I screwed up an 85 Maxim 700

Here's the deal, I bought an 85 Maxim 700 and liked it pretty well. Then, one day, the starter went out. So, I ordered a new started and push started it for a few days.

While I was waiting on the starter, I took the bike to a car wash and tried to clean and spray it down a bit. Ever since then, the carbs have acted up. I have to choke it half-way just to keep the thing running. When I do that, the idle runs high.

I inspected the carbs and noticed the air intake from the airbox was not entirely secure to the carbs. In fact, most of the hoses had a gap between the airbox hose and the carb. I tried to adjust the ose, but it was dry rotted and not maiable.

Someone told me to try airpods instead. So, I just bought 4 airpods and installed them on the bike. Now, I need to make some adjustments and get the mixtures correct.

Here is what I am needing:
1 Pictures, diagrams of what screws are for what
2 reccommended starting settings for each adjustment
3 things to listen for when tuning the carbs


Thanks so much for anything and everything you can do. This is a first bike and I just want to be able to ride it for the rest of this summer.

 

Gaps between the airbox boots and airbox = air leak. This causes you to flow more air but not more fuel...resulting in a lean mixture. Pod filters flow too much air...same situation as before...but it looks cooler and at least there's some filtration right? :twisted:

My advice, if you don't want to hassle with tuning issues, get the proper boots from chacal. They won't be cheap (between $50 and $100 total), but they will allow you to use the airbox to REGULATE the air intake. If you want a cheap alternative to airbox boots...search "cheap alt airbox boots." Basically plumbing coupling that is the right diameter to fit into the airbox. There isn't a lip on the carb side tho, so there will be some added turbulence IMHO.

Otherwise, you are looking at hundreds of $ in different jets, trying to tune the lean condition away, removing your carbs many times to change out jets. Adjusting screws will be the least of your worries. Also, consider colortuning and a synch gauge to adjusting your carbs at idle.

 

The problem is the Air Pods.
Spend an evening reading all the Posts you can find in here about guys who have installed Air Pods.

There's plenty to read and learn.

The Bedrock BOTTOM LINE is:
Find Tuning the CV Carbs with Air Pods installed is impossible.

Return the Bike to its Stock Configuration and we'll bring it to the Hairy Edge of Fine Tuning.

Here's the Mantra of XJ-Bikers who have Pods:

"You need to try, ... try, ... try, ... and if that don't work, try, ... try, ... try this, ... try that, ... oh, try something else and if that don't work what didn't work the first time, again."

When you get tired of taking those Carbs off to rejet the damn thing one-more-time, ... before you do:
Consult the Magic 8-Ball
Because the 8-Ball Knows
Lets shake it together and see what it says:
"Magic 8-Ball ... can my Maxim-X ever run good with Air Pods?"

Magic 8-Ball says:

"Oh, man. Not another Air Pods question, again. The answer's NO. Go ask some other 8-Ball. Ask me about Babes!!!"

 

Edit: Rickomatic beat me to it!!!
But, I'll leave my comments>>

You can't simply do a major airflow change of going to PODs on these bikes and try to adjust the mixture with the carb pilot screws.

You need to re-jet and re adjust shim the needles..and it is NOT easy to get it to run right. Many have tried and almost as many have gone back to the airbox design.
The CV carbs are designed for specific air flow restriction. PODs totally destroy that balance.

Do a search on the forum and read what others have done and tried.

Some have had success getting it to run acceptable. Some have even claimed "improved performance" but I've never seen any evidence or had one keep up to me with my stock arrangement.

Do yourself a HUGE favor and simply buy new, flexible boots to go between the airbox and carb and be happy (unless you cut the airbox out)...in which case you are best off going to Ebay and buying a used airbox and then buying airbox boots to get back to stock. AND then try to sell the pods to the "friend" that suggested you put PODs on it in the first place.

Chacal the resident parts guru (XJ4ever.com) has the boots for about $12 each I think. And get the clamps to hold them on the carbs. OH..and get a new air filter too. You'll be back in the saddle with a smile on your face in no time.

 

Don't feel bad. I did the same thing last month, the day before a all day bike trip.

Anyhow, me and my buddy stayed up most of the night. We took the carbs off and drained them, we checked for spark had some. My buddy played with some low speed mixture screws or something and then we found the part in the manual that told us never to touch these and no one knows where they actually belong. We fixed some openings by the boots (pulled the carbs off a couple more times). Pulled some electronics apart to look for water. Then we put it all together for on final try and it started and worked.

I have no idea why, it idles a little different now because we messed with those top secret screws but it seams to run okay. This winter I am going to tear them the carbs apart, clean them, reset them all up. I will also buy the new boots for it.

I hope you figure it all out.

I have been told also that if you put on pods without rejetting your carbs you will run too lean and do more harm than good. I recommend putting the money into new boots and making it run stock.

Good luck...

When all else fails sacrafice a goat ;-)

 

hordave - Those screws aren't top secret. We all have to remove them and re-adjust when we clean our carbs. The are the pilot mixture screws that control the (fuel rich) pilot air flow. A color tune, or idle plug chops can help you get them set right. Basically, Yamaha had to cap them, and tell everyone not to touch them, so the EPA didn't come after them for putting out too much CO pollution (i.e. they made it run on the hairs edge of too lean - closer to stoichiometric).

 

So now you know...............
It really wont take much to fix if you don't get ahead of yourself.
Most hardware stores sell several types of soft/semi
soft hose that will replace the OEM boots-or buy Chacals.
I've seen reg. PVC used for the same fix.-do a search.
Don't use power spray washes unless you know your bike
inside and out. That kindof pressure is asking for trouble.
(except, of cource, for dissesembled motor parts).

 

Hi kc9lii,

I would have to agree with rick and dave it doesn't sound like you have many years of experience with the air induction systems on internal combustion engines. Changing to pod filters does take an amount of retuning that I would not suggest a novice try. On the other hand though I'll be running my 82 xj650j maxim on the dyno this year either at the Muskegon bike week or GR Harley. Then I will have the hp numbers in black and white and yes I will be posting them good or bad.
I have seen quite a few of the guys on here use the plumbing couplers and it looks like it works well. Some minor sanding for proper fitment but all and all the pics look like a lot cheaper way to go..

Good Luck,
James

 

I am having similar problems on my 85 maxim x. I know my father who owned the bike before me had the carbs rebuilt and im thinking they changed the boots between the carbs and airbox. The rubber ones on there now seem to be very flimsy and I am having trouble tightening them down without on side or the other pulling off the carb. Are the stock airbox boots very thin like these? When I start the bike it revs up to about 6k and stays there and when i turn it off half the time it backfires so loud it sounds like a 12 gauge. Any ideas? The bike did okay last year, it still idled higher than it should at about 2500 but im clueless now.

 

Use a Visible Marker.
Rotate the Boot on the Carb.
Draw a steady line on the Boot where it needs to cover the Carb Horn.
Trim as necessary.

Block-off leaks at the back of the makeshift Boot with some Duct Tape.

Order the right parts when you can afford to do the job right.