slice

Now that's a skill that always comes in handy.

Oh Ok Preload never thought of that DOH! you start with doing it one way and forget that there are other ways of doing it, locked into it I suppose. going out there to do it today and will see what happens, this is a spare set for the FJ so I can afford to get it wrong, just for some reason I have never adjusted the floats before, suppose I thought that they were set at the factory and never needed doing. I thought that a lot of the T2 boys and girls did this on a regular basis for some reason?

You could do a range of MANKINIS !!!!

Surely if you have an actual TAX DISC on the bike it's taxed? It's only not taxed if there is no disc shown or have I got that wrong? After the disc runs out then you obviously can't call it taxed but up till then it's taxed. Or not. My head hurts going to lie down!

Ah I see dt, that is perfect sense, so if I lean the carb body away till the tang is off of the pin on the needle then measure the gap it should tell me the exact distance from the float bowl level. got it, I will try that and get back to you. Now I know why I never did this before! In the youtube vid the guy on there has adjusted the float on the level without tilting it forward till the tang is off of the pin, he was adjusting an xj600 set of carbs so I assumed (wrong!) that mine would be similar.

NO sorry what I mean is that the float is 30 mm to low in the bowl so more fuel is getting in than it was designed for so hence the fuel leak out of the over flow on the carb, my problem as above is that with the tang bent down to the correct float, up position, I am hitting the needle to early and am going to have to little fuel if it's to low in the bowl. bloody difficult to explain really as it's not only upside down it's leaning away from me !!

Ok confession time, I have never adjusted the floats on any of my bikes ! and really have no idea how to do it, hunted around youtube and found a few peeps doing it and followed their instructions and found it fairly easy, you learn new stuff every day don't you? anyway my problem now is that the FJ carbs should be 22.3 mm from the lip of the float bowl but mine are a whopping great 30+mm so that explains the fuel leak !! but in the manual it says that the tang should not touch or compress the small plunger on the float needle, so how the hell am I supposed to bend the tang down without it hitting the plunger? I mean it's already pretty close but if I adjust the float up to get the right depth for the fuel level it has to hit the bloody plunger !! Some of you lads and lasses do this to your 2T bikes on a regular basis and was wondering if you might be able, in words of one syllable, to tell me what if anything I'm doing wrong, as at the moment I have the right float height but the wrong position on the needle valve, at least that is what the manual says. I can by the way strip down clean and replace the last nut bolt and washer on most carbs but this piece of info about float height has obviously gone right over my head. Thanks for any advice.

As above keep the old wiring if for nothing else than it comes in handy for spare bit's of wire that you might need to replace for some reason and it's always nice to have the correct type and colour available, plus the advantage of fitting a newish loom is that if you have time you can take one off and replace it as you go rather than just pulling everything off and trying to remember where the old wires went, do it yourself rather than pay someone to do it as that way not only do you know that it's right you have bragging rights over those who are to chicken shit to even try.

Hi Martin and welcome to the YOC Bike sounds sweet and very clever to make your own exhaust. Nothing wrong with your English it's better than my Polish ! Might be an idea tho to Introduce yourself in the "NEW MEMBERS" section.

Hi Shaky, I'm an old guy with an old wife ! She's looking over my shoulder isn't she? Welcome to the YOC glad you could join us.

Ok George this is what you do, buy the manual and follow the wiring diagram, nothing else than that mate. Wiring is easy if you take your time and do EXACTLY what it says in your book, don't improvise or make short cuts (no pun intended) cos that way lies hours of fun undoing what you have spent hours sorting out. Best possible solution buy a used loom and refit that, it will have all the connectors you want and no one will have chopped the shit out of it!

As above really, do that right after you have done your INTRO in the "NEW MEMBERS section.

My advice, buy a second hand loom that's complete and replace the horrible hunk of junk that you have now, then at least you have a running start to work from, at the moment your have what can only be described as a total f**king waste if time. Should cost about £30 for an old loom that hasn't been chopped to bit's, then you can connect the right wires up and what you have left over can be traced using the wiring diagram in the manual. Did this with the XJ and took about 1/2 the time that messing about with someone else's horror story would have taken, there are to many gorillas out there that think they know how to fit wiring and about 1 in a 1000 actually get it right without boiling their battery or frying the bulbs. My advise anyway some no doubt will disagree.

Foamy cos they know it's your birthday and DON'T want you having a party !!!

Welcome James, as above, buy the manual.

