Carbs d@#m pos!!

[Rasputin]

Hey Rasputin, your mixing two thing up. 1st, the reason I think I may not have gas in the oil is because I always leave my bike on the side stand, which SHOULD let any overflow of gas run back and out the airbox. 2nd, when I checked my oil level through the sight glass, I pulled the bike off the side stand to balance it, but the front wheel was locked all the way left, thus, causing me to lean the bike more to the right to balance it then if the wheel was centered

Uhh. You were the one that initially said you were 1/2 quart high on oil and it was a gas/oil mix. We are thousands of miles apart and I am only trying to help from info you have provided. I do not think I am the one who is mixed up.

[XS1100_OEM4ME]

True that

True that, You are taking this the wrong way, i am trying to explain from many miles away what the observations I have made are and the reasons I believe what might be wrong, not that I am unthankful for your help, just trying to have us on the same page so you understand what I am trying to say and fix. Thanks for helping, all advice is taken into consideration and gives me directions to check that I may not have thought of myself

Uhh. You were the one that initially said you were 1/2 quart high on oil and it was a gas/oil mix. We are thousands of miles apart and I am only trying to help from info you have provided. I do not think I am the one who is mixed up.

[ViperRon]

One more thought

One thing more since everyone here has so much problem with this. The carbs on this bike are designed to basically work properly in a level environment. When we put it on the side stand it is tilted. Further more letting the bike sit there and Idle for periods of time it can shift the floats to one side maybe even the float bowl needles. Sitting there Idling can create a wear condition that may cause either the float needle or even the float to settle in an abnormal position. In this situation it sticks for just the moment after turning it off and the gas is running. You take the carbs off you check everything and there is no problem to be found and you can not replicate the problem or even see one with it in your hands.

It does not need to happen often to force you to pull your hair out.

I noticed this as a possibility several years ago so my bike does not sit idling on the side stand and I always leave it garaged on the center stand. Since taking this approach I do not have the problem. For those of you who still have a ghost that you can not exorcise I suggest this as a religious practice.

[Rasputin]

"Went to take the K&N filter out to clean it and about two TBL spoons of gas in the airbox and 1/2 qt high on oil / and now gas mix in case again"

" i am trying to explain from many miles away what the observations I have made are and the reasons I believe what might be wrong,"

I guess maybe I have it wrong, but I am not going to waste my time with it any more. Have fun with it.

[XS1100_OEM4ME]

Good point

Good point, I don't ever run my bike on the side stand either, I only start and run it when I am on it, safty reasons as well, but I do park it on the side stand, PITA to get it on the center stand and "IF" the carbs do leak, I want the gas running back into the airbox, and not forwardand into the motor

One thing more since everyone here has so much problem with this. The carbs on this bike are designed to basically work properly in a level environment. When we put it on the side stand it is tilted. Further more letting the bike sit there and Idle for periods of time it can shift the floats to one side maybe even the float bowl needles. Sitting there Idling can create a wear condition that may cause either the float needle or even the float to settle in an abnormal position. In this situation it sticks for just the moment after turning it off and the gas is running. You take the carbs off you check everything and there is no problem to be found and you can not replicate the problem or even see one with it in your hands.

It does not need to happen often to force you to pull your hair out.

I noticed this as a possibility several years ago so my bike does not sit idling on the side stand and I always leave it garaged on the center stand. Since taking this approach I do not have the problem. For those of you who still have a ghost that you can not exorcise I suggest this as a religious practice.

[fredintoon]

Hi OEM,
seeing you agonize over those accurséd carbs for 3 pages worth of replies I gotta say:-
You got two problems:-
1) Gas leaks past the carb needle valves. It may take replacement parts but dumber folks than you (me, for instance) have fixed that.
2) Gas still flows to the carbs despite the octy allegedly shutting it off.
This should also be fixed even if the float needles are working properly.
Take a look at how the octy is plumbed up. Any thing that complicated has to be a failure just waiting to happen.
Rip that sucker out of there and convert to manual gas tap operation.
If you can't remember to turn the gas off when you park you shouldn't be riding.

[XS1100_OEM4ME]

Cool

#1. It has new 920 rubber tiped neeldes
#2. The octy has been re-plumed to remove the prime lines
#3. I Always turn the gas off when not running
$4. Damm Gremlins and VooDoo hexes

Hi OEM,
seeing you agonize over those accurséd carbs for 3 pages worth of replies I gotta say:-
You got two problems:-
1) Gas leaks past the carb needle valves. It may take replacement parts but dumber folks than you (me, for instance) have fixed that.
2) Gas still flows to the carbs despite the octy allegedly shutting it off.
This should also be fixed even if the float needles are working properly.
Take a look at how the octy is plumbed up. Any thing that complicated has to be a failure just waiting to happen.
Rip that sucker out of there and convert to manual gas tap operation.
If you can't remember to turn the gas off when you park you shouldn't be riding.

[Ken Talbot]

Okay, you've got 'early' carbs that have upper and lower "T"s between 1-2 and between 3-4. The upper "T"s are float bowl vents that must be open to atmosphere for the floats to work properly.
- When they are connected to a stock 'early' air cleaner that will happen unless the hoses are plugged.
- If they are plugged into a 'late' airbox, with the un-drilled nipples, they will not work properly.
- If the upper "T"s are connected to any form of fuel supply, you will get flooding also.

Any of this sound familiar?

[XS1100_OEM4ME]

Oem

Thanks, but it is the original airbox with the brass metering tubes in the airbox and they are clear, both vent hoses are clear as well as both "T's" and connected to the uppers then to the open vents on the air box, The air box has been remover, cleaned checked for leaks and both vent holes checked for free air flow

Okay, you've got 'early' carbs that have upper and lower "T"s between 1-2 and between 3-4. The upper "T"s are float bowl vents that must be open to atmosphere for the floats to work properly.
- When they are connected to a stock 'early' air cleaner that will happen unless the hoses are plugged.
- If they are plugged into a 'late' airbox, with the un-drilled nipples, they will not work properly.
- If the upper "T"s are connected to any form of fuel supply, you will get flooding also.

Any of this sound familiar?

[mack]

920's

I had a similar problem. Turned out the 920 viton tipped needles had a very slight ring imprinted into the tips from fuel pressure on the floats while the bike sat in unlevel driveways etc. They could never seal properly after the rings were imprinted in the tips. I went back to the old metel valves and seats and no problems since.

[XS1100_OEM4ME]

Yes

Yea, I let a bunch of pro 920 needles post get me to fork over 50 bucks, and now I am thinking of going back to the OEM ones. At least I kept them

I had a similar problem. Turned out the 920 viton tipped needles had a very slight ring imprinted into the tips from fuel pressure on the floats while the bike sat in unlevel driveways etc. They could never seal properly after the rings were imprinted in the tips. I went back to the old metel valves and seats and no problems since.

[XS1100_OEM4ME]

Theory?

After doing the "process of elimination" with the help of all your ideas, and thanks ALL Here is what I came up with. #1. My NEW 50 dollar 920 tiped nipple needles LEAK, and yes, there could be 100 reasons for that, but they work fine when the bike is running. #2. The octy and pectcocks are all rebuilt and work fine, so the gas in my airbox is comming from fuel that is in the lines past the octy when I turn it off, it is leaking past the 50 dollar needles and into the air box. #3. I in stalled two inline gas filters between the octy and carbs, so i am guessing the two TBL spoons of gas in the air box is the two TBL spoons on gas in thase filters leeking past my 50 dollar needles. So, I am thinking, move the filters to the other side of the octy between the tank and octy and then there will only be a quarter OZ or so of gas in just the lines, so no over flow What ya think P.S There's no gas in my oil, I was checking it with the wheel turned all the way left, straitened the wheel in the light of day, and the oils is at the full level mark

[motoman]

Skipped briefly through the threads......all good suggestions of things to check. Imo, your earlier thread using the 920 float needles threw up an immediate 'red flag' for me. 920 float needles are your issue...........and yours is not the first to have this issue swappin' those viton needles in there......JAT...

[XS1100_OEM4ME]

Yep

Yep, going back the OEM needles, I should have took BikerPhils advice before I bought these 50 DOLLAR POS needles I am thinking of getting all new floats as I am getting tired of R/I carbs, do the plastic floats fit the 79st carbs as well

Skipped briefly through the threads......all good suggestions of things to check. Imo, your earlier thread using the 920 float needles threw up an immediate 'red flag' for me. 920 float needles are your issue...........and yours is not the first to have this issue swappin' those viton needles in there......JAT...

[bikerphil]

do the plastic floats fit the 79st carbs

Yes they will work, heard horror stories with that mod too, cheap Chinese knockoff floats vary in size and binding up, YMMV. I'll say it one more time, these carbs will operate at thier best using parts that were designed for their particular model, JMHO.