other octopus topic, I know I know

[trbig]

Just unhook the suspected line where it goes into your octo and still has the fuel filter attached. Get a bottle and put the line into it... turn on your petcock and see if you have plenty of flow. I bet you do. Then turn the petcock to off and sit and watch to see if it drips.

Carbs are freshly cleaned by a professionial

Pardon my doubts, but we have heard in here time after time after time of something being wrong after a "Professional" worked on their carbs. Not saying that that IS the problem, and not trying to disrespect your repairman, but do NOT rule that possibility out.

Tod

[mikeb]

If memory serves me the octapus flows both petcocks together once it opens. Unless the output nipple or fuel line from octapus is plugged you would get flow to both sets of carbs even if only one petcock was open. Now having said that, if the bike is smoking (assuming black smoke) and the plugs are black, then all signs point to being too rich rather than starving for fuel. It seems to me that if carbs 3&4 were starving for fuel the plugs would be white from running lean. I would have to agree with trbig about having the carbs "professionally" cleaned. I have read so many posts about carb trouble after having them professionally cleaned. If the tech used a K&L kit the pilot jets are probably too big. This has been well discussed. Maybe the float heights are not set corectly. Are the plugs over the idle mixture screws missing or are they still there. If they are still there then your carbs were not "professionally" cleaned. Not bashing your mechanic but a lot of really good "modern" mechanics fall short when it comes to these older machines.Baur, you didn't mention how the bike runs. Does it idle smoothly? Does it pull steady thru the entire rpm range? Do you have to choke it when it's cold or does it fire without choke. I don't think you have a fuel flow problem but a few quick tests previously mentioned will verify that. Keep us posted.

[Brian_D]

Bauer,

With the petcock in the PRI position, the fuel should flow from the forward nipple on the petcock, to the fuel Tee, then to the carb. This bypasses the octopus.

With the petcock in the ON or RES position, the fuel should flow from the rear nipple on the pectcock, to the inner nipple on the octopus, out the outer nipple on the octopus to the fuel Tee, then to the carb.

Because you indicated that you have low/slow fuel flow in both the ON and PRI positions, it appears you have either blockage in the petcock, petcock tower filter, or fuel line from carb to fuel Tee.

[Bauer]

Fuel line hoses are new, clear so visibly not blocked.

When I get a chance to pull it apart next week I will have to check the petcocks, Im in dire need of a rebuild kit so nows the time to do it.

Carbs were fully disassembled and cleaned, but none of the inards were replaced. No need to replace them as of yet. Im not ruling them out, but im not worrying about the carbs yet. I need to get fuel to them first, then we'll see if I have a problem internal to the carbs. So far everything is in the lines coming to the carbs, then stops just short.

Bike runs great at idle. I started noticing what appears to be a fuel starvation problem after a hot ride a few weeks ago. Idles smoother than ever (carb tech did a wonderful job sync'ing them) But seems to stutter on a hard pull. Thus leading me to checking the fuel system and I noticed the lack of fuel going into the 3 and 4 cylinders. This mechanic is a personal friend, and is old school, he still rides an 82 Venturer as his only bike, so old school carbs are his bread and butter. He is also a senior tech (only one) at one of the very few Honda PowerHouse dealers and is certified to work on all makes and models of bikes, and I do mean all
It usually, unless hot, requires a choke to start, but thats before and after the tune up. My dads 80 standard is the same way (da** cold blooded things )

I do have the bike set slightly rich, alot of the riding up here in ND is cooler weather, and alot of my riding is around dusk so to give me some leway for the "cold weather runs lean" I had it set a tad bit rich, but not enough to blacken the plugs.

After discussing my problem with him over the phone, I am to take it to his house monday night and we'll go over it. He says I am on the right track, but was all he would alude to, as he is trying to teach me the indards of this bike along the way. So monday night I will get the down low on it all.

I had a few minutes last night so I went and removed the #4 float bowl plug and let it drain, turned the petcocks on with the drain plug still removed and did not get any more gas out of the bowl, even after 5 or so minutes. But when I pulled the plug this morning, I had a slight amount of fuel in the bowl, not a full bowl, but therefore showing that its flowing slowly, but not the way it should be.

So, any bets, plugged/faulty octopus, or petcock???

As I said, the problem is still prior to the carbs. Once I can get fuel flow to the carbs, we'll see if there is anything wrong in there.

[Brian_D]

Since there is no/slow fuel flow in PRI position - faulty petcock as the PRI position bypasses the octopus.

[mikeb]

If you turned petcocks to ON then you should not have any flow as the octopus should stop it. If you turned petcocks to PRIME then you should have gotten flow.

[Ken Talbot]

I've scanned quickly back through this thread, but I have not seen anywhere where you have tested the petcock flow with no hoses connected. Have you done this, as that will tell you straight off if the petcock is working or not.

It seems to me you have been testing for flow with lines and filters and whatnot all still in the equation. If this is the case, your problem could even be blocked float bowl vents. You have the later carbs, but for example, the earlier carbs with an actual vent hose would run into trouble if the vent hose was plugged. The same can happen if you install a set of older carbs, and try to attach the vent hoses to the blocked vent nipples on a newer airbox.

[Bauer]

Nope, havent checked the petcocks, havent been around the bike since early friday morning, When I go to start tearing it apart tom. night, I will be checking everything.


Thanks

[oseaghdha]

Having way too many other things to worry about, I took the octopus out, plugged the "prime" outlet and ran filters to both inlets. Once things are sorted out, I can reinstall everything. I'd rather have an OFF/ON petcock right now.

[Bauer]

well, after pulling it apart, had a chunk of **** (I think it was foam at one point in its life) inside the octopussy blocking fuel flow to 3 and 4.

Then went another step further and found a chunk of a gum like substance holding the #3 cylinder float wide open. Removed that, reinstalled with the Uni's and new jets*** and its a whole new bike

*** see other post... Linker Dinker


Thanks for the help all, I appreciate it.

[webbcraft2150]

We need a merit badge for those of us who have mastered the art of dialing in 4 organized leaks, better known as carbs.