Topic: Picture Question (Carb) Edited with new pics

[bolo1g2]

So I got the airbox off today and this is what I see.

[my78k]

I am not sure what you are asking or specifically referring to.

Are you wondering if you still need to clean the jets? If so you can't tell from those pics.

The slides appear to be free and fairly clean but you need to drop the bowls and pull the jets to really ascertain anything about the carbs

Dennis

[cb750fbomb]

Pull them off, take them apart and clean them. It's the only way to know. I bull#$%*ted and ended up cleaning them 3 times. There aren't that many parts and it's easier than you think. They look dirty, like they've been sitting, from that photo but who knows. Was the bike a rider or did it sit? If it sat or if the guy said he rode it, pull them off and clean them. My PO lied and told me that he rode it, but I have found out since that he bought it after it had sat and he only bought it to turn it. Learn your carbs now so later you'll know what's going on. Trust me. I've been there. It's not that difficult. But this is one of those things that I had to learn myself after I was told the same thing.

[ev0lve]

Second the pulling them apart and cleaning them up. It's not hard - just be meticulous about it. Keep each carbs parts seperated. Take pics as your doing the disassembly so you have good reference.

Also, might be worth seeing if you can grab a floppy from somewhere and cut it up to make a float gauge. Works well!

http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=49425.msg522584#msg522584

There's some info at SaLocal as well on a lot of topics (Bench Syncing included)
http://www.salocal.com/sohc/tech/carb/asmpg_mgs/flthgt.htm
http://www.salocal.com/sohc/tech/tech.htm

And don't forget the FAQs here
http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=5410.0

[Flying J]

here is my float tool

[bolo1g2]

I have no idea what I'm doing.  I just thought it was nice and shiny inside.  I suppose I'll be taking them apart and rebuilding them then. I'll be using the forums for my guide to rebuilding them then.

[Flying J]

how long have they been sitting? A while? Clean em. What you need to look at is the parts in the carb bowls. If you pull the bowls off and put a picture of that we will have a beter idea of how your carbs are looking. But the answer will most likely be CLEAN THEM. Its not to hard. I spent 1 whole day striping my carbs down to the smallest bits and pulling every thing apart then putting it back. Dont do that. Pull the bowls, take out anything brass and clean it. Make sure all the pasage ways are clear and then reasemble. Thats my advice, im sure others will chime in. Its not as hard as it looks.

[ev0lve]

I have no idea what I'm doing.  I just thought it was nice and shiny inside.  I suppose I'll be taking them apart and rebuilding them then. I'll be using the forums for my guide to rebuilding them then.

It's not hard, really. Read up on carb kits. I used K&Ls and haven't had an issue so far but TT and others state that the bits generally will not wear out and all that's required is a good cleaning inside and out making sure all passages are clear. I'm pretty sure I believe them 

When you get it all knocked together and tuned up maybe I can be persuaded to come on down with the Morgan Carbtune for an afternoon of syncing

[ev0lve]

<----------------- OMG. I'm a freaking expert now? That can't be right.

[bolo1g2]

They'll be coming off tomorrow and I'll take the bowls off and get pics up.  I wonder what I'll see. And to answer the question about sitting, I was told by the PO that is sat for a year.  So I'm guessing it'll need a good cleaning.  Off to read the carb forums.

[TwoTired]

The carb throats aren't usually what gets dirty in the carbs.  Its in the float bowls where dirt can happen.
But, unless you have some symptoms of ill running, WTF are you taking the carbs apart for?

Far easier to open the bowl drain screws and look at what drains out in a clean container.  If it looks like puke, THEN remove the bowls and have a look inside.  If everything is coated inside with something other than fuel, then maybe take them off.  You can get to remove and clean all the jets in those carbs without removing them.

There ARE times when you need to take the carbs apart for a good cleaning.  But, not just because everyone else did.  Dirt on the outside doesn't make the carbs not work.  And, not everyone NEEDS to take carbs apart to the last screw and bolt.

