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**Viking500usa** · 11-19-2005, 01:07 PM

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d1.../DonsXS11b.jpg
another pic
Dons 79 xs11 special 3h3

**wingnut** · 11-19-2005, 01:50 PM

Man she is Georgas! Hope mine comes out that good! How many miles? Showed this pic to the wife and told her that’s what I want mine to look like, she yawned!!! I just got mine about three weeks ago. Been sitting for 3 years and PO hit something with the front so it’s a little twisted. Yours is an inspiration. Congratulations and I know you’ll get her running the way she was meant to.

**prometheus578** · 11-19-2005, 02:14 PM

Ive replaced head gasket with yamabond4,

Might be your grammer or sentance structure, but this statement has me curious. Does it mean that you put it back together without a head gasket and just used yamabond, or that you used yamabond on the head gasket?
Since you've obviously had it apart... what's a compression check reveal? Just a thought. What do the plugs look like? Burning the same... or is one richer or leaner than the others. When the engine is hot and runnin', spray some water on the header pipes. (I use a bottle of 409 spray cleaner) Do they all sizzle the same?
Oh, fantastic looking, too

**skids** · 11-19-2005, 04:56 PM

Well, whats done is done, but I wouldn't use any adhesive on a head gasket! Too risky.

Originally posted by prometheus578
Does it mean that you put it back together without a head gasket and just used yamabond, or that you used yamabond on the head gasket?

**GNEPIG** · 11-19-2005, 06:03 PM

.. WoW!.. i love that color! what color is it?
i think your bike is coming along great.
here try this, it's an 8" inch fork bag, it looks good and you get more storage room.. it's tied to the two supports under the back of the seat.. did i say i love that color yet?!

**Ken Talbot** · 11-19-2005, 07:08 PM

Near as I can figure from your post, you haven't sync'd the carbs yet with a proper vacuum sync tool. No matter how many times you pre-sync with a bread tie, and no matter how much time you spend with a color-tune, it won't be synchronized until you use the proper tool. Once you get that sorted out, you might want to have another look at the pick-up coil wires. Of course, 'look' is just a figure of speech - you have to really tug the heck of of them to detect a broken wire.

BTW - looking good!

**skids** · 11-19-2005, 07:37 PM

Your handle says 79 special. I am probably wrong, but that seat pan is not for a 79 is it? I was thinking the 78 and 79's were straighter along the bottom...

You wrote:
"I bought the wrong replacement (made for cowl) seat as you can tell if you can see the pics, its nearly new and Im looking to trade for like new correct wrap around style seat. "

**TopCatGr58** · 11-19-2005, 08:31 PM

Hey folks,

He said Head Gasket, but I'm sure he meant VALVE COVER Gasket, didn't you DON!!!

Looks great so far!!!

You mentioned the timing plate chatters a lot, surprised the others didn't pick up on this, but you may want to recheck where you have the vacuum advance hose connected! It's supposed to go to the metal port on the carb BODY, not on the port on the INTAKE BOOT!! It's metered thru the carb body, and you won't get the pulsing effect.

Yeah, that seat is for the 80-81 series specials, cause it has the sloping back which allows for the grab rail mounted tail light. Wish I had the earlier seat to swap with you! I've got a 79SF basket case that I'll be figuring out how to mount the 80-81 style grab rail onto it. I've got the later model fender and seat mounted tail light, but the mounting holes and shock holes don't line up right!

What pilot jets do you have in it? You said you only replaced the gaskets on the carbs so I'm assuming you used the original jets, but do you know whether the PO had the carbs worked on previously? Do you have the upper carb vent tubes properly vented?

In SE Fla, not too cold, so starting without choke possible, but also points to possibly overly rich condition, again pilot jets, vs. the pilot screws adjusted too far/too many turns out, however you say it's well colortuned? Others talk about a precise vacuum synching needed, but I can attest to running mine with just an eyeball/breadstick style synch, and had mine running quite well, idled, and accelerated without hesitations, etc.!

Still could be problems with pickup coil wires and you probably need to do the throrough stretch test to confirm! Keep at it!
T.C.

**Viking500usa** · 11-20-2005, 09:09 AM

Thanks for all the comments everyone ! its been alotta hard work ! It took two hours to tear everything down, two years to put it all back together.

Wingnut : she's got 34k miles and the color was computer matched by the most expensive colormatch people in florida, it seemed like. Carmine Red I think the factory color was called, and looks identical to it from under the tank. my best advice, since you got yours 3 weeks ago, is to keep reading on this website ! maybe not my place to say this there Wingnut, but your wife needs a spank, then put on the back of that bike, and show her theres nothin to yawn about an XS11. lol no offense intended...

