ndickey

Drewpy a boon to my beggard library! I'll download whatevr you send. Thanks for the link Nathan

I love it when a solution has multiple uses!! thanks

I have to push down on the seat while i turn the key to get mine to open. takes the pressure off of the latch i guess.

I can see the light if I take out the mix screw and look down the screw hole to where the pin goes, makes sense to me to see light thru there. The drilled ports - since the bike sat for a long time (a couple of years), could they be filled with varnish? maybe a good soak in carb cleaner?

I pulled the carbs off and no pin pieces, in fact, I can hold it up to the light and see light thru the hole. I don't know yet if I'm relieved or disappointed. I guess the next question is where does the air come from before the mixture? does it just filter down thru the threads of the mixture screw? or is there a port inside the tube the screw screws into? thanks, drewpy, you are a fount of knowledge. n8

Thanks for the info, I'll pull the carbs back off and check. I've never used a screwdriver to tighten them, could it break off by finger tightening? And again, will tightening the mixture screw richen the mix or lean it? n8

To add to the above, I've been fiddling with the mixture screw for what seems like hours, and it doesn't seem to make much difference how I adjust it. In fact, I can completely remove it and the bike keeps running with a slight increase in RPMs. I can bottom it out and it keeps running about the same as 1 or 2 turns backed out from the bottom. I might add it runs very rich, and can foul the spark plugs in only a couple of miles. n8

Here's what probably should be a really basic question... do you turn the idle mixture screw in for a richer mix or out? on a '78 xs 400, with the stock mikuni carbs. thanks n8

yes, i've checked and rechecked the LT and RT marks several times, both valves closed, etc. I looked at my Clymer manual and it says that the cam chain is automatically adjusted and no adjustment is required. Is it something that can be checked and adjusted anyway?

so i'm adjusting the valves on my 78 xs400 and the right side comes out just fine. the left side, when i adjust to the correct gap at TDC, if i move it slightly off of TDC the gap widens to probably almost 1/8" (3mm) and the rocker arm kind of flops loosely. if i set it to it's widest point and gap it there, of course at TDC it leaves no gap at all. Also if i gap it at TDC and run it it knocks pretty badly. is this maybe a problem with the rocker arm needing adjusted? will it hurt anything to run it as is? this sounds like it could be more than i want to really get into, but the dealer here only seems to like to work on new bikes. thanks for the help

Also, would it be better to tighten the gap down completely (so that there is no knocking noise, but no gap) or adjust it so that the gap at TDC is correct, but knocks badly?

No, this is the left side, the oil comes out thru the small hole at the bottom. One thing, though, I figured while I had most of the oil out I might as well do the full oil change. So when I took the oil filter off I noticed the innards were in backwards - with the spring pushing the filter away from the case and the seal against the filter holder. Perhaps that didn't help. Anyway, I checked again to make sure I had TDC and it was and gapped correctly. Still if I move it slightly off TDC I get a gap of about 1/8th inch (3-5 mm) on the exhaust valve. Intake is normal. Maybe a problem with the rocker arm? Will it hurt anything if I just run it as a one cylinder? This sounds like it could get more intrusive than I'm wanting. I just want to ride the thing.

When you say a "little" oil comes out, how much is a little? I got most of it, probably 1 - 2 litres.

OK, so I'm checking all of the above, and I adjusted the left side exhaust valve to .008, when I noticed that slightly before and after the "LT" mark the gap is closer to 1/8" than .008. I checked the right side and it doesn't seem to do this. What am I looking at here? Also, if I run it set that way it makes some crazy top end noise - kind of a knocking sound. If I set it so that it is .008 at it most open point, of course it is completely shut at "LT". Also, when I take the alternator cover off to get to the timing marks should it drain oil out the bottom? None of the maint manuals mentioned that, and I'm new to this. Thanks--