G'day from Brisbane Australia

Just scored a crusty old 1980 XJ550 RH for nothin and will be haunting all your posts as I get it reliable and registered. Lookin forward to learning a few things about 4 cylinder bikes, and tormenting you all with dumb questions. For example:

How the hell do you remove the air cleaner box from the frame? and

What is the best/cheap pod filter for these carbs?



Cheers in advance lads.

Lee

 

OK I found the answer to my first question. Shoulda looked about first I guess. Not to worry...I chopped my one out earlier today and tossed it to the nether regions of the garage. I just needed to know if I was crazy or just plain impatient. I did afterall remove every conceivable frame obstacle prior to busting out the hack saw...

 

Welcome to the site Leethal !
You know you just ticked off the purists. . . 8O
Someone reported generic Pods as cheap as $8 a piece thru some catalog here in the USA.
While you're poking around in the carbs, you might want to go up 2 jet sizes, since you are now committed. :roll:

 

WELCOME!! It's not a good day unless you p#%%off somebody ...

skillet

 

Morning leethal. Good luck with the project

 

Thanks for the encouraging words guys! To be honest I am a bike purist at heart, and have restored the 3 bikes in my signature from the arse up, but in the struggle to make ends meet this one will be a rat. A reliable and well maintained rat all the same.

 

Hey leethal I'm in Ipswich, nice little collection you got there.
Glenn

 

I recon I've figured out how to upload a pic....here she is day 1.

 

...or not....little help?

 

now?

 

kind of except we cant make it larger 500x500 is the best size

 

umm....gettin there..

 

All the carb diaphrams look like this....anyone here had any experience (luck) running with such extreme doctoring?

 

Ok so if you are going with pods (and I went with k+n pods) You might even have to go up 3 sizes on the jets. I am running a 4 into 1 and with the pods it went to a 125 jet. I actually had this done professionally as I don't have the experience necessary to mod like this by myself... at least not on my beloved xj550.
The guys at Redline in kenosha WI are geniuses when it comes to old metric bikes. So try 2 steps up but, as we are kinda doing the same thing as far as the air intake goes, it might be 3 sizes up.

 

Hi chuckles, yep..I have 2 up jets waiting to go in (to begin). Actually most of the innards were fubar (including float valves)...been spending a lot of time cleaning the old girls up...but those diaphrams are scaring me...not even sure the PO got all the pin holes...

 

More carb cleaning.....and a stubborn pilot that met its match....

 

I've got one drain screw that won ! Got another bowl since then, it'll have to wait until the next cleaning...

skillet

 

Leethal: You are a brave man who puts easy outs in a drill!

Skillet: Me too. All 4 looked slightly chewed and stuck fast so I left them alone. Figured it was almost as easy to remove the rack.....getting the carb inlet rubbers back on is a different matter..

 

How do you check the float levels if you cant undo the drain screws?

 

And after your bike takes you out for a beer for the MUCH needed carb job... haha.
Those diaphrams are scary. I have to +1 markie on the easy out in a drill... but if it worked then damn good work.
It's not even my bike and I can't wait til those carbs are done.
As far as the inlet rubbers, make sure they seat all the way.

 

By measuring the float height on the bench.

 

Come on Hillsy, you know that don't work.

 

Yeah it does - that's why they give you fuel level AND float height measurements in the manual :wink:

 

Have you set them by measurment, then checked wet with fuel & clear tube?

 

Wiz, (not knowing any better ) I set them at the dry measurements before reinstalling. It seems (to me) to be running GREAT. Is this one of those UH OH!?!? moments :cry: ?

skillet
BTW Markie, glad I'm not the only one that feels that way about the :twisted: carb boots :twisted:

 

This would be a good test, Skillet, check them on the bike with a clear tube, see how near you got those suckers, that would be real interesting, Wiz...........

 

Yes, yes, and yes :lol:

Before we go any further, I agree that using clear hose to check the fuel level is THE most accurate way to do it.

But if your floats are not bent, and your float valves are in good condition, I've found that using float height measurements as per the manual is accurate.

And if you CANT undo the drain screw (that really should be fixed BTW), measuring the float heights is good enough for Rock'n'Roll :wink: