Back your idle screws all the way back and then see what happens when you shut the petcocks off.
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Mailman’s XS2 a full on restoration
- Thread starter Mailman
- Start date
Everything inside the carbs are new, and set to factory spec. At least to the best of my knowledge.
I’m done for the day, just cleaning up now. What exactly does shutting off the petcocks tell me anyways? What am I look for?
What the hell, who am I today? My shop NEVER looks like this? I’ve got shit laying everywhere! Haha!
As the engine consumes fuel the float level lowers.
In other words it would be telling you the floats are set too high causing it to be over rich. Then as the level drops if the engine starts running better, if only for a short time, it gives you a good place to start adjusting and inspecting.
And before I forget to say congratulations on the first kick start!
You don't need to make it too easy for him. He's a smart guy. He'll think back on the problems he had with his 77 carbs and get a plan of attack.
At some point, they'll burn down to the correct level. At which point (if it is caused by floats) the engine will smooth out and run correctly... if only for a moment.
I'll see y'alls mess.... and raise you a pig sty.
You’re thinking sounds like float level too, maybe?
Holy cow - that shop is a mess!
Who are you and what have you done with our friend Mailman?
Who are you and what have you done with our friend Mailman?
Petcock area paint removal; chatted up a pro painter yesterday. He doesn't strip the paint back, but saw my point and finally said there is no perfect answer.
Thanks for that bit of feed back , I never did get back to my tank did I? I’ve been stalled out working on it.
Here’s where I’m at on the tank right now, I think I’m going to roll the dice with the paint under the petcock. The area around the mouth of the tank was sealed with epoxy by the painter. You can kinda see it under the cap here.
It was very rough so I sanded it smooth, then went over the epoxy again with brush on super glue. Will all of that work or will I be crying in my beer a year from now? Time will tell I guess. One thing is certain , the o ring around the petcocks aren’t cutting it. I had the petcocks mounted, but pulled them back off after a few days and when I did, you could see where the oring had indented into the clear coat in a hit or miss pattern, which tells me it’s not making full contact and a good seal all the way around.
The petcocks are the usual aftermarket affair with these skinny little o rings that are just barely above flush, and the channel for the oring is too deep.
I want to look for some fatter o rings to fill that space, that and I think a little Hylomar.
I did get one original petcock that wasn’t mounted on the bike when I got it. I might think about getting another and rebuilding them. But you can see they came with a fatter black o ring.
And now a tip of the hat to 2M, who suggested a modification to make the gas cap close easier. The gas cap was making contact with the opening while the gas cap was still at a high angle causing the cap to bind and be hard to shut. He suggested a spacer under the bolt which would allow the cap to drop to a lower angle before contact.
Brilliant! Works like a champ. Thanks for the tip Steve! Now if I only had a good shop mechanic that lived nearby to help me sort these carburetors, like ol Bill here!
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Oddjob
adsgads
Almost seems like the paint is still soft if you can imprint with an o-ring...
OK... here's a trick I learned long ago. Works on hydraulic pumps, washing machines... and petcocks. I've done this hundreds of times. It works. Take a Popsicle stick and round the edge to fit the groove in the petcock so that it doesn't fit all the way into the groove.....
Now fill the groove with a fuel resistant RTV. Take the stick and run it around the groove. Let it cure overnight, clean the excess outside the groove, then install the o-ring. It raises the o-ring and it's compressible for a good seal. Cheap, simple... and it works.
I was surprised as well, the paint was sprayed last May and spent the summer in a hot garage in Phoenix. I’m sure it’s cured, but it is thick, almost plastic in feel.
