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joboo

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  1. joboo
  2. joboo
    I do not want to start any disagreements, but if nothing is broken, there should be no adjustments to the choke. First, it is not really a choke, it is an enricher circuit that works by adding mixture rather that the traditional move the butterfly type. There is a small plunger type actuator on each carb. There are really no adjustments, rather the opposite, in the closed position (knob in), those actuators need to be closed so when assembled, like I mentioned in Putt's other post, make sure there is no tension or no slack in the cables or linkages to these actuators. The linkages resemble little horseshoes that fit over what looks like a small belt pulley on the end of the actuators, the pulleys are wide enough to allow for a small amount of play. When properly assembled those linkages allow the actuators to all remain in the closed position. There is a set screw on the arm attaching those horseshoes, those set screws go into a detent on the arm and are not meant to be used as an adjustment. When tightening all the cable clamps, there is a keeper on the ends of the clamps that will allow for some play when tightening, set for no play and no tension. The knob assembly fits into a bracket on the knob end and has a plastic nut to hold it in place, no adjustment there, the other end has a clamp with the keeper, no adjustment, just assemble keeping it straight with no slack and no tension. I do not know what tabs you may be bending, but there should be nothing on those carbs you bend. The knob end is ABS plastic and can be broken fairly easily if pulled too hard. If the bike has been sitting for a long time, the choke plunger actuators get sticky, making the choke hard to pull, the plastic doesn't stand a chance against somebody that wants the choke on to get their bike started. When everything is working, unless it is really cold, the choke rarely needs pulled more than a couple of clicks. Each click should open all four actuators about 1/8 of an inch. I took some pictures but it is difficult to see anything under the carb banks. I will try to get some better ones if you think you need them. good luck! you can get my number from my profile and call if need a hand.
  3. joboo
    Oh Oh PuttPutt.....Now you see what everyone was talkin about..you are gonna get some I told you so's over this one. Check to make sure you repinned the control arm that goes between the banks. It is also really easy to spin the tube with the cable in it that connects the banks, which will change the adjustment. With both ends of the tube clamped down there should be almost no play and no tension. If you have to take them off again, remove the two screws that hold the throttle cable bracket onto the #1 carb diaphragm cover and after the carbs are undone from the boots slide that bracket out from under the cable tube. Then it is easy to remove the cable ends from the throttle wheel without messing up any adjustments. Install in reverse order and no adjustments need to be made to the throttle. Before you re-install the carb banks, turn the throttle wheel and check that everything works. Also check that in the "in" position the choke also has no play and no tension. The linkages that attach to the choke diaphragms should all be sitting in the center of their respective spacers as well so that one click on the choke pulls them all evenly and the same distance, this will also affect throttle response if you are choking one or two of the carbs and not the others. good luck and holler if you need help. PS... forgot to address your question about the TPS sensor. I don't think that should be a problem as long as you remember to plug it back in.
  4. joboo
    It will be the best $12 you ever spend!
  5. joboo
    PuttPutt, if you have surface cracks in the boots make sure you check the rubber plug covers on the vacuum ports they seem to get the cracks and tend to leak after you take them off a couple of times. Big Lenny, PFM is an old military term used to explain the unexplainable has to do with a little magic, you get the rest.
  6. joboo
    LOL not to hijack the post but I trailered the bike! Since I did not ride in those states, they get no color. Truth be told, I had it on the trailer to relocate once from Texas and once to and from California. no PFM, sorry. I'm pretty sure the cage with the bike in tow shouldn't count, should it?
  7. joboo
