help: 1977 xs360

[apathetic]

hello

im a noob and i need help

any help would be much appreciated

i recently bought a 1977 xs360

i rode it home and it gave me no problems

the next day it started having hesitation and choking issues while it was in gear and at speed

this problem continued to get worse until the bike no longer ran

the previous owner told me to replace the spark plug wires and points

i spliced in new wires and boots

i installed new spark plugs

i installed a nos condenser

i removed the carbs and cleaned them (although i had no idea what i was doing, i reassembled them correctly, i at least know this for sure)

one thing that should be noted is that the one of the needle valve assemblies (the little needle with the spring inside that touches the float) is more springy (stiff) than the other

i am not sure if this causes problems or not but i thought it was an important item to mention

also when i cleaned the carbs i did not have a manual

i just took apart what looked easy to take apart and cleaned it with carb cleaner

i am 100% sure i reassembled the carb correctly as i read the manual afterwards and had luckily done all the right steps

the bike now runs

there are still a number of problems

at idle, the motor would rev to 4000 and stick

i eventually got it down to 1200 by adjusting the idle screw

if i revved the bike, the revs would stick to however high i opened the throttle

i somewhat fixed this problem (once again with the idle screw); it still persists although not as bad

the real problem is after getting it into gear, i get the same hesitation and choking problem i had before

after reading a haynes shop manual, i believe that i have to sync the carbs, but i am not sure

the manual has instructions on how to sync the carbs, but they are hard to follow

apparently i have to get a pair of vacuum gauges

hook one to the hose that goes from the carb to the backside of the petcock

and the other to the same corresponding hose on the other carb (this hose is connected to nothing and plugged with a bolt)

and then adjust some screw i cant find until both gauges read 5 hg cm while the motor revs at 1200

is what i have talked about a common problem?

have i diagnosed the problem correctly?

is a carb sync the next step?

is there an issue with how i described the needle valve assembly?

did i describe the carb sync process correctly?

i still need to do the points

the previous owner gave me 2 points

but they are 2 lefts

i need to order a right

thank you for your time

thank you for your help

your time is much appreciated

[yamyam thank you maam]

hya yes it sounds like the carbs need balancing make sure your points are gapped correctly and i would replace the float needle valve "the thing with the spring" as once they play up you got no choice but to replace check your carb mounts arent split or leaking and your throttle slides are moving freely also check your float level as well the specs should be in the manual . it def sounds like your carbs are at fault here though did you buy a decent carb cleaner so you could blast through all the channels inside also if you have any rubber diaphrams check them for splits and pinholes hope that helps all the best ..vinny

[apathetic]

hya yes it sounds like the carbs need balancing make sure your points are gapped correctly and i would replace the float needle valve "the thing with the spring" as once they play up you got no choice but to replace check your carb mounts arent split or leaking and your throttle slides are moving freely also check your float level as well the specs should be in the manual . it def sounds like your carbs are at fault here though did you buy a decent carb cleaner so you could blast through all the channels inside also if you have any rubber diaphrams check them for splits and pinholes hope that helps all the best ..vinny

hey thanks man

yeah its gotta be the carbs

im convinced of it

the carb mounts seem fine to me

at this point im going to go buy a gallon of carb cleaner and soak the sucker for at least 24 hours

ill come back if it doesnt work