You gotta love Jack Nicholson!
You know I'm working so much lately, I was thinking " If only I knew a good carburetor Dr!"
You know I'm working so much lately, I was thinking " If only I knew a good carburetor Dr!"
-
Enjoy XS650.com? Consider making a donation to help support the site.
XS650.com receives a small share of sales from some links on this page, but direct donations have a much greater impact on keeping this site going.
My 60th birthday present
- Thread starter Mailman
- Start date
-
- Tags
- 1977 xs 650d chain and sprockets clutch pushrod seal cranckcase seal new front master cylinder pamco e-advance pamco ultimate high output ignition rebuild brake caliper rebuild brakes rebuilt carburetors replace clutch solid state rectifier stainless steel braid front brake line starter gear fix steering head bearings vr-115 regulator
Bob - that is a very fetching outfit!
TimeMachine
SeventyEighte
Holy Moly ! Ya, you & robinc are taking this home bike surgery to new standards ! Lookin Good , sorry bout your carb luck..
Haha! That's our good friend Robinc from Ontario!
TimeMachine
SeventyEighte
Jeez, dejavu I thought ?
ROTFLMAO Bob!
Alrighty then! I've been working lots of overtime and just haven't had a chance to fix my bikes intake leak. But today that all changed! I took a page out of Petes book and took a mental health day!
The intake leak , I decided was coming from the enrichener cover on the inside of the left carburetor. Completely inaccessible without removing the carbs from the bike. So , off came the gas tank, airboxes and carburetors.
( I'm getting really fast at that btw) and I got the carbs up on the bench to work on them.
I will be removing this enrichener and having a look at the gasket surface.
And here is the culprit, right where I was hearing that intake squeak when I was listening with my peice of vinyl tubing. You can see the two surface bumps right in the gasket surface. They look almost like a grain of sand.
But they are metal and part of the carb body.
The one in the bottom was especially large. I scraped it with my knife and very carefully filed the surface with a very tiny, fine flat file I have and here is the cleaned up surface, ready to go back together.
I then cut a new gasket out for it because I wanted to double up the gasket to fill surface imperfections. I did this same repair on my other carburetor and it worked really well.
But, I then decided, well I have the carbs separated from all the linkages and pulled apart, I might as well take some time and do some other work to them. So I completely broke them down and cleaned them, sprayed carb cleaner through all the orifices and blew everything out with compressed air. Reassembled them and lubricated the linkages and then I changed out the main jets to one size up, 127.5. The bike had been running good, but Daniel Black has the exact same bike as I do and he put in this size main and is happy with them , so I thought I'd give them a try.
By the way, check out my cool little finger ratchet. Remember when I was trying to change my main jets while the carbs were mounted on the bike? I didn't have a screwdriver short enough? I had this in my tool cabinet the whole time and forgot I even had it.
Doh!
I really should take a look around in my cabinets.
I also took the time to carefully measure my float heights.
So the carbs are clean and reassembled and I connected all the linkages and threw the carburetors back on the bike, got the airboxes back on, re installed the gas tank, all the fuel lines and vent hoses re attached and fired her up!
Beautiful!!! No more intake leak, idles super steady. It was shaking a little so I reset the air mix screws and got her balanced and now it's running really nice again. Very happy.
Now I have to make a personal observation.
The very first time I had the carbs off for rebuilding I must've taken about a hundred photos from all angles and in all stages of disassembly , then upon re assembly I studied those photos like the Dead Sea Scrolls. And I spent days working on them. Today start to finish (running bike) was about 5 hours and that included time out for lunch and a run to the auto supply store, and I never had to look at a reference photo. I can't believe how much more comfortable I am working on this bike than when I started.
All in all a very good "Mental Health Day" , I rather like the idea Pete!
Until next time....
Bob
The intake leak , I decided was coming from the enrichener cover on the inside of the left carburetor. Completely inaccessible without removing the carbs from the bike. So , off came the gas tank, airboxes and carburetors.
( I'm getting really fast at that btw) and I got the carbs up on the bench to work on them.
I will be removing this enrichener and having a look at the gasket surface.
And here is the culprit, right where I was hearing that intake squeak when I was listening with my peice of vinyl tubing. You can see the two surface bumps right in the gasket surface. They look almost like a grain of sand.
But they are metal and part of the carb body.
The one in the bottom was especially large. I scraped it with my knife and very carefully filed the surface with a very tiny, fine flat file I have and here is the cleaned up surface, ready to go back together.
I then cut a new gasket out for it because I wanted to double up the gasket to fill surface imperfections. I did this same repair on my other carburetor and it worked really well.
