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Hanging idle finally came my way.

Discussion in 'XJ Technical Chat' started by tabaka45, Oct 20, 2020.

  1. tabaka45

    tabaka45 Well-Known Member

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    85 XJ700N, 20,000 miles, all stock. The bike has been running perfectly, but today, while riding in the rain, when I stopped for a light the idle hung at 4,000. I got it home and I can get it to idle around 1,500 if I put it in gear and slow it down. I bought the bike with about 10,000 miles and have no idea if the throttle shaft O-rings were ever replaced, but I have checked them numerous times with propane and found no leaks. I sort of dread the idea of replacing the O-rings, so I want to eliminate everything possible before doing that. It will be this weekend before I can look at it, so if you have any suggestions I would appreciate hearing them.
     
  2. k-moe

    k-moe Pie, Bacon, Bourbon. Moderator Premium Member

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    Check for vacuum leaks. Throttle shaft seals aren't the only paces you can have a vacuum leak. Any leak can cause a hanging idle.
    Also check that the throttle tube and cable aren't sticking.
    It may be time for a clean and lube.
     
  3. XJ550H

    XJ550H Well-Known Member Premium Member

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    try cleaning up the throttle shaft linkage, may be it is just crudded up with road grime
     
  4. tabaka45

    tabaka45 Well-Known Member

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    Thanks. The linkage is the first place I will be looking. I've never lubed it, so it may be time.
     
  5. cgutz

    cgutz Well-Known Member

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    I just had my choke cable break. Used the opportunity to lube all my cables using one of the MotionPro tools.

    Holy cow, what a difference it made, especially to the clutch. The rpm's also drop faster after backing off the throttle.
     
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  6. k-moe

    k-moe Pie, Bacon, Bourbon. Moderator Premium Member

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    Part of annual maintainance.
     
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  7. tabaka45

    tabaka45 Well-Known Member

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    Try as I may, I can not duplicate the hanging idle. The cables are free and loose and I have blown propane around all o-rings and intakes with no effect. The only way I can get the idle to race is to leave the enrichment on, and I am positive that it was not on the day I had the problem. That's the first thing I checked because I had left it on several years ago and got the high idle. That being said I want to lubricate the throttle cable, but I would like to know what I am getting into before I start disconnecting the throttle housing. I have a copy of the service manual, but can't find instructions or a schematic. Any help or suggestions will be appreciated. (The reason I ask is that I tore into my Honda cable housing and had a heck of a time getting it all back together. )
     
  8. XJ550H

    XJ550H Well-Known Member Premium Member

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    unscrew the clam shells of the control and the grip will slide off the bars. the cable end is in a hole in the grip assembly graphite the inside of the tube. a little silicon grease in the cable trac on the grip . unscrew the cable from the control use your lube tool to clamp around it and spray cable lube into it untill it comes out the other end.
    very stright forward and simple
     
  9. tabaka45

    tabaka45 Well-Known Member

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    thanks. I got it off and don't have a lube tool, so I used the funnel method and got it lube well. Just takes some time. It still took me a few minutes to get the two clam shells to line up and mate. Don't know what I'm doing wrong but that's the same problem I had with the Honda. in any case I am all set. Still would like to know what caused the high idle that I can't seem to duplicate. It was raining that day but I can't see how that would cause any idle problems.
     
  10. tabaka45

    tabaka45 Well-Known Member

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    A friend suggested that maybe a slide stuck the day I had a problem. Ever had that happen?
     
  11. Minimutly

    Minimutly Well-Known Member

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    Unlikely to have an effect. The slide and main needle sees very little vacuum at idle, all the air control is done by the throttle. Potentially a stuck slide might cause a change in mixture, but unlikely.
     
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