Carburator Kits:

[bongobobny]

Oily mess could have been caused from overfilling motor oil. With the bike level and not running for at least 8 hours, the level should be about 1/2 way up. Any more and the excess oil gets forced out as blowby, mostly ending up in the airbox area...

[Rob Swallows]

what is the crankcase capacity? I've never changed the oil in this one in the past. I have a new filter also.

[Rob Swallows]

Caught the motorcycle shop lying to me and they're done. I called their supplier on the carb kits which are not expected till mid September. I've been lead to believe they would be here over a week ago. Located three complete kits at another dealer about 75 miles distant so will acquire those and piece together another kit if parts are needed.

 

They just screwed the pooch on a new Polaris small ATV sale which was put on "agenda hold" for my grand daughters with this garbage. The purchase hinged upon how they performed during supporting parts sales. They've failed.

 

Rob

[Rob Swallows]

Got into the carbs this morning and they are fine except for gumming in the jets. I tested all the diaphragms with air from my lungs though the ports and the slide(s) actuate very easily. "O" rings and seals all look good and all removable parts are now soaking in the carburetor dunk tank which is for this purpose. Stick your hand in the tank and it'll let you know right quick it's gonna act on anything not metal.....

 

Motorcycle dealership is closed today due to parts guy being sick so will get the carb kits picked up on Monday most likely. I could put everything back together using the existing parts but not going to as this would probably invite failure and don't want to do it again. Instead I'll wire up my LED lamps for the saddlebags and trunk so can see to find things in the dark.

 

Showed my wife this: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Indian-Roadmaster-/191922062829?forcerrptr=true&hash=item2caf7245ed:g:sQcAAOSw2zlXh0-i&item=191922062829 and if this Venture don't both ride and run right, it very well may be replaced with her enthusiasm. I do however want to get a road trip out of her pulling the trailer before that call is made.

 

Rob

[Rolltide]

Take it from me and your wife Ron................ditch the venture. Once you ride the RM you'll be glade you purchased it. I love the 111 cubic inch Thunder Stroke engine on mine and with 6 speed tranny I very seldom go over 3500 RPM.....plus no carbs to mess with Ron!

[Rob Swallows]

Boy I'll tell you one more iteration of this kind of horse sheet in support of this Venture and it'll be on the bricks for sure. Hopefully another dealer will better as I won't go back to this one.

 

The carbs are my own fault. I do remember starving it out till it died while level several years ago but inquisitive grand daughters wondering what that little knob under the fuel tank does.....

 

This Venture was one of the only motorcycles of late that really caught my eye. It still looks like a motorcycle not completely wrapped in cladding. The Roadmaster is the same but I do want to get at least one trip on the Venture before doing away with it. Not saying I will as it's really liked but if parts support are going to be what I've experienced so far, it's future is not bright with us.

[BlueSky]

Lately, I mentioned to my wife that maybe I should sell my two old bikes and buy something newish that has fuel injection and maybe won't require as much attention. She thought that was a great idea.

I have a 2002 F150 and a 2005 Dodge Magnum just for me. I mentioned maybe I should sell both and get me a new truck and she was all for it. I think with her encouragement I could spend all of our savings! She wants a new house too!!!!! I think maybe I should just keep me mouth shut and my ideas to myself.

[Rob Swallows]

When I retire here shortly and my shop sells, I'll build us a new house on some acreage yet to be acquired. We have 30 acres of undeveloped woods but really don't wish to live in southern IL as it's too far from the grand kids which are east of Peoria, and Chicagoland. I drive a 99 Durango everyday, and my pickup is a 96 Dodge one ton I purchased new. Both are getting rusty but were paid for at day one so they don't owe me anything. At this writing neither is planned for immediate replacement. The bike however has me a bit hot under the collar. I slowly work with/on it and will eventually prevail, but it's frustrating to work on something because it's just not right.

 

Don't think I'd need help expending our last red cent if my wife didn't put the brakes on my spending habits. Hell, just last week I spent .25 on a piece of cheese for my hamburger and know I'll have to skip lunch for the next two days to offset the expenditure.....

 

I'm pretty certain if you twist that turnip hard enough, it will bleed.

 

Rob

[BlueSky]

Sounds like Kresge? the guy who started the Kmart chain. He said he had never spent more than $0.50 for lunch. I grew up very poor and it left its marks on me.

 

Keep plugging on the bike and you'll get it sorted out and you will be really pleased with it.

[Rob Swallows]

I do like it when it's running well. Think I've got the heavy feeling addressed as the steering head bearings were very loose, not knocking but put the handlebars about 20 degrees off center and they would just fall to the stop on the right, and barely any push, (cable resistance) to the left. Tightened them up and wanting to see it makes any difference.

 

I'm a foster kid; never knew birth parents. Raised by working class in south St. Louis and know what you mean by "left it's marks".

[videoarizona]

Rob, so far you are doing what needs to be done to get your scoot back on the road. Frustrating, yes....but will be worth it when you get her sorted out. Hang in there!

[Rob Swallows]

After receiving the correct parts, I've now rebuilt all four carbs complete. I found a Yamaha dealership whom distributes OEM parts at 30% off list so went that way instead of a/m and boy what a difference this has made. Everything fit without guess work and I'm hoping the bike finally runs as it should after I get everything optimized. I hate that with these small engines you cannot just order a "kit" and everything you need be included but rather piece everything separately, but I'm just a small molecule in a large gene pool out there.

