rebuilt the carbs but not even wanting to fire up

i cleaned the carbs even had to order one from chacal, very fast service btw great help and decent price.. anyways put them all together and made sure floats were somewhat level and at a position that it would not flood, rather get it running right now than not.. well placed them on and found out i need to replace one side of the lil channel's that feed from one carb to the next; any suggestions would help. anyways the bike turned over and over and over and every once and awhile it act like it gonna catch but no cigar.. so here what i got.
great purple/blue spark on all
great suction carbs off
weak and i mean weak suction carbs on.. think this is it but i dont know.
plenty of fuel.. need to rebuild the peacock btw
and well thats about it... PLEASE OH PLEASE SOME SUGGESTIONS

PM, Email me at racer029@hotmail.com hell text me.. really would like text cuz always away from comp.. 4073852411

 

Did you bench sync them?

What is the channel you are talking about? The fuel feed line between the carbs?

 

The Fuel Gallery Connection Tubes have O-rings on them which can be replaced after the Carbs are removed from the Rails and the Carbs Separated then the Commention Tube withdrawn.

Before you Split the Carbs:
Draw
Photograph
Write down
Memorize
Mock-up ... whatever you have to do to be able to JOIN the Carbs together again after Splitting one from another.

Procure:
A Carpenters / Handymans 3 -or- 4 Foot LEVEL
A Combination Square

After you repair the leak and join the Carbs
Place them ALL"
With Top Covers and Diaphragms Removed ...
Atop the LEVEL and Insure the Linkage is straight and level. (A-Axis)
Align the Carbs using the RULER of the Combination Square to align the Bodies dressed in a Straight Line. (B-Axis)

Install the Railing using the two tools to keep everything copasetic.

Use Metric Viton O-rings.

 

the floats are fine, and yes they were all in parts, otherwise i wouldnt been able to clean them properly.. the commention tubes, well those i couldnt find those flat looking o rings, so i placed some standard o rings, looked on ebay for them but nothing, any who.. my main concern is not of the dripping seal around the tube but of the bike not running, nor even attempting a run.. focus is not that is over flooding cuz its not, nor leaking a steady stream that wouldnt fill the carbs. But that the bowls have gas and the bike attempting a fire up. i think i am gonna plugs all the lines coming out of the carb and intake for the exception of the feeding line.. then see if it will suck like it needs too.. as you see i mentioned before, it sucks great with carbs off but on they sucking in air somewhere else.. any suggestions

 

where can i get the orings and what are the sizes if you dont mind me asking

 

I'm not sure what type of carb you have (Hitachi or Mikuni?) but on Hitachis, I use Chacal's P/n HCP92 or McMaster Carr P/n 9262K628. 1.5mm wide X 6.5mm I.D. Buna N or Viton (Viton has a higher temp tolerance) will work fine.

 

If I'm reading his .sig right, he's got the 700 airhead, which means Hitachis. Len's HCP92 part number would apply here for the fuel rail tubes.

I just got my X back online, and had a similar problem. One of the culprits was I had the idle adjust screw turned in much too far, but you can also have a problem if it isn't turned in far enough. I also made sure my mixture screws were set at three turns out to start.

 

Start here. There's a world of hurt in between "not flooding" and "properly set so that fuel is supplied as needed."

You said you "want to get it running right now than not." If you want to get it running, you have to do it right. Not somewhat; that won't work (as you've discovered.)

Do you really want to solve this and be done with it?

IN ORDER:

-Replace any questionable parts subtitutions with the correct parts; chacal carries everything you need.
-Set floats to correct levels using fuel and "clear tube" method.
-Bench sync carbs.
-CHECK VALVE CLEARANCES and adjust if necessary.
-Reinstall carbs on bike completely, reconnect airbox boots, etc.
-Ensure all vacuum caps tight.
-Running vacuum sync (bike should now fire up fine.)
-Fine tune mixtures.

Do the above, carefully and in order, leaving nothing out and be done with "trying" to get the bike to run; it will run.

