ghoulgang
78 tracker/cafe/rat thing
First post here, let me just say that this forum has been invaluable in introducing me to motorcycle maintenance, so a big thanks to all of the contributors.
Bike Rundown
1978 xs400, tracker/cafe/rat thing. Has some issues and can be very moody, but it's fun to fiddle around with and is a really fun bike to ride when she's being nice.
Issue
I pulled into the fuel station because I was running low, and my bike keep dying at idle at red lights and in traffic (annoying) I'm stille playing around trying to find the sweet spot, but for now it's just a constant game with the idle adjustment depending on how warm it is and the type of riding I'm doing, *anyways* while the bike was idling I went in to adjust the idle screw, and it didn't seem to be making much of a difference, so I spun it a lot both ways, until eventually (I was wearing gloves and not paying too much attention and didn't really know where that screw went or what it really did- still learning) ...I ended up spinning it all the way out, and the spring went flying etc. I found what I THOUGHT were all the pieces and went about trying to repair it with no tools at all (I used a dime to take off the left side pod filter so I could see what I was doing)
Perplexing. the screw itself goes through the bracket (protected by what I'm assuming the Haynes manual depicts as the bush) and then there is a spring at the end, and a little flange coming off the side of the carb, with a threaded hole aligned above the end of the throttle control lever. Now it looks like the screw should be surrounded by the spring and thread into this flange until it pokes out and depresses the throttle control lever to the desired amount. The problem I'm having is that the screw doesn't thread into that flange, it is too narrow, the threads on the flange are wider than then threads on the screw, it moves straight through the threads with little resistance and doesn't bite onto them at all. The threads on the screw do not look damaged at all, and I can't really tell the condition of the threads on the flange but the carbs are pretty new and I can't imagine a finger tightened screw would be able to damage them. (It doesn't feel like a stripped threads problem)without the screw staying in place the throttle control lever closes all the way, the idle drops off and the bike doesn't run...
My question(s)
Am I missing a piece?! Is that screw meant to thread into that flange? is it likely that the threads could have stripped? The thing was working before I twisted it off so it's got to be SOMETHING... Someone please point out something obvious
(I have a Haynes manual and in the carb diagram it shows the screw, the bush, the bracket and the spring, but does not show the flange, or if there is supposed to be like a washer or a nut or something)
Bike Rundown
1978 xs400, tracker/cafe/rat thing. Has some issues and can be very moody, but it's fun to fiddle around with and is a really fun bike to ride when she's being nice.
Issue
I pulled into the fuel station because I was running low, and my bike keep dying at idle at red lights and in traffic (annoying) I'm stille playing around trying to find the sweet spot, but for now it's just a constant game with the idle adjustment depending on how warm it is and the type of riding I'm doing, *anyways* while the bike was idling I went in to adjust the idle screw, and it didn't seem to be making much of a difference, so I spun it a lot both ways, until eventually (I was wearing gloves and not paying too much attention and didn't really know where that screw went or what it really did- still learning) ...I ended up spinning it all the way out, and the spring went flying etc. I found what I THOUGHT were all the pieces and went about trying to repair it with no tools at all (I used a dime to take off the left side pod filter so I could see what I was doing)
Perplexing. the screw itself goes through the bracket (protected by what I'm assuming the Haynes manual depicts as the bush) and then there is a spring at the end, and a little flange coming off the side of the carb, with a threaded hole aligned above the end of the throttle control lever. Now it looks like the screw should be surrounded by the spring and thread into this flange until it pokes out and depresses the throttle control lever to the desired amount. The problem I'm having is that the screw doesn't thread into that flange, it is too narrow, the threads on the flange are wider than then threads on the screw, it moves straight through the threads with little resistance and doesn't bite onto them at all. The threads on the screw do not look damaged at all, and I can't really tell the condition of the threads on the flange but the carbs are pretty new and I can't imagine a finger tightened screw would be able to damage them. (It doesn't feel like a stripped threads problem)without the screw staying in place the throttle control lever closes all the way, the idle drops off and the bike doesn't run...
My question(s)
Am I missing a piece?! Is that screw meant to thread into that flange? is it likely that the threads could have stripped? The thing was working before I twisted it off so it's got to be SOMETHING... Someone please point out something obvious
(I have a Haynes manual and in the carb diagram it shows the screw, the bush, the bracket and the spring, but does not show the flange, or if there is supposed to be like a washer or a nut or something)
You also should have a small spring in between the two.
, if I didn't have this exact description of a problem (at top) happen - right down to the finely threaded throttle screw not stripped.
