Help the new guy! Fuel?/Electrical? issue

NC-XS

Hello everyone,

First time posting on here, but have been lurking for quite a while now... Really appreciate all the great info provided on the site!

NOVEL TO FOLLOW...
I have been tinkering with my first XS for the last several months, and have not got it to run much past a sloppy idle...

Background on the bike: Bought it not running, but all that had to be done was wire up the new MikesXS fuse box and I got it to fire and hold an idle. I was able to take it around the block, but with a LOT of throttle hesitation. Hoping to solve this problem in one easy step, I bought the Mikes #48-0667 jet kit, and installed it per the included instructions for a chopped exhaust and pod filters (Slide-lift hole enlarged to 3mm, 145 main, ring on third slot down w/ stock spacers, 45 idle and mixture out 3 turns)...so now it won’t even start. I tinker with the mix screw over the next couple weeks (lack of time) and do not have any luck, so I switch back to stock jetting tonight. The bike fires right up, but as soon as I grab the slightest bit of throttle it instantly dies. Following the manual's instructions for how to set the mixture screws, I try the dead-cylinder method. Bike starts up; set the throttle stop screw so the idle is high, pull the wire off the right plug and the bike instantly dies. Hook everything back up, pulled the wire off the left plug, and the bike dies after about three seconds of idling. Also, with the plug wire in my hand, and the same hand resting on the engine block, it feels like slight static electricity is shocking me...this didn’t seem right since it would have to be coming through the plug wires.

Any hope for me and my bike, or should I just buy a mountain bike? Smile

Thanks so much for any suggestions you might have,

Carl

blue900

What do the Plugs look like? I believe Carb tuning is an exacting art every bike is different. Read read read. this board and others. I have no experience with Pods and chopped exhaust. But from What I've read can be tough to get right. Someone here should be able to help you. go slow and make changes one at a time. keep the old parts so you can go backwards if needed. If you get frustrated take a step back and go read some more and think about it. Good Luck Don't give up.
aybe these can help get you started.
www.factorypro.com/tec...gines.html

www.iwt.com.au/mikunicarb.htm

gordo

Carl, sound's like the pilot circut's are plugged up. A very detailed carb rebuild is definately in order. Pay close attention to the very fine pilot circut. Also, the three hole's near the plate. Use a good carb spray, clean pressureized air,( compressor), some very fine stiff wire for cleaning out the circut's with. Guitar string come's to mind.
By the way, you didn't mention the year,or model, or what carb's you got. That would really help. Confused

NC-XS

Blue, I appreciate the links and encouragement!

As far as the plugs go, this is a new set I installed a week or two ago. They appear to have some oil residue on them (Not good?), and one is blackened (which seems to be ideal from a plug comparison chart I found online) Not sure what to read from that. Compression was a bit low when I tested it: approximately 125psi on each side.

I also forgot to mention that the right side exhaust (when seated on the bike) gets EXTREMELY hot (to the point of discoloring the metal) after only about 20 second of running, while the left side is almost cool to the touch…this may be another lead as to what is wrong.

To Gordo - sorry for skipping the most obvious information... Its an 81 BS34 CV Carbs - Take it easy on me, I'm new Smile

Thanks again for your help!

jayel

NC-XS wrote:

Hello everyone,

Any hope for me and my bike, or should I just buy a mountain bike? Smile

Thanks so much for any suggestions you might have,

Carl

Yes buy the Mountain bike ride it to the auto supply store and buy some new spark plug wires and caps or order them from mikes and skip the mountain bike step (get solid wire (real wire) plug wires and none resister caps) be careful pulling plug wires off a TCI you can blow the unit out, easiest way to dead cylinder a 81 is to pull off the vaccum hose on that side or make up a ground wire plug, ground wire hooks to engine while running

NC-XS

Haha, glad I can skip the mountain bike step...
Jayel, would it be getting ahead of myself to just order the Pamco ignition and go from there, or start with the plug-wires and see what happens?
Am I forgetting crucial information to get help to diagnose my engine issues?

jayel

well the first thing I would do is get it running first then if you want the Pamco it's well worth it, try switching plug wires see if the cold cylinder moves, it makes sense to pin-point the problem rather than just throwing parts at it, the fact that you run on one cylinder points to either carb on that side or spark on that side, you've been thru the carbs so look at the Elect-trickity now and since a dual coil set up like what you have doesn't usually lose only one side that make me suspect the plug wires/caps

blue900

Like Jayel says Go easy do the basics and get it running first, one thing at a time. Be careful, you can spend alot of money fast when you don't necessary need to.

NC-XS

Thank you for your advise, I will buy some decent wires and go from there. I do believe the left (cold) cylinder is working, because the header does warm up on that side, and there is exhaust coming out of the pipe. I am more worried how HOT the right side gets after a short period of time. It will melt the handle of a screwdriver after only idling for 20-30 seconds (not because I know or anything Laughing

) Is this from running to rich/lean in that cylinder?

jayel

that would be lean, have you checked the timing with a strobe light? TCI ignition shouldn't need adjusted but it would eliminate that possibility then you need to get into the carb balancing

cpt137 · Full Member Joined: Jan 10, 2009 Posts: 97

You shouldn't have a "cold cylinder". It should be hot all the time. Get an ignition tester, they are pretty cheap. Napa or harbor freight carries them. Thet hook between the spark plug and cap and flash when it fires. You need three thing, spark, fuel in the proper ratio and compression. You know you have compression, now check the spark. Make sure all the connection are tight.

What Happened to 650rider.com?

Yamaha xs650