'80 SG... First Start...

[crazy steve]

Well, the good news is, it caught at the first press of the starter button and settled into a nice idle without the choke... for about 10 seconds. It then started 'burbling' and quickly died. After numerous tries, it wants to start if you hold the throttle wide-open, but won't quite catch.

The good: it's apparently firing on all four, as all four pipes are getting warm as it tries to start, so it doesn't appear to be an ignition problem (all ignition components were checked before installing, and everything was within spec).

The bad: all four plugs are getting wet with gas, so it appears I'm getting too much fuel. Even shooting some starting fluid in doesn't make any difference.

I just went through the carbs, and did a total disassembly and dipped them in carb cleaner. All passages blew as clear, I used kits from Georgefix for new idle screws (1 1/2 turn out), jet needles, and float valves. Jetting is OEM stock (110 mains, 42.5 air, 25 starter), emulsion tubes cleaned, plastic floats set to 23mm, no passage between the main and starter jet so no plugs needed, no fuel coming out anywhere.

So, what am I overlooking? Damn, I don't want to pull those carbs...

[BA80]

The bad: all four plugs are getting wet with gas, so it appears I'm getting too much fuel. Even shooting some starting fluid in doesn't make any difference.

Wet plugs and starting fluid . Be careful you don't blow the head clean off.

I just went through the carbs, and did a total disassembly and dipped them in carb cleaner. All passages blew as clear, I used kits from Georgefix for new idle screws (1 1/2 turn out), jet needles, and float valves. Jetting is OEM stock (110 mains, 42.5 air, 25 starter), emulsion tubes cleaned, plastic floats set to 23mm, no passage between the main and starter jet so no plugs needed, no fuel coming out anywhere.

So, what am I overlooking? Damn, I don't want to pull those carbs...

He he......sorry Steve......your just on the first leg of the triple clean. Your gonna have to pull 'em again I think. Something ain't right.

Float adjustment, float valves, or float valve O rings would be where I started looking.

[crazy steve]

Float adjustment, float valves, or float valve O rings would be where I started looking.

I set the floats to within .005" of spec (used a dial caliper), and the valves and o-rings are new...

[bikerphil]

Something I don't like about those 80 + up carbs is the clip on the float needles. They get hung up and can leave the needle cocked in the seat. The clip can go on the float tang two ways, not sure which is the proper way, JAT. Try tapping the bowls some.

[crazy steve]

Yeah, the new valves came with those and I went ahead and installed them (with some misgivings). Any reason I can't leave those out?

[bikerphil]

Steve, you could leave them out and/or just bend the drop tang on the float near the post so it doesn't drop down too far.

[BA80]

I set the floats to within .005" of spec (used a dial caliper), and the valves and o-rings are new...

Just sayin' Steve..... That IS where the fuel comes from.

[crazy steve]

That's probably the problem; I went out and tried it again, but this time shut off the fuel at the petcocks. After 'clearing' it out, it started and settled into a good idle until it started running out of fuel. I'll pull the carbs and rework the float setting and clips....

The Ebay bike I got the exhaust system off of must have been a oil-burner; tons of smoke.....

[BA80]

Too much gas and...............starting fluid will smoke pretty good too.

[DGXSER]

Steve

You mentioned the 25 starter jet, what idle air jet do you have, should be 185.

Also, it is possible to put the spring in the needle jet in the slide in the wrong order where it holds the needle up instead of down. Btdt. It will flood the cylinder out like that.

[crazy steve]

Should have mentioned the idle jet, yep, it's the stock 185. And the springs are on the right side of the needle; I spent enough time getting the *@#$ things to stay in place while installing the cover....

It's got to be those clips on the valves; the carbs were apart when I got them, so I took my best guess as to which way they went. Guesses invariably go wrong for me, so I'm sure that's it...

[BA80]

I spent enough time getting the *@#$ things to stay in place while installing the cover....

BTDT many times. It takes a lot of finesse and *@#$ sometimes.

[xs11lover]

I always hook my fuel lines up wrong and get the gas on the vent and the vent on the gas, but I'm a bone head.

[BA80]

Only did that once myself loverboy.............that was enough.

[bikerphil]

It's got to be those clips on the valves; the carbs were apart when I got them, so I took my best guess as to which way they went. Guesses invariably go wrong for me, so I'm sure that's it...

Those clips should be installed (I think) so the wire covers as much of the tang as possible. They still seem to get jammed up in there from time to time. I know the early carbs work just fine with their no clip design. It's just one more moving part to complicate things.