My 60th birthday present

[queenslegs]

I've done that! Looking good forward 2 your results MM. I've got a similar issue but it seems to be heat related. When it gets me down I jump on the strom and ride Sally ride!

 

[MaxPete]

Indeed - springs...gotta love 'em!

 

[Mailman]

This has been a humbling day. I know I'm not a great mechanic, but I'm a pretty good shade tree mechanic.
I've been working on motorcycles and cars since I was a kid. I know which end of a wrench to hold and how to tune things up and I have rebuilt many carburetors in my day, including many automotive carburetors. I worked in a fleet garage for 9 years for Gods sake! So what the hell is the deal with me and this motorcycle??? Huh? C'mon already! I have found and repaired intake air leaks no less than three different times, each time involving removing the carburetors.
I already had this bike running really good, then the throttle started hanging open , so once again the carbs come off, and if you're reading this you no doubt know what I just did to remedy that.
So after all that, I took such care re assembling the carburetors and making sure that all the linkages and throttle action was smooth and when I got them re installed on the bike and all the junk that goes with it. I finally hit the starter expecting the reward for all my hard work and what did I get? A blubbering, coughing , missing beast of a bike that wouldn't run! It reeked of gas like it was flooding. The floats hung up? I don't know. I also thought about the light sanding I did inside the throttle body and thought maybe I plugged up the idle circuit.
I really had a frustrated , pissed off moment where I just wanted to walk away from it for a while.
But I didn't. Instead I ( you guessed it) pulled the carburetors off again. This time completely braking them down and pulling all the jets out and starting from scratch on a complete rebuild. I honestly didn't know what else to do.
I have already blown carburetor cleaner through all the orifices and followed that with compressed air.
And as of now everything is on my work bench awaiting re assembly.

I honestly don't know what the problem was when I fired the bike up today. When I pulled the carbs off they were wet with gas inside the throttle bore and the slides were also wet with gas.
When I first bought the bike, I was the one who rebuilt the carburetors and had no problems, so what the heck is the problem now. I don't know how to assemble them any more carefully than I did. Sigh....all I can do is try it again.

Oh yeah, and just as an added kick in the balls, when I was re installing one of my side covers today, the plastic knob snapped off in my fingers. Yay!

 

[5twins]

Boy, you are having a Hell of a time with those carbs, lol. My best guess is a float or fuel level related problem. Why it would suddenly arise, I don't know, unless a float sprung a leak maybe. I don't think the butterfly shaft fooling around you did would cause running like that. Don't forget to leave that added spacer washer off the left shaft when re-assembling.

 

[Mailman]

Thanks 5T, yeah I figured now that I've got them broke down again, I will now remove that shim and see if I can't get everything accurately aligned. I need a win here. It's bumming me out.

 

[queenslegs]

Jeez MM, sorry to hear of more trouble. I find it helps to leave things alone for a bit. The head clears and another run at the problem doesn't seem so pointless. I love these bikes but I also like to ride as often as I can so I keep a new modern bike. Jumping on and hitting the starter button on a fuel injected comfy modern is almost as much fun as pulling up just about anywhere with that XS650 smile on and invariably someone says "nice bike" or "what year is that bike, 79, nice" Chin up old boy! Tomorrow's a brand new day.

 

[Mailman]

Thanks Queenslegs, and you're right. I am about ready for a fun day. You mentioned your V-Strom. I've got one of those too and it's calling my name.
When it stops being fun it's time for a break.

 

[robinc]

Oh no Bob. Man I'm so sorry to hear that news. These carbs are fighting us big time. Didn't have a much better day than you I'm afraid.
We both wanted it so bad and yet it still evades us.

I'll post details in my thread but don't know what to say for you buddy other than chin up and keep fighting the good fight. Some day, this will all be worth it.
Your brother in carbs, robinc.

 

[Mailman]

Oh no Bob. Man I'm so sorry to hear that news. These carbs are fighting us big time. Didn't have a much better day than you I'm afraid.
We both wanted it so bad and yet it still evades us.

I'll post details in my thread but don't know what to say for you buddy other than chin up and keep fighting the good fight. Some day, this will all be worth it.
Your brother in carbs, robinc.

Thanks my carb brother! Don't worry about me man. I can still laugh about things. Today was frustrating but such is the nature of mechanical beasts. We'll get there!

 

[robinc]

I may have seen this aways back in your thread, but even if so it bears repeating, to me anyways.

 

[MaxPete]

Chin up Bob - you will get there. It must be bloody annoying though I must admit.

Why don't you put a nice clean cloth over that whole pile of carb parts and just go for a nice relaxing backroads ride on the V-Strom - and unwind a bit.

As you say - when it stops being fun, it's time for a break.

Pete

 

[Michaelo]

Your doing ok Bob, keep it up man, you will find the answer.

 

[TwoManyXS1Bs]

Hey, Mailman. Sorry to hear about your troubles.

Just a silly question. In your "disassembled" pic, post #743,

Where's the needle jets?

