sdhynds Posted February 14, 2010 Share Posted February 14, 2010 I have an 82 xs400 maxim I bought last year and have struggled with it since. Long story short - rusty gas tank - sealed with kreem - worked well - cleaned carbs - cleaned carbs again - cleaned carbs again - you get the idea. It had run really strong when I can get it started and keep it going but I have more issues when it sits longer. Being that I'm on a tight budget (and the carbs I have found are few and far between and expensive) I am going to try to replace the jets as the rest of the carb looks pretty good. I want to get rid of the rediculously inefficient looking airbox set up and put some pod filters on. I know this affects air fuel mixture which I'm pretty sure was never correct to begin with (and might explain some of the trouble starting/rough idle problems I have experienced.) I know there could be many other problems present but this seems like a good/cheap place to start my trial and error process. Stock jet sizes are 127.5 and 117.5. Anyone have any ideas here? If you have any experience with this let me know what kind of filters, jet sizes, adjustments to air/fuel mixture etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dtmf Posted February 20, 2010 Share Posted February 20, 2010 here's what i did i have a 82 xs400 seca so i belive it's the same motor . full carb clean then changed the main jet's to 130 pilot jet's to 42 . i'm runing uni pod filter's they are biger than the 1's from mikes xs and they are better made. also have custom made straght pipe's with custom baffle's i still think i need to go up atleast 1 more jet size . mike's xs pod's : pipe's: i'll take a pic of the uni pod's tommrow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRB Posted February 20, 2010 Share Posted February 20, 2010 here's what i did i have a 82 xs400 seca so i belive it's the same motor . full carb clean then changed the main jet's to 130 pilot jet's to 42 . i'm runing uni pod filter's they are biger than the 1's from mikes xs and they are better made. also have custom made straght pipe's with custom baffle's i still think i need to go up atleast 1 more jet size . mike's xs pod's : pipe's: i'll take a pic of the uni pod's tommrow I was thinking of buying the pod filter from Mike's for my XS360, what do you feel is wrong with them? The Uni pods are foam filters right? Can they be cleaned and how do they out perform the pods from Mike's? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JYA12R Posted February 20, 2010 Share Posted February 20, 2010 HEY! Wondered how you were doing, keep us updated with your pics and vids....Rick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dtmf Posted February 21, 2010 Share Posted February 21, 2010 I was thinking of buying the pod filter from Mike's for my XS360, what do you feel is wrong with them? The Uni pods are foam filters right? Can they be cleaned and how do they out perform the pods from Mike's? the rubber on the mikes xs pods i got was stiff and cheap and split around the base after a few month's . the uni fiter's can be cleaned . the fitment of the uni filter's was much better and the rubber was not to stiff . the base fit the carb's alot better . as far as performance i did not notice any diff . the mikes xs pod's do "look" better tho Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdhynds Posted February 24, 2010 Author Share Posted February 24, 2010 the rubber on the mikes xs pods i got was stiff and cheap and split around the base after a few month's . the uni fiter's can be cleaned . the fitment of the uni filter's was much better and the rubber was not to stiff . the base fit the carb's alot better . as far as performance i did not notice any diff . the mikes xs pod's do "look" better tho Thanks so much for the pics a replies. I finally got my hands on it last night - jets were 115 and 125 and I found a 142 and 130 I think I'll try first and see what happens. Any suggestions on how to get that air box out of there? Sawzall? I was hesitant to hack it apart but also don't want to take the whole bike apart to get out something to throw away. What did you do with the breather tube? I can see in the pic from mike's that there is a red thing on the end of the hose - can i just buy a little filter to attach there? Sorry for all the dumb questions this is my first bike and already been a fun learning experience. I'll put up some pictures in a bit (a little embarassed at the moment haha) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdhynds Posted February 24, 2010 Author Share Posted February 24, 2010 Thanks so much for the pics a replies. I finally got my hands on it last night - jets were 115 and 125 and I found a 142 and 130 I think I'll try first and see what happens. Any suggestions on how to get that air box out of there? Sawzall? I was hesitant to hack it apart but also don't want to take the whole bike apart to get out something to throw away. What did you do with the breather tube? I can see in the pic from mike's that there is a red thing on the end of the hose - can i just buy a little filter to attach there? Sorry for all the dumb questions this is my first bike and already been a fun learning experience. I'll put up some pictures in a bit (a little embarassed at the moment haha) I found the little breather filter on mikes lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dtmf Posted February 25, 2010 Share Posted February 25, 2010 that would be a yes on the sawzall trick that's what i did i did have to weld up a custom batt box tho . i'll post up some pix Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dtmf Posted February 25, 2010 Share Posted February 25, 2010 here's the pix of the uni filter's and batt box Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdhynds Posted February 25, 2010 Author Share Posted February 25, 2010 pretty much what i was thinking, but the look on my brother-in-law's face when I said I was going to get out the sawzall made me think twice, esp because I'll have to find a place for the battery - I like your box and thats exactly where I was thinking it should go. It'll be a bit before I get it all back together but I'll put up some pics when I do. thanks for the help and the pics! