The XT350 thread

[webmonstro]

Originally Posted by adamjam2

Did these bikes come stock with fuel petcocks that had the screens underneath them, the ones you can just unscrew from the bottom? Mine doesn't have that so i'm just curious if maybe it has been replaced before.

My old 83 xt 200 i had before this just had a little cap you could unscrew on the bottom of the petcock to clean it out. it was really nice

No they have a small screen on the top os a small tube in the inside os the petcock
You have to remove the petcock to clean them
Nuno

[Grreatdog]

The Euro bikes or later models may be different, but my 1986 XT350 had the exact same petcock as my 1982 XT200. They both had the bowl that unscrews with a screen in it. It later got replaced with one from Clarke.

[Zecatfish]

Originally Posted by chef larry

I bought a 2000 XT-350 and was wondering about the conversion from the 428 to the 520 chain and sprockets. The parts guy at the local Yamaha dealer said the old chain was good enough for the bike and the 520 chain wasn't needed along with being too large for the bike. Truth or is the parts guy full of crap?

I would say both....
Correct and Full of Crap...
MY 81 TT250, and XT250 used a 520 chain, the 350 uses the 428 chain.
I was planning on replacing it with a 520 when the time came but in the last year I've actually changed my mind.
I've put a few thousand miles on it and I have adjusted the chain once in between tire changes.
So a 520 is not to large, but I've found that if its a quality 426 chain to be very long lived on the 350 if your not trying to wheelie it at every stop light.

[Grreatdog]

I agree with Z. It all depends on how you ride the bike as to whether or not a 428 chain is OK. When I was commuting I could wrack up a lot of miles on one without ever needing to tighten the chain.

But then one good offroad ride and the chain would be completely shot. However you have to remember that I rode mine like a dirt bike plus it was uncorked and on real knobbies. And most of my riding back then was mud, beach sand and loam which meant lots of clutch abuse.

And a 428 chain was just not up to that combination. If I had known about being able to convert it back then I would have. There were many years where I went through several chains. But then there were years of mostly commuting when they hardly wore at all.

If you plan to ride sensibly the 428 is fine. If you don't it isn't.

[Zecatfish]

PM's sent....
I got the top end back together without much fan fare tonight, head torqued done....
then I tried to get the cams back in. The fun began.
With a new chain, I can not seem to get enough slack to get the exhaust cam in.
Is there a trick to it short of removing the cam gears on the camshafts?

[Zecatfish]

Okay heres the way to get get the timing chain back on without removing the gears from the cam......

Remove the chain tensioner.

Remove the front chain slider to give you room to work.
Pull the exhaust/front side of the chain tight, and slip the exhaust cam into the journals with the gear low and lift the chain over the sprocket and let the cam set into position with the little timing hole straight up.

Now get the exhaust cam you want it a tooth or two turned to the back and bring chain over the back of the gear towards the top, the cam is not going not going to be lined up with the journal yet but we're going to get there that why we're a tooth off right now.

Now get a screw driver and going to slide it into a hole in the cam gear and lift up on the gear so your forcing the rear chain slide to flatten out and get the added slack needed to rotate the cam one tooth in the chain and it will set down into the journal.

Then don't do like I did and try to kick the engine over to check it out because the intake cam will slip and you get to do it all over again.

[Brypoint]

Hey does anyone know the size of the lines on the carb? I'm thinking 1/8"? Wanna replace mine because their yellowed. Also shouldn't their be one on the overflow tube as well (i'm guessing it's overflow the one under the bowl with the screw)? Also the hose coming from the petcock to carb is 1/4"?

[Calkins]

Originally Posted by Brypoint

Hey does anyone know the size of the lines on the carb? I'm thinking 1/8"? Wanna replace mine because their yellowed. Also shouldn't their be one on the overflow tube as well (i'm guessing it's overflow the one under the bowl with the screw)? Also the hose coming from the petcock to carb is 1/4"?

I went to O'Reilly's and both two packs of Primeline 1/8" lawn mower fuel line and replaced all the carb hoses with that. Both vacuum hoses, both vent hoses, the connecting fuel hose, and the float bowl hose. There is one port on the bowl that doesn't do anything.

[Brypoint]

Originally Posted by Calkins

I went to O'Reilly's and both two packs of Primeline 1/8" lawn mower fuel line and replaced all the carb hoses with that. Both vacuum hoses, both vent hoses, the connecting fuel hose, and the float bowl hose. There is one port on the bowl that doesn't do anything.

Dude isn't the one from the petcock to carb a bit bigger the the vent overflow hoses?

[Calkins]

Originally Posted by Brypoint

Dude isn't the one from the petcock to carb a bit bigger the the vent overflow hoses?

Yes, I used something else on that, maybe 3/8" or 1/4"

[Brypoint]

Originally Posted by Calkins

Yes, I used something else on that, maybe 3/8" or 1/4"

lol I'm trying to order some of this http://www.bikebandit.com/helix-raci...ored-fuel-line but outside diameter inside diameter argh!!

[Brypoint]

Another thing I was interested in (hyjack my own thread lol) was what size spacer you guys replaced the stock shock one with. As I'm about to do new oil and seals I may as well try to lengthen the spacers too. I know were using PVC pipe but diameter and length? I'm gonna go for 15w oil and more preload. (spring tension helps with preload?) Currently the bike dips pretty low when I use the front brake (and that's with the crappy front breaking I have now but that's another story)

[Brypoint]

Mikuni Pilot Jet (VM28/486)
Bought a #17.5 and #20 off ebay for 13$. Apparently these will fit so I have high hopes.

[Zecatfish]

Originally Posted by Brypoint

Another thing I was interested in (hyjack my own thread lol) was what size spacer you guys replaced the stock shock one with. As I'm about to do new oil and seals I may as well try to lengthen the spacers too. I know were using PVC pipe but diameter and length? I'm gonna go for 15w oil and more preload. (spring tension helps with preload?) Currently the bike dips pretty low when I use the front brake (and that's with the crappy front breaking I have now but that's another story)

I used Type F tranny fluid in mine.
I also changed the preload spacer, mine was 50mm stock, I used a 3/4" PVC pipe and cut it at 60mm in length.
It still drives on hard front braking but with equal oil, I used 11oz per side (I think that is was right you can go back and check I think I posted it here).
It helped the wheel deflection to where it is nearly 0 deflection now and resists bottoming too.

[Brypoint]

Originally Posted by Zecatfish

I used Type F tranny fluid in mine.
I also changed the preload spacer, mine was 50mm stock, I used a 3/4" PVC pipe and cut it at 60mm in length.
It still drives on hard front braking but with equal oil, I used 11oz per side (I think that is was right you can go back and check I think I posted it here).
It helped the wheel deflection to where it is nearly 0 deflection now and resists bottoming too.

Ok great I'll follow your advice here and let you know how it goes. Probably gonna pull it apart next weekend as I got all kinda of stuff coming in the mail for it.