Anyone in Winnipeg who can help me with carb cleaning?

[beng]

Hi,

 

I just aquired a 85 Venture and the bike is running pretty rough. Will only run and idle with the choke on and will not rev over 3000rpm. If you throttle it quickly the bike will sputter and stall, if you slowly feather the throttle the bikes RPM will climb.

 

I'm 99% certain that there are 2 issues.

 

1) Carb is dirty. I have taken the airbox off, and sprayed the carbs down and also ran a tank of seafoam with premium fuel through the bike. This seemed to have helped alot but it still won't run over 3000RPM.

 

2) After reading alot of posts on here I think I have a bad diaphragm. I say this because one of the sliders has no vacuum and slides back and forth with 0 effort as the other 3 have vacuum and you can hear it as you slide the slide.

 

A couple questions... Is there anyone is Winnipeg that would be willing to help me clean these carbs and replace the diaphragm (I would definitely pay you for your time), and if not, are my assumptions correct with the carb diaphragm being shot seeing that the slide moves with 0 effort?

 

Thanks in advance!

Ben

 

Also will sell this bike for $1975.00 OBO

Edited July 19, 2011 by beng

[Yammer Dan]

It only takes 4 screws to pull cover of carb to check diaphragm. You must remove side plastic to get to carb covers and they may still have security screw in them. A Sea-foam soak will probally help a lot more but if jets are completely plugged it is hard to get them clean without pulling and dismantleing carbs.

[beng]

It only takes 4 screws to pull cover of carb to check diaphragm. You must remove side plastic to get to carb covers and they may still have security screw in them. A Sea-foam soak will probally help a lot more but if jets are completely plugged it is hard to get them clean without pulling and dismantleing carbs.

 

If I remove the carb covers and do find that the diaphragm is shot can I replace it without removing the carbs?

 

Also, how do you get that security screw off?

 

Thanks

[Black Owl]

Also, how do you get that security screw off?

 

Thanks

 

Canada Tire, Princess Auto (if they are still in business) or any other tool supplier should have a set of Security Torx bits.

[Yammer Dan]

Or you can knock that little nipple out with a punch to remove screws. I used a small pair of visegrips to remove them. Yes you can replace diaphragms without pulling carbs. Pull one cover and you can see how easy it is. Check on here for set of diaphragms. Don't go to dealer. Let me know if you want to do Sea-Foam soak. One of our moderators claims it won't work. I don't pay much attention to him.

[BradT]

Dan think you covered it.

 

Good luck with the carbs

 

Brad

[beng]

So I was able to pull the carb covers off after buying the torx bit and Princess Auto (thanks for that!), all the diaphragms were in good shape. 1 of the diaphragms came right off and the others were stuck to the carb around the edge, so I left them as they were because I didn't want to rip the rubber. The one that was loose came out and the plastic ring was not connected so I reconnected it and it seems to run a bit better. I'm still having the issue of RPMs are having a hard time getting up to 3500 or higher. I was able to go for a ride but had to keep my hand on the choke lever. It seems to have lost it's snap when you give it throttle. I did the sea foam in the tank and sprayed the carbs down through the fuel line and through the opening from the airbox. Any other ideas that I can do without pulling the carbs out? Dealership wants 500 bucks to pull and clean them. I'm not comfortable pulling them out myself.

 

Any tips???

 

Thanks in advance!

[Pam]

I have the same issues and symptoms, but have been procrastinating on pulling the carbs, They scare me, I have had ski doo carbs apart many many times and cleaned jets but never bike carbs. I have them in a seafoam soak for about 3 weeks now, I have read everything I can find to read on these carbs. On my next days off I am going to have to get at it. No more excuses got the timing chain changed in the old dodge and it lives again so the bike is next.

 

Any one got any tips on things to watch out for

 

frank

[beng]

Or you can knock that little nipple out with a punch to remove screws. I used a small pair of visegrips to remove them. Yes you can replace diaphragms without pulling carbs. Pull one cover and you can see how easy it is. Check on here for set of diaphragms. Don't go to dealer. Let me know if you want to do Sea-Foam soak. One of our moderators claims it won't work. I don't pay much attention to him.

 

 

So what is this infamous seafoam soak I am hearing about? I would much rather try different things before pulling the carbs...

 

I was told by Yammy that they don't recommend a sea foam treatment... My response.. Screw them. lol

 

Please advise on how to do the soak... Thanks!

[Pam]

Turn the fuel off at the pet cock on the right side of the bike behind the side covor. Go to the other side of the bike and pull the side covor and take the inlet hose off the fuel pump.(bottom hose I think) Then use another small hose and attach it to the inlet of the fuel pump and put the other end in a can of sea foam and start the engine. The fuel pump will suck the sea faom right out of the can and into the carbs. Let the bike run until it starts to run really bad. Turn the bike off and let it saok for a while. The bike will not run on sea foam, and will be hard to restart with the sea foam in the carbs, when it does restate it will smoke burp fart, You will think your engine is shot.

 

good luck

 

Keep us in the loop on this

 

frank

Edited July 20, 2011 by Pam
adding last line

[sarges46]

I dont know much about carbs...so this is another shot in the dark.

 

Would a vacuum leak do any of this?

 

Checked the plugs?

 

Throttle cable seem ok?

