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Mailman’s XS2 a full on restoration
- Thread starter Mailman
- Start date
I don't think so. You really need something like RTV that will cure up to a nice rubbery bed for the o-ring.
JAX71224
jax71224
Beginning to wonder if paint mix left out the hardener, which makes it more fuel resistant.........
Oddjob
adsgads
I know that your are torn as to what to do with your petcocks... and this is not going to help... but I would poke around where the o-ring indented the paint... uncured, or partially-catalyzed paint, I would think would not react well with gasoline... seems suspicious that an o-ring would do that to fully cured paint...
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Oddjob
adsgads
Hi JAX, I would have thought it would have been the opposite... can you elaborate?
Going by the pics. I suspect the paint indentation was caused by the petcock itself and not the o-ring. Looks like casting marks from the outside flange.. not smooth like a rubber o-ring would make. I don't think there's anything wrong with the paint....
Bob, great progress.
But, take it easy, dude. We don't want any hernias here.
Especially from the (*grunt*) efforts closing that gas cap.
Agree with Jim.
A zoom-in of your tank's impression and the petcock.
My XS1B tank has the same impressions, from the outer rim of the petcocks.
The o-ring channel wraps closely around the screwholes.
The o-ring will be at this red line, just inside the impression line.
The impression line is a good guide for your paint removal.
Could also do some close forensics of the impression patterns, looking for unique features, like the *ding* mark circled in green.
The proper o-ring is 2mm thick.
Using the depth plunger of your calipers, measure the depth of the o-ring channel.
I think mine were .050" - 0.060" (1.25 -1.5mm) deep.
A 2mm (0.080") o-ring will seal just fine in a 1.5mm deep channel.
In the past, I made my o-rings from 3/32", 0.096" (2.5mm) o-ring stock.
Almost too thick, petcocks almost didn't fully seat...
But, take it easy, dude. We don't want any hernias here.
Especially from the (*grunt*) efforts closing that gas cap.
Agree with Jim.
A zoom-in of your tank's impression and the petcock.
My XS1B tank has the same impressions, from the outer rim of the petcocks.
The o-ring channel wraps closely around the screwholes.
The o-ring will be at this red line, just inside the impression line.
The impression line is a good guide for your paint removal.
Could also do some close forensics of the impression patterns, looking for unique features, like the *ding* mark circled in green.
The proper o-ring is 2mm thick.
Using the depth plunger of your calipers, measure the depth of the o-ring channel.
I think mine were .050" - 0.060" (1.25 -1.5mm) deep.
A 2mm (0.080") o-ring will seal just fine in a 1.5mm deep channel.
In the past, I made my o-rings from 3/32", 0.096" (2.5mm) o-ring stock.
Almost too thick, petcocks almost didn't fully seat...
Your XS2 carbs share the enrichner circuit.
Carb problems are usually one or the other. If both sides are rich, and that richness continues (with the petcocks off) for awhile, followed by a short-duration lean speed-up just before fuel exhaustion, suspect the enrichner circuit.
Not just the choke plunger, body, and its gasket,
But the left carb's bowl gasket, particularly at the front, the enrichner channel...
Carb problems are usually one or the other. If both sides are rich, and that richness continues (with the petcocks off) for awhile, followed by a short-duration lean speed-up just before fuel exhaustion, suspect the enrichner circuit.
Not just the choke plunger, body, and its gasket,
But the left carb's bowl gasket, particularly at the front, the enrichner channel...
THE DAY AFTER
Yesterday I was on a high. I was so excited to get my bike started , and on the first kick no less!
That video I posted was about the best it ran yesterday. I tried a lot of things yesterday, which I’ve already mentioned and it was just a blubbering, popping, missing mess. I’m sure the problem is carburetor related because the gas fumes in the garage were so strong it just about ran me out. I pulled and cleaned the spark plugs twice and they were very sooty black and wet with gas. Finally I said , enough for today , I’ll come back to it tomorrow.
This morning my wife and I were going out in the garage to go to breakfast and as soon as I opened the garage door, I knew something was wrong. The gas fumes were horrendous. I quickly realized I had failed to close one of my petcocks and there was a puddle of gas under the bike. This photo is after it had been wiped up.