There's more than a few threads on this forum about struggling with the carb boots and vacuum leaks afterward.  If you are ready to replace the rubber boots, then go for it.  Otherwise, save the exertion for when it is truly needed.

 A one year inactive sit isn't usually that bad.  Certainly 5 or more years inactive can make carb rebuild required.  But even after that, it isn't mandatory, depending on how the bike was stored.  Pop off a bowl and inspect first.  Unless you don't mind doing work that is unnecessary.

That's my opinion, anyway.

[ev0lve]

The carb throats aren't usually what gets dirty in the carbs.  Its in the float bowls where dirt can happen.
But, unless you have some symptoms of ill running, WTF are you taking the carbs apart for?

Far easier to open the bowl drain screws and look at what drains out in a clean container.  If it looks like puke, THEN remove the bowls and have a look inside.  If everything is coated inside with something other than fuel, then maybe take them off.  You can get to remove and clean all the jets in those carbs without removing them.

There ARE times when you need to take the carbs apart for a good cleaning.  But, not just because everyone else did.  Dirt on the outside doesn't make the carbs not work.  And, not everyone NEEDS to take carbs apart to the last screw and bolt.

There's more than a few threads on this forum about struggling with the carb boots and vacuum leaks afterward.  If you are ready to replace the rubber boots, then go for it.  Otherwise, save the exertion for when it is truly needed.

 A one year inactive sit isn't usually that bad.  Certainly 5 or more years inactive can make carb rebuild required.  But even after that, it isn't mandatory, depending on how the bike was stored.  Pop off a bowl and inspect first.  Unless you don't mind doing work that is unnecessary.

That's my opinion, anyway.

I think it's not running currently and wasn't when you got it IIRC? Refresh us on the bikes current condition?

TT's got a point. If you just want to get it running start with the old gas/spark/air conundrum and work your way back from there.

Carbs are a good place to start if you've never done anything mechanical though as you can have them apart and back together in a day pretty easily. I felt pretty good after I rebuilt mine and set the floats without destroying them. Course, mine were pissing gas every time I put it on the kickstand and flooding if I got faced up too steep a hill so I kind of had a reason to go along with just wanting to do it.

At any rate, wherever you decide to start - you can do it 

[Johnie]

Take some pics as you take them off and apart.  It may help as you put it all back together.  And be sure you keep the parts in order...in other words, be sure you keep the parts from carb #1 in carb #1.  Just set yourself up some small containers marked 1 - 4.  Last, be sure to do a bench sync before your put them back on the bike.

[razor02097]

I agree with TT... see what you are dealing with first.  Do they pee gas out the overflow when you turn on the petcock?  Drop a bowl and take a look see.  If there is a lot of crud in there you might benefit from a carb cleaning.  If now put the bowl back on then put the bike together and ride it.

[bolo1g2]

Okay, I'm not very good at this forum stuff and a total noob when it comes to working on motorcycles.  Maybe I've seen too many of those car/motorcycle fabrication shows.  But to answer some of the questions, the bike wasn't running when I bought it, the PO said it ran the year before and then it was in storage, he couldn't get it to start after the year and thought there was an electrical problem.  He told me the bike had good compression and just needed wiring to start.  I tried to figure out the wiring issue, but when I got it so many wires were unhooked and I wasn't sure what to start with.  So I felt over-zealous so rather than trying to start the bike, I thought I'd take the bike apart and put it back together addressing issues as they came up.  So as for the PO I have no idea what's truth and what isn't.  Maybe I'm a dummy but I figured it'd be good learning and I'd make some friends on the forums.  Anyways, based on my totally unskillful and uniformed picture taking from yesterday, I took the carbs off today (which took a lot of effort and some prying with a dowel) but I got them off and got the bowls off.  After I took the bowl off and look inside, I decided to put them back on and consult the forums again and reassess what I want to do with the bike.  Ready for the results?  I'll post the pictures in the order I took them off 1-4.  Please let me know what you think.  Thanks.

Overall look of the carbs.


Bowls 1-4 from left to right.  Why would 1 be so much cleaner than the rest?  There's a greenish, blackish residue in each of the bowls.