But, I then decided, well I have the carbs separated from all the linkages and pulled apart, I might as well take some time and do some other work to them. So I completely broke them down and cleaned them, sprayed carb cleaner through all the orifices and blew everything out with compressed air. Reassembled them and lubricated the linkages and then I changed out the main jets to one size up, 127.5. The bike had been running good, but Daniel Black has the exact same bike as I do and he put in this size main and is happy with them , so I thought I'd give them a try.
By the way, check out my cool little finger ratchet. Remember when I was trying to change my main jets while the carbs were mounted on the bike? I didn't have a screwdriver short enough? I had this in my tool cabinet the whole time and forgot I even had it.
Doh!
I really should take a look around in my cabinets.
I also took the time to carefully measure my float heights.
So the carbs are clean and reassembled and I connected all the linkages and threw the carburetors back on the bike, got the airboxes back on, re installed the gas tank, all the fuel lines and vent hoses re attached and fired her up!
Beautiful!!! No more intake leak, idles super steady. It was shaking a little so I reset the air mix screws and got her balanced and now it's running really nice again. Very happy.
Now I have to make a personal observation.
The very first time I had the carbs off for rebuilding I must've taken about a hundred photos from all angles and in all stages of disassembly , then upon re assembly I studied those photos like the Dead Sea Scrolls. And I spent days working on them. Today start to finish (running bike) was about 5 hours and that included time out for lunch and a run to the auto supply store, and I never had to look at a reference photo. I can't believe how much more comfortable I am working on this bike than when I started.
All in all a very good "Mental Health Day" , I rather like the idea Pete!
Until next time....
Bob
Last edited:
Atta boy Bob - the Mental Health Day is an old tradition in my circle and it is a good one.
P
P
Good detective work finding and repairing the air leakage
. Looks like someone on the Mikuni quality assurance inspection line was half asleep the day your carbs came down the conveyor belt.
. Looks like someone on the Mikuni quality assurance inspection line was half asleep the day your carbs came down the conveyor belt.
Good detective work finding and repairing the air leakage
Yes I know, I keep looking at those gasket surfaces and asking myself " how we're those machined? With those bumps left behind?"
I very much doubt that they were machined. Those carb bodies a die castings and I'd bet that the only machining is to form the threads for jets and fasteners etc.
I suspect we'd all do well to go over our carbs as Bob did and rigorously eliminate flaws such as the ones that he found.
Anyhow - great work Bob.
Pete
I suspect we'd all do well to go over our carbs as Bob did and rigorously eliminate flaws such as the ones that he found.
Anyhow - great work Bob.
Pete
Well done Bob!!!!!!!!
I'm so happy to hear of your success.
Isn't it funny how carbs that once seemed so intimidating, now seem so familiar. If only it were the same for the electrics. Just a matter of time spent I expect.
Once again congrats and enjoy that great looking bike!
I'm so happy to hear of your success.
Isn't it funny how carbs that once seemed so intimidating, now seem so familiar. If only it were the same for the electrics. Just a matter of time spent I expect.
Once again congrats and enjoy that great looking bike!
Last edited:
Hey! Guess who gets to pull his carburetors off again?
I took my bike out for a test ride this morning.
First of all, I think bumping up the main jets one size was a good move, the bike fires right up and idles well and seems to pull stronger.
But then.....the throttle started hanging up, shortly after I left home...big time! I pulled up to a stop light and the engine was racing at 4,000 rpm. I got it back down by wiggling the throttle linkage. And when I was riding , every time I pulled in the clutch to shift, instead of the rpm's falling, it would race.
I turned back home and when I got home I disconnected my throttle cable and manually worked the throttle and it doesn't snap shut like it should, it is binding and hanging open.
So, I'm going to have to pull them back off and separate them to try and figure out which one is hanging up and why.
I don't have any more time this weekend, maybe next. Any ideas? I'm all ears.
(Goober) "Did you see that Gomer? He's gotta pull them carburetors off again!"
(Gomer) "Well golly! Don't that beat all?)
The boys at Wallys gas station think that's funny!
I took my bike out for a test ride this morning.
First of all, I think bumping up the main jets one size was a good move, the bike fires right up and idles well and seems to pull stronger.
But then.....the throttle started hanging up, shortly after I left home...big time! I pulled up to a stop light and the engine was racing at 4,000 rpm. I got it back down by wiggling the throttle linkage. And when I was riding , every time I pulled in the clutch to shift, instead of the rpm's falling, it would race.
I turned back home and when I got home I disconnected my throttle cable and manually worked the throttle and it doesn't snap shut like it should, it is binding and hanging open.
So, I'm going to have to pull them back off and separate them to try and figure out which one is hanging up and why.