Prometheus : yes, sometimes I have grammer farts... it happens... lol . I replaced the head gasket with a new one, and also used a thin coat of yamabond4 on both sides of gaskets. Yes, thats was the head gasket, not the valve cover gaskets (which was also replaced). it was tricky enough getting the cam marks back to alignment. also replaced cam chain tensioner and seal with thin layer of yamabond. I shall have no leaks damn it... everything torqued to spec. oh yeah, the bike ran great b4 tearing down, just a small oil leak from head gasket and I wanted paint, ended up with frame in the air and engine on a dolly. compression b4 and after work is very good. spark plugs I need to replace but they look a lil dark.

GNEPIG : thanks ! the color is carmine red - from the factory. I had my paint matched to the underside of tank. And a great idea for the small bag to cover the seat. rather would like to have correct seat, but untill someone wants to trade or something, I think I'll use your idea !

Ken : Your the man ! and absolutely right, I havent measured vacuum with a proper vacuum sync tool. was looking at the Morgan Carbtune II Carburettor Synchronizer with case. also need to know which peice is adjusted . and I wanted to hear about this one form someone who knew better than me.

http://www.casporttouring.com/store/...y_Code=MorganT

Skids : Your right too, my ride is a 79 special, the right seat has the wrap around tail with the yama badge. the seat thats on there now I think is for an 80 special - they use a plastic cowl to go around the back end of the seat...
so Im lookin to trade or buy.

Lord Topcat : vac adv. hose in correct place, have already taught myself tripple everything on from this bike. triplle checked they were with new vac hoses. no kinks neither.
bummer about the holes not lining up. I didnt pay attention to what the main jets were, Im positive they're OEM, also the PO never changed the air filter, found sand, dirt, and clumps of crap.
i bought the new metal fuel T's and the vac T's I replaced with some from a spare bank of carbs I bought for parts.
these carbs have been tripple cleaned and then some, still trying to understand how this particular carbs works, with all of its orifices and jets... I think your right, carbs set to right, colortuned it to blue, I think they should be yellow, need more info on this, but I also think I need to measure vac with the carbtuner, b4 I re-synch and colortune. what ya think.

Thanks to all the members and the webmasters , I could not have done it without you all and this website, and alotta patience.
thank you,
Don 79 special

**xj11john** · 11-21-2005, 05:48 PM

Originally posted by Viking500usa

Sputtering : starts up quick - no choke, but sounds like its missing. gonna get new spk plugs, coils check ok thru spk plugs, have triple colortuned, but wonder if I need to buy a Morgan vacuum carbtuner, I set colortune to blue just starting to turn color - to yellow @ 1k rpm.

spark plugs I need to replace but they look a lil dark.

Sounds like you are running rich, especially due to the plugs being dark, also can cause sputtering on excelleration.

Maybe check those float hieghts again, sounds like it is flooding on excelleration.

But it could always be just bad plugs or wires, do the plug/wire test - lay plug against head and turn over and look for spark, should be a nice thick blue spark.

Anyway when you get your bike running as good as it looks you'll def. have something to

about !!

**xj11john** · 11-21-2005, 05:58 PM

Viking,

Make sure that the floats are not hanging up on the side of the float bowls, and causing them to flood.

Also if you have the press in type seats (needle-n-seat-type of seat, not the sit on type

), make sure the 0-ring gasket is in good shape and not allowing fuel to leak past them.

Just a few more after thoughts, Good luck!

**petejw** · 11-24-2005, 08:18 PM

very nice
u should be proud of the work
u put into it, luv the color as well,
hope u get it running as well as it looks.

pete

**Viking500usa** · 11-25-2005, 04:21 PM

Thanks for the great comments guys,
I checked for Topcat what size main jets they were, they are all 137.5. also noticed one float valve spring (back of needle valve that float tab hits) didnt depress all they way in like the others do , (when you press on the float).
so, when measuring the float vavles to 25.7mm , do we measure to when the float tab just hits the spring ? or where the float tab depresses the spring , (to put pressure to make a seal) ? Im not sure about that one.
didnt I read about someone using a drill bit backwards to clean the float valve seat ? what size bit?
I recently got the morgan carbtuner for vacuum synch. sounds easy to use but first have to figure these floats. if you were to measure floats more than 25mm, would that mean there will be less fuel in the bowl?
I'll be looking for any tips you can spare,
Don 79 sf

**TopCatGr58** · 11-25-2005, 08:16 PM

Hey Don,

You measure from the floats just barely touching the needle pins, don't put any pressure on them besides gravity. Just use a drill bit that will just fit into the large opening of the seat, the tapered tip will fit inside the sealing lip/edge of the seat, and turning it backwards provides the cleaning affect without causing the bit to bite into the metal. And, yes, setting the floats higher than 25mm will LEAN out the carb.

But, now onto what I had asked about was the PILOT jets, not the mains, which you say are 137.5's, which is correct stock size. However, there are also separate jets in the smaller tube next to the main jets. Your tube is probably capped off with a metal straight slotted screw. See picture:

IF you didn't remove this cap to clean the carbs, then your pilot circuit is NOT CLEAN, not to mention the pilot jets. And IF they are the wrong size, can also be causing your overly rich condition.
Keep at it!!
T.C.

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