Carbs Again

[lorenc]

Looks like I need you brains again. Nothing seems to make sense to me anymore. When I purchased the bike, it ran ok but seemed a little rich. (gassy smell) I replaced the spark plugs and all looked a little dark. Enricher was required to start cold motor. (The enricher worked good)

History: Fuel leaking so I rebuilt petcocks and octipus. Replaced Float needle valves and lite cleaning of bowls. (Hardley no sediment or varnish) Did NOT set float height at this time. Added Seafoam to fuel. This is where the bike would first start without using the enricher.

Last Wed nite: Took carbs off again and set float height to 22mm above the gasket. (I didnt want to replace the gaskets again so I just left them on). I did a vacuum gauge sync on the carbs using the home made stuff I found on this site and believe all carbs were @ 16-18 @ 1200 rpm.

When I went out for a test ride, it ran GREAT

The next morning, I started it up and couldnt use the enricher at all. It seemed like it would flood. It took alot of babying the throtle to start. Once it was warmed up it would run good but the bike behind me says he can still smell a little gas just much less than before.

Where do I go from here?

Thanks guys.

[mro]

Float height could be suspect. Gaskets will compress differently.
carbs inverted when adjusting, lower float height = higher fuel level.

Did not notice you mentioning pilot screws? (fuel/air mix)
Would turn em down all the way down untill they slighly/lightly seat, counting number of turns and partial turns. Normall is 1 1/4 to about 2 turns out. Adjusting em by "ear" usally can get em close enough, but "color tune" seems to get em spot on. (I do em by ear and have good results)

Re-sync if you play with pilot screws.
Adjusting em is in the tech tips...


mro

[lorenc]

Did not notice you mentioning pilot screws? (fuel/air mix)

I will try that tonight. I dont have the "colortune" but I have a good ear. Resync wont be a problem.

I'll let you know.
Thanks

[lorenc]

Thanks mro

Adjusting the pilot screws seems like it worked. I did have to turn them 3 turns out on carbs 1,2,3 and about 3 1/2 on carb 4. Is that normal? Very consistant vacuum between all carbs.

[mro]

Personally think over three turns out suggests something else not quite right, but have read here a few times that it work for some. Would check plug color after a little ride.

Possible to have minor, hard to detect vacuum leaks.
I had to add some non-hardening gasket sealer to my carb boots to get them to seal properly. Also have noticed recently that my 80G may be due for butter fly shaft seals (noticed a little dirt accumulating around em) as well as the rubber vac caps on the boots are pretty hard now.


mro

[underdog57]

I bought a pack of vacuum plugs at napa , was five or so in the pack . they are thicker and better than the tree assortments one I bought at another store ...
3/16" will fit the carb boots . The old ones were very hard like mro
said ...

Bob

[lorenc]

After 40 miles, the spark plug insulator color on all 4 are white with very little light grey. Does that mean their running lean? What about fuel milage. Will I get better mpg with the pilots here than if I turned them in a turn or half?

When I started it this morning, I did the enricher at full for just a few seconds. The bike stuttered then just cranked. That is why I turned the enricher off. It took a little bit of cranking to start it. To me that seems like it is still to rich, doesnt it?

[mro]

If you twist the throttle even a little before it fires, will crank and not fire or be "hard starting"....

"To rich" when trying to start could be either too much fuel in bowl or pilot screw too far out or a combinaton of both.


mro

[pggg]

Sounds to me like it's still leaky float valve trouble, but the dumb thing is the plug or plugs should be black and carboned after a few minutes idling, you say they're bone white, strange because then we're talking lean or normal pilot circuit mix, lorenc did you read the plugs from speed on the road or at idle, black idle plugs turn white within a few minutes riding

[lorenc]

Ok guys, last night I screwed the pilot screws in 1/2 turn to make them at 2 1/2 turns out. (except #4 which would be 3 out). Took it out on the road and it ran bad. Seemed like it wanted to choke out. Went back home and made them so all were 3 1/4 turns out. When I started it this am, The enhancer circuit worked better but still not as well as it did before I did all this. I went for a long ride and got 32 mpg instead of 30.

pggg, I pulled out the plugs after riding into the garage. Not on the road. Will that make a difference? I dont have any fuel on the garage floor or the airbox. (I even put a brick under the front tire when it is on the center stand so any fuel would flow to the airbox)

Whats next??????

Thanks

[79XS11F]

To read plugs the engine has to be working so doing it in the garage is not going to give true results.
Rob

[lorenc]

a couple nights off

Sorry guys, I havent been able to work on the bike for awhile. I will try to read the plugs on the road either tonite or tomorrow night.
Thanks for your ideas and guidence.

[oseaghdha]

Best reading, outside of a dyno,

for main jets is:
4th or 5th gear 3/4 to WOT with a slight grade for 15 to 20 seconds.
Pull the clutch at the same time you hit the kill switch and land it dead stick.
This should give you a good burn on the plugs.
May be a bit of a stuggle at night though.
Bring your gloves

[lorenc]

OK. This is what I did. I ran on the highway until I came to a hill. (Not that easy in my part of Nebraska). Went up the hill for about 1/4 mile @ 65 or close to 5K rpm. Killed the motor with the kill switch. When I pulled the plugs, both 1 and 4 showed the same. A little color on it. Kind of tan. There is still enough sun to see good. I didnt check 2 & 3 because I had a hard time getting them in when the motor was cold. I cant imagine trying to do it hot.

Whats that tell you????

[Ken Talbot]

Originally posted by lorenc
I cant imagine trying to do it hot.

Whats that tell you????

Tells me you don't have any gloves!