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My 60th birthday present
- Thread starter Mailman
- Start date
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- 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
Yeah! You're right! Birthday is coming up in November, I gotta start working on the Mrs's!
Tell her you are going to turn the thread into a book. Meanwhile you will need some seed money before the royalty checks start coming in. Your readers will expect a sequel, therefore the need for said seed money and a new project bike.
Looks great Bob, another awesome job. Like 5twins I took that bracket off when it was no longer usable.
Interesting the extra line you have. Presumably we bought the same brake lines. I tried a centered mount as 5twins, but found the line a little tight so offset it like you are doing and found it fit a little better.
I was really surprised at the easy 1 finger braking, and love the black look!
Interesting the extra line you have. Presumably we bought the same brake lines. I tried a centered mount as 5twins, but found the line a little tight so offset it like you are doing and found it fit a little better.
I was really surprised at the easy 1 finger braking, and love the black look!
Looks really nice Mailman!
I bet you are glad to have all that crap removed from your brake system, mine were the same - Just where does it all come from? I removed the hose clip on the fender and then it nolonger bothered me, just as 5twins said above. The thing that seemed really odd to me at first was that the new HEL stainless steel brake lines are much thinner than the old rubber lines - but I got used to them after a few weeks. My new brake pads started to quieten down after about 200 miles.
Took the bike out for a breakfast run this morning, short ride to breakfast then a long ride home. It was an overcast morning with possible rain in the forecast that was holding temperatures down. The bike ran like a scalded dog as my father used to say. I headed out west of my house through farm land where I could hold a steady 50-55 mph, then pulled out on a freeway for a short while so I could run the speed up and see how my jetting feels. All systems go, no hesitation , pulls hard and doesn't stumble or run out of steam.
But here's what is confusing me, lately when I start the bike, my left cylinder has been coughing and stumbling and for the first few seconds acts like it's running on one cylinder. Then it starts to gradually smooth out. Once I'm ready to ride it runs great. Confusing.
Here's a couple other things, when I first start out the fueling operates perfectly, as soon as I shut the throttle off the idle falls right back down to a nice steady even idle, but after about 30 miles with the engine good and hot, I notice the idle starts falling much slower, slightly hanging up. The other thing is my left cylinder pops a lot on deceleration.
When I got home I pulled the plugs, I at first thought that it was probably running too rich and the blubbering on start up was caused by it flooding. Here are the plugs, under LED illumination which alters the color and then out in the sun which lets you see the more natural color.
To my admittedly untrained eye, I don't think they look too rich at all.
So then I went to Amckayltd carb guide, and the symptoms I described seem to indicate a lean condition.
I'm beginning to believe maybe I need to go up one size on my pilot jets. I am presently running the stock size #25 pilots and up two sizes in the mains to a size 127.5.
However when I try to set my air mixture to factory spec, the bike won't run, I'm running both screws at least full turn more than recommended.
So just to be sure, I checked my timing one more time, perfect. Then I did the dead cylinder method for setting my air mixture screws.
I need to sit in Robins thinking/crying chair and cogitate on this a while. No big rush, it's still a hoot to ride.
But here's what is confusing me, lately when I start the bike, my left cylinder has been coughing and stumbling and for the first few seconds acts like it's running on one cylinder. Then it starts to gradually smooth out. Once I'm ready to ride it runs great. Confusing.
Here's a couple other things, when I first start out the fueling operates perfectly, as soon as I shut the throttle off the idle falls right back down to a nice steady even idle, but after about 30 miles with the engine good and hot, I notice the idle starts falling much slower, slightly hanging up. The other thing is my left cylinder pops a lot on deceleration.
When I got home I pulled the plugs, I at first thought that it was probably running too rich and the blubbering on start up was caused by it flooding. Here are the plugs, under LED illumination which alters the color and then out in the sun which lets you see the more natural color.
To my admittedly untrained eye, I don't think they look too rich at all.
