Topic: Hush's carb holdback solution

[Hush]

OK so maybe you guys already use this method but haven't seen it on the boards so thought I'd share with the newbies.
If you have ever followed any of my problem solving tips, you would have noticed I'm not very PC when it comes to short cuts and I love to find the easiest way to do things...apologies in advance to all those I am about to upset.
So Soos God bless him sent me a practically brand new set of carb isolators as mine were 30 years old and my mechanic told me when he synced the carbs that I had a definite leak on #3 which he couldn't cure.
I know, get on with it alright the bane of all SOHC4 owners is carbs, we hate the tight places we have to work in where only tiny Japanese hands can fit and all sorts of sharp objects lurk to cut us to pieces (Japanese revenge for us winning WW2!
Now we get to the good bit, the need to hold back as much as possible the carbs still attached to the air box (which seems determined to remain right where it is) so I grabbed my trusty tie downs and attached the hooks to my pannier bag brackets, ran the ribbon around the carbs and cinched it up.
I was surprised at how much room I could make and in the end I could just drop the new carb insulators in and tighten the clamps up.
In fact the airbox was quite unwilling to come forward again but I won that battle too.
Very happy with the new isolators Soos, you rock mate........Hush.

[tomkimberly]

I too do the same:





Tom

[Hush]

Great minds Tom, ........after trying many times to do it just with brute strength I was amazed how easy it was with a ratchet tie down eh.

[tomkimberly]

With the air box tied back, there is all kinds of room and no more busted knuckles.

Tom

[cafe2be]

with no air box and having pods, there is a ton of room 

[manjisann]

   Awesome Hush!! I've always hated doing the carbs for that exact reason!!!

Hey, is that a sheep in the background??

Brandon

[mikethejeepguy]

Man I wish I saw this post last night! Meh, I know for next time... thanks for the tip.

[tomkimberly]

with no air box and having pods, there is a ton of room 

Yes, but there are the jetting problems................................

[Derby City]

That's a great tip Hush.  My new isolators are supposed to arrive in the mail tomorrow.  I was dreading pulling the carbs off for the 2,000th time, so I'm going to try your method.

[Alan F.]

with no air box and having pods, there is a ton of room 

Somebody always says that...

[Hush]

I wish someone had told me about this method, I put off changing my isolators as well.
Ah well another tip to keep us all on the road.........hey Manji, that's not a sheep...it's my blonde missus!

[manjisann]

.........hey Manji, that's not a sheep...it's my blonde missus! 

Ohh, color me embarrassed 

Brandon

[BeSeeingYou]

The airbox on my 76F slips right out the side with no effort.  I take it on some other models it is not so easy?

[Hush]

If you can imaging working blind on a coal black motor at the bottom of a deep dark pit, you get close to how hard it is for CB650 owners to work on carbs.
The airboxes are made of something akin to kryptonite and stainless steel, they have zip squashability and the carb isolators (collars) once hardened by time are just sheer PITA's.
This is the first logical way of working on carbs for these bikes that I have used that works.

[manjisann]

If you can imaging working blind on a coal black motor at the bottom of a deep dark pit, you get close to how hard it is for CB650 owners to work on carbs.
The airboxes are made of something akin to kryptonite and stainless steel, they have zip squashability and the carb isolators (collars) once hardened by time are just sheer PITA's.

My 500 is no different 

Brandon