Suddenly Rich??

Hey Guys,

The XS400J Maxim has been running like a DREAM for about 3 weeks. Ran perfectly this morning, ran perfectly at lunch time. Went out after work and noticed that the petcock got left on and the bike was very very difficult to start. I had to crank the throttle completely open and lay on the starter for 30 or 45 seconds, it finally BARLEY caught and I had to keep the throttle wide open for a bit longer before it would stay running with choke. The bike never would let me take choke off completely after that, and bogged down all the way to where I was headed. I shut her down, and she sat for about an hour where she proceeded to start up pretty well and idle with no choke until I got a mile down the road and again she started to bog and needed choke to idle.

I got home, pulled the plugs and they were DARK and sooty, so its running rich suddenly, and I have no idea why. Put in new plugs and that only helped for a short time.

My only guess is that something suddenly clogged a jet or something in the carbs... thoughts?

 

your oil is loaded with gasoline now and it was blowby of the now thin stuff burning on the pistons...go outside immediately and check!

 

Is the Petcock vacuum accuated?
Did you leave it on PRI or just on ?
Or do you have, just an on and off petcock?

Either way, You probably have a float sticking which is why it flooded it.

If it's vacuum operated and you left it on, you may have a problem with the petcock diaphram not seating and shutting off the fuel.

 

i thought someone hit the lottery.....damm

 

Smell the Oil.
Test the Oil.
(Use something like a Tampon and dip it in the Fill Cap Hole. If you are able to light it with a match ... there's gas down in there!)

If you got Gas in your Oil ... change the Oil and Filter.
Find the source of the leak.

Petcock is always a good place to start!

 

I got it figured out! You guys were all right.

Its a manual petcock (got rid of the vacum one) it is a stuck float... more accuratly, worn needle. I'll be ordering new ones when I get back from my vacation. The crankcase has lots of fuel in it, so its time to change oil. The paper filter was also soaked, which I'm sure was causing the rich condition due to lack of airflow, along with the extra fuel from the worn needle.

My biggest problem now is to find a place to get rid of the fuel fouled oil, autozone won't take it...

 

Rick, I can't help but laugh at the image of someone walking up to my garage and seeing me standing there with a flaming tampon. What a hoot!!!

 

QFE...LMAO

 

You could always burn it in a 2-stroke.

(Just to be clear, I'm kidding.)

 

The last time I tried to dispose of this kinda thing my oil was mostly fuel (droped most of a tank of gas into the crank throught he bad float over the winter) the guy at autozone told me to just dump it on train tracks.

 

that works too.

 

I'm going to holler FOUL on dumping oil or fuel anywhere but a recycling facility!
That stuff leaches into the ground and can contaminate millions (yes, millions) of gallons of water.
DON'T DO IT!!!
We all pay the price when some knuckle head thinks this is the end of the line for some hazardous waste and dumps it illegally! Who do you think pays the taxes that pay for the clean up efforts (and this runs into the billions of dollars folks)?
YOU DO! Your tax dollars at work folks. Wouldn't you rather see them invested in education or disaster relief???
I know I would.
Then there is the ethical side of the argument. How would you feel if some nitwit dumped his toxic martini in your yard? Now the kids can't play in the dirt because it is loaded with chemicals that will sit there for thousands of years (there are trace amounts of heavy metals in used oil for those of you who don't know, wash your hands ASAP when handling).
Who wants kids (or anyone else for that matter) sick? There are real creeps out there who could care less so long as it pays well.
Don't be an illegal dumper, there are plenty of places that will take it without any fuss. www.recycleoil.org is a good source for information on where and how to dispose of this stuff. There are loads of websites with information on proper disposal, check it out. You can also contact the county waste disposal office, they can get you pointed in the right direction.
Out here, we have a monthly drive where I pull up with all my hazardous waste, tell them what I have and they recycle it for me, free (of course it's not free, taxes at work) and no fuss.
Please consider the long term effects of dumping before you head out the door, you could make a choice that would have negative consequences for years to come (like heavy fines and jail time).
I'll get off the soap box now.

 

use your old oil to set your old tires on fire

 

The problem is I have been unable to find any place that will take it if it smells like gas at all..... I'll keep looking!

 

I found a place!!

 

I knew somebody was going to get upset with the RailRoad Tracks option!

I had my own pool going and won a prize off the top shelf.

I cant imagine getting that kind of advice from a Retailer who is bound to accept the waste oil by law.

I have no problem getting rid of it in Massachusetts.
We have a Center that has a designated "Hazardous Waste Day"
You bring all the Hazardous Waste you have over and they deal with it.

 

Remember to replace the oil fill cap before lighting the tampon. You could blow up the garage.

 

I think it was the flaming tampon that prompted the "I love my Bike" short story that appeared in the Forums, recently!

 

I am so very glad to hear it.
Was it difficult to find or did you just happen upon them? Let me rephrase that, how did you find them? Internet, phone book or word-of-mouth? I'm curious as your experiences might encourage others to make the effort to properly recycle their hazardous waste.
You get a gold star in your report card for doing it right! No to mention my personal thanks.

 

Actually, via the link you suggested ( I believe ) and a few phone calls.