That's the sort of thing I was talking about mate, a few more miles on it but so what it's the bike your after a couple grand less than new and tho it has a few marks on it there can't be many that have all those extras on and they have to be worth at least £500 on there own. Your choice of course but if you go see it DON'T take the money with you just LOOK and walk away if your not sure. In fact walk away anyway and tell the dealer your willing to offer him £500 less than he's asking and wait to see what happens.

Unfortunately Lassy this is almost certainly true, if you look this kind of thing up on youtube it appears to be a common occurance, especially in a lot of American homes, I think the term they use is BI-POLAR but my term is SHUT THE F**K UP you moaning little tit and get a job! PS both my son's are games players on the net but when push comes to shove they decide whether it's eat or not, you don't work you don't eat. Harsh some might say but the world don't care if you starve.

Pretty little bike James and has a few dealer goodies thrown in but still close to a new price in my opinion, but if your happy with what your getting then go for it, as to the value, it's worth what someone will pay for it and not a penny more regardless of how many bit's and bob's you bung on it, if it was me I would look for a second hand one that cost's less and pay the MOT and such myself, if you work it out over the few years you will have it then is there much in the way of a saving by buying stuff that makes you go back to the same dealer every year? Just my ten pence worth.

Hey Foamy read this. Looks like a speciality insurance for anything over 90 days mate. Enough European Car Insurance? People don't know whether they have European car insurance or not, it would seem. Half of UK drivers have no idea if they're covered or not, if they were to hop over the Channel for a few days in their car, according to a recent a survey reported by 'Which? Magazine'. In fact, every UK car insurance policy allows the minimum level of cover required by the law in the countries you travel through – normally third-party only. Got it covered But if you have an AA Comprehensive Car Insurance policy, you will benefit from fully comprehensive cover for up to 90 days – one of the most generous provisions in the market. What's more, the cover is automatic: you don't have to let the AA know when you are going and it is valid in all EC countries and several others too. But other insurers treat European travel differently – ranging from no comprehensive cover at all; a requirement to tell your insurer when you go; some make an additional charge and the duration of the trip can range from two or three days upwards. Janet Pell, head of AA Car Insurance, points out that driving in Europe can be a real joy. "In many places the roads are quieter than in the UK, are well signposted and are well maintained but you do need to keep up your concentration. It can be easy to find yourself on the wrong side of the road – especially if you are just pulling out of a junction or if you are tired. Take plenty of breaks and don't be too ambitious if you are driving a long way." Pell points out that to get the most from your holiday, and avoid any unpleasant surprises, it's worth doing a little homework before you go. Driving in Europe The AA – as experts in European travel – offers a wealth of travel information and offers and you can check them out on the AA's travel pages here. But here are some things you really must consider. Check the legal requirements. Some countries require you to carry high-visibility jackets, first-aid kits, warning triangle, spare bulbs and you could be fined if you don't have them. In most countries it is also forbidden to carry a speed camera detector. Check country-by-country advice before you travel. Local rules vary from country to country. Take all of your vehicle documentation with you. These could be checked at any time. Don't drink and drive. The drink-drive laws in most countries are tougher than in the UK – in some cases, zero tolerance. Can you speak the lingo? If not, for maximum peace of mind you should take out European Breakdown Cover which will cover you in the event of your car breaking down from the moment you leave home. Following a serious breakdown or accident, if you car can't be repaired locally it can be repatriated while a loan car is provided so you can continue your holiday. Don't forget Travel Insurance and your EHIC health card. The card is free from the EHIC website. Says Pell: "That might seem a lot to think about. But it's worth it – if you've not driven in Europe before you'll wonder why you've left it so long to do so – the open road beckons and there are countless places waiting to be discovered. "Enjoy!"

Hi James and welcome to the YOC, no one can tell you how much you can afford and the advantage over a new bike rather than used is only really the warranty, such as it is, you still have to put tyres and fuel in it so if you pretty handy with a spanner and have the time to do your own repairs then get the used one and fix it yourself. That's my view anyway others will no doubt say the opposite

This is an "OH BUGGER" moment. Had to let the little bike go I'm afraid, just discovered a leak in the hot water tank over the kitchen (again) so £600 for it to be supplied and fitted has taken a large chunk out of my "get a new project bike fund" Seller was a bit unhappy about my saying I can't pay for it but hey ho sometimes you just gotta roll with the punches. Back to saving up again.

Welcome Bent,

Sorry mate never had one of these but from what I have heard from others it seems to be a common fault, so if your between 2 minds on what to do why not buy one of the cheap pumps and see what happens, the worst thing that can happen is you still have the same fault. And of course you still have the Yammie recall to fall back on at the very least.

Speed racer, your NOT checking the date stamp on the thread mate, this was 3 years ago !

Hi Scooby, Welcome to the YOC.