MasonHart

How to set float height This seems to be the best guide i have found. Is this the way you were referring to?

I have already had the carbs apart and the floats weren't punctured and the needle wasn't sticking or anything so i am guessing it is the float height. To set it do i set the carbs upside down or what? I found the proper height just need to know if i set them with the carb sitting upside down or sitting the way it would on the bike

Alright, that narrows down the problem a bit. Now, i need to research the correct float height and how to set it lol

could this make the bike not start?

I took apart, cleaned and reassembled my carbs today to see if i could get it running again, was just running fine about a week or so ago. Before and after i cleaned them when i would try to start it after a while fuel would come out of the inlet where the air cleaners would hook up, whats the cause this?

Will the stock Mikuni VM34 carbs be alright for my xs500. I need new carbs and these are what i have found. I have mikuni's on my bike now and i am pretty sure they are 34mm.

The first image are the screws i was talking about above the float bowl and the second image is of the pilot air jet IIRC. On the first image the red arrows point to the screws and the blue ones are for some holes that are there, can i spray carb cleaner in there and be safe?

I'll go take a few pictures. The idle speed and mixture screws are outside the carb. The things i am referring to are inside

On my xs' mikuni carbs when i took off the float bowl there are two needles above it, if i take those out to clean everything would i just screw them back in till they stop or is there a certain adjustment for them? Also, are there other in the carb that i should clean too. Thanks in advance

yea i took the carbs off and checked the float bowl. It is dirty and stuff so i will need to clean it. But i need diagrams to know what is going on in there

Does anyone have or know where i can get diagrams for the mikuni carbs on my xs500? I am cleaning them but i really need diagrams so i know where to clean and how i would set the needs and jets and all that after it was cleaned. I need as much help as possible lol. Thanks in advance

Well its not the filter because i took it out and cleaned it and the problem is still there. The other side is fine with the same exact filter in the same place, except that line is direct to the carb, on the right side it has to go uphill to get to the carb. And the PO said that he did something to the petcocks so i should leave them on prime all the time. So it is acting as a manual petcock now correct? Since prime just lets fuel flow without vacuum. I am guessing that it needs that vacuum to get pushed uphill right?

Well i would test that BUT, it wont start no. I think it is flooding because the PO did something with the petcocks and just told me to keep it on prime all the time. But when i was emptying the tank i was getting flow in all positions. But then it would just be acting as a manual petcock. So it should should still give gas to the carb, right? One would think so., But it doesnt have enough force to get it to the carb. The gas stops flowing before the carb.

It isn't starting now that i found this problem. I can hit the start button and it starts cranking but it wont start. Yesterday it was starting only if i hit the start button and held the throttle open some. Then it would run but not great. Only on the left cylinder i am sure. And it wouldn't idle all the time, if i let go of the throttle it would slowly decrease in rpm's then die. If it did idle it was vibrated a lot and if i hit the throttle it would very slowly decrease in rpm's back down to idle.

See thats what i thought too but you can see through the filter and the bronze stone is clean. I will clean it out but it doesn't like it needs it.

Could it be a problem with another part of the bike? Because when i connect the line that comes off the petcock gas will pour out just fine but it doesn't ever make it to the carb. It wont even fill up the inline filter.

sorry for double post.This is the filter i have. They are K&N's http://store.knfilters.com/search/product.aspx?Prod=81-0221

I have two very small cone shaped ones on mine, one for each petcock. they have a brass stone in them for filtering. they are very small. I will post a picture in the morning. I am not sure where the PO got them but i can do a little researching.

I do not think there is any vacuum being created on the left side because with all the lines hooked up and with the bike running fuel will not flow on the left side. I can see both side because there is a clear filter on each side. If i take the line off on the petcock side of the filter fuel will run out of the tank no problem. But when the bike is on and running with everything hooked up there is no fuel flowing on that side. The other side is perfect. Is this an issue with the carb not producing vacuum? Or something weird with the petcock? Or possibly a problem with another part?

You guys are right it may be charging just the battery is holding. I charged it two nights ago and started it a few times yesterday with the electric start then started it today with the electric start and all the nights are as bright as the were when i took it off the charger and it doesnt seem to have de charged yet. I just picked up a volt meter today. how would i check it at idle? Well where would i check. Where would the neg and positive leads from the volt meter go. The regulator/rectifier is new. PO replaced it a few weeks ago. I'm not sure about the stator though. He said he checked it and it checked out just fine. I determined it isnt a short. There was some insulation that was rubbed off on a blinker and that is fixed now. I checked with the volt meter and there is no short. I wasnt able to check it before I repaired the wires though as i didnt have the multi meter. What is the stock wattage of a headlight?

my xs500 wont charge the battery. The PO checked the stator and regulator/rectifier before he sold it and they checked out fine. So he said it was something in the wires. I have checked the wires and everything is connected and where it should be except on solid yellow wire going from the front of the bike and ends just before the starter solenoid. It doesnt reach the solenoid though, its a few inches too short. the only wire i found that had the insulation kind of torn was the rear left turn signals. Those are now fixed and no more wire is showing. could it be that those where hitting the fender or something and shorting making the battery drain? I dont have a volt meter yet to check and the negative post on the battery to see what it reads. (zero is what it should be and anything else means a short, correct?) Any help appreciated

you really have to have some balls to get that low lol. Maybe it's just because i am new to street riding but damn.

I insured my 78 xs500 with GIECO but they listed it as an xs5. Thats what was on the title. We didnt have any trouble doing it

I recently bought a 78 xs500. The only thing wrong with it is that it is idling between 2 and 3k. Which screw on the carbs is the idle speed? and what is the normal idle speed when it is warmed up?