Mikuni RS36-D3K tuning help needed

[Jaymo]

"I'd love to get a set of 4 into 2's that allow me to keep my center stand and not have to remove the exhaust, to change the oil filter."

Jaymo
The MAC 4 into 2 will do that, the turn out ends look crap in my opinion but the straight cuts look ok. Apparently the do interfere with the oil cooler hoses but my bike doesnt have the oil cooler so cant confirm see MAC 4-2 below

Nice. I have a pair of Cobra straight-through mufflers would look and sound great on that MAC 4-2.
I tested my pickup coil wires again, after the temperature dropped and the resistance went down a few ohms.
Not surprising. Anyway, I tested the wires from the TCI to the connector behind the fusebox panel, and from the connector behind the fusebox panel to the pickup coils.
No amount of wire wiggling made any difference in the resistance.
Actuating the vacuum advance made a difference of about 3 ohms, but so did placing a hex wrench near it, without touching the wires. I'm thinking it's just something to do with the magnetic field.

I put 4 gallons of fresh, no ethanol, gasoline in the tank and ran it.
It's definitely running better, but It's still not where I want it to be.
Then again, I'm not finished with it.

[Jonesy :-)]

"I'd love to get a set of 4 into 2's that allow me to keep my center stand and not have to remove the exhaust, to change the oil filter."

Jaymo
The MAC 4 into 2 will do that, the turn out ends look crap in my opinion but the straight cuts look ok. Apparently the do interfere with the oil cooler hoses but my bike doesnt have the oil cooler so cant confirm see MAC 4-2 below

[Jaymo]

Finally got some time to mess with the bike, today.
I cleaned my ground points at the engine, regulator/rectifier, and frame.
I added a second engine ground wire.
I decided to test my pickup coil resistance again.
My pickup coil circuit resistances are 799 ohms and 807 ohms, measured at the connector that plugs into the TCI.
The ambient air temperature is 32 degrees Celsius.
Does this sound a bit high?

[Jaymo]

Jaymo, I understand your frustrations but please don’t chop up or wreck your STD exhaust, there worth a mint even in reasonable condition, a set of 4 into 1ns or 4 into 2’s out of Aus aren’t that expensive and seeing that your going down road of flat slides and pod’s, my opinion, and it’s probably only my opinion, 4 into 1 would be the go, just make sure they have equal length primary, or header pipes, or what ever you want to call them.
Unequal length primaries make it harder to tune.
I don’t really have anything else to offer, I think the others have covered pretty much every thing. You’ve stepped onto a steep learning curve by going away from std but that’s ok it’s your bike, and you will succeed, ONE step at a time,
Reupholstering the seat is probably a good start😎

I'd love to get a set of 4 into 2's that allow me to keep my center stand and not have to remove the exhaust, to change the oil filter.
I like the exhaust note of the 4 into 2 much more than the 4 into 1's.
To me, the 4 into 2's exhaust note sounds like "I'm going to chop your head off and skull-f**k it right up your *sshole." whereas the 4 into 1 exhaust note sounds like "Wheee, wheee."
I'm just not a fan of the crotch rocket/formula 1 car exhaust note.

No work will be done on the XS this weekend, due to severe thunderstorms and flash floods.
I. Hate. Rain.

[makzy]

Jaymo, I understand your frustrations but please don’t chop up or wreck your STD exhaust, there worth a mint even in reasonable condition, a set of 4 into 1ns or 4 into 2’s out of Aus aren’t that expensive and seeing that your going down road of flat slides and pod’s, my opinion, and it’s probably only my opinion, 4 into 1 would be the go, just make sure they have equal length primary, or header pipes, or what ever you want to call them.
Unequal length primaries make it harder to tune.
I don’t really have anything else to offer, I think the others have covered pretty much every thing. You’ve stepped onto a steep learning curve by going away from std but that’s ok it’s your bike, and you will succeed, ONE step at a time,
Reupholstering the seat is probably a good start😎

[Jaymo]

I remembered this being an issue for someone else. Seems it’s not an electrical issue but a magnetic one.