I don't have any more time this weekend, maybe next. Any ideas? I'm all ears.
(Goober) "Did you see that Gomer? He's gotta pull them carburetors off again!"
(Gomer) "Well golly! Don't that beat all?)
The boys at Wallys gas station think that's funny!
No, no no, Bob, say it ain't so.
I'm prolly not the guy to give advice on fixin' carbs, but can tell ya how to boogger em........
Couple thoughts:
I had a similar problem on my 77D with the 74/75 BS38's that it came with. If I over tightened the carb mount clamps the butterflies would bind and not fully return. I could over tighten to the point that they were hard to even move. Always took a little fiddling to find the 'right amount of tight'. Try backing them off a bit.
Also, I seem to recall that you replaced throttle shaft seals. Maybe you didn't get the butterflies properly installed in the throttle shafts and properly centered in the carb body? See if that's what's binding.
Good luck going back in buddy!
I'm prolly not the guy to give advice on fixin' carbs, but can tell ya how to boogger em........
Couple thoughts:
I had a similar problem on my 77D with the 74/75 BS38's that it came with. If I over tightened the carb mount clamps the butterflies would bind and not fully return. I could over tighten to the point that they were hard to even move. Always took a little fiddling to find the 'right amount of tight'. Try backing them off a bit.
Also, I seem to recall that you replaced throttle shaft seals. Maybe you didn't get the butterflies properly installed in the throttle shafts and properly centered in the carb body? See if that's what's binding.
Good luck going back in buddy!
Thanks Robin, you know I was going for speed yesterday and was so proud of myself for getting everything done and back together in one day. I intend to give the butterflies and all the mounts and linkages a good look. I need to slow my roll and go for accuracy. It's too blasted hot to ride here now anyway , it's a good time to get repair work done.
I was telling my wife, I have never owned a motorcycle that has made me work this hard at keeping it going.
I've owned old motorcycles before and it was always , I fixed a few things on them and then just rode the heck out of them for years. But this one Aye Carumba!
I was telling my wife, I have never owned a motorcycle that has made me work this hard at keeping it going.
I've owned old motorcycles before and it was always , I fixed a few things on them and then just rode the heck out of them for years. But this one Aye Carumba!
You'll figure it out, just a matter of time. You do good work and have great attention to detail.
And the finally victory will be oh so sweet.
Take care.
And the finally victory will be oh so sweet.
Take care.
You'll get there buddy - but I do feel your pain.
Nice work as usual Bob and a slick piece of detection on that choke plate. A perfectionist with your eye for detail will sort those carbs. They're beaten, they just don't know it yet and, as robin says, you enjoy the journey and the taste of victory. Some good pics on the headlight work which I will find handy for an upcoming project.
On a different note, is that Lee Marvin in post #707? I always thought Max Pete's avatar was Kenny Rogers. Actually I thought that Pete was just a good guy in a pinstripe suit. Ah, the naivety of we colonials!! Met Marvin in 1978 in Cairns. He was up there doing some Marlin fishing and was drunk as a lord in a restaurant where I was dining with a friend. He walked past and knocked our wine glasses all over the table. Lovely fellow paid for everything and entertained us with stories of Hollywood and game fishing 'til his security came and took him back to his hotel. Wanted to take us fishing the next day but the idea of chumming over the side with a size nine hangover left me a little cool. My one brush with fame was a pleasant one to say the least. Am currently in Vietnam but thought I'd check the forum to see who was up to what. Glad to see your in it up to your armpits Mailman. Keep up the great work.
Cheers
On a different note, is that Lee Marvin in post #707? I always thought Max Pete's avatar was Kenny Rogers. Actually I thought that Pete was just a good guy in a pinstripe suit. Ah, the naivety of we colonials!! Met Marvin in 1978 in Cairns. He was up there doing some Marlin fishing and was drunk as a lord in a restaurant where I was dining with a friend. He walked past and knocked our wine glasses all over the table. Lovely fellow paid for everything and entertained us with stories of Hollywood and game fishing 'til his security came and took him back to his hotel. Wanted to take us fishing the next day but the idea of chumming over the side with a size nine hangover left me a little cool. My one brush with fame was a pleasant one to say the least. Am currently in Vietnam but thought I'd check the forum to see who was up to what. Glad to see your in it up to your armpits Mailman. Keep up the great work.
Cheers
Nope - not Lee Marvin or Kenny Rogers. That is the World's Most Interesting Man - the guy from the Dos Equis beer commercials.
.....its a little thing I do on the side when not being an engineer....
.....its a little thing I do on the side when not being an engineer....
David you old globe trotter, what are you doing in Vietnam? That's a pretty exotic locale.
Similar threads
