Do you know what I hate?

[skippy344]

CARBS!!!! AND ethanol!!!!!

Get the bike oil changed, and running, inspected, and riding to work...

Then, Friday afternoon, on the way home, bike starts to run badly, and at the next light I smell unburned fuel... F&$K!

Sure enough, my left side is drenched and dripping!

Get it home and sure enough, the floats are jacked...

Time to clean... AGAIN!!!!!

I didn't know I had t be a freaking chemist, to ride an XS!!!

With every fill up, I add:

1 oz of Star Tron's Enzyme

1 oz of Lucas ethanol treatment

and one oz of Stabil

And I still have jacked floats!!!

So, I ordered an all metal lower deluxe rebuild kit, 8 butterfly screws, 8 new "V" seals for the throttle shafts, and new Colortune setup, because I broke the plug wire, on my old set.

56 miles on an oil change! ARGH!

I still love that Scorpion, though!

[Schming]

Do you have fuel filters ?
Check to make sure your floats aren't hitting the gasket.
You may want to trim to fit the gasket to the inside of the bowl.

Oh...and don't be hatin'...worser sh!t will happen.

HTH GL

[haywardguy929]

I've been lucky, the only thing I've ever added has been Seafoam.
I never read or heard of anyone adding so much stuff either.
Knock on wood.

[TopCatGr58]

Hey Skippy,

You don't have to be chemist, but you do need to be a decent mechanic.

Sorry you've gone and ordered all of those parts. Sticking floats OR float valves have a few causes. Sometimes it's just a too thick/wide float bowl gasket that's rubbing/catching the float and simply trimming it will preven the float from getting hung on it. The other is just crud getting in thru the fuel line, and particles sticking between the float needle valve and seat, so it floods. In line filters will help prevent this from happening. Quality fuel lines also, so the fuel/ethanol doesn't cause them to break down internally and flake off bits to flow into the carbs!

The parts you ordered would be good for replacing the throttle shaft seals, R&Ring the butterflies, but not for the floats!?!?

T.C.

[skippy344]

You would think...

That living in Texas, where I am literally standing on top of the stuff, that we would have good gas here!

But NO!!!!! We get to burn that Turkish crap, that is imported, and then they mix ethanol into it, just for kicks!

[XS1100_OEM4ME]

Carbs !@#$%?

CARBS!!!! AND ethanol!!!!!

Get the bike oil changed, and running, inspected, and riding to work...

Then, Friday afternoon, on the way home, bike starts to run badly, and at the next light I smell unburned fuel... F&$K!

Sure enough, my left side is drenched and dripping!

Get it home and sure enough, the floats are jacked...

Time to clean... AGAIN!!!!!

I didn't know I had t be a freaking chemist, to ride an XS!!!

With every fill up, I add:

1 oz of Star Tron's Enzyme

1 oz of Lucas ethanol treatment

and one oz of Stabil

And I still have jacked floats!!!

So, I ordered an all metal lower deluxe rebuild kit, 8 butterfly screws, 8 new "V" seals for the throttle shafts, and new Colortune setup, because I broke the plug wire, on my old set.

56 miles on an oil change! ARGH!

I still love that Scorpion, though!

I would stop putting anything in your tank but gas That is what they were made for. Next, if all the other stuff (carb bowl gasket trim, junk in your needles and so on) if not the problem, I will bet you don't have the return tang on one or more of your floats set right. If these floats can move to the "open" position more then just enough to let fuel flow into the bowls, THEY WILL JAM OPEN AND OVERFLOW THE CARB. Adjust the "STOP" tang on all 4 floats to where they "just" open the needle valves all the way. JMHO, but I have been where you are and I understande your pain

[skippy344]

Yes, 90 degree sintered filters, thin-walled, double-layered fuel lines, and I still have that damn octopus. I refuse to give up on it! LOL

The carbs were good. I rebuilt them a few years ago, and they were perfect. Balanced, synced, colortuned to a sweet tune!

But she sat for a while, and that is the worst thing. The gas turns to varnish in as little as 3 weeks, if not treated, here. I am not kidding!

Floats are good, gaskets are good, but I am sure the rubber tipped needles, are just eaten up. So, I am gonna try all-meatal this time around.

I have not had the carbs opened in about 2.5 years, so it is time, but, man, all I do now is clean carbs!