Keep at it the way you are currently and you're gonna be at it for a while. You WILL eventually end up doing it all, or you won't solve the "problem."

There isn't something you haven't told us about, like pod filters or other intake/exhaust modifications involved here, is there?

 

There's nothing more dangerous than Frustration when you have a Bike that won't start.
Frustration drives you to make adjustments to things and experiment rather than find-out what is the Root Cause and deal with it systematically.

The simple fact that your Bike IS NOT running is a message that says the Bike need attention and that which is responsible for it not starting, ... corrected.

Start attacking the list of things your Bike need to have right before it will start and deliver the performance built in.

When you arrive at the Carbs, ... they need to be Cleaned and Tuned to deliver optimum performance.

You will not be happy trying to do it hit and miss.

 

^^^Here here bretheren... do it once, do it right and don't take the short cuts.

 

okay out of sum 50 bikes that i have worked on, you mean to tell me this thing is so tempermental that it has to have ever nook and cranny sealed, every seal new.. basically a whole new carberation system in order for it to crank up and run or even attempt to, all i want to do is hear it run for christ sake.. not dump a pile of money into it and have a bike that started as a beater into a new bike. i have lil patience and being in the military complicates my time. now i need to know what is causing the lose of suction once i place the carbs on the motor. the intake plenum things are hard but no cracks what so ever. the sync ports are sealed, the gas is flowing, and the compression and spark is there.. what gives.. i know this is not a case of a few seals and call it a day, i know i have already put over 400 dollars into thiese carbs and bike and have but only moved inches when i should be on the bike riding.. no place around here plays or touches metric, and i hate working on harleys. so can someone please throw me a bone on a simple check and ballance.. change the seals and gasket and it will run cuz regardless of new or used seals this should make a valiant attempt to run.

 

LISTEN TO BIGFITZ RICKCOMATIC AND ROBERT!!!!!!!! Im telling you to spare yourself 6 months of aggrivation. I spent 6 months going through the motions half-assed.. I'm on like my 9th carb rebuild... this time I'm finally 'getting it. I'm really following their write ups and taking my time, not skipping steps, etc. Trust me. My problems lied in the steps i skipped (pilot screws + throttle shaft seals. These 3 fine gentlemen (and many others on ths site) know what it takes to get a 25 year old bike back on the road. The best advice you will hear time and time again is do it once and do it right. There are no shortcuts to getting it running. Just trying to save you the agrivation that I had. Ps check your brakes for delamination!

 

I learned the hard way too with my '81, before I joined the forum.

YES, these bikes are "so temperamental" that everything has to be right to get them running. They have CV carbs which unfortunately are finicky little precison instruments and you can't just get it "close enough" because it won't work.

You're not dealing with something that was 100% fine and running like a top then something failed. You're dealing with the cumulative effects of 30 years' neglected maintenance. IT HAS TO BE reversed. Or it won't work, trust us.

 

okay well then i guess i will have to buy new plenum intakes, throttle shaft seals, jets, pilot screws.. ah hell does chacal sell a complete and i mean complete as everything Kit?

 

Not necessarily. What you need to do is slow down and get serious. Taking a "shotgun" approach with new parts isn't going to do any better than if you were to buy only the things you actually need. Jets themselves rarely need to be replaced; o-rings and rubber parts do. You need to take the carbs apart, carefully, clean and inspect, and buy the parts you need to make them all better.

Then you need to get the valve clearances in spec. Because if they aren't, you won't be able to sync the carbs with any degree of success.

There are no shortcuts. That's the important thing to learn. Throwing money at it still won't buy you a shortcut.

 

whats the valve clearances for my bike, or should i say what is the recommend range of clearance.. Big, i understand completely what your saying, i kinda needing assurance on if the time, patience and money will be worth placing in the bike.. my plan was to hear it run and then remove the carbs and replace everything and rebuild the top end of the motor.. just if would not run i was gonna part it out and find another decent shape bike. but this Yamaha making me a cuss a storm, but i bet if i replace those darn throttle shaft seals and clear that leak up it should and will run.. oh how much is a pecock rebuild kit. if you dont mind or would like, hell anyone could please gimme a call or text me at 4073852411 i can explain and get back intouch with you easier through out the day; eastern standard time.

