Carb cleaning and discoveries

[jimmy99]

well, took the carbs off my new to me 88 Venture.

 

First discovery is... the front bracket is missing!!

 

Second discovery is... somebody put holes in the diaphragms!?!?!?

 

Seriously? Why would someone do that? There are 4 holes all 90 degrees from each other, someone had to make them. I haven't gotten that far on the other 3 carbs but doubt they will be any different.

 

Third discovery is... the needle E clip is in the bottom groove, raising the needle, helps explain why it was running rich.

 

Anyone have a spare front carb bracket?

What needle e-clip position would be a good starting point?

 

I never rode this bike, only heard it run a few times and I knew I wanted to get into the carbs to clean them and look into why it was running so rich... and wouldn't idle very well... and son on.

 

Hope I don't make too many more nasty discoveries.

Hopefully whoever did the carbs on this bike never got into the motor. It doesn't appear to have been apart though.

 

Jimmy

[venturesome]

I might have a front bracket. PM me.

[Prairiehammer]

Third discovery is... the needle E clip is in the bottom groove, raising the needle, helps explain why it was running rich.

What needle e-clip position would be a good starting point?

 

I can't help you with the E-clip position on the needle; the US carbs don't have an adjustable needle like your Canadian carbs. I would suggest that a medium high position would be a place to start.

Perhaps the jets were changed as well?

The apparently deliberate holes in the diaphragms are inexplicable.

[jimmy99]

All 4 diaphragms have the 4 holes poked in them.

The jets and screws were loose in a couple of the carbs, and one of them had the main jet just laying in the bottom of the bowl...

 

The needle e-clips were in a couple of different positions from carb to carb. The pilot needles were 0.5, 3.5, 1.75, 1.75 turns out.

From what I can find in the parts diagrams, all the jets are stock EXCEPT the pilot air jets. Stock is supposed to be 170, mine are 150.

 

I made a front bracket that will do the job for now. and i am going to try the plasti-dip method to repair the diaphragms.

 

I will order new diaphragms and install them later. The priority right now is to get it running well and put some miles on it without spending too much.

 

 

I am really glad I looked onto these carbs.

 

Jeff

[BlueSky]

The four holes may have been an attempt to prevent the sliders from opening very much and therefore not richening the mixture as much. I'd check the jet sizes to make sure they are the stock size.

[Flyinfool]

Or were the holes trying to compensate for the clip on the needs being in the wrong place???

 

We will likely never know unless you can track down the PO and ask him.

[Brenner]

I also have a spare bracket if you cannot find one for free. I will have to dig it out of my scrap parts pile and I am not sure but I might have a set of better diaphrams if I have not given them away already. I will check, I did have three sets of carbs but one set went to another that I gave a parts bike to after I finished my project. I kept two sets of carbs, one from an 83, and one from an 85 the set from the 84 went with the parts bike. I am considering using the 83 on my project in the future with an experiment that requires the off port carb nipple. Again if I have anything you can use you can have it we just need to find a way to get it to you.

[jimmy99]

Thanks for the offers on the brackets, I really appreciate it. What a great site and awesome bunch of people, being new here, nobody knows me, and two people already offer free or low cost parts. This is likely the best $12 I have ever spent.

 

I will let you know if I need it, but I am reasonably confident I can make one for now and maybe pick up a real one later for the next time I have the carbs off.

 

Other than the man made pin holes my diaphragms are in great condition, pliable but firm, no signs of deterioration. What a shame.

 

The PO is a friend of mine, he didn't do it. He bought the bike last year and rode it but it was never quite right, ran very rich and would foul the plugs. He never got into the carbs to investigate as I have. I will let him ride it this year when i get it on the road, bet he will be impressed by how much better it will run.

 

Jimmy

[jimmy99]

Carb settings

 

From the parts dia. it seems my jets are stock - EXCEPT the pilot air jets. Stock is 170, mine are 150

 

I'm going to start with the pilot screws at 2 turns out, and the main needles with the E-clip in the middle position.

I will tune from there depending on how it runs and plug colour.

 

Jimmy

[Flyinfool]

The PO is a friend of mine, he didn't do it. He bought the bike last year and rode it but it was never quite right, ran very rich and would foul the plugs. He never got into the carbs to investigate as I have. I will let him ride it this year when i get it on the road, bet he will be impressed by how much better it will run.

 

Jimmy

 

Careful, he might want it back......

[jimmy99]

Careful, he might want it back......

 

Hahaha, I didn't think of that.

[jasonm.]

All 4 diaphragms have the 4 holes poked in them.

The jets and screws were loose in a couple of the carbs, and one of them had the main jet just laying in the bottom of the bowl...

 

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]98883[/ATTACH]

 

The needle e-clips were in a couple of different positions from carb to carb. The pilot needles were 0.5, 3.5, 1.75, 1.75 turns out.

From what I can find in the parts diagrams, all the jets are stock EXCEPT the pilot air jets. Stock is supposed to be 170, mine are 150.

 

I made a front bracket that will do the job for now. and i am going to try the plasti-dip method to repair the diaphragms.

 

I will order new diaphragms and install them later. The priority right now is to get it running well and put some miles on it without spending too much.

 

 

I am really glad I looked onto these carbs.

 

Jeff

170 nor 150 are the pilot air jet...that is the MAIN air jet(PAJ2) you are speaking of stock is #170 for 1300 1st gen. The pilot air(PAJ1) #80 sits down the throat for the carb but above the butterfly. It's the same shape at the main you found fallen out.

Edited April 20, 2015 by jasonm.

[jimmy99]

Yup, maybe just have the wrong terminology

 

I have,

#80 in the throat of the carb

#150 in the diaphragm chamber

#125 in the back of the block (the jet that fell out)

#37 .5 inside the block - smaller hole

9A emulsion tube - in the block, tube with small holes along the sides

5DZ2 needle

438 Y-O needle tube

 

It all seemed to compare well to the parts diagrams. Fortunately they were all fairly clean inside.

[jasonm.]

PAJ2 is the "diaphragm" one... I think you can get from dennis kirk 4 for maybe $15

[jimmy99]

IT RUNS!!

The bike started right up and runs pretty well. I made some attempts at balancing the carbs but my tools just aren't good enough. I have a small two carb electric unit but it doesn't seem to work correctly anymore, the zero adjustment switch quit.

 

I also have a homemade thing I created years ago and used on my V45 and bandit. It is simply some tubing and transmission fluid but each time I tried it, transmission fluid got sucked into a carb or two.

 

It runs well enough for now and I will have the guy I take it to for the safety do a final sync for me.

 

I used the plasti-dip on the diaphragms but only covered the holes so they remain flexible. Also included a picture of the carb bracket I made, I know the engine is dirty but that is a project for another time, lol.

 

 

Also I discovered when putting the carbs back on the bike, the choke cable bracket was bent and likely holding the chokes just open, or had them just barely closed.

 

I think I will need to change those #150 jets to a set of stock size #170 jets. It still seems to be running a little rich but will be easier to tell for sure once I get to ride it. I just need to put the rest of the parts back on and bring it to the shop for the safety check. It shouldn't have much trouble there as the tires n brakes are good and I don't see anything else that it needs.

[Flyinfool]

Cool, good progress.

 

Will be cruising time soon.