It's Greatest Wish Seems to be to Become a Static Display...

[jetmechmarty]

All you need is a screwdriver and some sort of carb stick or vacuum gauges.

[natemoen]

all that basically is, is a long screwdriver. You need something that will measure the vacuum in the intake ports. Something like this http://www.carbtune.com/ is very nice and seems to be what a lot of people have as well as myself, very easy to use and accurate. Or there is something like this http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Carb-...tomotive_Tools still very accurate but you must calibrate each gauge before you use it so that each gauge reads the same on a single carb. Then there is this home made one http://www.xs11.com/forum/showthread.php?t=986. There are also mercury sticks and other types of liquid manometers. a longer screwdriver is also nice to have though for reaching in to turn the sync screws.

[Joab]

Ok, thanks, ill see what I can find, or fabricate. Eh...that whole octopus hose thingy you all mentioned? When I pulled the tank off, it looked like someone just capped averything off but the fuel lines. Granted, I didn't dig deep because I had to get to work, but shouldn't there have been, oh I dunno, vacuum lines or something down there?

[natemoen]

Ok, thanks, ill see what I can find, or fabricate. Eh...that whole octopus hose thingy you all mentioned? When I pulled the tank off, it looked like someone just capped averything off but the fuel lines. Granted, I didn't dig deep because I had to get to work, but shouldn't there have been, oh I dunno, vacuum lines or something down there?

It is possible that a previous owner didnt want to deal with the ocy and just bypassed it (many do, its not a necessary piece of equipment). There is usually on vacuum line that runs to the #2 carb intake boot but it really can run to any of the intake boots. I dont know exactly how its hooked up cause I have never had to deal with one so I wont try. I can tell you how to bypass it though. It can be bypassed by just not hooking anything to it and then running the a fuel line from the rear petcock nipple to the carb inlets and then blocking off the front nipple, or you can connect both petcock nipples with a T and hooking it to the carbs either works.

[DGXSER]

Lots of ways to kill that bird as to synching. Personally, I have always been to much of a cheapazz to buy those tools. I forked out for a mityvac when I worked on the rear brakes, and it has a vacuum gage. So I use it to hook to the PVC plenum took shown in that tech tip. And just move the inlet hose form carb to carb reading and adjusting. Pretty darn accurate, not as accurate as reading all four at once, but close enough for my needs.

[Joab]

My carb kits finally came in today, so tonight at work if I have time ill start on the rebuild. Does anyone know if Harbor Freight has the gauge I will need to do the synching? (I've got nothing like that at home atm)

[Joab]

Ok, so I took the carbs to work, and #1 and #2 were completely blocked, every port, in everything. It was ugly...

Carb #3 and #4 looked decent, gave them a once over anyhow. When I turn the petcocks to reserve, I still get a geyser of fuel from #2, so I suppose I'll try to tear it apart and see what the deal with the float is on it.

It takes forever to get it started still, but once its running it works much better.

Current issues:

-Lots of backfiring
-Doesn't want to start
-Fuel leak
-loud chattering (valves?)

[Joab]

I amend my last post. The bike wont start at all now. I'm stumped.

[TopCatGr58]

Hey there Joab,

Got your PM, will shout at you on the way back from Texas!

Okay, you've done the 1st cleaning, just 2 more to go! A triple cleaning is a common phrase mostly because most folks don't know all of the little places to find/check/clean the first time around.

Hard starting: Did you check the little jet down in the float bowl and ensure that it was CLEAR and flowed air/fuel? Probably not, possibly not knowing that there WAS a jet down in the float bowl that needed cleaning....it's where that long brass tube on the carb body sticks down into to draw up fuel thru...but if clogged, can't get the choke/Enrichener to work, not really getting the extra fuel to help it start!

Also, did you drain the gas tank and put in new fresh fuel? Also, you'll want/need to put on INLINE fuel filters, otherwise, the fine rust and crud in the tank is just clogging your newly cleaned carbs again!

Since it was working before you worked on the carbs, then most likely it's still the carbs, fuel delivery problem. BUT electrical problems can also crop up.
Is it a new battery, or the one that was sold with it when you got it? If you've only been able to run it at idle, then you've been DISCHARGING the battery, it doesn't reach charging level until over 2500 rpm, and so starting and just running drains the battery! Once it drops below 10.5 volts, the TCI/ignition unit won't work, no sparky, no starty!

I've put my last fuseblock aside for you, from your description in your PM, you probably need to do a lot of electrical connector cleaning...the grounds for the battery, as well as the ground strap behind the engine to frame, the 3 large white connectors that are behind the fuse panel, as well as all of the other connectors in the harness!!!
T.C.

[Joab]

Sounds good TC!

So, I think it might just be the battery. I threw it on the charger, and I got it to fire up and run. The "choke" is all goofed up, it will only start, and stay running, if I dont touch the choke. Stupid gremlins.

What I assume is loud valve chatter worries me a bit though, should I be able to hear it over the exhaust?

[jetmechmarty]

Adjust the valves, or have them adjusted. Do you have a manual? You may need to make sure the cams didn't jump time. Check ignition timing as well.

[DGXSER]

If you have not already done so, adjust the valve gaps as Marty suggested. Also adjust the cam chain tensioner. Both can cause excessive valve noise.

However, these bikes do just tend to have a noisy valve train. You can hear it over the engine at idle especially, no matter how well you adjust the entire system.