Replacement Valve Needle and other carb overhaul ?

[TopCatGr58]

Hey there EH,

Glad to hear you're making progress. Yes, clockwise on the main idle screw, which opens the butterflies more to increase the throttle and idle speed! Once it's sufficiently warmed up, then it should idle when you have it set. Sometimes when you first set it to idle after it warms up some more it may idle a bit faster, you can then readjust the idle screw back out a bit until you attain the desired rpm. 1&1/2turns out of the pilot is good for starting out, and then depending on how it responds just off idle will determine whether you may want to set them more turns out!

When it's cool, it may not hold idle without the choke/enrichener engaged until sufficiently warmed up. With it running, hold the throttle open so that it's at 2K or more, and push the choke all the way in/off, and then rev the engine to make sure it will respond WITHOUT the choke! And keep turning the throttle until you get the idle screw turned in enough to keep it idling! You're almost there!
T.C.

[EHLawyer]

Top Cat: Engine running pretty good now, with idle adjustment screw adjusted..........waiting for some Sea Foam to put in a full tank of fuel, and let her run even better.

Now, the next stage: One or more of the brakes are frozen, since I can't move her out of her cramped spot in the shed. I suspect its one or both of the front calipers..........Read as many of the brake tips and threads as I could find.........but am slow and need direct direction. I'm trying to do as little as possible at this stage, just to get the bike out the door............sure a full rebuild may be required.

1. Can I just unbolt the front caliper and try to physically remove it from the bike? If that's the case, do I need to unhook any of the brake lines, drain any of the fluid?

2. Should I try the "clean the spooge hole" in the MC? Once fluid is removed, I;m sure I don't want to just put it back in........Have no idea what number brake fluid is in there now.......would it matter what I replace it with? And, do you just replace the fluid without the bleeding process that I read so much about, and am trying to avoid?

Thanks for help. P.S. How's your golf game?

[prometheus578]

frozen calipers

To move a bike with frozen calipers, whack each one with a rubber mallet or 2x4. This retracts the piston a little, allowing the brake pads to move slightly away from the rotor. Move the bike, but don't touch the brakes to stop it, or they'll freeze up again.

[prometheus578]

more answers.

Yes, you can physically remove the brake calipers from the bike without cracking open any lines. Just hang the calipers from the handle bars with a bungie cord. (a lot of people don't like having them hang just by the brake line)
Use DOT 3 or Dot 4 brake fluid. (Dept. of Transportation)
If the spooge hole is plugged, than just about any method that you use to clean it will get air in the lines, so you'll have to bleed the system. If you have a lot of junk sitting in the bottom of the fluid reservoir, then you probably have the same crap in the caliper, so they'll have to be disassembled to clean, too. Not a bad job, but messy. And if the calipers are seizing, it can be a real song and dance to get them out.
To get the caliper pistons out, remove the caliper from the bike(Don't disconnect the brake line). Take off the brake pads. Make sure the reservoir is full. Start pumping the brake and the piston starts moving out. Keep the reservoir full, for if you pump in air, you're screwed. Place a rag in the caliper where the pads were. And keep your stinkin' fingers out of the way of the piston, for when she pops out, it can be gentle-like, or a real bone cruncher. (especially if you use compressed air and not the 'brake lever pump method'.
Changing old brake fluid, without having to bleed the system is easy.(Front or rear) Remove all the old fluid from the reservoir. Clean with a paper towel. (DO NOT touch the brake lever. When cleaning, there should still be a little fluid left in the spooge holes. If you hit the brake lever, you will suck air into the system and have to bleed.) Fill the reservoir with fluid. Open the fitting on the caliper and start slowly pumping the old fluid out, new fluid in. Remember to kepp filling the reservoir with fluid, so it doesn't run dry. Continue till the stuff coming out of the caliper runs clean. (Use a length of clear aquarium air tubing on the caliper fitting so that the fluid runs into a jar instead of just spurting around the garage or dripping on the tires.)
Clean and lube the caliper parts with brake fluid. Some brake cleaners can cause the rubber parts to swell, which in turn, isn't.

[EHLawyer]

SUCCESS - THANKS TO THE FORUM

After at least 3 dormant years and plenty of stupid questions from a novice mechanic, the Beast in the Back Yard is out of the shed..........for a short but very sweet ride around the backyard. Next step............seeing if she is inspectable and, if so, back on the road....with continued improvements in the bike, with all of your assistance. Thanks for the support.