So then I went to Amckayltd carb guide, and the symptoms I described seem to indicate a lean condition.
I'm beginning to believe maybe I need to go up one size on my pilot jets. I am presently running the stock size #25 pilots and up two sizes in the mains to a size 127.5.
However when I try to set my air mixture to factory spec, the bike won't run, I'm running both screws at least full turn more than recommended.
So just to be sure, I checked my timing one more time, perfect. Then I did the dead cylinder method for setting my air mixture screws.
I need to sit in Robins thinking/crying chair and cogitate on this a while. No big rush, it's still a hoot to ride.
Yes, it does sound like the idle circuit is lean. The extra full turn out past the factory recommendation on the mix screw is one indication, the hanging idle another. Mix screws don't always end up exactly at the factory spec, usually they don't, but they should be closer to it than you are.
jabcb
XS650 Enthusiast
Renting a uHaul bike trailer might be another good option, especially if you can get there & back in one day.
Hi Mailman:
I'd say your plugs look just about perfect but that doesn't mean you haven't got a problem at idle.
In my experience, the visual symptoms of an issue can take a few minutes to appear an a plug and my guess is that you don't spend too much time idling (especially in that toasty Arizona heat).
Pete
I'd say your plugs look just about perfect but that doesn't mean you haven't got a problem at idle.
In my experience, the visual symptoms of an issue can take a few minutes to appear an a plug and my guess is that you don't spend too much time idling (especially in that toasty Arizona heat).
Pete
There is no "perfect" idle setting on BS38s, either you need to nurse it a bit when the engine is cold or it will idle too fast (and hang a bit) once warmed up. Most riders opt for the nurse it when cold set up. This is why Period Piece is a BS34 bike, they have a fast idle setting on the choke knob. You've seen the video this allows an unattended warm up and ride away with reasonable warmed up, idle speeds.
May it be better to foul a plug than melt a piston? Those plugs look lean to me.
Wow - I hadn't ever heard this before! Great info Gary - thanks!
...besides, there's no sweeter sound than that of blipping the throttle on an XS650....
gggGary did you add another step in the choke rod on period piece or opt for the original 2 step no xtra work required?.
WER; So far the 2 step boogie is just fine. This is the set where I did some serious messing with the jets, before ending up back at mostly stock, one up on the mains, a thin washer above the jet needle. commandos, stock air boxes.
I have a complete 82-84 handlebar choke carb set up also but she is quite happy as is.
I have a complete 82-84 handlebar choke carb set up also but she is quite happy as is.
Well after much deliberation I think I might just try bumping up my pilot jets by one size, I'm not in any huge hurry because my bike is running pretty good, maybe by the end of this summer. I think at the same time I will install my used carburetor body that I got from Gary. That should take care of a little intake air leak that I'm getting around the butterfly. I will do a comprehensive write up when I do that job, but for now, I'm taking advantage of riding my old bike and just enjoying it for what it is!
See you on the road, Bob
See you on the road, Bob
That's it Bob - as the CVMG says: "Ride 'em, don't hide 'em!"
P
P
CARB TUNING AND MANOMETER RESULTS.
Hello all, I'm back! I've been enjoying just riding my bike for a while. The bike runs pretty great, once it gets warmed up, but when you first start it up it runs like crap. It blubbers and misses and pops. But after it warms up it idles perfectly. I know the bike suffers from a lean condition, I have progressively upped my main jets until I am now two sizes up from stock. Doing that has dramatically improved the performance of my bike while making my idle settle down. My air mix screws had been opened up pretty far past spec in order for it to idle properly.
So.....today I dropped my carburetor bowls and installed new pilot jets , 27.5's up from stock 25's.
Immediately after getting the carburetors back together I set the idle mixture screws back to spec and did a dead cylinder run to set the mixture screws again. Here are the results.
Left cylinder went from 2 3/4 turns out to 2 1/4 turns out.
