Potential new project

[jetmechmarty]

James,
I think your work is fantastic! I just love it! Once you put that thing on the road, you need to get over that stock suspension. A bike like that deserves better if you're going to ride it. You can make it good enough to cause you to lose some interest in the XJR! You've made some upgrades. Don't stop there!

[3Phase]

The Bike is looking good so far James. You've given me a few ideas already for working on my bike. Like testing the floats off the bike.

Happy Ridiing!
Thanks,
Slimbob

But not nearly as much fun as deploying the fire extinguisher or -- running down the driveway with a flaming gas tank in your hands.

Seriously, James, it looks fantastic!

.

[James England]

This project appears to have moved beyond "POTENTIAL"!

Yes, it kind of slipped from potential to actual without me consciously deciding to do it! The XS's can get people to do that......

[motoman]

Best way to test those float needles.....

Nice works James! Appreciate the attention to detail.
Might have a look at those bowl gaskets when in place with bowls off, and the horezontal straightness of the floats. If you replaced the bowl gasket,(or not), pulled down tight they sqiuish out ever so little, interferring with float on inside. Either way, gasket in place, use inside of bowl as a 'bump' guide and trim them with an exacto-knife, whether they 'look' okay or not. That will forever resolve that questionable issue.

[James England]

Thanks. I didn't think of the gaskets...... I'll double-check them all if it does it again. It seems OK at the moment, so I put the carbs back on the bike....

[James England]

Horror of horrors, I discovered four rusty looking bolts on the bike..Lin the fuel tap fronts......now replaced with stainless steel.....



Phew, I feel much better now......

[motoman]

Still lookin' good James! Not to stir up your confidence, but for future referance, ANY cooling radiator, whether it be for oil or ethyl glycol dissapates heat best if not painted.
Since being a cosmetic choice as it can be seen by others, a light coat of flat black dissapates heat better than gloss black......just an FYI.

Originally, the factory oil coolers on the Venturers DID follow that known fact, not sure about the RH's across the pond.

[James England]

Still lookin' good James! Not to stir up your confidence, but for future referance, ANY cooling radiator, whether it be for oil or ethyl glycol dissapates heat best if not painted.
Since being a cosmetic choice as it can be seen by others, a light coat of flat black dissapates heat better than gloss black......just an FYI.

Originally, the factory oil coolers on the Venturers DID follow that known fact, not sure about the RH's across the pond.

Yes, I did wonder about that but, as far as I recall, the OEM finish was gloss black on the oil radiators in the UK. In fact, I did the same on the last one and used it for a couple of thousand miles without incident. The bike was still going last year too...I saw it on eBay! The flat black looks really unattractive too...a bit like the stuff on a barbecue....... I used the same black paint on a domestic radiator in my son's bedroom (he's in a black phase) and it belts out heat really well! Much better than when it was white......

[James England]

Nice works James! Appreciate the attention to detail.
Might have a look at those bowl gaskets when in place with bowls off, and the horezontal straightness of the floats. If you replaced the bowl gasket,(or not), pulled down tight they sqiuish out ever so little, interferring with float on inside. Either way, gasket in place, use inside of bowl as a 'bump' guide and trim them with an exacto-knife, whether they 'look' okay or not. That will forever resolve that questionable issue.

After reading your post, I removed the carbs and trimmed all the gaskets! I've done the remote testing again and found that the sticking float on #2 seems to be connected with when the float pin is pushed into position. A bit strange. If it's in with a tiny bit of slack at the flattened end, it's fine. If I push the pin hard home against the float post, it sticks. I ended up putting the pin in securely but not really pressing it fully home and it now seems fine..... Carbs are back on the bike with an absorbent diaper liner underneath to catch any drips or overflow when I connect the tank up prior to startup.....

[bikerphil]

Another good trick for fixing the float sticking on the pin is to get out your numbered drill bit set and find the proper size and ream out the float pin hole slightly. Crap can build up in there, now it'll work nice and smooth.

[James England]

Another good trick for fixing the float sticking on the pin is to get out your numbered drill bit set and find the proper size and ream out the float pin hole slightly. Crap can build up in there, now it'll work nice and smooth.

Yes! I did wonder about that aspect of things and I made a thin tube of wet and dry sandpaper and twiddled it round in the float pin hole. A load of crud did come out. I've got the carbs back on the bike now and all seems to be OK. Ill be connecting the tank up later today, with a diaper under the float bowls, to double-check everything.

I bought a complete bank of carbs off eBay a while ago, so have spare floats and needles etc etc. Also good diaphragms, so if the problem recurs, I'll change the float. But all looking good so far...... Fingers crossed...

[James England]

First startup!

Hi Folks

A little update. I got the bike started for the first time today! Only 30 seconds or so as there is no exhaust system fitted yet.....

I fitted glass, cleanable fuel filters which are a bit tricky to locate in the available space on the bike, so at the moment they are on the sides and not too obtrusive. It enables me to monitor that field is going into the newly-rebuilt carbs...







I also fitted iridium spark plugs and silicone HT leads with graphite cores. I removed the resistors from the two inner HT caps and replaced them with pieces of copper. The outer HT leads don't have any resistors anyway. Iridium plugs have a built-in resistor, so none is necessary in the caps.



The bike fired up first time and, despite the loud racket, ran smoothly....... So......onwards and upwards......

I'm about to order another stainless replica exhaust system from Germany........ !!

[WMarshy]

...

I'm about to order another stainless replica exhaust system from Germany........ !!

You make me sick.

[James England]

You make me sick.

I feel a bit sick myself, thinking about paying for it. The thing is though, I have to feel like I've done the job properly and a four into one or whatever (I looked at a Mac from the USA and a Marshall Deeptone) is fine, no doubt, for running the bike and normal use but for me to feel like I've done it right it has to be a replica system as close as possible to OEM...... The German ones are as close as it gets now the NOS ones have disappeared......

[WMarshy]

I feel a bit sick myself, thinking about paying for it. The thing is though, I have to feel like I've done the job properly and a four into one or whatever (I looked at a Mac from the USA and a Marshall Deeptone) is fine, no doubt, for running the bike and normal use but for me to feel like I've done it right it has to be a replica system as close as possible to OEM...... The German ones are as close as it gets now the NOS ones have disappeared......

I hear ya. The exhaust is top notch as far as looks and workmanship. It complements your bike very nicely. Maybe they will stay in business long enough so when I win the lotto I can get one from tem.