stoggy

i gave up and took it in...

a reply on another forum got me to check the coils all 4 primary and secondaries checked out ok.

2007 FZ1 ~36k miles lost 2 cylinders - i don't have a lot of technical knowledge. I can change my oil, i took my radiator off to get to the plugs, and i know how to put it back on. 2 Fridays ago I was going to work. I was going along the highway about 70 everything seemed fine. I got off the highway and i got caught at a light and when the light changed i went to take off my bike sounded like a V-twin. It had no power either. I was real close to work so i went ahead and rode in. That night I rode home, at first it sounded bad but a little gas and it came back, about 2k rpm. So i started to ride home, about 1 mile out it shut down again, I would get spurts of 4 cylinders but mostly seemed to be only 2. Of course it may be 3 cylinders or even 1 ... I got the radiator off to check the plugs. If facing the front of the bike the right most plug looks oil fouled. Not really bad but definitly some. The other 3 look a little on the white side. I tried pulling each of the plugs 1 by 1 and starting the bike with 1 plug against the block. Each time the empty socket made a air popping sound, but i didn't get any sparks. I was able to start it after putting it back together but it sounded really weak. Any suggestions where to look?

no it wont spark at all, I cant get 2k rpm because it wont start. As in it wont start. To be perfectly clear it won't start, like at all. Or to compare it to something else, i have a table lamp that makes more noise then the bike does now. This is over 10 days so it has cooled down. Nothing shot out of the spark plug holes. I wasn't looking in the hole though i was looking between the point and the little finger on the spark plug. The plugs look clean. When i got it the points were way off. i will check them again. thanks though.

it wont run now. I checked the bowls and they are getting gas. Maybe its not going into the engine though. When I kick it, it turns over but doesn't even try to start. both spark plugs are brand new. I tried holding 1 plug at a time against the block and kicking, no spark. I tried holding the spark plugs away from the block and kicking, same no spark. how do i test the regulator? i saw something in the manual about a spark tester. is that another tool or? Can I make one or is it something that needs to be purchased, i have never heard of it, and the manual only mentions it.

nope no sparks

lost all spark now, i think. if i pull the spark plugs and kick it, i should see a spark across the plugs, right? I have tried with them up against the block and just in my hand, avoiding the metal parts of the plugs of course.

looks good. i hope your a punisher fan, otherwise you got a big red stain on top of the gas tank. I think you should have left it the 80s color scheme and gone for the yuppie look, but that is just me. Good luck, good job getting it running!

just wack open the throttle and leave the tester in your dust. Then he won't be able to follow you to watch so he won't be able to complain if you do something wrong. Goodluck, give 'em hell!

I finally got my 1978 xs400-2e to run pretty good. But now if i run it for about 10 minutes it will die, then it won't start and all the indicator lights are real dimm. So I don't think it is charging. Still waiting to borrow a battery tender so I can't try again for a bit. Just looking for suggestions before I get into it.

i went back and just gorilla tightened everything and it seems a lot better, thanks.

checked all around the airbox boots and into the inlet manifolds, didn't see any gaps. So i lit a smoke and none of the smoke seems to be getting sucked in or blown away.

tank didnt help. ok inlet manifolds. mine are like a round tunnels that have flanges to screw into the cylinder heads, behind these are like thin tin plates. ok i let check the airbox boots as well.

1978 xs400-2e, its got carbs. ok lets hope for airleak i have the gas tank off and was using a gatoraide bottle as a gas tank, and put electrical tape on the vacuum nosel on the carb boots. hopefully that is the problem.

just cleaned out carbs and now it runs and idles, on/off choke. but if i give it some throttle it revs up pretty normal but when I drop the throttle it takes like 10 secs for it to idle back down. any ideas?

a couple hours in some 409 showed me the light. still got crap for sale though. its been sitting for 30 years, how often you get the chance to get 30 year old crap?

i have cleaned the crap out of carbs, haha literaly, I saved the crap in a bucket if anyone wants some. Still having problems though. On the slow jet should i be able to see down the middle of it, or just the 6 holes along the sides? Air seems to blow through, but I cant see through it.

i am no mech either but maybe if we talk about enough wizzles and dodads those carbs will just fall off laughing? on the engine side of the carbs there should be 2 rubber mounts that the carb slides into. Around those rubber mounts there will be 2 clamps, did you take the clamps off? take the air box boot out, and then you should just pull the carbs back, maybe a little wiggling will be in order.

i did as long as the arrow points in the direction the gas is suppose to be going and not the direction the gas is suppose to be coming from.

Heh, I hope it gets pregnant then I would have a new baby xs400. Maybe a xs250 or something? I got it starting but it will only run on full choke, half choke, or throttle at least 1/2 open with choke off. I guess i missed something in the needles? Could mis-calibration of the needles cause this? I installed an inline fuel filter and now I am hardly getting any fuel at all. Can't start. I am guessing take the petcock apart this weekend.

5. The throttle cable only affects the right carb. Then there is like a tongue that goes to the left carb. The tongue sits between a screw with a spring and unremovable bolt looking thing with a spring. Make sure the carbs are open the same. You would have to take the carbs off to check this but as you turn that screw the left carb opens and shuts, but the right one will stay the same. So maybe the left one is open more then the right one or vice versa. Normally if this is messed up, the messed up side's piston sounds like it is misfiring or not firing, kind of like its getting dragged along for a ride.

i found it. nvm

just got a 78 xs400. Mine doesn't appear to have a negative cable for the negative battery post? Shouldn't there be a ground to the frame? anyone got a loom diagram? Or follow there negative side and see where it goes?

I justed cleaned mine out, they had sat for about 20yrs, I couldn't get the main jet holder out until i soaked it in gas/carb cleaner for 24 hours. then they fell out when I turned it over. I used a tooth brush and a air compressor to get the little holes clean. Once i cleaned them off and let dry they now sit back in their holes tight too. My tooth brush tastes like gas now though. Drilled? what are you talking about? No man, no drills. But they come out the top. You probably shouldn't pound on anything either its just dirty and stuck, soak it in gas. If gas is bad for carburator bodies why the hell would they mix gas in them? You probably shouldn't put your seals or diaphram in carb cleaner though. If they are filthy rinse them in gas.

jimr i think you are right. I went out and checked the oil level and now it is perfect. I kicked it a couple times and no more oil is coming out.