Can this maint item wait?

[silverdeer0454]

I know my 05 RSTD is running rich because it smells like an open fuel pit when I start the bike and I get an occassional "pop" when I shift gears, no smoke noticed at startup or at any other time. So far the plugs are not fouled and I am getting 40.5 MPG riding 2 up. (I'm 280, wife is less tham 1/2 of that). The bike now has 5500 miles on it Question is:

 

Can a carb synch and adjustment wait for another 1000 miles or so? Or should it be in the shop now?

 

Inquiring minds want to know.

[Freebird]

It can wait but I wouldn't take it to the shop. You can buy the tool to do it yourself for less than they will charge you and you will KNOW it's right when you are done. Way too many dealers seem to not be able to sync the cards. I don't understand that because it's very simple but I've seen way too many that just didn't even get them close.

[silverdeer0454]

Thanks Freebird! I'll take your advise and buy a carb tune. Now...If there is anyone with 100 miles of Seattle who would show me how to actually synch the carbs...I'll have a carb tune for you to use as well.

 

[Yammer Dan]

Sure there will be someone around. After they show you it will be so simple you won't believe it.

[yamahamer]

If you can't find help local this is all you need. Scroll down to Freebirds post it's got good pics and everything you need.

[ame=http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=258]Syncronizing the Carbs - VentureRider.Org[/ame]

[Marcarl]

If there isn't someone around to help you the first time, don't fret, it's really quite simple, and once you do it, you'll understand why Squidley can do it. Did I just say that????well he has Lonna for support so I guess it's ok,,,,,,anyways, there are instructions in the tech section to help you through, but the biggest help would be to understand what you are trying to accomplish and how accurate you need to be. A carb sync will not neccessarily get rid of fuel smell. It does not effect the running of a cylinder, in other words, the cylinder still gets gas and it still fires, so the burning should take place and so the fuel should be used up. What does happen, is that one carb will not open at the same time as the others, and so provide less air\fuel mixture to the cylinder (or if it opens earlier, more fuel mixture) so consiquentally it will 'pull' at a different rate than it's counterparts, therefore giving you a rough running engine. Once you have the carbs sync'd all cylinders should pull the same and so give a smoothness to the running engine which is inherant to the Yamaha V4

If you smell fuel, I would suspect a bad plug, (don't go by eyesight, you can't tell) or maybe some dirt in the carb(s). You might even have a float out of adjustment, but that would be a long shot.

[GeorgeS]

Well as you describe the fuel smell, maby you have a sticking float valve.

Did you check for fuel draining from one of the Carb Overflow lines ??

 

Take a short run, then check for any drips under the bike.

 

Have you run some SEA-FOAM, just in case a float valve is sticking ??

 

If just heavy smell, and NO drips, the suspect a fuel leak, and the fuel is evaporating on some hot, before it makes a puddle.

 

You might have a leaking fuel line on top of the carb bank. IF a real leak, then it should be a warrenty item. Dealer should fix this.

 

Doing a carb Sync, is not going to fix a fuel leak. But in the process of doing the sync, if there is a leak, it shoud be apparent where it is.

[silverdeer0454]

Well as you describe the fuel smell, maby you have a sticking float valve.

Did you check for fuel draining from one of the Carb Overflow lines ?? Yes -no draining noticed

 

Take a short run, then check for any drips under the bike. No Leaks regardless of time run.

 

Have you run some SEA-FOAM, just in case a float valve is sticking ?? Yes 1/2 can twice on back to back fill ups. I could try a full can with the next fill up. I think I saw a post (need to find it again) about drawing seafoam directly into the carb bowls, letting it sit for awhile, and draining the bowls. This was one way to deal with a stuck float.

 

If just heavy smell, and NO drips, the suspect a fuel leak, and the fuel is evaporating on some hot, before it makes a puddle. It's only noticed on start up and hard acceleration. (carb boots maybe?) New Khromewerks pipes have black soot inside after 500 miles. No gas smell when stopped at a light and at idle.

You might have a leaking fuel line on top of the carb bank. IF a real leak, then it should be a warrenty item. Dealer should fix this. The only mechanic I trust at the dealership thinks it could be a stuck float. Told me to buy a shop manual and pull/clean the carbs, he could do it but it would be pricey. He did check for leaks but told me no signs of one. I'm pulling/checking plugs today to see which ones look wet and that should put me in the right direction, I hope.

 

Doing a carb Sync, is not going to fix a fuel leak. But in the process of doing the sync, if there is a leak, it shoud be apparent where it is.

 

After reading Freebird's reply and checking some previous posts about fuel smells, I decided that I'm going to learn how to work on the carbs..might as well synch them as well. I get leery about messing with the motor and stuff on a motorcycle because it's all new to me. But with the wealth of information provided here, I got to thinking- might as well learn how to do it. My main question was that I just wasn't sure if it was OK to run the engine like this for a bit longer without causing damage. I still have 45 payments to go and a couple more months of riding before the PNW monsoon season starts and a wife who would hit the ceiling if I did something to ground the bike for any length of time. Especially with vacation coming up next week and a trip from Camano to Neah Bay to Olympia to Moses Lake then back to Camano.

 

Thanks for all the input!

 

:thumbsup2:

[GeorgeS]

Well, next item I guess might be float level setting --

 

Discuss this with VGoose down in Texas,