So Far So Good

[capnkirk]

Okay, it seems the Sea Foam is slowly working its magic. When I first got the bike, she had a hard time starting and refused to idle. Now in the morning when I haul her out of the garage for my 15 mile trip to work, I yank out the choke, she fires right up, I let her rev for about 30 to 45 seconds, incrementally let off the choke over 15 seconds or so and she hunkers right down to a 500 rpm whisper, just as smooth as you please.

The issue now is that she shudders a bit when I put a load on - through each gear, between 1500 and 3000 rpm, and again when I try to reach for the top end of the tach. Conversley, when I'm runnning at a constant rpm, she's a smooth as silk. I hit 60 mph on highway 20 this morning and she just purred all they way at 4k without issue.

I also have a lot less decel pop at the pipes.

Me thinks a carb sync and some new vacuum hoses (the one connecting carb 2 and the petcock is a little too snug and partially crimped) will do the trick.

Onward and upward . . .

[blackdawg]

so far so good

seafoam works well, when i bought my bike it sat for a while.I would tear the carbs down to give them a good cleaning,I had do mine three times.


blackdawg

[AlanB]

Hi Capnkirk,

Carb 2 should NOT be connected to the petcock; The advance unit should be connected to carb 2. If your signature is correct, and your bike is a Special, the petcocks are non-vac, and do not connect to the carbs or the boots.

If the bike is un-modded, there should be a fuel "octopus" which will connect to one (Any!) carb boot; If so, do yourself a BIG favour; Do a search for the info, and throw the "Octy" AWAY!

Possibly that is what you meant, and I am being picky, but if it is connected as you said, the advance unit will "Flutter" and timing will wander.

Anything under 3000 rpm is on the pilot circuit; Once you are sure the Seafoam has done all it can, try a sync and setting the pilot adjusters. If all is not perfect, then prepare to strip the carbs for a clean.

I would be tempted to strip and clean 'em for the experience; You WILL be in there sometime!

AlanB

[TopCatGr58]

Hailing CapnKirk,

Spock here! Tricorder readings are inconsistent! We need to send an Away team for a closer surface scan! The impulse engines will cause some irregular harmonics if run at too slow a speed in too high a gear. The dilithium crystal timing needs to be synchronized with the vacuum port on the #2 carb body, not the #2 vacuum synch port....the hose that runs down to the timing cover to the advance pot! The multidirectional fuel routing device(Octopus) has a vacuum hose that does go to any of the boot synch ports! IF the vacuum pot is getting too much vacuum, it will actually advance the timing too far which is not at the optimum timing POWER SETTING, which might explain the drop in power at high rpms!?

But once the fuel induction devices are cleansed and proplery synchronized, then you'll easily be able to jump to WARP speed, and you won't need to yell that infamous phrase:
"More power Scotty"!
T.C.

[fredintoon]

Rodenberrying

Hi TC,
as you have brought Captain Kirk on board, consider this sea story.

The China sea, the mid 1920s, a tramp steamer caught in a typhoon, a conversation via voicepipe between the bridge and the engine room
Mac, I need more revolutions.
Ye canna have more revolutions.
I must have more revolutions, the ship is in danger!
If I give ye more revolutions the bearings will run.
Then play the hoses on the bearings!
Ah AM playing the hoses on the bearings.

All of Star Trek is based on this.

[capnkirk]

Yep, my bad. From where I was sitting it looked like that hose went to the petcock, but upon closer inspection I see that I was grossly mistaken.

What really sucks is that I don't know a whole lot about motorcycle mechanics, so all of these subtle differences between years and models is lost on me, especially when it comes to vacuums and carbs.

Now I know why they say to eliminate carbs from your diet...

Anybody in my area who'd be willing to spend a few hours showing me around under the tank? I pay in pizza and beer.

[skids]

Believe it or not, I work with a guy named James Kirk. Of course, I call him "Captain."

[fredintoon]

Some parents are really cruel

Hi Skids,
our senior stationary engineer was named Harley Davidson. No he didn't change it to that, his parents were Davidsons and they christened him Harley. And the song says the boy named Sue had it rough?

[TopCatGr58]

CapnKirk,

IF you edit your profile to include where you are, you may be able to then get someone in your locale to actually provide an in person instruction. Also, in the Member's Forum, you can do a search AS PER IN THE STICKY THREAD, to find other members in your state that.

There are diagrams in the tech tips on the hose routing for the Octopus and petcocks. The remaining hose is the one from the timing cover/vacuum advance that goes to the #2 carb body metal port nipple, NOT the carb intake boot synch port!

Our bike is actually more like a car engine than you might think, just has more carbs!
T.C.

[Poprock]

I have visited the carbs on my bike a few times. JB'd a few posts, tweaked on some things. If it'll run to the coast I'll take a look at 'em for you. I know who to call if we need coaching.

[fvincent]

Triple Clean

Anyone have the thread address for the article on the "triple carb clean" sequence. I can seem to dig it up?

Floyd

[Ken Talbot]

Floyd - try using 'triple clean' in the search tool at the top of the page. That will bring you up about a hundred hits. Good reading!!