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdhynds Posted April 5, 2010 Author Share Posted April 5, 2010 Pod Filters are installed. Been playing around with tuning and still haven't gotten it right exactly. Currently I have 132.5 and 125 in the mains. It starts right up (which is nice, because last year not really the case) Seems to idle nice and is good on take off. It seems to struggle at higher rpm esp in the higher gears. In first it will rev up to red line and in second it seems to have a lot of pop and then just get harder to climb at 8,000 and by third it'll rev to 6 or 7 ish and i can hold it wide open and it just won't rev any higher. My speedo is broken so I don't really know how fast I'm going nor do I have enough experience on this bike to know what it was really like beforehand. I'm guessing the mixture isn't right and thinking perhaps I'm a little lean and thus struggling at the higher end but not sure. Any help would be great. Also wondering if perhaps I need to change the exhaust as I have more flow capacity coming in with the pods but perhaps nowhere to go with it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dtmf Posted April 6, 2010 Share Posted April 6, 2010 do you get any poping or surgeing @wot? when i did my 1st jet change after the pod's and exhust when in 6th gear @ wot i top'd out @ 70 mph it just whould not pull . when i did the next change i made both carb's main the same 130 . it got better . this last time i went 137 on both side's now it pull's me off the bike. i'm runing straght pipe's tho . have you checked the plug's? good place to check if you are to rich or lean . did you do a carb sync after you put the carb's back on ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdhynds Posted April 6, 2010 Author Share Posted April 6, 2010 do you get any poping or surgeing @wot? when i did my 1st jet change after the pod's and exhust when in 6th gear @ wot i top'd out @ 70 mph it just whould not pull . when i did the next change i made both carb's main the same 130 . it got better . this last time i went 137 on both side's now it pull's me off the bike. i'm runing straght pipe's tho . have you checked the plug's? good place to check if you are to rich or lean . did you do a carb sync after you put the carb's back on ? Breif history - First time I had a 142 and a 125 in and cruised around the block a few times and then rode a few miles down the highway. when i slowed down it died and could hardly get it started again. It acted like it was flooded and had to open the throttle all the way to get it to start and then it would take a few seconds before it reved up. It was a miracle I made it home, had to keep reves way to keep it from dying. Found the needle jets to be loose when I got them apart again. I went back to the stock jets (125 and 115) and had better luck but seemed to struggle in the high rpm. No popping but some surging. I went to the 132.5 and 125 and it got better. I played with the air fuel mixture screws and went a little richer and it seemed to not change much. going to go a little leaner and see what happens. I'm thinking in the future I'd like to do something to the exhaust. I like the look of your straight pipes with the heat tape. I'm on a tight budget currently but thinking that wouldn't be too bad. Also I did not sync the carbs but thinking I should. Don't know what to do so I'd have to take it somewhere I guess. I put new plugs in before starting it for the first time this year but haven't looked at them. I'll check them out and see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dtmf Posted April 7, 2010 Share Posted April 7, 2010 Breif history - First time I had a 142 and a 125 in and cruised around the block a few times and then rode a few miles down the highway. when i slowed down it died and could hardly get it started again. It acted like it was flooded and had to open the throttle all the way to get it to start and then it would take a few seconds before it reved up. It was a miracle I made it home, had to keep reves way to keep it from dying. Found the needle jets to be loose when I got them apart again. I went back to the stock jets (125 and 115) and had better luck but seemed to struggle in the high rpm. No popping but some surging. I went to the 132.5 and 125 and it got better. I played with the air fuel mixture screws and went a little richer and it seemed to not change much. going to go a little leaner and see what happens. I'm thinking in the future I'd like to do something to the exhaust. I like the look of your straight pipes with the heat tape. I'm on a tight budget currently but thinking that wouldn't be too bad. Also I did not sync the carbs but thinking I should. Don't know what to do so I'd have to take it somewhere I guess. I put new plugs in before starting it for the first time