 

I installed new diaphragms, all new seals and rings and the jets I could readily remove from the castings. Everything metal went into the dunk tank and is clean. I hated to take everything apart but with digital film being so inexpensive these days, it wasn't too bad to photograph for reference on how to put it all back together again. Hopefully the first of the week I'll get them reinstalled onto the bike and running. I've mostly pulled a major service routine, (addressed earlier) on the balance and the hitch is done, so wanting to move to the next step, (whatever that is).

 

I'm thinking our first outing is going to visit the Door County Maritime Museum up on Sturgeon Bay in Wisconsin https://www.google.com/maps/place/Door+County+Maritime+Museum/@44.8303969,-87.3847515,17z/data=!4m15!1m9!2m8!1smaritime+museum!3m6!1smaritime+museum!2sDoor+County,+WI!3s0x881d7d8d95ac61d3:0xb4d3cfdf4c832d1c!4m2!1d-87.3770488!2d44.8341302!3m4!1s0x881d50087932a475:0x4c874af27ad3d4c2!8m2!3d44.8302883!4d-87.3829406 . Been wanting to see that for a while now and it might be a nice little "jaunt" for a weekend only being about 400 miles. I have friends in Sheboygan I could overnight with to break it up if need be. We'll see early next week with planning on how the bike performs.

 

Thanks,

 

Rob

[Rob Swallows]

Installed carbs back onto bike this afternoon and it fired right up. Haven't had time to sync them yet but the weekend looks promising. Indian dealer sent a party by this evening to look over the Venture and they will take it now seeing it running should it be available. I need to finalize a price but the low mileage, (13,364) is appealing to them for a 2005 bike. The Indian dealership and I are within $500.00 agreement price on a new Roadmaster, with a few "extras" added to the package. A ready built trailer hitch is among them along with a personalized locking cover.

[Condor]

The Indian dealership and I are within $500.00 agreement price on a new Roadmaster, with a few "extras" added to the package. A ready built trailer hitch is among them along with a personalized locking cover.

 

Half way, or flip a coin.....

[gggGary]

do this before taking the carbs out.

 

 

on this set one one diaphragm didn't rise, found this.

 

 

then did this

 

 

so it was easy to reinstall diaphragm in the groove. Now the bike is in the groove also. Bike did run "just fine" on 3. But it runs better than fine on all 4. I went in because fuel was leaking out of a couple of carbs.

Full disclosure; I just got the "correct" set of float bowl o-rings (hint the K&L parts DO NOT FIT the ventures.)

 

The right ones;

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[TD]4XV-14562-00-00 O-RING (Yamaha Motor) $6.17[/TD]

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[TD]In Stock[/TD]

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[TD=width: 10%, align: right]4[/TD]

[TD=width: 10%, align: right] [/TD]

[TD=width: 20%, align: right]$24.68

 

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and will install them and do idle and synch this week. Also note that there are 3 different main jets used it's kind of important to keep them in the right carbs..........

[Rob Swallows]

Thanks Gary; I did perform that operation with both the new, and former diaphragms and all worked well. Citing they were 11 years old I elected to replace rather than trust rubber sealing once it's mounting surfaces had been disturbed. The bike seems to run very well but I've not ridden it since carbs are reinstalled. I had heard about the K&L kits being questionable so went with genuine Yamaha parts and had no problems at all. I set all the float levels "spot on" in relation to each other as closely as humanly possible. I've not adjusted the mixture screws yet either but did count the turns upon disassembly and reassembled the same. All jets were oriented as removed and no mix ups. I replaced no hard parts, only rubber and sealing rings. Some of the jets were in fact plugged from the wonderful fuel quality we must endure, but it removed in the solvent bath.

 

I'll get it optimized over the weekend if it doesn't get into my "grand daughter" time cause there isn't anything in this world more important than that.

 

Thanks,

 

Rob

[Rob Swallows]

Half way, or flip a coin.....

 

We'll see how this one runs out after the carburetor work. Any problems and it's one for the history books.

[Rob Swallows]

Forgot to post this which are the original float bowl gaskets from my Venture. I didn't photograph the insides of the carbs but they were worse than these show. All good now with OEM parts replacements and thorough cleaning.

 

Cylinder #1 , and #4 seals are on the right which were the two misfiring at higher speeds. The idle was perfect. Although I've not ridden the bike since repairing it, it's probably going to be better than it was.

[bongobobny]

YUCK!!!

[Rob Swallows]

YUCK!!!

I now believe it to be a 1/2 castrated VMax. Though still having one nut remaining, "It" is running on all four and is much smoother through the rpm range than prior. It will zip right up to 100mph without hesitation at about 2/3rds the pace of my 1973, 1974, 1975, and 1976 Kawasaki 900Z1's did, but hey, it's a touring bike and is very smooth. Took me a while to figger out what the hell the rattling was from the back end that was never there before; then I realized my trailer hitch insert was installed. Pulled off to the side, removed and stowed the unit, and all quiet as before so my hitch seems to be sound. I'll know later in the week if it performs as it should.

 

The bike runs good enough I'll keep it for the balance of this riding season, (which is 12 months long for me) and purchase my wife a new car instead.

 

Clean and balanced carbs make a difference I do believe.

 

Rob