float adjust for xj 700

hello all
i am a newbie trying to solve a carb problem . the bike has a few problem the first thing was at first start up i would get a clanking sound and the engine would stop turning after a few min it would turn and start . now the clanking on first startup has stop but the #2 carb is popping . i looked at a few post and though it was running lean but when i pulled the plug i seen gas on the piston . my next action was to remove carbs and check the floats i attemped to adjusted the float but when i was finished it was leaking from all of the carbs i tapped the bowl with the wood handle of a hammer but that did not stop the leak . i saw pics where and how to adjust the floats .
thanks in advance for all advive.
dwight

 

is it still leaking? if so, where at? around bowl seal? the throttle shaft seals?

did you break the rack apart?

 

it is leaking from all of the air jet

 

when you took it apart, did you pay close attention to the needle assembly? it sounds like the floats are sticking open. I would go through them a little further and make sure the needles move freely with your hands up and down when you lift the floats.
if they stick at all, there is a thread that shows how to clean the bore and the needle.

 

Are you leaking fuel from the over flow tubes between carbs #1 & 2 and carbs #3 & 4? If you are then, it sounds like you might have a float needle or two not seating properly. I just got finished working through the same thing last week. You might need to use some very fine wet/dry sand paper 1000 or higher grit to smooth out the seats. Also, how old and, what condition are your float needles? It could be that you need to replace them. Try this, place your carbs upside down on the bench, with the carb bowls removed take the fuel inlet tube into your mouth and, blow. Listen for air leaks at the needle valves. Lift each float and let them fall back into place while blowing. This will help you pin point where your trouble spots are. Also be looking for any problem with the float pin causing a hang up.

Hope that helps
Ken

 

XJ700VET, when I blow in the inlet tube should I be holding the floats down with my hand to keep pressure on the needles?

 

Yamaman, You are looking for a leak so, if you hold down the floats you're making a tighter seal than what it would normally have and, you'd never be able to tell which had the leak. The weight of the float should be enough to keep the air out of where the bowls were. If you hear any hissing or, residual bubbling, (caution: there will be a very little bit of fuel left in the lines) then you have a problem with the needles seating. Lift and then drop the float while blowing in the line, do this a few times with each float to ensure that you just didn't get lucky with a quick good seal with any of the possible bad float needles.

Good Luck
Ken

 

wouldnt it be easier to have the carbs on the bike and hook up the clear tubes to the nipples? if the needle is leaking, it will go above the threshold for normal float height and keep going until it hits the fuel tank fuel level.
am I correct in my thought?
it probably wont instantly go that high, but would get there if the needle isnt seating correctly.

 

Hdy Helmet, it could be easier but, I'm more into the instant gratification of seeing right away which float is leaking. I had my carbs on & off soooooo many times looking for the leak, draining & removing the bowls that, I found this method was a more sure and quicker method of locating the leak that kept spilling fuel out onto my engine. I also found that, when I replaced the needles & seats with brand new K&L brand parts, I still needed to dress the parts with 1000 grit paper so, they would move smoothly and seat properly. You'd figure that new parts would work right out of the package!!!! Lesson learned!

Cheers
Ken

 

thanks guys
i found that i had i a bad needle and seat using ken's blow in the supply in line . i think i have the foats ajusted and the bike runs again .
now i am back to the popping through the # 2 carb i am hoping that i do not have a valve problem. the only have 16500 mile on it.
thanks again because i would not have been able to bo this with out the xj bike family.

dwight

 

glad you got the leak fixed...
as for the popping....

is it running lean on the cylinder? what does the plug look like? light? dark? black? wet?
if you were getting tons of fuel, it could have fouled the plug. swap a plug on another cylinder and see if the problem follows.
could be a simple fix.

 

thanks helmet

i think i found what was causing my clanking noise. my #2 piston is no longer moving so i am looking at an engine removal and i hope it can be repaired.

thanks
dwight

 

no longer moving is a bad bad thing.
hope it isnt too bad.
let us know how it goes.