[XS1100_OEM4ME]

+1

Yes, 90 degree sintered filters, thin-walled, double-layered fuel lines, and I still have that damn octopus. I refuse to give up on it! LOL

The carbs were good. I rebuilt them a few years ago, and they were perfect. Balanced, synced, colortuned to a sweet tune!

But she sat for a while, and that is the worst thing. The gas turns to varnish in as little as 3 weeks, if not treated, here. I am not kidding!

Floats are good, gaskets are good, but I am sure the rubber tipped needles, are just eaten up. So, I am gonna try all-meatal this time around.

I have not had the carbs opened in about 2.5 years, so it is time, but, man, all I do now is clean carbs!

Hey, I hear ya. I didn't know your bike sat for months, some stabil or such is needed. These carbs are the most tricky I have seen. Some never have a problem, others i rebuilt mine 5 times before I got EVERYTHING just right, and that's after a lifetime of rebuilding raceing carbs on cars and bikes for many years, good luck with your bike

[trbig]

If your carbs are flooding and you still have the octo, then you've not only got carb problems, Greg. Diaphragm is probably shot on the octo.

Seafoam might not be the cheapest option, but it is the best stuff I've found. Carb mechanic in a can. Makes a better stabilizer than Stabil as well for your fuel. I'm a cheap (Donkey) and tried everything else. Since I'm not picky about ethanol or non-ethanol (We have a choice here, and I try to use 100% gas, but it isn't always convenient) and on trips where I use exclusive ethanol blend gas, I don't have any problems from the viton tipped needles. Makes me wonder about all your extra additives possibly?

[XS1100_OEM4ME]

One more thing?

One more thought, you said the fuel was leaking out the carbs while you were riding the bike? I don't think a stuck flot or needle is your problem, they would vibrate loose under the running thing, JIMHO, wish I could be of more help, but I will defult to others with ideas of why it would still leak while running, I don't think the octy either, as it is supposed to be wide open while running, good luck with your bike

[motoman]

I've been lucky, the only thing I've ever added has been Seafoam.
I never read or heard of anyone adding so much stuff either.
Knock on wood.

+1........that's alot of snake oil being added...... actuallyonly adding to your carb malfunction, which IS mechanical such as a hanging float, worn float seat, etc.

[motoman]

Yes, 90 degree sintered filters, thin-walled, double-layered fuel lines, and I still have that damn octopus. I refuse to give up on it! LOL

The carbs were good. I rebuilt them a few years ago, and they were perfect. Balanced, synced, colortuned to a sweet tune!

But she sat for a while, and that is the worst thing. The gas turns to varnish in as little as 3 weeks, if not treated, here. I am not kidding!

Floats are good, gaskets are good, but I am sure the rubber tipped needles, are just eaten up. So, I am gonna try all-meatal this time around.

I have not had the carbs opened in about 2.5 years, so it is time, but, man, all I do now is clean carbs!

New rubber tipped needles is your best bet, or you'll be back where this issue started.....guarenteed.

[natemoen]

one major problem that you're going to run into with switching to all metal needles is that the metal needles are longer, then the viton tipped needles. So now you're going to have to sit there constantly adjusting in trying to make up for the difference in needle length with the float height. That's just going to add all that much more confusion and then add to the number of times you are going to have to go into the cards.

[oldyam80sg]

And clean the carbs! Believe me my bike sat for months last year due to an accident and medical issues, and doesn't run good at all when crap builds up in the carbs.I thoroughly went through them and now the bike runs like a top.The only thing i put in them is gas and Berrymans Chem tool and Stabil in the winter time and i use inline filters and no octy! Did you see the thread on the Pingel fuel valve? A very good upgrade from the octy.

[Diskman01]

Clean the float needle SEATS with q-tips and drill! Worked WONDERS on my 78!

I took plain old Q-Tips, cut them in half, chucked it into my cheap cordless drill and dipped the cotton end *lightly* in plain old paste car wax. Shove into the brass seat and let her rip for a bit. Rinse and repeat.

Your needle seats will be UNBELIEVABLY shiny after doing this procedure. It will remove any scale and corrosion that is present on them. The Q-Tip ends will come out Black, then green then grey. Usually 3-4 per seat. Alternate polish and clean tips.

Protip: Toothpaste will also work.

Can polish up the needles the same way too. Q-Tip, drill and compound. Just hang on to the needle tightly.