Main jet on carbs?????

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pfox64219

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Hey! I have just got my first bike back. My brother borrowed it for a while and then my son had it for a bit. He put whatever in the gas to keep it from going bad last fall but didn't run the gas out of the carbs. It would start up for a second, maybe two and then die. I figured it must be the carbs gunked up so I took them off of the bike and cleaned em up with carb cleaner. It ran 15-20 seconds and then would die. If i wait for a minute or more it will keep doing that, try to start it right away and it runs for a second or so. I have the carbs back off of the bike and am trying to do a more thorough job this time. I have the floats off ( which don't seem to all be adjusted the same) but see no way to take out the jets under them.
The only change from stock that I am aware of, and I bought the bike new in "85", is a small valve between the petcock and carbs to turn the gas on and off. I guess the petcock went bad and that was the fix....... Would like to get a petcock to go along with fixing the carbs if anyone knows a place to get them. Anyways, back to original question, do I need to get that jet out and if so, how to do it without breaking something. This is a zl900A1. I have been reading a lot of the posts on here and see that there are quite a few very knowledgeable people and I appreciate any help. I don't mind getting grease under my nails but mostly have to figure things out as I go.
 
Welcome to ZL-OA !

the main jets you can use a a 8 mm wrench to remove entire main jet with emilusion tube.

the pilot jets may be a little tricker to get out. i have standard straight blade screw drivers that i filed edges down, so they fit perfectly inside pilot hole.

if they have not been out in awhile, i would recommend using some penetraiting oil to break up gunk. be careful not to shear the copper as you unscrew them
 
The jets under them?? I must question exactly what you think the jet is as the jet is slotted for a flat head screw driver

The repair manual for the zl can be downloaded from this site
 
Well...The 900 carb float, when you pull the float off, it is just a pin that slides out and then you pull it off. The needle (part of the needle and seat) should have a clip that attaches it to the float. The needle has a rubber tip. The needle closes off the gas flow into the bowl when the bowl is full of gas. Now the seat is brass and it doesn't come out but it can be cleaned and polished. The main jet is the one out in the open that you can see. As Paul said, a flat blade screwdriver will take it out. It threads into the emulsion tube and the emulsion tube (as Chris said) requires a wrench to remove it. Sitting on top of the emulsion tube (carb sitting upright) is the needle jet. It is a small barrel shaped piece. It is visible in the throat of the carb. The pilot jet is recessed in the bottom of the carb and requires a small straight screwdriver that will fit up in the bore. The most problematic areas to clean are the pilot jet and the idle and progression ports. These ports are very tiny and ANY crap in them will cause an issue...These all need to be clean. Very clean and clear. All passages should be flushed and backflushed with carb cleaner and/or compressed air....
 
I guess I took out the main jet, but not the emulsion tube. Does that need to be done? What I was looking at was the tube behind that, When I took the float off, the pin hanging from it came out of this tube. Is there anything to do with it other than spray it with carb cleaner? What is the repair manual listed under?
 
Thanks to all! Very helpful info, am downloading the manual now but still don't see any way to get to it other han the link that Chris posted.....Maybe there are too many butterflies distracting me. Everything is very interesting and new. I had no idea that there were other people out there who had this much interest in the eliminator. I have held on to this bike for 26 years and have very seldom seen another on the road. It is good to know that there are more out there. I have to paint at the mother in laws this morning and hopefully work on the carbs after. Next after the carbs is the petcock. Mine is pitted, will a rebuild kit take care of this or do I need to find another (rebuilt/after market) one? Thanks
 
pfox64219 said:
I guess I took out the main jet, but not the emulsion tube. Does that need to be done? What I was looking at was the tube behind that, When I took the float off, the pin hanging from it came out of this tube. Is there anything to do with it other than spray it with carb cleaner? What is the repair manual listed under?
Click to expand...

I assume the pin you describe here that was attached to the float is actually called the float needle. You need to inspect it for wear and replace if nessasary, the tube as you describe which stays attached to the carb is actually the needle seat, you will need to clean and its highly recomended that you use a q-tip and some polish to clean up the inside surface where the float needle rests against it in the closed position. No need to try and remove it from the carb body.
I recomend pulling the emulsion tube and ensureing its clean also (Ithink the book just calls it a jet holder) Be careful as part 16071/a (jet needle) is right abouve them and when they come out they only go back in one way.
 
