Topic: got a new problem haha, one after another

[andy8190]

so i got the bike running, figured out my needles stick and my petcock leaks, well got the carbs back on and the bike running with a rigged up gas bottle. well last night i went to run the bike just so the needles dont stick again and to charge battery some what. well i hooked up the gas bottle and got started draining all on the floor from the T at the end of the fuel line. my question is what size fuel line do you guys use and do you use clamps to hold that fuel line on that T?

[KingCustomCycles.com]

Standard 1/4 and 5/16 lines aren't a good fit to those nipples.  I use the nice clamps for fuel injection systems with the screw and no notches (not the worm gear type) if they will fit and the spring clamps with the ears for spreading if they don't.

[andy8190]

can you find those nice clamps around in a local auto parts store or anything? only ones i know are the ones with the screws and slits in them. so if standard 1/4 and 5/16 arent a good fit are you saying you use those still and clamp them down?

[KingCustomCycles.com]

Yes, I use standard fuel line from NAPA and the fuel injector clamps are kept behind the counter 

[andy8190]

ohhh ok, napa is closed saturday afternoon, do they have them at autozone or oreillys? also how the hell do you get those clamps on without taking the carbs apart? it seems like there isnt room to do it.

[Hush]

Don't know anything about clamps etc but if you are running the bike just to charge the battery you would need to hold it over 3000rpm which the neighbours may complain about.

[andy8190]

haha its in the garage and they dont live close and i don't mean for 30 mins, i just meant like 5 to see if the electric start would work.

[andy8190]

dam*** i got the carbs off AGAIN and had to put the fuel line back on so i took the carbs off the rack just enough to get to the T to put the fuel line back in and put the carbs back on the rack and everything and now it wont start. i was prettty sure that the needles were working to let gas in but i could be wrong. could it be the battery is too dead to even kick start it up? its a 74 550 four. please help

[andy8190]

http://www.salocal.com/sohc/tech/carb/asmpg3/syncprep.htm

if you look on this link and look down to where he is using the wire to sort of sink the carbs, i noticed before i put my carbs back on that the gap that he has the wire through is much bigger than that when the carbs are completely closed. could this be my problem, the carbs are getting to much gas or air when i am trying to start it?

[Hush]

I'm not 100% sure but you can sync using just about anything as long as it sets all the carb slides to the same height.
Once they all same, turning the idle adjuster sets the speed.
Damn why didn't I bench sync my carbs when I had them off!!!

[Hush]

Oh yeah and these SOHC 4's hate dead batteries, recharge before you even think of doing anything drastic, if you have to jump start her from your car, hey they both 12 volt and once she fires remember to disconnect the car from bike or you will heat the regulator up.

[andy8190]

i will take the battery by tomorrow and have them charge it, thank you hush for responding i didnt think i would get a responce. even if i change the height of the slides it should still start right? im guessing its the battery

[mystic_1]

http://www.salocal.com/sohc/tech/carb/asmpg3/syncprep.htm

if you look on this link and look down to where he is using the wire to sort of sink the carbs, i noticed before i put my carbs back on that the gap that he has the wire through is much bigger than that when the carbs are completely closed. could this be my problem, the carbs are getting to much gas or air when i am trying to start it?

It could be that your idle screw is turned up too much.  The gap under the slides should be almost nonexistant when they are completely closed.  If your gap is larger, that's like holding the throttle open, which could make starting harder

BTW you should not need to remove the carbs from the rack in order to attach the fuel line to the inlet tees.  You know that the tees pivot, yes?  You should be able to swing them to point 'rearward' which gives enough clearance to attach the fuel lines.

+1 on charging your battery up, if you can't use the electric start than your battery is definitely low.  Buy or borrow a trickle charger and charge it overnight.  Running the bike won't really recharge a dead batter well, you'd have to run it above idle for a long time in order to do so.

mystic_1

[andy8190]

ex that my idiot self turned the kill switch off and i went outside and it started right up with the kickstart. i really think i need to get those carbs synced though. it will idle ok but if you accelerate sometimes it wont come back to the original idle. could be just the throttle cables addjustment though, is that right, or something else i dont know. i just am ready to get that petcock in so i can take it to the mechanic so they can do a carb sync and real tune up. how much will a thorough tune up cost me

[andy8190]

yeah my gap on my slider is higher than nonexistant, i would say it looked like 1/8th inch high, i believe unless it was the idle screw holding them up before i put it back on. but hey it starts right now thats all that matters i guess. so how about that price of a good tune up with carb sync and maybe some other stuff

[mystic_1]

Heh, glad it was just the kill switch.  I think we've all done that at one point or another.

Correction on the carb slide gap - when viewed from the engine side, the gap is almost non-existant.  When viewed from the airbox side, the gap is bigger.  See pics below, of my 750 carbs.

Not sure what a tuneup will cost at a shop, assuming you can find one that will work on a bike "that old", but I'd bet on two hours or so at the shop's labor rate, plus parts.

mystic_1

[andy8190]

thanks for the pics mystic_1 thats about the size of the gap that mine has. i asked around at the local honda dealer and the local harley bike repair place and they said a guy in the town next to us works on them so i am hoping he will do it.

[Hush]

HA HA HA HA HA I'm sorry Andy, couldn't help that, soooo many of us have done that one ha ha ha.
Last week I was skiting to my bro in law about the way my bike starts right up, and wouldn't you know it the damn thing refused to fire!
Wasn't until after he was long gone I noticed the kill was on!!!
Almost as bad as me putting all 4 of my floats in backwards ha ha ha...........well at least you have given me a good laugh for the night.