That's it. So, it WAS Andy's bike.
Let me scrounge some ferrous bits for mounting the coils.
Plus, I'll test my pickup coil wires again.
And, I'll check compression again.
And, I'll check valve clearances.
And, have a look at cam timing.
And, either punch out the stock baffles or just chop the damn mufflers off and replace them with something with much higher flow.
And, make some velocity stacks to move my pod filters back about 4".
And, maybe, buy and install a flame thrower exhaust kit, because flames.
And, replace the seat upholstery.
And replace the tires.
Good lord, it never ends.

[BrettS]

I remembered this being an issue for someone else. Seems it’s not an electrical issue but a magnetic one.

[AussiXS11G]

https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080716201916AAjzfot

[BrettS]

As Bryan said, earth can be anywhere as long as it’s good doubling is even better.
I would disagree though and say that the connection from coils to frame must be a good conductor, not aluminium.

[AussiXS11G]

Earth the engine to the frame in a couple of places
Mine is both sides at rear - one shares the battery earth to frame
I'd be surprised if the aluminium or steel or copper brackets make a.difference as long as all connections are clean metal to metal

[Jaymo]

Will do.
It ran great for about a month after I bought it.
Then, the PO's broken float post fix failed. That began the quest for better carbs.

Where does the engine earth connect to the engine and the frame?
I'll pull them and clean the terminals and termination points.

Another question. I have green Dyna coils.
The adapter brackets I made are made of aluminium angle.
I thought I saw/heard somewhere (Andy Gerding, perhaps?) that the brackets that bolt the coils to the frame need to be made from iron/steel, for the coils to work correctly. Is this true? If so, I need to rectify that.

[BrettS]

Also when checking valve clearance check your cams and cam chain is installed correctly. I’ve heard of these bikes running with a cam installed 180 degrees out or one tooth out and that could cause the fuel spitting back out of the carbs.

[BrettS]

That’s good news, looking in the pick up points area you should have  the non mechanical advance type rotor and non adjustable timing plate.
I’m guessing from what you have said this motor hasn’t run correctly up to this point. It’s not like you had a good running engine and put these carbs on and then had problems. Hence I would be hesitant to start playing with the carbs before everything else is eliminated.
Sorry if I am going over what might have been covered in any other thread you had but I would
Check compression, check spark, check valve clearance check you have complete ignition system as above, check pick up coil wires again. Check your engine earth.
I believe from memory my fuel squirt also hits the slide. If it concerns you it will run reasonably well without even using it so you could disengage it for the initial tuning process.

[Jaymo]

I’d go back to basics. If the carbs are reasonably balanced and not leaking I’d be looking elsewhere for the issue.
Have you got the correct tci for the ignition system. Is it 2h7 or 4RO. Does it have a mechanical advance. This model should have pre set timing, non adjustable.
The needle and seat on these carbs can stick open.

The TCI is a 4R0.
Right now, I'm tempted to either cut off the factory mufflers or punch out the center baffles.
I'm planning on replacing them with straight through, glass packed mufflers. I have several options, but I think I'll go with some reverse cone mufflers with repackable baffles.
I installed the velocity stacks from my factory airbox onto my carbs. They seem to like that.
I just don't like the idea of riding without air filters. Maybe I'll make some that I can install my pods onto the ends of.
I can use the depth of insertion of the stacks into the pods to control air inlet flow restriction, if need be.

[BrettS]

I’d go back to basics. If the carbs are reasonably balanced and not leaking I’d be looking elsewhere for the issue.
Have you got the correct tci for the ignition system. Is it 2h7 or 4RO. Does it have a mechanical advance. This model should have pre set timing, non adjustable.
The needle and seat on these carbs can stick open.