For the petcock I suggest contackting Markus. Here is a post on his service for rebuilding them if you want to use the factory style. http://www.zl-oa.com/community/threads/OEM-Petcock-Rebuild-Service....Cores-Needed.13979

Or get a hold of bacchus and buy an aftermarket Pingle from the zl store
http://www.zl-oa.com/zen_store/



If you arent confident about re-doing those carbs you could always send them out to rick and he will clean them and set them up properly for you. He does very good work and when they come back to you they will look like new and you will be able to put them on and go! http://www.zl-oa.com/community/threads/CARB-CLEANING-SERVICE-ultrasonic-cleaning.7206

The downloads section is at the bottom of the Forums page. Other recomended downloads to have is the parts micro fiche.
Its highly recomended that you take a close loook at both the parts fiche and the repair manual before attempting any repair on the bike just to familiarize yourself with the parts that you might encounter.

Also on the forums page and always worth a look is a technical library with some info on different things that some have posted that can help you when workking on the bike!
 
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pfox64219 said:
Thanks to all! Very helpful info, am downloading the manual now but still don't see any way to get to it other han the link that Chris posted.....Maybe there are too many butterflies distracting me. Everything is very interesting and new. I had no idea that there were other people out there who had this much interest in the eliminator. I have held on to this bike for 26 years and have very seldom seen another on the road. It is good to know that there are more out there. I have to paint at the mother in laws this morning and hopefully work on the carbs after. Next after the carbs is the petcock. Mine is pitted, will a rebuild kit take care of this or do I need to find another (rebuilt/after market) one? Thanks
Click to expand...

Welcome pfox!

We're glad you found us!

The carbs can be gone through pretty easily without too much in parts. I do not endorse aftermarket kits for the carbs or the petcock. You can use Rick in the "Member Services" forum or do them your self. I have been pretty successful in taking the carbs down while still leaving them racked together to clean them. Just make sure you remove all removable parts before ruining the rubbers with carb cleaner. Murphskits has good OEM Keihin rebuild kits for the Concours that will work. They have the air screw o-ring, float bowl gaskets, and the float valve needles. May as well replace these so you don't have to worry about fuel diluting your oil or hydro-lock.

No carb job is complete without first making sure the fuel delivery is clean and working properly. Tank venting, clean tank, new mc grade fuel line, and a clean and properly functioning petcock is a must when doing carb work!

Spend some time reading and using the search, all this has been discussed here many times!
 
Thanks to all for the info and advice. I have soaked
ALL of it up and attempted a good bit of it. I am actually gleaning the two best bits of advice and sending the petcock to Marcus (already spoke to him and it is in the box and labeled). The carbs are going to (hopefully) Rick, although I haven't spoke to him yet. I mentioned this to my fiance' and she had boxes to fit and had the carbs wrapped before I knew she was doing it. I don't know if that is great because she is so helpful or great because she wants more of my time spent with her. Either way I am a lucky man! Once I have the carbs and petcock taken care of, I am relatively sure that it will at least run, hopefully well. I will keep reading through the forums to see if there is any more that needs to be done while I am waiting for the petcock and carbs. Thanks again and i will post updates soon. Anyone live in Ga? I am just west of Atlanta.
 
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While the carbs and petcock are away you should take the time to clean the tank out really good!

Maybe she wants to ride and see you get it done with less stress!!?? Might want to ask her about the motivation behind it ?
 
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LOL! Actually, working on the eli is stress relief, it's working too. Wouldn't mind fooling around with the carbs some more, just worried that i might break something too expensive to replace! There is more to do on the old girl anyway. I think it is motorcycle zen, or something like that. I think the fiance just wants to go for a ride, she better hold on tight!
 
Carbs and petcocock sent off yesterday, getting too impatient to ride to keep piddling. Can't wait to bolt em on!
 
I'll get right on it and get it back to 'ya ASAP Phil. Check those airbox boots and replace if they're not soft and supple. Doing so will make it sooooooo much easier to get the carbs back in but then you'll learn that too from reading through the vast wealth of knowledge on this site. Glad to have 'ya here Phil.......
 
coated the tank? Hope all goes well there because this can cause more trouble now or in the future. there is a product called evapo-rust that will clean the tank spotless and prevents from having to coat the tank. What goes on will come off eventually and cause more headaches. Good luck and you have come to the best resource for the eliminator with a vast amount of knowledge and friendship. When you get your carbs back from Rick, it will be bolt on and ride. He bench syncs the carbs which is very close but if you can get your hands on a set of carb sync gauges you will be perfect. Good luck and it wont be long now!
 
Got the petcock back from Marcus last night, looks like a brand new one! Thanks marcus! Gonna take some more advice and clean the sealer out of the inside of the tank and then use evaporust. looking on the site for what it is that cleans the sealer off. Hopefully have that done before the carbs come back.
 
You're welcome Phil and thanks for the positive feedback and review on my product.......I do put considerable work into them so you guys have good, dependable valves we can count on. As for your decision on cleaning the sealant out of your tank.......Good Choice!!! That crap will eventually cause you trouble! Evaporust is a great, effective product.
 
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