this year but haven't looked at them. I'll check them out and see. if you have not downloaded the manual yet you should . it's pinned @ the top of the classics section . it will give you all the info you need to sync your carb's . you can also make a cheap manometer with a yardstick and 5ft of clear tubing and some oil . the pipes were realy cheap to make like 30 buck's . the pipe wrap was the big cost . havw you made any change to the piolt jet's ? also if you are going to do another jet change just make both side's the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdhynds Posted April 11, 2010 Author Share Posted April 11, 2010 Having more issues - Long story short last year I thought I was having problems with the petcock and just installed a shut off valve in line to keep fuel from getting in and flooding it out. I left it on the other day and went to start it up and what appears to be a mixture of fuel and oil came out of the breather filter on the crankcase. My father-in-law's father (who happens to be quite an engineer) told my father something about the float needle or needle jet or something he couldn't quite remember but it didn't seat right and allowed fuel to bypass into the crankcase. I'm waiting for a reply to see exactly what he said so i can get in there figure out what I need to do to get it fixed. (I have a feeling its been part of the problem forever) in the meantime i have an oil change to do. I haven't changed the pilot jets - what do you recommend? I plan to go to 130's or 132.5's (whatever i can find 2 of first) in both sides and go to straight pipes. How did you make yours? All one new piece or did you cut the muffler off and then fabricate the rest to the existing header? Also I see there is a piece of pipe that connects the 2 sides? what is that for/is it necessary if I go to straight pipes? thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dtmf Posted April 12, 2010 Share Posted April 12, 2010 Having more issues - Long story short last year I thought I was having problems with the petcock and just installed a shut off valve in line to keep fuel from getting in and flooding it out. I left it on the other day and went to start it up and what appears to be a mixture of fuel and oil came out of the breather filter on the crankcase. My father-in-law's father (who happens to be quite an engineer) told my father something about the float needle or needle jet or something he couldn't quite remember but it didn't seat right and allowed fuel to bypass into the crankcase. I'm waiting for a reply to see exactly what he said so i can get in there figure out what I need to do to get it fixed. (I have a feeling its been part of the problem forever) in the meantime i have an oil change to do. I haven't changed the pilot jets - what do you recommend? I plan to go to 130's or 132.5's (whatever i can find 2 of first) in both sides and go to straight pipes. How did you make yours? All one new piece or did you cut the muffler off and then fabricate the rest to the existing header? Also I see there is a piece of pipe that connects the 2 sides? what is that for/is it necessary if I go to straight pipes? thanks soundy's like your float's need to be adjusted . if you go with straight pipe's go up atlest 132 or 135 main's with 42 for the pilot's . there is no x-over pipe on mine just straight pipe . i cut the stock pipe's down and welded up 1" 5/8 pipe it was a tight slip fit over the stock pipe . i also had to weld the stock double wall pipe shut before i welded up the 1" 5/8. i got all my carb part's here: http://www.mikesxs.net/products-37.html#products also get new fuel idel mixture screw set. i would start from scratch and do a full rebuild. take your time check evreything . there are lot's of thread's on here about adjusting your float hight . remove and reseal your intake boot's . get new exuast gasket's and bolt's . do a valve check and adjust if you need to before you sync your carb's. you can just sync them without the valve adj. but it wont be perfect. if you do go with a straight pipe setup let me tell you it will be f-ing loud like realy realy. car's cannot stand to be near me on the highway hehe here's and old pic of my pipe's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdhynds Posted April 12, 2010 Author Share Posted April 12, 2010 soundy's like your float's need to be adjusted . if you go with straight pipe's go up atlest 132 or 135 main's with 42 for the pilot's . there is no x-over pipe on mine just straight pipe . i cut the stock pipe's down and welded up 1" 5/8 pipe it was a tight slip fit over the stock pipe . i also had to weld the stock double wall pipe shut before i welded up the 1" 5/8. i got all my carb part's here: http://www.mikesxs.net/products-37.html#products also get new fuel idel mixture screw set. i would start from scratch and do a full rebuild. take your time check evreything . there are lot's of thread's on here about adjusting your float hight . remove and reseal your intake boot's . get new exuast gasket's and bolt's . do a valve check and adjust if you need to before you sync your carb's. you can just sync them without the valve adj. but it wont be perfect. if you do go with a straight pipe setup let me tell you it will be f-ing loud like realy realy. car's cannot stand to be near me on the highway hehe here's and old pic of my pipe's nice - thanks for everything - I'll let you know how it progresses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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