Project XL185/CG250 swap

[XLsior]

So to try and cut a long story short in bullet point point form.


Drove van to get hardware supplies...


Van starts surging and manages to make it home and konks out...


Replace fuel filter...still cuts out with splutters...


Replace injectors...still konks out...


Likely culprit mechanical diesel injection pump...aka expensive PITA.


OK Van is out of action....again.


Meanwhile using the purchased hardware to make new beehives...


Shifting beehives around and my lower back tweaks out /pinched sciatic nerve...after `a few days of low mobility> pain is now spread to right side hip and down leg. So less mobile. This is mainly due to a dicky spinal disk that decides to slip out when it feels the urge to do so...


So now my Van is immobile and so am I...


But at some point I'll need to leave the house.


So fixing the busted muffler on the bike is now top priority...


I ordered a stainless steel exhaust kit (ebay) but what was sent did not match the product image...so it was returned and refunded..


But Van injector pump fix is likely a $1500 rebuild...Funds are squeaky tight now...



So the Aussie muffler is going back on.


removed the cheap glass wrap which I will never do again...horrible stuff.


Repaired some new and old cracks in the pipe...


Fresh coat of high temp paint...


Added a lock nut so if the muffler falls off now i'll take is as a sign to save up for a CF Moto 450 MT. (that's probably going to happen regardless)


Xlsior is back to before now...still waiting on that 133 main jet kit...


maybe that's a short story made long... But can't do much other than lying down or sitting still for now...

[XLsior]

So about 5+ weeks of sciatic back pain recovery later, With the muffler repaired it was finally time to see if 2 wheeling mobilty was possible...


I had a mission to collect some new Aquarium/Aquaponic system fish



10 texas cichlids, Herichthys cyanoguttatus Somewhat of a potential pest but I want to be able to breed and self stock my own food fish....I digress



Any way Got the bike running and had a about a 1hr return trip to achieve.


Yes I still have back pain but its 'tolerable'



Down the hill to the fuel station for a fill up of fresh gogo juice...

6.7lt topped up...checked trip 135km or about 5l per 100km which is 47mpg...however was pulling a lot of oversized main jet testing so I would say this result is worst case scenario...Also not sure how accurate my ODO is... Its my first benchmark fuel economy number...


Got to the Fish Store...collected order, stowed in back pack and made the return trip...


Bike performed fine though I never poked WOT due to still waiting for the 132-134 main jets...135 is still rich...

Got home No drama...


Back hurts a little afterwards but its doable...


outcome...Fish got

[XLsior]

Another fuel stop topup. 5l per 120km. or 4.17l per 100km = 56.4 US MPG.


I've finally got the 132 and 134 main jets from Ali.



I might go back to 40 pilot from 42 and 132 main from 135..keeping the needle. on 4th clip.


Idle tends to move about a bit so maybe the pilot is a tad large with the AF screw trying to dance around atmosphere air parameters and engine temp. constantly need to make on the fly idle tweaks.



Current jetting is getting me around ok ...but its not quite in the sweet spot...


Havn't checked the plug for awhile either but I doubt its lean...

[2LZ]

Try moving the needle to the third (middle?) and dropping it a tad more into the bore. This will let you know if it's pilot or emulsion tube responding the needle shoulder shape. Quick and easy test.

I have had zero luck with aquariums. I discovered never put a crab in with glass fish unless you like floating, empty carcass.

[XLsior]

I had to move the needle from the middle to the 4th /richer needle clip. middle clip was too lean. already did needle testing.


most of the issue now is idle (closed throttle) and WOT...the mid range is ok.



This is all after I installed the 70mm big bore kit.


stock config was 38p 130m mid clip 3rd position. perfect plug read.

[XLsior]

So I inspected the plug after my 2 economy runs without WOT.


It still appears to be close to lean, as in ash gray but no real brown tinge.


I have decided to up the pilot to 45 from 42 and dropped the main from 135 to 132.


needle still in 4th position. A/F was between 2 and 2.5 turns out.


the ebay Xring chain has stretched with break in slack so have decided to up tooth the front sprocket gain from 16 to 17 with the 44 rear.


While taking off the sprocket cover the oil cooler sump adapter appears to be a leak point...I will either add thread tape or sealant as the oring does not appear to seat with the intake and outlet banjo bolts in the correct position and cant make another half or full turn to snug up...

[XLsior]

Ok so rain stopped and roads dried up for a Sunday loop...


17F-44R was fine.. Manged about 50mph in 5th gear on a 45* incline.


As for the carb tuning...well its seems the 132 is perhaps still to big and or the 4th clip is now out of whack with the bigger 45 pilot jet...