 

i can also be reached by email if anyone has an word/pdf documents that be beneficial to me. thanks racer029@hotmail.com

 

GET A MANUAL.

These things have way too many intracacies to try and get by without one.

Then look through "FAQ Suggestions." You'll find my "how-to" on valve adjustments, along with a whole bunch of other good stuff. Check out RickCoMatic's "The Whole 9 Yards" carb cleaning article.

I've done this now, twice. Working on number three. Not making stuff up. Go big or go cry in the corner. Get a service manual and go step-by-step. IT'S GONNA TAKE SOME WORK.

 

When you acquire one of these Bikes; your relationship with the Bike is: "Restorer".
Once you take possession you have to presume that there is going to be a good deal of catching-up on Maintenance.
Fuse Panel
Rear Brake Shoes
Carbs
Headset Bearings
Front Forks
Calipers and Lines
Battery
Lights
Tires
Everything else.

It's all on you, now.

Good luck.
I hope you get going soon.

 

roger, i have printed out mostly everything i plan on doing, and well that manual is overpriced and i rather buy dang CD Before haynes gets my money. hard to do alot with a budget, but nothing is free in this world anymore.. i checked the valve clearance with .254 but that was way too big.. having hard time getting a metric set with .11-.20

 

KD Tools' metric feeler: http://www.google.com/products/catalog? ... DAQ8wIwBQ#

If you want a manual for cheap get on eBay and come away for like $15. YOU NEED A BOOK or you will fail. Too many things on these bikes that aren't the least BIT "intuative" if you don't know them or someone doesn't tell you they will kick your butt. (As I believe, you're beginning to learn the hard way.) Wanna stop being frustrated? Get a bloody manual and get serious about this or it ain't gonna run right ever. It's not magic, it IS "Old Motorcycles 101." Get with the program.

XJ4Ever has your parts. You supply the effort; we have the knowledge but you still need a book.

 

thanks fitz on the link, umm the CD Doesnt cover what the manual covers. i am getting with the picture just hard concept, i look at it this way you stand this against a harley and they both same age the harley wins, now i am not a avid harley fan, personally i dont like them but most people recognize harley.. another thing, way they are looking i leading to believe that i recieved a pretty messed up bike and might have to rebuild the bottom end, do you know off the top your head how much a ring kit aswell as crank bearings cost?

 

well i hear the bike run, i placed gas in the tank and well filled the carbs up i think.. shot starting fluid through the carbs and low and behold the bad boy fired up but i was holding the throttle open in case it would not idle, it ran through what bit of gas it had i beleive and then died down, thought maybe gas was gone so i put some more gas in it but this time she doesnt want to crank and run, she catch every once and a while and just die after firing up. thinking about taking carbs back off.. what are your suggestions, compression and valves good except 4 cylinder is off .03 on intake and .05 exhaust. but she ran and dont why couldnt stay running on its own, have the idle screws set at 2.5

 

You MUST MUST MUST MUST do the carbs in the prescribed manner, so LISTEN to the ones who have been telling you that. Starting right at 'In the Church of Clean'.

Then Then go through the Bench syncing procedure. You WON'T get it running right, otherwise.

Then go through the float level check

That should get you to the bike running, get it to idle so you can do other stuff.

You must have a long fuel line or aux. tank so that you can do the on-bike sync procedure. You need equipment to do that. We'll help you through the procedure, but you MUST listen and follow what we tell you. We KNOW these bikes, we KNOW these things, not trying to sound arrogant rather telling you fact. We know these because we keep these running since the shops don't like to work on "old" bikes anymore.

Once you have synced the bike with a sync gauge set, then plan on color-tuning it to optimise the idle mix.

Not to sound picky or critical, but if you have spent $400.00 on the carbs already, somebody is seriously overcharging you.

