Major help needed

I think this may be a simple carb issue, but I have an 82 xj550j that I recently aquired.
It will not idle. Stumbles a tiny bit at 4000 rpm (lots of popping from the pipes), but when it drops below 1500 it dies. When it dies, I hear a slow rattle that I thought was the exhaust heat shield, but I was wrong. It won't run without being at least half choked.
I am new to bikes, but have been working on cars for a number of years. I also seems to be running kinda hot (at least I think it is). After running for 5 minutes, the gas tank near the bottom is too hot to touch. Where do I start, I tried seafoam with no improvements, then carb cleaner with only slight improvement. It was sitting for about 7 mos. before I got it and I drained the gas and put in fresh gas before starting. Should I use the drain screws and drain the carbs and then spray cleaner in the drain holes? Please help ASAP. Thank you for your time.

 

You need to pull the carburetors off and do a thorough cleaning of the insides.

Check the XJ FAQ Suggestions forum for posts on how to do it.

 

This begs for a good carb cleaning. And now! If the engine is running that hot it won't be long before the cylinder head warps. The idle circuit seems completely clogged and no amount of Seafoam or carb cleaner will undo that. Opening the choke brings in the needed fuel so the bike can idle. If it is running hot then then some of the main jets are clogged also and the popping at 4000 RPM is evidence of that. Download and study some of the cleaning guides and then start. There are plenty here to help you through the process so don't be shy about asking for help.

 

Thanx guys,
I will give it a go after studying on it some more. I have the shop manual that I downloaded free, so I have my exploded carb views.

 

You didn't mention how many miles are on the bike. Remember, a LOT of original owners (and subsequent knowledgeless owners) completely IGNORED valve clearance adjustment because it requires a bit of work, and the dealers used to charge outrageous amounts of $$$ for it. Your carbs DO need work and now. But before you try to get into any serious fine-tuning, check and adjust your valve clearances. Yes, it's a pain. But a couple of too-tight valves will cause what SEEM like unsolvable carb issues... and valve clearances generally tighten up with wear, not loosen.

 

Thanks, I'll dig out my feeler guages too.

 

Everyone take note, here is this month's VITAL INFORMATION:

 

thank you guys. i had valve clearance issues, I believe. I quick check revealed a discrepency of about .03" . Don't know if this is what was causing my problems yet since I don't have the carbs back on yet (did a complete cleaning and float adjustment). I'll keep you posted.