Failure number two on my part was not getting around to putting the overflow drain tubes on the carburetor bowls,
So all the gas ran directly on top of my engine case and yellowed and wrinkled the paint.
So I got busy and pulled the airboxes and carburetors and got em on my bench and broke down.
I was so careful with my assembly, I really took my time with it. All new Mikuni jets of the correct size, new brass floats from Michael Morse, butterfly shaft seals. And I did all the bench settings as accurately as possible. I’m not really sure what to look for, 2M mentioned the enrichment circuit, the choke plunger is new, everything is clean and no blockages. I will double check my float height. Other than that? I don’t know.
So I’m back to bench work. The bike is once again stripped down.
Oh and for whatever reason my sump plate has a pretty big leak. The bolts are as tight as I dare make them.
So the dance continues, one step foward , two steps back. Are we having fun yet?
Yesterday I was on a high. I was so excited to get my bike started , and on the first kick no less!
That video I posted was about the best it ran yesterday. I tried a lot of things yesterday, which I’ve already mentioned and it was just a blubbering, popping, missing mess. I’m sure the problem is carburetor related because the gas fumes in the garage were so strong it just about ran me out. I pulled and cleaned the spark plugs twice and they were very sooty black and wet with gas. Finally I said , enough for today , I’ll come back to it tomorrow.
This morning my wife and I were going out in the garage to go to breakfast and as soon as I opened the garage door, I knew something was wrong. The gas fumes were horrendous. I quickly realized I had failed to close one of my petcocks and there was a puddle of gas under the bike. This photo is after it had been wiped up.
Failure number two on my part was not getting around to putting the overflow drain tubes on the carburetor bowls,
So all the gas ran directly on top of my engine case and yellowed and wrinkled the paint.
So I got busy and pulled the airboxes and carburetors and got em on my bench and broke down.
I was so careful with my assembly, I really took my time with it. All new Mikuni jets of the correct size, new brass floats from Michael Morse, butterfly shaft seals. And I did all the bench settings as accurately as possible. I’m not really sure what to look for, 2M mentioned the enrichment circuit, the choke plunger is new, everything is clean and no blockages. I will double check my float height. Other than that? I don’t know.
So I’m back to bench work. The bike is once again stripped down.
Oh and for whatever reason my sump plate has a pretty big leak. The bolts are as tight as I dare make them.
So the dance continues, one step foward , two steps back. Are we having fun yet?
Oddjob
adsgads
You might want to check the float height with the clear tube method... could be with everything being so new that the float or plunger might be hanging slightly... which would be consistent with the overflowing carb...
Overflowing Carbs are so common among these XS's . Many members and new members have written about this. Including myself.
I do have a comment here. It seems that just leaving your petcock on should not result in an overfill carb situation. It seems to me that the float needle and seat should handle the job of preventing carb overfill ?
And if the needle/seat was not able to stop fuel flow , well that would also contrubute to the poor running and rich condition ?
Thats what Im hearing Bob..
-RT
I do have a comment here. It seems that just leaving your petcock on should not result in an overfill carb situation. It seems to me that the float needle and seat should handle the job of preventing carb overfill ?
And if the needle/seat was not able to stop fuel flow , well that would also contrubute to the poor running and rich condition ?
Thats what Im hearing Bob..
-RT
Yep on that. I only use petcock shut off when removing tanks. About 3 out of four times when I clean carbs a float will stick when gas is introduced for the first time, giving them a couple knocks with something fixes that. May not be anything that you can find wrong with your carb.
Scott
Yes to both, I had the same thoughts, even thought I’m always really careful to ALWAYS shut off my petcocks and I somehow missed one yesterday. I also thought that my floats and new needles and seats, really should’ve shut the flow off.
I’m also thinking I need to do a clear tube float level check and see what’s going on in there.
Thanks Scott, that would be encouraging.
hot water float dip? reaching....
Madness was OK all winter but after a 20 mile ride last week Now it's got a slow drip from the LH overflow. So the vacuum petcock is dripping too. I put a board under the sidestand see if that helped tomorrow but. Started looking when I could smell gas when the shed door was opened. lot of possibilities out there...
I’m open to anything. I can try it, they are new though.
Might want to do a poor mans resurface like I did here.
