Have a wierd problem

ok, by easy i meant i did not have to pull too hard. i have an airbox, and that is not the issue. the porblem i had last night was i didn't prime the carbs after synching them.
got there this morning realized this, primed them, and the bike started up just fine. vac synched them and everything seemed great, except now i saw a bit of smoke in the air.
didn't know where it came from so i let the bike cool thinking that it just got hot while working on it in the garage and running it with no air flowing over it. i then grabed some new sparkplugs because the ones on the bike were black and nasty. came back and the bike was cooled a bit, threw on the plugs and took her for a spin.
drove for about an hour total driving, watched a movie, then went to drive it home and it was difficult to start again. got it going, and got it home, and i noticed smoke from the front of the engine. didn't have a lot of time cause i had to go, but when i came back, i noticed that there was an oil leak coming out of the engine. I don't know what part this is cause i'm bad at this, but i took pictures.
dont know how to upload pics here so i photobucketed them
this one is me standing at the front left of the bike looking at the engine
http://i863.photobucket.com/albums/ab19 ... 100149.jpg
this is me standing at the front right looking at the engine
http://i863.photobucket.com/albums/ab19 ... 00150a.jpg
these next ones are me standing in front with the camera right above the front wheel.
http://i863.photobucket.com/albums/ab19 ... 100151.jpg
http://i863.photobucket.com/albums/ab19 ... 100150.jpg
http://i863.photobucket.com/albums/ab19 ... 00149a.jpg
So, i'm thinking i have to take the engine apart to get at this gasket and replace it. I will definately go ahead and clean out the carbs completely like you guys are telling me while i am doing this project.
Any ideas on where to get a good service manual to help with with the engine take-down?

Thanks again guys

 

How did you set your mixture screws that you turned recently? Even when you have the carbs incredibly clean you will have to adjust the mixture screws properly. Do plug chops or colortune. You can't expect to just throw them back on and be done. I manual is your best friend. with book in hand almost anyone can repair these machines. It is all worth it when you get them right they fire right up run smooth. Keep at it and take your time as mentioned there is no short cuts do it right and you will be rewarded.

 

i bench synched them and then put them on the bike and vac synched with a tool i made from one of these forums. what does "plug chops" and "colortune" mean? also, i'm thinking my main problem is this oil leak for now no? i got a manual online with directions to pull the engine apart, and was thinking i'll give this a go and replace that gasket. where would you guys go to get a new gasket?

 

85MaximXX is talking about your pilot air mixture screws. They adjust the amount of fuel that is drawn up at idle and are different than your sync screws (which adjust the amount of air that each cylinder allows to pass at idle). There is one mixture screw per carb body, in the front in a well next to the enrichment plungers.

Do you see oil gushing out of a gasket? Is all that grime new? If you really think you have an oil leak, you need to clean the engine (simple green works well if you wash it off quickly - <20 min - it will oxidize aluminum). Oil leaks tend to flow downward and pool in a location different than the actual leak.

Unless you are out of oil...a small leak shouldn't cause starting problems. You likely need to at least adjust your mixture screws - if not clean and rebuild the carbs - the enrichment circuit is a likely culprit.

I'm not sure oil leaks on the outside would cause a white smoke. Perhaps an exhaust leak if you notice it in the front? I would hold off on tearing down the engine if you can - how was your compression? Did you check your valve clearances? The HIGHEST possible spot to leak oil on these engines is the valve cover gasket - if that was the source you can replace that without even taking the engine out. So really pinpoint the source of the leak.

 

look under the engine, could be that you have oil leaking onto the exhaust, if this is the case when the exhaust heats up it will smoke... not a big deal but annoying.

 

i've been messing with the idle adjustment screw, but i didn't know there were more than the one...am i thinking something different? how do i synch those?

 

Ok...terminology here. Idle adjustment screw is what is in between carb bowls 2-3 and has a big knob on it. It directly opens #3 butterfly - but due to the linkanges in the throttle shaft, it takes all the butterflies with it. It does not affect the mixture, only the opening of the butterflies to increase or decrease the idle engine speed.

The pilot air mixture screws (4) are recessed. They might be capped. They might be hard to turn, and you can strip the heads out easily. Make sure your screw driver fits the head perfectly (grind a spare one down). Check out RickCoMatic's "Whole 9 yards" carb cleaning guide (search that phrase - "9" not "nine") - he goes into great detail on how to remove them if they are stuck.

These adjust the mixture (lean->good->rich) at idle and off-idle. They adjust one per cylinder. There are several ways to tune (search these out, or someone else might provide links soon), the colortune plug, plug chops, or by ear. These are in order of increasing difficulty and skill, and decreasing initial cost. I would recommend the colortune plug - it is well worth it.

 

when i mess with the mixture screws (after i check valve clearences which seem like a project) what position should the idle screw be? or does that matter? also, where do i get the colortune plug?

 

Idle should be 1050 rpm (it should be in your manual or on a side cover - which bike do you have again - hint hint). As you adjust things (sync and mixures) your idle will likely increase the closer you get to ideal running conditions (because the cylinders will start working together, instead of over compensating one way or the other). So always keep your idle at a touch over 1k - so you don't bring other fuel circuits into play.

Chacal sells the colortune plug. Send him a PM

 

so, as i'm messing with the micture screws, i am also messing with the idle screw to keep it just over 1000rpm, then when i'm done messing with the mixture screws, i set the idle to the 1050 rpm perminently?
but before i do this i mess with the valve clearance. and if the clearence is not what it should be then i need to buy special pads? and how do i know what the valve clearence should be and what pads to buy?

I know i sound like an idiot, but this is all brand new territory for me...thanks guys.

two more things, if the valve clearence is bad, this could cause that oil leak i saw? and what oil shoul i use for the bike. its a 1985 maxim 700cc with 31000 miles on it.

 

Unless your engine was clean and shiny and after one ride you ended up with what's in the pics, I suggest you degrease the engine, and trace EXACTLY where the oil leak is comming from.

Search for "airhead valve adjustment" bigfitz52 wrote. The chacal has the shims - there is a chart that will give you the spec and which shims.

You really need a manual - I see the Yamaha one recommended - RickCoMatic posted a link to where you can order one (around $90). Or you can get a Haynes (around $30). But you need a manual, you'll learn alot faster, and alot of the basic questions you are asking would be covered. Don't worry about a lack of knowledge, we all start somewhere.

 

Sorry...no haynes for you bike...but I can't edit my post because of the window size since I'm the first post and can't get to the edit button...anyone else get that?

 

i got a manual, someone posted a free one somewhere...and i checked the valve clearances and every one was too close. i couldn't even get my .006mm in most of them...and two where exhaust and were .008, so i'm going to get those shims out (which is terribly difficult, only got one out so far and it took me forever. i'm using the zip tie trick, and a knife and needle nose pliers, if anyone has tricks for this, let me know), and figure out shat sizes i need and have chacal send me the shims as well as a colortune plug. after the new shims are in and everything is good there, i'll tune up the carbs and see where it takes me.

also, where exactly are the mixture screws. i thought i found them, but turning them out only makes the carbs leak gas, so i'm guessing thats wrong....

and you guys are awesome. i never would have gotten anywhere near this point without you. I've learned so much in such a short time its amazing.