I get fish biting about 7000rpm WOT on the flat... and if a sharply back off there is a bog sometimes...


But decel popping has subsided under engine braking So I think the 45 pilot is correct.


Which suffice to say suggest its either the clip now to rich and needs to go back to the middle 3rd position...


Or my time waiting for the 132-134 main jets was a waste because 130 or less is required for WOT...


As I have basically gone down the Main jets from 150 all the back to 130 with the same WOT lurch symptom.


I will try 3rd clip with current 45/132 as I CBF servicing the carb right now.



Dr Appointment in Tuesday in regards to back/sciatic issues, So no major bike overhauls till after...

[XLsior]

In the process of trying to remove the sump oil cooler I may or may not have kinked one of the lower banjo lines...


At that point the whole cooler had to come off to go back to stock...


The cooler was looking all kinds of sweaty gunge to the point I wasn't sure it was leaking all over...


I removed the oil filter screen housing which I had set up after the cooler rad...with the screen set up inner net sediment catch orientation...


Judging by what I found inside some of the head gasket and DIY big bore machine works and cooked piston was filtered out...


Needless to say I ended up just buying another oil cooler kit for piece of mind...This time silver instead of black to see oil leaks better...



The drained oil looked used but not glitter bombed...



Fresh oil and clean screen back in no cooler for now...

[XLsior]

45p mid clip with a 132m was better again think the main is 130 or perhaps less....


Which suggests my old 67mm stock piston and cylinder were oil burners on the 130main...


Or the Boabo 70mm bigbore kit only really effected the PE28FL at the pilot jetting...

[XLsior]

Did another loop 45pilot mid clip 130main...top end power drop off still fishbiting WOT above 7000rpm...


Got home and checked the hot plug...showing lean again...


having gone full circle on main jetting my only explanation now regarding the WOT top gear high speed high RPM fishbite/lurch is that it could be CDI related....


So bigger 134 main jet and and new CDI for cross reference testing...

[XLsior]

134 main jet on the 3rd clip with a different CDI unit resulted in much the same WOT high rpm top speed attempt fishbite/lurch. The engine will clean rev curve all the way up until it will make a plurt sound a dip then try to stay pinned...withe the response being to back off the throttle.


So instead of leaner jetting and a phat needle position, My only alternative testing parameter now is fatter jetting and a leaner needle position at WOT...


Well that's my logical sense of reasoning...which could be totally wrong.

[XLsior]

After multiple plug reads, jet and needle changes trying to dial in the BOAO big bore kit and always hitting this threshold where peak rpm above 7000rpm hits a wall.


Trying to figure out if its a fueling issue with main jets and needle position the parameters between changes are so minor that I expect there should be enough crossover to the point 7000rpm WOT limit should be easy enough to cross...


Swapping CDIs pretty much confirmed to me its not an ignition problem...



So what exactly changed since the stock cylinder/headgasket failure to the bigbore/used engine valve train and cam...


Well by all merits the last possible culprit is the used valve assembly, specifically the valve springs...Going by the donor engine condition its quite probable the parts were tired and well used/abused.



So it is quite possible my issue has been valve float this whole time...


Ive done the jetting and needle position to death and the bike runs fine under 7000rpm below WOT..plug read is good.



If the valve springs are weak and can't handle high rpm then it seems like a viable explanation to my performance issues and woes...


In other words I think the head will have to come off for the umpteenth time.

[XLsior]

I think I found the actual oil leak issue which was not the old cooler.


After removing the old cooler and goin back to a stock configuration the oil leak still persisted.


Came to the conclusion the gear shifter shaft seal was worn.


I found a CG150 seal kit on Ali which was the cheapest option I could find and appeared to be exactly the same for the CG250.


Only needed the 1 seal but it was a better deal just getting the complete seal kit.


Also was a good time to install a fresh new oil cooler and added the mesh screen from the old cooler as a mod.


I also used teflon plumbers tape on all the threads (even on the banjo bolts)



No more leaks it seems and the bike is running great on its new full synthetic 10-40 oil that came free with the parts Delica Van acquisition.


However I came to discover my lower engine mount bolt was vamoose.


So message Ray the XL185 parts guy and made an order which should see the bolt replaced along with the hardware needed to finish the 81 Poochie project.

[david3921]

I like your trick for getting the seal out. Never saw that one before.

[XLsior]

I had to carefully predrill some 2mm holes for the screws to bite, 1 was enough.
used 2000grit wetdry to clean the shaft and cut a milk jug to make a plastic sleeve/collar and slide the new seal down, pulled out the sleeve then tapped it home with some sockets and a 1/4" socket extension.