carbs or electrical/Sounding Worst!?

[tazcu]

i'm going to take the carbs off one more time...hoping to here from some one as soon as posible what to check...bike is poping lightly...when i ride it it sounds like running on 3 carbs...at start up 3rd pipe from left cold...other pipes very hot to touch...swithed 2-3 plug wires...3rd still cold...went out one more time after cooled off...number 1 pipe left side cold the other 3 hot to touch...going out to see one more time before i take everything apart...tried wd40 to no differents to the sound of engine...going out also to check plugs and to try switching them and check the colour...checked plugs...#1-4...black and light fire on all...#1 cold and 2-4 hot...switched plugs 1 & 2...#1 little wet still has spark and cold pipe...2-4 hot...switched from # 3 pipe cold to hot to #1 hot to cold...any thoughts

[DiverRay]

Pull the carbs off the bike, remove the float bowls, and CLEAN, then CLEAN again. I use a spray can of Berryman's B12 chemtool carb cleaner. make sure the jets and all the small ports are clean, then reset ALL the floats, starting at about 24mm. Do not go above 26mm for any reason! just make sure they are ALL the SAME.
There are links for the carbs in the tech tips, and they will help. On these older bikes, gummed up carbs are one of the two biggest problems.
Once you are done, sync the carbs and it should run well.

[tazcu]

i don't have a syc tool but i do it accross carbs...want to buy one but if i buy a set the wife will kill...anyone sell a set not to expensive i might be able to convince her...plus u need a yics tool also right...no i never built any...been doing it that way for years...works good...everything is straight accross...floots set at 25mm...oil is right on...seems to be no vacuum leeks...carbs cleaned 4 times...got them off...will redo again...but why does it change fron # 3 cold to hot than # 1 hot to cold...that got me puzzled

[xssiveone]

Tim, think I might have asked you this before.. but what the heck, where in Ontario are you? I'm in Windsor, and if you ever get down this way, I can sync them for you.

As Ray indicated, it has to be carb related. If it was electrical, it would have followed to the other cylinder when you swapped plug wires.

[tazcu]

i live near the manatoba border...past thunderbay about 4 hours...i think it is along way to u...i new everyone was going to say carbs...gut feeling...makes u want to say bad words...lol...i will send u my carbs i pay the bill...lol...reclean...i will

[TopCatGr58]

Hey Tazcu,

When you swapped the actual plugs, the cold one went from #3 to #1. You could have some severely fouled plugs! Try a new set first, although it sounds like you're possibly a bit rich if you're getting black on the plugs, but if it's not running on all four kinda hard to take it out for a proper run at proper temp for proper color checking? Also someone posted about putting them in the OVEN at 350 for a while, then use oven mitts and put them in the bike, and then start it up and see if ALL PIPES GET HOT? You might get lucky, but if not, then you may still need to work on the carbs again....sorry!?
T.C.

[tazcu]

topcat...u say a bit rich...as in open my pillet jets a little 1/4 turn?...add more air?...also where is the choke hole in the float area?...i heard something about put a wire through it...does anyone have a pic of the area... is there some place on here where i can check to see where it is located?...someone else was asking the same question not very long ago...one more thing just out of curiosity...needle and seat...some look like they have a red plastic pease on it and some are black...to different types of needle and seats?

[TopCatGr58]

Hey Tazcu,

First, the pilot screws adjust the amount of fuel, not air, so turning them OUT richens the mixture. The pilot screws and circuit mostly affects the idle and low off idle range, but not much of the higher rpms. IF you're running rich there, then you can do several things to adjust that, either with adjusting the float heights, or the main jet sizes.

The valve seats are different for the 78-79 vs the 80-81 series carbs, the earlier ones screw in are shown with red flat gaskets under them,


The latter years use the press in seat with a black rubber O-ring, held down with a U shaped tang and screw... and the valve needle is viton/rubber tipped, 2 examples:



There are also press on wire mesh screens on the bottom of each:

Here's the picture of the float bowl jet! Sorry for the sidescroll, it's borrowed from Ken Talbots photobucket file!


Hope this helps? T.C.

[tazcu]

sounding worst

carb butterflys are set...floats are set...new plugs...i think i have 1 bad plug...3 plugs dark and very sutty and 1 looks new...bike runs like crap...sounds like a miss...back fires and when u put on the troatle it sounds like its not getting fuel...light pops...anyone have a grenade...send it 2 me and i will blow it up...i'm getting mad...any thoughts or is a grenade on its way...ty chow

[tazcu]

forgot to add this...the clean plug no matter what cyclinder i put it in stays clean...is it a bad plug...the rest stay dirty...i played with the pillit jet...turned them in a quarter of a turn...no differents...plugs still dirty...i'm at 1 1/4turns out

[81xsproject]

if the plug fails regardless of hole/wire then IMHO either the plug is bad or it is grounding out somehow. But, I am no expert.

[hamjam]

Hi Tim
Where are you ? anywhere near scarborough
sounds like a bad plug to me
Jim

[tazcu]

i live in sioux lookout ...4 hours from thunder bay...heading towards winnipeg...why u got me a grenade...lol...it is the plug...tomorrow I will pic up a new one...

[prometheus578]

If the other plugs are fouled... you need to get 4 new ones. Can't diagnose an engine if it's running with fouled plugs. They could be half the prob. Clean plugs make a world or difference

[TopCatGr58]

Hey Tazcu,

I merged your previous thread with your latest since same problem, and so we can see where you've come from!!

You said you had the floats set at 25mm, which is already a bit leaner than the recommended 23mm for the 80 series carbs. I don't recall what you were running for Air Filter, either OEM Box, or Indy filters, and what style or brand if Indy? Some have been known to severely restrict the air flow causing very rich conditions! Also, did you just clean your OEM jets, or did you put in new ones, and if so, where/ what brand...hopefully NOT K&L, they are notoriously the wrong size, especially Pilots! What sizes are your jets, pilots and mains? Are you running modified exhaust, vs. OEM?!
T.C.