Manometer

[cywelchjr]

What do you guys think about just buying two vacuum gauges and calibrating one to the other, and then using that for a sync tool? I can get vac gauges for $22 each and have plenty of plywood and vac tubing on hand to complete it with. I figure it would be quicker than a single gauge set-up, and cheaper than the one from Carbtune.

For a little bit more than that you can get a 4 gauge set on ebay, you gotta look a little bit, and you do need to make sure they are calibrated to each other yourself (the primary difference between the expensive set and the cheap set is whether you do it or they do it, oh, and the quality of the hoses), the 4 gauge sets can be gotten as cheap as $40 and as much as $100 and can be found really easily for $60. My $40 set came with junk hoses and I had to spend a little time calibrating them, but they work just fine after that. And the hoses still work, they are just cheap and are probably only good for about 1 more use, then I'll have to spend about $10 on quality hoses to last the rest of my life.

Here the set I got, the price went up and little in the two years since I got mine. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Carbu...#ht_2553wt_903

Still not a bad deal, and they hang on the bars real nice with a bungee cord while you do the sync job.

[cywelchjr]

Actually looking further, this here is the vendor I got mine from. This is a little nicer looking package than I got 2 years ago, so it looks like they might have upped the quality slightly.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/GAUGE...#ht_1811wt_905

I know these guys ship quick, and at least two years ago what they shipped me worked as advertised and still works today.

[tweeleft]

Boy. Whatever you do don't make your own like I did. Clear tubing, yard stick and trany fluid. Lol. Bad valves sucked it right in. I like the four gauges now

[XSive Okie]

Actually looking further, this here is the vendor I got mine from. This is a little nicer looking package than I got 2 years ago, so it looks like they might have upped the quality slightly.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/GAUGE...#ht_1811wt_905

I know these guys ship quick, and at least two years ago what they shipped me worked as advertised and still works today.

Thanks, Cy! That set is a little more in my price range.
Richard

[XSive Okie]

Tool has been ordered! Now I can get my carbs lined out. $60 one time vs. $100 for each shop visit should be well worth it. Especially since I don't plan on getting rid of this bike!

[Barnfresh]

Actually looking further, this here is the vendor I got mine from. This is a little nicer looking package than I got 2 years ago, so it looks like they might have upped the quality slightly.

I've heard the gauge type needles bounce around and are less accurate than the liquid type. We are building one this weekend - picture to follow!

[CaptonZap]

I've heard the gauge type needles bounce around and are less accurate than the liquid type. We are building one this weekend - picture to follow!

Not to mention that the resolution is usually 1 inch of Mercury or more, depending on the quality of the gauge. With the needles bouncing, which line on the gauge do you call as the reading? I can resolve to less than a quarter inch with the MotionPro Mercury stick.
You just have to be careful with the Mercury in them.
CZ

[cywelchjr]

Not to mention that the resolution is usually 1 inch of Mercury or more, depending on the quality of the gauge. With the needles bouncing, which line on the gauge do you call as the reading? I can resolve to less than a quarter inch with the MotionPro Mercury stick.
You just have to be careful with the Mercury in them.
CZ

Frankly it's not that hard. You can see where they are with a properly setup set, and they work out fine. I'd love one of the fancy setups, but can't afford one of them when the gauge set does the job just fine.

[neJeff]

Another option, I use this type and they work just fine after calibrating all 4 guages with my mity-vac.

Hey Biker Phil,

I just bought one those that you linked to (figured it was time to quit borrowing and buy my OWN!) Anyways I haven't got it yet but should have it Monday. Is it going to require further calibrating upon arrival?

[bikerphil]

Hey Biker Phil,

I just bought one those that you linked to (figured it was time to quit borrowing and buy my OWN!) Anyways I haven't got it yet but should have it Monday. Is it going to require further calibrating upon arrival?

It would be a good idea to check them first before using. If you don't have a mity vac, check the gauges one at a time to one cylinder making sure they are calibrated.

[Barnfresh]

The really poor boy method worked pretty good. We got 20 feet of aquarium hose and made a big loop. Sucked a couple of feet of water and put one end on carb 3 (the one next to the throttle pull). With the other end on any of the other carbs - here's the trick - clamp the loop closed with hemostats and start her up... With the clamp closed nothing happens. Gently release and reclamp the clamp and watch which way the water moves.. If it pulls toward #3 then turn the screw to apply more vacuum the other way. Eventually, adjusting one way or the other they will get closer and in even balance with the clamp off. If it sucks some water in -no worries - refill and keep going. I had trouble getting one carb to balance and it turned out to be a sticky valve - but that's another story. But the point is you can sync these babies pretty close for about 5 bucks in plastic tubing!

[OregonRider]

it's a good idea to check the calibration on all carb sticks, gauge, mercury or liquid. I have an old merc stick and spent about 5 hours trying to sync the carbs. I checked the YICS shut off tool, checked for leaks, nothing. but I could not get the carbs to sync.
I shut the bike down and sat there looking at it wondering how much I could get by parting it out...
I tried one more time and noticed something interesting. when I shut the bike down again in frustration, I noticed the #'s 1, 2 & 4 lines fell to zero immediately, while #3 went to zero slowly. I took all the lines off and "Y'd" them to my brake bleed vac pump. #3 was not the same.
There were these little white plugs in the vac lines with a little hole in them to act as a plenum preventing the reading bounce. I took those out and re-drilled each one with the same size hole.
#3 came right back to the same level as the rest. took a whole 15 minutes to sync after that.

[Barnfresh]

I shut the bike down and sat there looking at it wondering how much I could get by parting it out...

HA! I did that yesterday!

[bufallobiff]

$100 will get you one of these. Simple and accurate.....

http://www.ascycles.com/detail.aspx?ID=2146

[natemoen]

$100 will get you one of these. Simple and accurate.....

http://www.ascycles.com/detail.aspx?ID=2146

That price will get you the 4 cylinder Morgan carbtune! Best one of them all.