    Putt-Putt I also have a 96 Royal Star, I bought mine new in 95, one of the first ones. Read my post on being frugal before you tear into those carbs, posted a couple of days ago. The guys are giving you good advice about not doing anything if it is not needed. If you do get into them, preorder all of the parts especially the float bowl O-rings. A word of warning, the 96 has the 28mm carbs and if you need diaphragms, unlike the ventures and later royals you can not replace only the rubber, the whole slide has to be replaced. The O-rings on the needle assemblies will also not be any good if you remove them for cleaning, and removing them is the only way to get to the screens on the bottom. BTW, replacing the float needle assemblies caused mine to run so much cleaner and dramatically increased MPG that I would recommend it if you are tearing into them anyway. Best of luck!
  8. joboo
    Turns out I was being cheap and stupid. I tripped over my ego and landed with, well you know. Anyway, I take great pride in the fact that I think I am a pretty good mechanic, unfortunately, there comes a time when you realize the thinking part of that statement can be your undoing. I have had my Royal Star for 17 years and the last 10 have done all my own work. I can pull those carbs off with my eyes closed, well at least that part is true. It is what happens after you get em off that is the problem. I diagnose the problem and fix whatever is wrong and put em back together, built a lot of my own test gadgets and sync tool, man am I smart! I save tons of money too! So after all this time, seems the bike and I are growing old, why a month ago I embarrassed myself at a Patriot Guard ride. I was in formation next to a trike and we came to an idle crawl. I found myself doing the "bike weave" with the front tire and pulling the clutch in more than it was out trying to ride at a complete idle. I kept having to put my feet down and as my face was getting a little more crimson in color and by God I was jealous of the guy on the trike and thinking maybe it was time to retire the old girl cause I could hardly do this anymore. Well, I went home, let the bike sit for a couple of weeks, then thought I would go for a ride. The bike had taken to leaking a little fuel if I left it sit for awhile but the leak would stop after it got warmed up. DANG ETHANOL! I knew that crap must be drying out the rubber! So I thought, the float needles are rubber and they are the only thing that would make the fuel run out because I had already adjusted the floats and being the ace mechanic that I am this must be it. I ordered the needles, pulled the carbs and replaced them, put it all back together and fired it up. Now I have a leak at one of the float bowls, needs a new o-ring, ordered the o-ring. pulled off the carbs, replaced the O-ring and put everything back together and fired it up, now I have popping, could not figure this out so guessed I must have put something together wrong, pulled the carbs off again, could not find anything wrong so I did all the tests, I find that the float level will not remain the same over time, diagnosed to a bad o-ring on the float seat assembly. Ordered them, replaced them, put everything back together and fired it up..... another float bowl o-ring is leaking....Now at this point it has been three months since the PGR ride and those carbs have been off more than granny's nightgown. I give up and order all new parts for the carbs, because by now I have a mismatched bunch of parts that have been replaced at all kinds of different times, bear in mind that this is how I have been doing the maintenance over the years. The parts were not all that expensive, a few hundred bucks when purchased all together. I rebuilt the carbs, did all the adjustments, fired em up, synced and low and behold, I am not OLD, I can ride at idle. Not only that, but my gas mileage has improved by over 10 mpg, I can turn tighter and starts at lights are almost night and day different. If you have been riding the same bike, and it seems like you are growing old together, rethink it! I did not notice the degradation in performance over time but after rebuilding it the sound is so different, I am ashamed that I did not notice any of those things. I was ready to cash it in. So for all you out there that any of this sounds familiar, take it from a newly humbled idiot. All this time I thought I was being frugal and smart, turns out, I was being cheap and stupid! Old dogs really can learn, too bad it took so long! Anybody wants to know how to get the carbs off or back on in 6 1/2 minutes let me know.
  9. joboo