[Yammer Dan]

I mix the Sea-Foam 1/2 and 1/2 with good fresh gas. This way you don't have all the restarting problems. Make sure you get enough of the mixture in there to fill all the carbs. Shut it down and let it soak at least overnight. If you don't need it a couple days is better. Restart it and see what happens. It might cost you a set of plugs. To check those diaphragms you really need to pull them out take them into a very dark room and use flashlight behind them to check them. It shouldn't hurt to pull them loose where they are stuck to the carbs unless they are already toast. Check diaphragms first and then do soak. If diaphragms are shot soak won't cure it but will probally help and it will be ready when you get new ones or patch those. Patching is a option but doesn't work great. New ones can be had on here for less than 100 buck a set. Costly but they are one of the necessary evils on these things.

[Yammer Dan]

And Rick is right you should check for leaks.

[beng]

Thanks for all the great advice..

 

I ran a seafoam soak, also ran it though the tank, checked plugs, cables, lubed all linkage, checked diaphragms (they were ok), sprayed loads of carb cleaner into the carbs when I had the slides and diaphragms out. Seems to have helped a bit but still nowheres near riding level. With the choke on the bike will idle and run like a wild banshee, bike will now idle without choke and will throttle up a little bit with no choke. When you use the choke you can control the idle up to 4000rpm, and rev the s**t out of it. I'm definitely leaning towards needing a full blown cleaning.

 

Off topic question... What type of value does this bike have? Reason being I have someone offering to trade me a 1990 tent trailer in vg cond for it straight up.

[Trader]

Is it a straight venture...or the Royale?

What goodies does it have on it.

 

I bought an 84 venture standard...nothing on it except a rider's back rest....$1000

Had to put tires on for safety check.

[beng]

Is it a straight venture...or the Royale?

What goodies does it have on it.

 

I bought an 84 venture standard...nothing on it except a rider's back rest....$1000

Had to put tires on for safety check.

 

It's an 85 Venture XVZ12 with the full load. Air suspension, stereo, full luggage, etc, and only 80500KM on it.

[Darren]

If you are still having trouble, I've worked on the carbs before, i live a 1/2 hour from Winnipeg, and have some free time, a shop, and the tools, we can rip them out clean em up and give them a good crab sync!!!

[Darren]

It sounds alot like the idle mixer jets being a bit dirty (the first 35% roughly of throttle) and it also sound like the main jet emulsification tube( where the diaphram needle sits) [throttle over 35%]. Bad part is, you have to pull them. It's the only way to clean the little tiny holes that get plugged up from sitting or bad fuel and the like.

[Yammer Dan]

Darren is right. If they get completely plugged you may have to pull them. Sometimes Sea-Foam will work its magic if you can do a strong extended soak. 2/3 Sea-Foam 1/3 gas for a couple days. When you suck it into the carbs you have to make sure you get thenm all full. When you hook it up open all your drain screws and drain carbs before you turn switch on to fill them with cleaner. I had one that wouldn't drain and finally used little blast of air back thru it after removing drain screw and got it to open up. Can you tell I hate to PULL THEM CARBS!! Call me if you need and I will talk you thru a good soak.

[yamtom]

I bought an xs11 that had almost the identical problem, it was the emulsifier tubes for the main jets, every hole was kind of spiderwebbed with a film, no doubt from alky in the gas nowadays. I used a toothpick end to clean them, and the bike ran fantastic after cleaning. Be sure all parts get returned to their respective carb and a soft cleaning tool like a toothpick is ideal, but I ve used those tiny tiny drills from harbor freight for five bux to clean some carb holes, to no ill effect, but others say metal tools can ruin jet holes.

[friesman]

Hi welcome to they group i have 85 as well and my Sask insurance recently told me that if mine was total led they would cut me a checkfor close to 5000. Mine has 750000kms

I don't know anything about carbs tho

 

Good luck with it and hope you stick around for the fun

Brian

[yamtom]

I paid 850 us to a motivated seller, for an 83 with under 20k miles last summer, the bike needed paint badly which is now done, it had two new tires and a new battery, although it had a questionable stator which quit charging in two weeks. I also paid a hundred bux for a relatively complete parts bike, 84, motor runs when ethered, no battery, most plastics intanct, but maybe missing second gear. There is a local guy, with a clean 86 bike for 3200, runs good, but he will never get it methinks. A lot of prices have to do with the local economies, Michigan is in a very severe recession for a long time, the only way to buy these bikes is with cash, there is no credit available for something so old here. Maybe Sask has a better local economy for a thirty year old bike going for five grand even with currency differences.

[Marcarl]

Something I did for Trader this fall and it helped a lot, and may work for you.

Drain the carbs with the drain screws. Get a couple of cans of CTC carb spray cleaner. I like that stuff, it works super good. Refill the bowls by spraying backwards through the drain hoses. Keep spraying until the bowls run over, at which point you need to cles the bowl drain screw so that the cleaner can sit a soak for a while. Do this on all four carbs and go for a break maybe even lunch, an extended lunch. Now attempt to start the bike, maybe about 8 to 10 turns or so, and let it sit again for an hour. Now try to start the bike, if it does it will smoke like crazy, if it doesn't, drain the bowls and let the pump fill them with fresh gas. Now it should go and you'll need a sync to tell if it runs right or not.

Normally, I would remove the diaphram covers, and the airbox, and then spray the carb cleaner in every hole I can find. Watch out for your eyes and face, it comes out of unexpected spots. A little air also helps here and there. I give it 3 or 4 rounds and then do the bowl thing.