Please Help Guys

[tweeleft]

I had an exhaust leak that caused back firing. How are your pipes.

[va_blue_stang]

Pipes are good I just need to adjust the idle mixture screws.

[va_blue_stang]

Oh well I got happy with the running a little too soon. I told the wife how great it was running so she wanted to go for a little ride to see the progress. Ran like dog crap again stumbling at lower rpms and like to never got it to start.
I'm about ready to sell it and get out of the old bike game for good. I honestly am to the point of hating this bike.

[DGXSER]

Got headed down the ignition circuit from the first post and did not see the added info on 1 and 2 not getting hot. Is it still the same, 1 and 2 not getting hot? If it is then it is fuel related. Kinked fuel line? Clogged port on the vacuum valve (OCTY) if you still have it. Is there plenty of gas in the tank? if it gets low it is possible all is on one side and starving the other.

[va_blue_stang]

Got headed down the ignition circuit from the first post and did not see the added info on 1 and 2 not getting hot. Is it still the same, 1 and 2 not getting hot? If it is then it is fuel related. Kinked fuel line? Clogged port on the vacuum valve (OCTY) if you still have it. Is there plenty of gas in the tank? if it gets low it is possible all is on one side and starving the other.

The octy is gone . Yep still the same 1 & 2 have never got hot since I've had it, except for the decent running ride I had for a few minutes after I finished replacing the connecters. They got hooter then than ever have. No kinks in fuel line. It only has about a gallon on gas in it. DO think running some seafoam in it might help with some fuel system cleaning?
Thanks for all the help this is the most pain in the butt bike I've come in contact with.

[DGXSER]

It is very unusual that two of the four carbs act up, to that extent, and it is in the carbs themselves. So, the fuel lines are not kinked? Have you looked at the petcock? Verified fuel runs out freely?

The only other thought I would have is maybe plugged up exhaust? Probably a stretch, but, if the bike is fairly new to you, or been stored for some time, maybe some critters made a home inside the exhaust and that side is plugged or restricted somehow?

Not impossible for it to be electrical, but very unusual that it would effect 1 and 2 together and not 3 or 4 if it were electrical. Based upon it running better after you cleaned wiring, did you have the tank off to do that?

[mack]

I'm not familiar

with the XJ's, but I assume they have the same basic carb configuration as the 81's but with a cable style choke. This sure sounds like a fuel issue to me though. Are all the vents clear on 1 & 2 carbs. Like DGXER advised, check to ensure the left petcocks have good flow. If you have an in line filter, pull that out and see if it runs better. Double check for kinks in the line. If it persists, remove the bowl plugs and see what kind of flow you have at each. If it's not strong then you probably have a plugged fuel tee. Good luck, don't give up, it will be something simple, easily overlooked.

[va_blue_stang]

It is very unusual that two of the four carbs act up, to that extent, and it is in the carbs themselves. So, the fuel lines are not kinked? Have you looked at the petcock? Verified fuel runs out freely?

The only other thought I would have is maybe plugged up exhaust? Probably a stretch, but, if the bike is fairly new to you, or been stored for some time, maybe some critters made a home inside the exhaust and that side is plugged or restricted somehow?

Not impossible for it to be electrical, but very unusual that it would effect 1 and 2 together and not 3 or 4 if it were electrical. Based upon it running better after you cleaned wiring, did you have the tank off to do that?

The tank was on when it was running good the first ride. Did nothing but parked it went in ate, couple of hours later we went together on it and it was hard to start and ran crappy like it had been.
Also I have check fuel flow up to the carbs and it is excellent. I do have a float sticking in the 1st or 2nd carb, if I leave the gas valves on it has gas coming out of the airbox occasionally.
I just switched it back to 100% gas from that ethanol crap (also killed my new lawn mower after one summer) that has been ran in it. Think I may need to do a tear down of the carbs or will fuel treatment get the deposit out?

[va_blue_stang]

What would any suggestions for the next move on this bike be?

[bikerphil]

What would any suggestions for the next move on this bike be?

I would put a stiff dose of seafoam in the gas, run the bike for at least 5 minutes, then let it sit overnite. This will loosen up any crap in your 1+2 pilot circuits. Then I would tear the carbs down and give them a good cleaning. Spray all the passages with carb cleaner and compressed air after removing all the jets, emulsion tubes, etc. You don't need to seperate the banks of carbs for this. JMHO

[va_blue_stang]

I would put a stiff dose of seafoam in the gas, run the bike for at least 5 minutes, then let it sit overnite. This will loosen up any crap in your 1+2 pilot circuits. Then I would tear the carbs down and give them a good cleaning. Spray all the passages with carb cleaner and compressed air after removing all the jets, emulsion tubes, etc. You don't need to seperate the banks of carbs for this. JMHO

That's what I was afraid of was tearing the carbs down again. I may sell it if I have to take them back off again. Hopefully I'll feel better about it in a few days. Right now I hate the sight of that bike even sitting in my yard.

[Rasputin]

As you have a known sticking float this can lead to flooded conditions on a restart. I would be tearing the carbs down and checking everything. Have you checked the float heights with the clear tubing method for those bikes? It is far too easy to blame other things, than to pull and clean the carbs.
Also as it is an XJ, it may be "possible that the YICS is affecting things. I have not yet done anything with my XJ but I will certainly be using the YICS tool when I do. Other than that I would suspect poor blind plugs or an intake leak.
Most important in my mind is to fix the float issue before persuing other options as that is a known (according to you) issue.
Mostly just thinking out loud but hey I have tried shortcuts before and they never work for me.

[va_blue_stang]

What do I need to do to fix the sticking floats? I've read about carbs and these problems till I have jumbled up information all in my thinker.

[Rasputin]

Anything from a sharp rap on the float bowls to a full clean and set! Sometimes a set of carbs just needs a quick rap to the bowls to seat everything. Most likely you need a full reclean and setting to be sure you have done everything right. There are no shortcuts to a complete carb clean and set. The time you spend doing it correctly will be time well spent. Thus the saying clean them three times will do it. Every time you do it you will find issues you thought might be ok the previous time.
It is ok to be frustrated but if you do it right it will reward you with a great running ride.

[BA80]

Just a little advice about working on carbs. When you pull the carbs remove the airbox until you get the carbs right. It will make it much easier to take them off and put them on particularly on the XJ.

You will have to put it back on to tune them properly but until you get it hitting on all four leave it on the bench. I do that with my XSs too.

Some people I know have scrapped the stock XJ airbox and gone to pods just because the XJ airbox is such a PITA when there is a carb issue.