Wharfcreek
Near 50 Yrs of Experience
Wasn't sure if I should start this thread or not, but then figured that any and all help or suggestions was better than 'going it alone'!!!
So, I purchased '79 SF 'conversion' done into a Street Tracker, complete with 750 kit motor, VM round slides, looks like a Pamco under the point cover, 2 into 2 exhaust, K&N Air Filters....and possibly a cam.....seller wasn't sure. Bike was her dad's who passed away and she'd posted an ad here on the local Craigslist which I responded to. As this is also a 'disc brake' rear.... and with all the other 'stuff' done to it, for $1800, I made the purchase. It still needs a LOT of TLC (Time, Labor, and Cash)...... but I believe it will be OK when I'm done. I already had the misfortune of having the gas tank get dropped by a 'helper'......more like it slid off the top of the garbage can and hit the pavement. So much for my 'matching graphics' on the tank portion.
Anyway.....after getting the hydrolics working on both the front and rear brakes, cleaning the carb bowls, installing another 'spare' gas tank I had, and of course, putting in a good battery..... I finally managed to start the bike tonight. I live just off the Chesapeake Bay......so I'm about as far down to sea level in air pressure as it gets. Anyway....I managed to go up and down the street a couple times, but the bike is clearly NOT ready for any real riding. Aside from yet working out the lighting and charging system stuff, and getting this 'tracker' seat stuff properly mounted..... the bike is way, Way, WAY out of 'tune'. I know very little about these round slide carbs, but if I'm looking at them correctly, the 'bleed' screw is an Air bleed screw,and not fuel? So, if that's true, then opening it should add more air? Of course, the other screw being a slide-stop screw, I think I've got that right! But, after some playing around, I got a rough idle.....a lot of popping and back firing, but it stayed running at a low RPM.....maybe 1K or so. And, I couldn't 'adjust' anything to get it any better. I will say it would 'free-rev' OK....but in my test drive I noted that at what I would guess to be about 3500 to 4K it started to miss pretty badly. So, problems on both the high and low ends.
I did NOT make notes on Jetting when I cleaned the float bowls tonight. Unfortunately, I didn't even thing about it. After I saw all the 'crud' in the first bowl, I was concentrating on the 'cleaning' part of it....and just confirming that my jets were open, the passage ways were free and clear, the fuel appeared to be going where it was supposed to go......and then getting them back together and on the bike before the rain storm hit. Like I said, I did get this much done ...... and managed to take the maiden voyage up and down the street. The good news was that it had all 5 gears, the brakes worked, clutch seems OK.....and it appears to have the makings of yet another fine XS for the street. I couldn't really tell if the 750 Kit was adding anything, as I couldn't really get on it without hitting that sputter range. But, from about 1500 to about 3500 to 4K, it ran well, didn't miss or 'knock...which was my worst fear.....and overall, it sounded pretty good.
So....where to from here? I guess that's the point of this thread! I obviously have some 'tuning' to do, but does anyone have any suggestions for 'jetting at sea level' for these carbs? And, is there anything else I ought to be concerned with? Oh, BTW.....'yes'.....I did check the oil...and it appeared both fresh and full! I think the woman's father did a pretty fair job on this bike....but it does appear that he ran out of steam in the project. Perhaps his illness had set in and he just never finished it. I made a promise to the girl and her mother (the 'widow')..... that I'd get it running and ride it over to their home one day this summer. I'd like to keep that promise!! (and I will....one way or another). Any help here would be appreciated. Oh, and if anyone happens to have a decent tank kicking around....please let me know.
Many thanks,
Tom D.
So, I purchased '79 SF 'conversion' done into a Street Tracker, complete with 750 kit motor, VM round slides, looks like a Pamco under the point cover, 2 into 2 exhaust, K&N Air Filters....and possibly a cam.....seller wasn't sure. Bike was her dad's who passed away and she'd posted an ad here on the local Craigslist which I responded to. As this is also a 'disc brake' rear.... and with all the other 'stuff' done to it, for $1800, I made the purchase. It still needs a LOT of TLC (Time, Labor, and Cash)...... but I believe it will be OK when I'm done. I already had the misfortune of having the gas tank get dropped by a 'helper'......more like it slid off the top of the garbage can and hit the pavement. So much for my 'matching graphics' on the tank portion.
Anyway.....after getting the hydrolics working on both the front and rear brakes, cleaning the carb bowls, installing another 'spare' gas tank I had, and of course, putting in a good battery..... I finally managed to start the bike tonight. I live just off the Chesapeake Bay......so I'm about as far down to sea level in air pressure as it gets. Anyway....I managed to go up and down the street a couple times, but the bike is clearly NOT ready for any real riding. Aside from yet working out the lighting and charging system stuff, and getting this 'tracker' seat stuff properly mounted..... the bike is way, Way, WAY out of 'tune'. I know very little about these round slide carbs, but if I'm looking at them correctly, the 'bleed' screw is an Air bleed screw,and not fuel? So, if that's true, then opening it should add more air? Of course, the other screw being a slide-stop screw, I think I've got that right! But, after some playing around, I got a rough idle.....a lot of popping and back firing, but it stayed running at a low RPM.....maybe 1K or so. And, I couldn't 'adjust' anything to get it any better. I will say it would 'free-rev' OK....but in my test drive I noted that at what I would guess to be about 3500 to 4K it started to miss pretty badly. So, problems on both the high and low ends.
I did NOT make notes on Jetting when I cleaned the float bowls tonight. Unfortunately, I didn't even thing about it. After I saw all the 'crud' in the first bowl, I was concentrating on the 'cleaning' part of it....and just confirming that my jets were open, the passage ways were free and clear, the fuel appeared to be going where it was supposed to go......and then getting them back together and on the bike before the rain storm hit. Like I said, I did get this much done ...... and managed to take the maiden voyage up and down the street. The good news was that it had all 5 gears, the brakes worked, clutch seems OK.....and it appears to have the makings of yet another fine XS for the street. I couldn't really tell if the 750 Kit was adding anything, as I couldn't really get on it without hitting that sputter range. But, from about 1500 to about 3500 to 4K, it ran well, didn't miss or 'knock...which was my worst fear.....and overall, it sounded pretty good.
So....where to from here? I guess that's the point of this thread! I obviously have some 'tuning' to do, but does anyone have any suggestions for 'jetting at sea level' for these carbs? And, is there anything else I ought to be concerned with? Oh, BTW.....'yes'.....I did check the oil...and it appeared both fresh and full! I think the woman's father did a pretty fair job on this bike....but it does appear that he ran out of steam in the project. Perhaps his illness had set in and he just never finished it. I made a promise to the girl and her mother (the 'widow')..... that I'd get it running and ride it over to their home one day this summer. I'd like to keep that promise!! (and I will....one way or another). Any help here would be appreciated. Oh, and if anyone happens to have a decent tank kicking around....please let me know.
Many thanks,
Tom D.
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