Too Much Oil?

I opened up my XJ700 air box and found my air filter and the inside of the box has a good bit of oil in it. I put it on the center stand and looked at the oil level glass and it's completely black. Should I be able to see through it a bit? Should it be half full? I also took the valve cover off and there is pools of oil near the shims. If that's too much oil can I simply drain it a bit?

Also, I read that my Hitachi 33 carbs should have four vacuum hoses running up and over the carbs, one for each nipple near the starter plungers. Mine have black rubber caps. Is that a big deal?

 

Yes.
No.
No.
No.

Read:
http://www.xjbikes.com/forums/threads/the-information-overload-hour.27544/

 

Honestly I am not sure about that last No, as 700's are a bit different.
Seriously, read that link, and you should find many answers. Sounds like your carbs need to go to Church as they are over flowing, you now have gas in your oil and need to correct both situations prior to riding anymore. So might as well read and click on the links within.
http://www.xjbikes.com/forums/threads/the-information-overload-hour.27544/

 

I bought the bike in the fall with zero motorcycle experience (bike noob).

I rode it for three or four months without checking anything (bike noob).

I let it sit a couple weeks when winter started and noticed it was leaking gas from the carb bowls. I discovered this forum and read most of the overload hour and took the carbs to church, breaking the rack and replacing everything rubber. I also realized my petcock was leaking so I currently have the tank removed until I can get the parts from Chacal.

You're saying that gas has probably gone from the carbs into the engine? I thought that upper carb rail with the T fittings was to divert gas out of the bike and not into the engine.

I need to drain everything and give her a new oil change?

 

a good bit of oil in air box is not a good thimg.
There should be an air bubble in the sight glass if not to much oil. more likely the oil is black
oil does pool around the shims

when was the last time you changed the oil?
does it smell like gasoline
you can drain some oil out check for air bubble and see if you are leaking fuel into the motor . The oil level will rise again

could be gas is leaking from carbs into motor

 

did you wet set the fuel level on your carbs?

 

Agree with XJ550H chances are your crankcase is full of fuel and oil ,you should have a "bubble" visible at top of sight gauge for proper oil level... Not Do not get alarmed if after running engine you don't see a bubble , let oil settle after about 15 min after shut down oil should flow down to sump.

 

I set the floats and then checked that they were 1mm from carb bowl. They are all good now but I haven't put them back on the bike since setting floats. Fill the fuel line up again to make sure it's not overflowing? Why didn't the gas flow out of the top rail instead of into the engine?

 

3mm +/- 1mm is the wet set fuel level spec from top of carb bowl. If you are at 1mm you are too high.

 

Good chance you needle and seat on one or all 4 carbs were leaking , if you left petcock on PRI , The Crap fuel we have causes rubber even Vitron to eventually break down. I bought the solid brass needles from xj4ever as long as no crud gets under them should last a long time. Agree with stumplifter 3mm is correct setting.

 

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou..._FoxIiYdL0AZfWTGA&sig2=eM5pMFuipxb0VxSciasbNA

The very last of this days differently. The cheat sheet page for XJ700

 

You are correct. Apologies I was referencing the Hitachi 32's that are familiar to me.
Did you use the solid brass tip needles like Jetfixer suggested? The rubber on the old ones will break down.

 

I'm still using the 30 year old rubber ones. You're thinking that maybe the rubber caused one or some of them to stick open and flood the engine?

I guess I should try using a separate tank on the carbs and see if they're still flooding?

 

Well, you said you went to Church and replaced everything rubber. Were the float needle tips rubber and did you replace them?
A leaking petcock with properly seated float needles should not flood anything. You should still rebuild your petcock but you may also need to break your rack again and inspect the float needle seats and needle tips.

 

My 85 XJ700 air cooled has one vent or overflow hose coming off the carb rack. It is not connected to any of the 4 vacuum ports on the intake boots. I think the 86 model had 4 hoses.

 

Looks like these?


The small lower hoses (float bowl vent/overflow) hang down, as does the big one on the right.
The big upper hose on on the left goes to the petcock. None of them go to the vacuum ports on the carb boots. The vacuum line from the petcock is the only hose that goes onto a vacuum port.

