a fix for it?

Thanks everyone for all your help, Mitch

[natemoen]

What makes you say the float it sticking?

White smoke is usually burning oil. Could be the rings are a bit stuck, could be dry or leaking valve seals.

[va_blue_stang]

i have gas pouring out of the airbox if i leave the fuel valves turned on

[11Rider]

Sounds like that could be your problem - a sticky float valve causing way too much gas to get into cylinders 1 and 2 causing them to be too rich, hence not hot. BTW, be sure your oil isn't contaminated with gas!

[natemoen]

Could be something holding float needle open, float could be getting hung up on the gasket on the inside, or the o-ring that goes around the float needle seat is shot.

[cywelchjr]

i have gas pouring out of the airbox if i leave the fuel valves turned on

When you rebuilt the carbs did you replace the o-rings on the needle valve seats? If not, those flatten out with age and can cause the carb to leak, without a sticking float, as the gas just go'es around the valve seat. The valve seat should press in pretty firmly, if it goes in easily, the o-ring is probably not any good and needs replaced.