    Gun Club

    joboo replied to Sailor's topic in Watering Hole

    We have this happen regularly around small airports. We get help from a national organization such as AOPA that has a vested interest in maintaining small airports. I would suggest if have a national gun group like the NRA, give them a call.
  10. joboo
    Looking at some new needle sets and was surprised at the price difference between genuine parts (like $42) versus aftermarket($17). Any thoughts on the use of one vs the other in engine parts like needle sets?
  11. joboo
    Not sure how to tell you this, but the chrome covers on the pipes are welded to the brackets and the brackets mount to the frame. There are welded pieces on the frame where the muffler brackets attach, they look like pipe stock with slot cut in it, a bolt hole on one side and a captive nut welded to the in side, a rubber spacer in the middle. Pictures are virtually impossible with everything attached and the bike on the ground. When you say you have the brackets on the way, what are you expecting and how did you order them? The way they are made is pretty self explanatory. The covers and bracket being all one piece for each side, they slip on and attach with one bolt each (the bracket is welded to each cover and there is a bolt hole in the middle) to the bracket that is part of the frame. If you have removed the old pipes it should be pretty clear if there is still the frame mounting brackets on each side, they stick out pretty far toward the rear and are lower than anything else.
  12. joboo
    Look at my picture gallery, I have this trunk and there are pics some with it and without. I custom bent a short sissy bar and made it removable. It is rock solid and my wife loves it!
  13. joboo
    I was trying to answer Sailor's question without too much detail, but the effects of RF radiation are real. RF stands for Radio Frequency as in transmissions from a radio transmitter, whether the frequency is in the microwave range or not. Like I said the first microwave ovens were called RADAR ranges. The WHO (World Health Organization) was asked for a report due to the increasing number of lawsuits from law enforcement agencies concerning the increase in testicular cancer of those using portable radar units. The WHO issued the following statements: RF fields have been studied in animals, including primates. The earliest signs of an adverse health consequence, found in animals as the level of RF fields increased, include reduced endurance, aversion of the field and decreased ability to perform mental tasks. These studies also suggest adverse effects may occur in humans subjected to whole body or localized exposure to RF fields sufficient to increase tissue temperatures by greater than 1°C. Possible effects include the induction of eye cataracts, and various physiological and thermoregulatory responses as body temperature increases. These effects are well established and form the scientific basis for restricting occupational and public exposure to RF fields. They indicated that the accepted level of exposure are also by a standard method of measurement: Absorption of RF fields in tissues is measured as a Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) within a given tissue mass. The unit of SAR is watts per kilogram (W/kg). SAR is the quantity used to measure the "dose" of RF fields between about 1 MHz and 10 GHz. An SAR of at least 4 W/kg is needed to produce known adverse health effects in people exposed to RF fields in this frequency range. Their conclusion was the the safety features built into portable radar units plus the fact that the power emissions are pulsed and low intensity posed no measurable health risks, however, the increase in reported cases should be a cause for further study. To translate this into plain language, they found it was indeed a problem in laboratory subjects but that without the ability to measure active use in humans they relied on a measurement standard that said the device as designed should be safe. I have a degree in Biomedical Engineering and one of the reasons I left the bioengineering field was issues like this. My company did medical legal consulting on devices that caused injuries as to whether the device was at fault or the operator. If we know a problem exists there is the burden of proof, however the rules prevent a definite conclusion in most cases. For example, we can't take a human, put a radar gun in their lap and see what happens, on the other hand we can't prove that it was the radar guns fault because there are no case studies with controls. Reminds me of a case I had where a technician working on portable x ray machines lost the ends of his fingers, they turned black and fell off. He sued the manufacturer because he said that it was a result of his "testing" to see if the beam was on by putting his fingers over the output tube. The result was he lost his case because the medical diagnosis was gangrene with an undetermined cause, the doubt was that it could have been caused by other things such as a cut from his tools and the environment in which he worked. My suggestion to you mr retired NCSHP is not to laugh at other folks, it is possible they actually do know more about it than you. If you put that old X band gun in your lap, consider this your warning...make sure you get your annual checkups.
  14. joboo
    Sailor, in answer to your question, the newer radar beam is fairly fast but is also fairly narrow, like a Maglite flashlight that has a focus adjustment to narrow the beam. This keeps the scatter to a minimum and the return from a large metal object gives an accurate reading. There is some scatter but to detect that and separate it from background noise is a problem for a low cost receiver. Basically it means you would get a lot of false alarms and would be less likely to use the product for its intended purpose. But with "instant on" and even more narrow beam laser, usually you are unable to react before the receiver has locked a return. The only real defense would be to either intercept the signal and prevent its return or transmit a signal of your own to prevent a receiver lock on the correct return. Unfortunately these are not legal alternatives.
  15. joboo
    Sailor, you can tell your friend that he is doing himself no favors by putting his detector where he has it. I did a lot of work with this type equipment. First, the reply to Venturous..that was probably a true story about the State Trooper, years ago X Band was widely used, the frequency was 2.465GHz which was also the same frequency that was used in the first radar ranges which we now call microwave ovens. Door opening sensors, especially grocery stores also were widely used in that frequency. The power was up to 5 watts on the old radar guns but the waveform loses power from the source on a sliding exponential scale. So putting an old X band radar gun in your lap was probably a bad idea, because the source was in fact a tiny type of magnetron which are used to generate these waveforms which are indeed in the microwave band. Harmless unless focused and close up would generate heat at the molecular level. The power on the K and Ka bands has been limited to 2 watts but the bandwidth is more narrow and the frequency higher, also out of the heat danger zone. Back to your friend's detector, modern detectors use a band pass filter and discriminator at the end of a small collector tube as a receiver, while it is true that the waves "bounce around" inside a metal can it does delay his reception if that receiver is not pointed toward the source. Modern transmitters have "instant on" capability to reduce the signature and the ability to react to it. As far as harmful effects, at the distance you are from the source in your vehicle they would be almost zero. Some great answers here!
  16. joboo