The Viton tips of the float needles can harden with age, and end up not being able to seal. The float needle seat washer/o-ring can fail (though it's uncommon), and allow gas past the seat body.
All rubber parts (save the diaphragms) should be replaced simply due to age. If you had any of the vent tubes hooked up to the vacuum ports that is why the fuel overflowed into the crankcase.

 

Those are like the ones that were on my 1985 XJ700 when I bought it. Chacal asked why my 85 had 86 carbs on it. I later bought an 85 parts bike and the carbs on it have only one vent hose. That's the set of carbs I am using now.

 

Sorry initial reply was just into first cup of coffee.

YES! The 30 year old rubber tipped float needles have lost their integrity and need to be replaced.
Carbs need to be gone back through, the tang to float needle tip reference will be different so most likely resetting your fuel level will occur also. Double check with Chacal - if memory serves me (ha!) the float needle and seat is best replaced as a pair. Do all 4.

 

Those aren't the Hitachi 33 carbs for my 85 XJ700 (at least not the ones that came on my bike). I have two overflow T shaped tubes between 1/2 and 3/4. These do not have hoses connected but apparently should. I have only one rubber hose coming from the fuel rail between 2/3 carbs that goes into the petcock.

I was curious why the gas didn't flow out of the overflow tubes but now I know I need new needles... Just when I thought I had her up to spec

Why do I need to break the rack again if my needle seats are inside the carb bowls? Don't I just need to unscrew and replace with all metal ones?

 

Ohh... I bet those overflows are more for if you dump your bike. When mine was sitting in the garage, the fuel most likely filled the while bowl and then flowed out of the pilot jet hole into the crankcase since it is positioned lower than that upper overflow rail.

 

Ok I know the one's you're talking about now. They are not overflow tubes. They are vents. They can't act as overflow because they exit above the hight of the bottom of the carb throats.

 

over filled carbs will leak out those 2 holes you see if the carb throat and possibly out of the slide needle at least in mikuni carbs

 

Yes.
You do have new throttle shaft seals seals, yes?

 

1. You can't replace the trhrottle-shaft seals unless you break the rack.

2. The fuel/oil won't flood the airbox from the overflow tubes. The airbox floods as gas leaks past the fuel valve and seeps into the crankcase.....the crankcase fills up and overflows back into the airbox via the crankcase vent tube that goes from the shifter cover up to the airbox.

3. The carb overflow tubes are for of the bike tips over too far.

Dave

 

If your a bike noob as you claim (no shame I'm still learning on my first bike) Best advice I can give is start with the simple issues first, don't let others scare you into thinking its the worst case scenario

I had a similar issue with my bike when I let it sit for a little bit. One thing I think most bike newbs do without realizing it is leaving their petcock in the PRI position which can lead to gas overflow in the carbs. it could be that simple..

When I had gas overflow it was definitely moving into the cylinders, sitting there and eventually washing into my crankcase (into the oil) it added to the volume of oil when the gas mixed with it and I was getting a gas/oil mix in my airbox when I revved the engine.

long story short the rubber tips on the float needles of three of my carbs had rings on them, meaning the point where they meet with the float needle seat wasn't sealing well anymore. This was letting gas pass fairly easily and overflowing and finding its way to the crankcase

I had set my carbs correctly once then realized my float needle issue, had a few whiskey drinks while replacing my bad needles and had to reset the floats because of the new needles.
When I did this I read the 3mm +/- 1mm in my shop manual and misunderstood it as well, setting my floats close to 1.5mm

The non mechanic way of understanding what that means set your floats between 2mm and 4mm, aim for three and try to keep them closer to eachother than not for better results


My advice is to start with the simplest problems first.

I would check it in this order:
Petcock position (should not be in PRI position)
Float needle tips (look for rings worn into the rubber)
Set float heights (after replacing needles)

Change the oil once you find all the issues and think you fixed the gas overflow, to ensure you get all the gas/oil out of the crank case, take the filter AND the drain screw directly below it out (it helps if you the engine is warm, I wouldn't advise running it) and hand crank the engine by removing the side cover which will push the oil still in the system out, otherwise you'll still smell gas in your oil and it'll thin out the new oil you put in.

 

Sooo, these are vent hoses that should just hang down? They don't connect to any nipple or something?

 

Correct.
It's better to ask these questions in your own thread.