As others have said, shortage of patience will get you nowhere with these. They have critical things that MUST be done, and some of them do take time and patience, sometimes lots of it. Once these steps have been followed, in order, thoroughly and carefully, you'll get your bike running eventually. Once there, then the maintenance is pretty easy.

Example: My first bike--hadn't run in 2 years before I got it. Before it was road-worthy I had to: clean the carbs, complete procedure; rebuild master cylinder; rebuild caliper; replace all brake pads; new battery; two new tires; new oil and filter; replace final gear oil; clean tons of mud off front of bike so it wouldn't overheat. Once this was all done...which took lots of time that I didn't have either, it started right up and NEVER gave me a problem thereafter. I bought it with 12,000 mi on it in non-running condition. I sold it 10 years later, with 38,000 mi on it with NO problems ever. Carb work over the 10 years that I had it-- at one carb clinic, ONE mixture screw turned 1/8 of a turn to dial in. That's all. 1/8 of a turn of one mix screw. ALL the time spent on getting things right FIRST pays off.

The new owner is coming over in June for a shim check. That's the ONLY thing he needs to do.

The harley thing--if one of these bikes is sitting next to a harley of the same vintage? I'd take the xj in a heartbeat. Once it's dialed in, will be a whole lot more reliable than the harley.

Welcome aboard, get a service manual, GET THE XJCD, READ and DIGEST EVERYTHING that BigFitz, RickCoMatic, Robert, Len Chacal, and others tell you. We've been at these bikes for a LONG time.

Welcome aboard, enjoy the journey.

Dave Fox

 

While you're at it, you may want to set the petcock to "PRI" (prime) while you're checking for fuel flow. That way you can bypass the vacuum for the petcock. If the vacuum doesn't work, check the pulse line from the intake port. Make sure it's not cracked or disconnected. If all is good there, you may need to get a rebuild kit for the fuelvalve. That is a simple kit.....a diaphragm, a spring, a ring or two, and a valve.

Dave

 

You keep asking for suggestions but you're not heeding the advice given.

VALVES NOT "GOOD" if these are your clearances on #4.

Quit worrying about things like "rebuilding the bottom end" and get the valve IN SPEC, then do the carbs again, carefully, and follow all the steps we've given you IN ORDER.

(If you really need crank bearings then a different motor is really the only alternative. I doubt you could find the parts for a bottom end rebuild, and even if you did the whole process would end up running you a $$$Grand easy.)

 

just don't forget to put it back to "on" when you take a break. gas in the crankcase does no help to the viscosity of oil and could potentially create more problems

 

shes running and puirring along along, mind you the carbs are without a breather have to get another one.. tunrs out vaccum hose from the number 2 intake was leaking and well guess what she needed constant fuel supply to stay running.. and no the valves are fine now, misread or something.. any who i followed to the t along with good ol roberts help, speak up robert when you read this.. any how she runs beautiful and now its time to place money into her.. this is what i wanted to see, there would have been no sense in even dumping money into a bike had it not ran and when all said and done would be new bike if it was the case of bad rings or pitted walls. there was a method to my madness, you may have the funds to dump into a 26 year old bike but not me unless i know with out a shadow of doubt she is capable of running and being perfected. thanks Robert and all who have aided my endeavor and i can now sit back and wait for the parts to come in and i get to have the satisfaction of working on my Bike that i know RUNS!

 

that would be the pulse line that I said to check. If that is broken or leaking, the petcock will not work. That's why you would put it on PRI, because it doesn't need the vacuum to work then.Of course, then the engine can draw excessive air through that port and run a bit lean on that cylinder.

Glad yu got it going. We did tell you it probably wasn't the bottom end, or anything other major.

Now most of us don't have lots of funds to dump into our bikes either. That's why we are here.....to help each other keep all of our bike running WITHOUT dumping a lot of money into them. Read down through the lists in the footers of some of the members here, and you'll see a LOT of bikes. BUT, if you were to ask each person how much they actually put into the bikes to get them running, you'll find that it's nowhere near as much as you might think.

Welcome aboard, and I hope your time here is much to your enjoyment and edumacation..

DaveF