 

[Mailman]

Hey, Mailman. Sorry to hear about your troubles.

Just a silly question. In your "disassembled" pic, post #743,

Where's the needle jets?

Haha! Only you would notice that. What's not in the photo is a plastic tub to the left that has various bits of hardware, linkages , screws and the needle jets.

 

[robinc]

Bob, do you have new o-rings for your needle jets? I bought a bag from McMaster Carr along with some other goodies. Happy to send you some Priority Post if you need some. Post office is closed today for a Stat holiday but I can get them out tomorrow if need be.

 

[Jessezm]

Man I feel your pain! I found myself walking away from my bike this weekend after spending 2 hrs unsuccessfully trying to get some brake lever pressure on my new M/C and caliper set up. Sometimes you have to just leave it sit for a while and come back fresh. I do that with the NY Times crossword puzzle all the time when I'm stuck, and many times when I come back to it the answer pops out when I see it with fresh eyes.

I wish I had some ideas for you but I have no doubt your doing/checking all the things I'd try... Maybe hook up a fuel source to the carbs while off the bike and see if you can play with the float needle and seat and make sure they're operating correctly.

 

[Mailman]

Good morning everyone, its a new day and I'm in a better mood. I need to learn from Gary and not post when I'm pissed off. Haha , nobody likes a negative Nancy. I shall try going forward to be more informative in my dialog and less emotional. I am trying after all to be an honorary Canadian and well, there are standards you know.

Bob, do you have new o-rings for your needle jets? I bought a bag from McMaster Carr along with some other goodies. Happy to send you some Priority Post if you need some. Post office is closed today for a Stat holiday but I can get them out tomorrow if need be.

Robin, thank you for the kind offer. I did replace them when I rebuilt my carburetors ( the first time) about six months ago , so they're still good.

The way you were describing the way your bike running was a lot like mine. I would've thought it was out of time except I've already got the complete Pamco system including the E - Advance and all that stuff was set and working good. I think my bike was flooding for some reason.

Any way, I'm taking a day off today. I promised my wife a nice lunch out.
Maybe tomorrow I'll take a look at the carburetors again. Whatever.

Thanks to all for the kind words of encouragement and for putting up with my whining.
Later Bob

 

[MaxPete]

OK - well, I guess it's time for another dumb question from Captain Obvious.....

Bob - is there any chance that your petcocks or fuel lines are clogged?

I have followed My 60th birthday present since post #1 - but I cannot recall what you did about cleaning your fuel tank and lines....

You being....well....you (Lt.Col. Thorough McCautious) I would assume that you did something - but was it adequate and did you put fuel line filters on your birthday present or is there a possibility that some stuff has gotten loose and plugged up a petcock or fuel line?

....enquiring minds want to know......

Cheers,

Pete
(a fellow Canadian)

 

[Mailman]

OK - well, I guess it's time for another dumb question from Captain Obvious.....

Bob - is there any chance that your petcocks or fuel lines are clogged?

I have followed My 60th birthday present since post #1 - but I cannot recall what you did about cleaning your fuel tank and lines....

You being....well....you (Lt.Col. Thorough McCautious) I would assume that you did something - but was it adequate and did you put fuel line filters on your birthday present or is there a possibility that some stuff has gotten loose and plugged up a petcock or fuel line?

....enquiring minds want to know......

Cheers,

Pete
(a fellow Canadian)

Hi Pete,
there are no dumb questions, as they say. The inside of the fuel tank looked amazingly clean when I got it. It had just the finest of surface rust only in some spots. I never did add fuel filters, even though I did buy them. There just doesn't seem to be much room for them. That and the fact that the petcocks have very fine mesh screens internally I just didn't bother with them. As far as the petcocks being clogged, they're not. I have clear fuel line and as soon as I turn on the gas I can see the gas flowing at a very good rate.
Every time I have had the bowls off the carburetors I look for sediment and a couple of times there has been just the smallest amount, not enough that ever caused me concern.

In retrospect, I think I was a little hasty in tearing my carburetors all apart yesterday. I was just frustrated and I should have just walked away and gave it a day.
I've been thinking about it and the whole time I was working on my carburetors for the sticking throttle, I never removed the bowls. I just drained them. I kept flipping the carburetors this way and that and upside down over and over again and I think that somehow , maybe, I caused the floats or float needles to hang up. Because that's what it was acting like. Like it was flooding. It smelled of gas and when I pulled the carbs apart everything inside was wet with gas. I might have saved myself a lot of work if I had just checked the floats and float needles first. By the way I have checked the floats every time I have had the carbs apart by shaking them and trying to detect any gas inside one of them, and so far so good.

By the way, the Mrs. and I just had a nice lunch at our favorite little neighborhood Italian joint.
This is what waiting for a sausage and peppers and onion sub looks like. Cheers! Bob

 

[MaxPete]

Cute chick Bob!

OK - so, the fuel lines etc are OK. Perhaps your bike is haunted...?

P