Carb Cleaning / Diaphram revelations

[BigBear]

I've a 2008 RSV that I've owned since brand new.

 

This weekend, I decided to clean the carbs per some great instructions on this site.

 

The diaphrams on the right side of the carb banks looked fine. However, both of the left side diaphrams looked DEFORMED...

 

While the left diaphrams dont have any holes in them, the center hole looks deformed (larger...maybe swollen), and doesnt fit the slide as well as the right-side diaphrams do.

 

The left side air box-to-airfilter hose was completely disconnected as well (back to my theory on 16-year old "technicians")...

 

I'm going to order two new diaphrams for the left side....

 

QUESTION: What would be some of the issues I would have if the diaphrams were bad? Lower MPG...less vacuum...no power in 5th gear...

 

I defer the to the wealth of knowledge on this site!

 

Thanks!

[Cougar]

Mine looked like that as well, get real hot water in a pan and let them soak for 10 mins

then pull them out. they normally will come back to shape. also look for pin holes.

my last check I had two large pin holes in mine. I was thinking that the diaphragms

ran me about 30 each ?

Jeff

[Condor]

That's really strange. Hope someone has an answer to this one... I'm ready to learn something.... That said, I've seen a lot of 1stGen diaphragms that look 'ugly' and they work just fine... Could maybe the other side have been replaced with thicker aftermarkets???

[MiCarl]

Left side is downhill on stand. Something (chemical) has been running in there and damaging them. You can see some amber semi-liquid on the uglier of the two.

 

Carburetor cleaner will do that to rubber in a hurry.

[dacheedah]

aren't the 08's still in warranty ??

[RSTDdog]

aren't the 08's still in warranty ??

 

There are very few if any carburetor related issues that are manufacturer defects that would be covered by warranty.

 

Old fuel, bad fuel, ethanol related issues, letting the bike sit and carbs varnish, are all non-warranty items.

 

If the last dealer that worked on the bike damaged them with carb cleaner or something else that would be a pissing contest and up to the dealer to fix, not Yamaha.

 

Only one person I know of in this area i would let open up my carburetors beside me.

[allwx]

I had my carbs out and disassembled for cleaning this past June. All four diaphrams looked identical to me, this at 22k miles or so.

 

The bike has done a fair amount of sitting over the past year and a half while my wife was having cancer. During that time it only got about 2k miles put on it, ridden sporadically, and for shorter distances. Sometimes it would sit for a month or so without so much as getting started up.

 

So, not sure if that indicates anything with regard to sitting spells causing deformation of the diaphrams. Either way, I don't recall any differences among the four carbs.