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Help - Engine doesn't turn over, and when petcock is on fuel leaks from the underside.

Discussion in 'XJ Technical Chat' started by James Sampsan, Apr 10, 2019.

  1. James Sampsan

    James Sampsan New Member

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    Hi everyone,

    So I've been reading the manuals on my XJ650, and when I bought it the guy said it needed carb adjustments. I finally got my bike out of storage the other day and tried to turn it on to no avail.

    The neutral light comes on, turn signals work, but the headlight doesn't. When I try to start it, (petcock turned down middle, engine cutoff switch in on position, the middle, and inorrss the start button,) nothing happens. No clicking sound , no nothing. The oil light comes on, so I was planning on changing oil and sparkplugs tomorrow after work. Speaking of which, where's the best place to get sparkplugs, and how much do they normally cost? IMG_20190409_175344.jpg IMG_20190409_175349.jpg IMG_20190409_175448.jpg IMG_20190409_175453.jpg

    Also when the petcock is on, fuel leaks from a tube on the underside of the bike. What is going on?

    I'm mechanically incompetent, and this is all still VERY new to me.

    Attached is a photo of the fuel thing.

    Thanks everyone.
     
  2. Simmy

    Simmy Well-Known Member

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    There's a difference between incompetent and inexperienced. You've bought an old motorcycle which doesn't run, this is the best place for information to do things yourself.
    The seller fibbed when he said it needed carb adjustments. It needs a carb rebuild. XJ4ever can provide all the replacement rubber parts you will need for this.
    Metric sockets, wrenches, and JIS screw drivers and pliers is basically all the tools you will need to accomplish this step.
    Search this forum 'church of clean' and start reading.
     
    Jetfixer likes this.
  3. Timbox

    Timbox Well-Known Member

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    James,
    Welcome to owning a older bike. It will take a little more TLC to get running but it will be so worth it. They are great fun bikes and once you get them all running and safety checked, they will last a long time.

    In the upper right hand corner of the pages there is a link. That link is full of all the information you will need to learn about your bike.

    This will take some time to read but will really get you familiar of what you are getting into :https://www.xjbikes.com/forums/threads/the-information-overload-hour.27544/

    As for the carbs, you will have to take them off and take them to "church" or send them off to someone that is good with these carbs. Here is the link for carbs:https://www.xjbikes.com/forums/threads/in-the-church-of-clean.14692/

    Keep us posted and keep up with the pics, we love pics with all the posts.
     
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  4. raskal

    raskal Active Member

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    I'm surprised no one has said anything about the no-start.
    I'm a newb, but I thought headlight not coming on was a sign of a weak battery as the TCI isn't getting enough voltage to start.
    probably wrong, but ...
     
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  5. MattiThundrrr

    MattiThundrrr Not a guru

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    That fuel leak could be a great reason not to start the bike... When you drain the oil, you should take a sniff of the old oil. Does it smell like gasoline? That could be caused by stuck or worn float needles in the carbs. Before you proceed, at least read and consider the "Church of Clean" thread mentioned above. A thourough cleaning and rebuild of the carbs is the first step in getting these bikes running right.

    Another thing to consider is the brakes. The lines on the front have a life expectancy of about five years, and chances are good yours are at least double that! There should be a manufacture date printed on them. The rear brake shoes are prone to breakdown due to delamination, so at minimum, a check on this is required as well. The brakes failing on you could be FATAL!

    It may seem a daunting task, but you will be more familiar and attached to your machine when you do the labour yourself, plus you'll learn how to be your own mechanic in the process. The geniuses here will be able and willing to help if you get stuck on your journey. Also, remember to have fun with it.
     
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  6. XJ550H

    XJ550H Well-Known Member Premium Member

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    head light will not come on until motor turns over a few times.
    oil light coming on tells you the starter button is making ground.
    check out the solenoid . disconnect the small 2 pin connector hook a meter to harness connector see if you get 12 volts when you press starter button if you do voltage supply and starter ground is good.
    next is to use 2 jumpers from battery to the 2 pins on the solenoid connector to the solenoid see if the starter spins.

    a bad solenoid does not always go click click
     
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  7. 1965soda

    1965soda Member

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    MattiThundrr discussed a possible reason the engine will not turn-over: hydro-lock. His suggestion of smelling the oil when you drain it to see if it smells of gas.

    I am not sure if the XJ's are as prone to hydro-lock as some of the Kawi bikes I have worked on, but if so and if you have fuel leaking from one or more carbs, gas may have found its way into a cylinder preventing the engine from turning over. I would recommend removing the plugs before attempting to turn the engine again. When doing this, take care to situate the plug wires in a way where they will not cause a spark and potential fire.

    Hope that helps and best of luck bringing it back to life!
     
  8. Simmy

    Simmy Well-Known Member

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    James has not stated how long this thing has sat. Whatever a PO says is not to be believed anyway. I would take your precaution a step further and turn it over by hand, after oiling each cylinder.
     
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  9. 1965soda

    1965soda Member

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    Great recommendation Simmy! 100% agree. Inadvertently bending a connecting rod could make for a bad day! :-(
     
  10. Jetfixer

    Jetfixer Well-Known Member

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    Pull the left hand crank cover ,put a wrench on the nut and turn engine clock wise with the spark plugs removed , just to ensue engine is not locked up.
     
  11. XJ550H

    XJ550H Well-Known Member Premium Member

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    for it to hydro lock the motor it would have had to start turning over. cylinder fills through open valve. when valve closes it locks
    it would be good if he measured how much oil he is in the crankcase, but first he should centerstand the bike and check his oil level.

    pull the spark plugs. then check your solenoid and battery charge level

    spark plugs about 3$ each. you can get them at auto parts store , online .
     
  12. k-moe

    k-moe Pie, Bacon, Bourbon. Moderator Premium Member

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    Also unplug the TCI (big box under the left side cover with two plugs connected to it). With ungrounded spark plug wires the TCI can (and likely will) be damaged to the point of no longer working.
     

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