Right cylinder went from 2 turns out to 1 3/4 turns out.
The left cylinder is still set too rich to compensate for a lean condition caused by internal carb body wear that I have documented previously. I will replace the carb body probably this fall.
The right cylinder is getting pretty close to acceptable settings now.
Now on to my manometer. This was a bit of a surprise to me. I took great pains to bench sync the carbs as accurately as possible. When I hooked up my manometer and started the bike this was the result. On my yardstick manometer the left cylinder was pulling much harder, up around the 10 inch mark, and the right cylinder was pulling way down at the 30 inch mark.
After adjusting the sync screw MAYBE 1/8 of a turn , here it is now , nice and level.
Then , just to be sure, I checked the individual carbs one more time using the dead cylinder method. No changes were necessary.
The engine feels smoother after setting the sync. By this time it was 105 degrees out and too hot for a test ride. I'll have it out tomorrow early and see if it feels any better. I'll post a little follow up.
On an unrelated note I picked up a set of offset box end wrenches from good old Harbor Freight. They aren't the prettiest wrenches but the will do the job and 5Twins was right, they're just perfect for certain jobs!
I'll check back in tomorrow, after taking the bike for a run. See ya then
Bob
Hello all, I'm back! I've been enjoying just riding my bike for a while. The bike runs pretty great, once it gets warmed up, but when you first start it up it runs like crap. It blubbers and misses and pops. But after it warms up it idles perfectly. I know the bike suffers from a lean condition, I have progressively upped my main jets until I am now two sizes up from stock. Doing that has dramatically improved the performance of my bike while making my idle settle down. My air mix screws had been opened up pretty far past spec in order for it to idle properly.
So.....today I dropped my carburetor bowls and installed new pilot jets , 27.5's up from stock 25's.
Immediately after getting the carburetors back together I set the idle mixture screws back to spec and did a dead cylinder run to set the mixture screws again. Here are the results.
Left cylinder went from 2 3/4 turns out to 2 1/4 turns out.
Right cylinder went from 2 turns out to 1 3/4 turns out.
The left cylinder is still set too rich to compensate for a lean condition caused by internal carb body wear that I have documented previously. I will replace the carb body probably this fall.
The right cylinder is getting pretty close to acceptable settings now.
Now on to my manometer. This was a bit of a surprise to me. I took great pains to bench sync the carbs as accurately as possible. When I hooked up my manometer and started the bike this was the result. On my yardstick manometer the left cylinder was pulling much harder, up around the 10 inch mark, and the right cylinder was pulling way down at the 30 inch mark.
After adjusting the sync screw MAYBE 1/8 of a turn , here it is now , nice and level.
Then , just to be sure, I checked the individual carbs one more time using the dead cylinder method. No changes were necessary.
The engine feels smoother after setting the sync. By this time it was 105 degrees out and too hot for a test ride. I'll have it out tomorrow early and see if it feels any better. I'll post a little follow up.
On an unrelated note I picked up a set of offset box end wrenches from good old Harbor Freight. They aren't the prettiest wrenches but the will do the job and 5Twins was right, they're just perfect for certain jobs!
I'll check back in tomorrow, after taking the bike for a run. See ya then
Bob
Way to go Bob! Nice job! Enjoy your test ride.
Too hot isn't a problem up here.,.. lol. Looking for a new leather jacket already.
Nice wrenches too. Up here Canadian Tire puts the full set on sale 4 or 5 times a year for less than it would cost for 2 individual wrenches.
Looking forward to your test ride results.
Too hot isn't a problem up here.,.. lol. Looking for a new leather jacket already.
Nice wrenches too. Up here Canadian Tire puts the full set on sale 4 or 5 times a year for less than it would cost for 2 individual wrenches.
Looking forward to your test ride results.
Just be sure you don't get carried away with that new wrench. If that nut is too tight it is a pita.
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