Carb 1  Seems cleaner than the others.  First one I opened, I thought maybe they'd all be this good.


Carb 2 worse than the first.


Carb 3 bout the same as two maybe a little worse


And number 4.  This one had the thickest residue in the bowl.  Also very dark black and green.


Based on these pics I'm guessing a good, thorough cleaning is in order...

[Flying J]

Im not familiar with these carbs and how each jet comes out. Some screw out and others have to be pulled because they are a press in fit. Either way you need to take out each brass piece and clean them. Then clean the holes they belong in. You will also want to pull the floats off by tapping out the pin that hold them in. Have you downloaded the manual yet? They are in the faq section. Also it is easier to leave the boots attached to the motor when you take the carbs off.
Thats my 2 cents and im sure others will toss theirs in as well.

[razor02097]

They both screw out.  The center one is the main jet the offset is the slow jet.  They defenitly need to be cleaned though.

[Johnie]

I bought a gallon can of Gunk Carb Cleaner.  It came with a basket to put the carb parts in.  Once cleaned I washed them off with water and used compressed air on the works.  You could alway buy a carb kit and then you will not have to clean the jets.  But you should still clean the carb body and ports.  You might see something like this when you take them apart.

[razor02097]

If you soak them in carb cleaner TAKE OUT ALL RUBBER PARTS!! If you don't they will magically become 3-4 times the size they where

[ev0lve]

On the electrical - still not my favorite thing but get yourself a multimeter at Harbor Freight or some equivalent if you don't have one. Should cost about $10. Then you'll be able to tell what's hot, what's not and how much juice there is at any given connection and whether your battery is up to snuff. Invaluable. Seriously.

I couldn't read the schematic in the shop manual very well until I printed it out on 2 pages and taped them together. Then it got easier to trace lines. The bigger you can make it the easier it gets I think 

On the carbs - dunk em or go after them with more carb cleaner than you're comfortable with. Make sure all the passageways are clear and clean. The build up in the bowls probably isn't an issue unless it's thick enough to hang up the float I think but I really enjoyed getting the insides spic and span (cause I'm a geek).

Then bench sync them. Done right it should fire right up around 2000rpm (first time mine came up at 5000rpm while I scrambled to fiddle the adjusters).

Only done this once so someone with a few hundred will chime in I'm sure but I think you'll want to get new spark plugs, maybe a new set of points and condensors although you should be able to get it running with what you've got, the multimeter and a timing light.

Once you've got spark/power any other issues should present themselves pretty clearly but it does sound like you'll want to work the power issue first thing... once you get the carbs done 

[Johnie]

Go to the FAQ section of this forum and 3 topics down you will see Carb FAQ.  Lots of good info there for you to learn about your carbs.  Things like this:

I need to sync my carbs but have no vaccum meter. How do I bench-sync?
When I rebuild a set of carbs, I always bench sync them before I re-intall them. Basically, I use a 1/8" drill bit as a gage. Here's how you do it: Adjust the idle screw (the main one) until the 1 carb outside of it is open enough to just let the 1/8" drill bit through. Then adjust the _sync_ screws on the other 3 carbs until the drill bit just fits them as well. You'll probably want to close the idle screw before you bolt them back on the bike, 1/8" openeing is pretty big. This isn't a perfect sync, as there are other things that will affect the airflow to a given cylinder, but it will get you pretty close.

Actually, I use a paper clip as the drill bit is a bit large for me.  And you want to use the paper clip on the part of the slide that is not cut out or beveled.  That would be the front side.

[bolo1g2]

Thanks for all the great information and tips. Since it's father's day I got to go do work at my folks house so I'll get to cleaning these bad boys in the next week or two.  I do have a multimeter and will be testing the wires to see what's going on.  Of course, I'm hoping it will magically work once I connect everything, but I doubt that.  Anyways, I'll be cleaning out the carbs as well as I can and will move forward from their.  I'll post pics and I'm sure I'll ask more questions along the way.