    diaphragm size

    joboo replied to joboo's topic in Watering Hole

    Fail that young??? I know that there are at least 2 of them I have never changed. I have owned the bike since new....17 years....lol Thought maybe they were getting a little old! BTW,,, that site is an awesome resource for new diaphragms...all still too big but they will fit the ventures and they sure do look easy to install..whole new method! Thanks!
  17. joboo
    I was contemplating changing the diaphragms on my 96 RSTC since you all made look so easy at MD, I looked at Sirius website and it listed the SD-1 for all XVZ1300 and XVZ13 models of venture, I sent them an email and asked if they would fit the XVZ13ATH Royal Star and they replied ...sure... but if they don't we'll take em back. I being an anal engineer type, sent back an email asking if they were sure as the ventures and some of the stars had different size carbs, like the 28MM and the 32MM ...the reply was they only carry one size. My concern is that they are missing the hole in the tab and the OD dimension for the DS-1 was 72MM which is wider across than my entire cover. Am I correct on this and if so does anyone know where to get the smaller diaphragms only?
  18. joboo
    Thanks for the input guys! will give it a shot and let you know what happens.
  19. joboo
    Thats why this problem is so confusing, if it was one of those things the flow would not stop when the engine dies, the fuel pump would tick and it would continue to pump out fuel. That is not happening, not one tick and the fuel stops. I always run seafoam in every tank, the symptoms don't add up to a float, needle or seat. It seems to be vacuum related which is why I was suspecting some sort of diaphragm issue and it only happening at idle. Thanks for your reply, as always hoping that I don't have to tear em off again!
  20. joboo
    lol @ YD I always use seafoam! Marcarl the two tubes that vent the carbs at the top. They are connected with a "T" and a hose that terminates on a metal fitting behind each of the front cylinders. Maybe they are called something else, but that is where the fuel will pump out in the event of a stuck needle or float.
  21. joboo
    I don't know about the 97 but the 96 is adjustable. The rear shock has a spring preload adjustment. The shock itself is gas filled. If you look under the bike, you can't miss the one big cylinder in the middle in front of the rear wheel. There are 2 slotted rings on the shock toward the rear of the bike. The ring the closest to the rear is the locking ring and the inside one is the spring adjuster. The original toolkit under the seat would have the spanner wrench that fits that locking ring and adjuster. Clockwise increases tension. The locknut is on by torque to 18 lbs which is about 1 finger on a regular wrench with bent elbow if you don't have a torque wrench. :TEAL:
  22. joboo
    I consider myself very good with these carbs but I have a problem that has me a little stumped. I was out of town for a week, came home, started the bike as usual, a little choke and she fired right up and sang like a bull gator. After she warmed up, choke off, sitting idling while on the side-stand, the idle started decreasing and fuel barely trickled out of the overflow and the engine died. The fuel stopped. Restarted and once at idle, same thing happened, smooth perfect throttle response, no other symptoms. Stood the bike upright, started it again and same thing happened at idle. With any throttle at all it is fine. I think you can rule out floats and needles as the fuel stopped when the engine died. I suspect it may be a pinhole in the #1 carb diaphragm but I am guessing that would not normally kill the engine. With extra fuel, I didn't have any rough engine run like I would have expected. This one has me guessing! I think I will order a new set of DS-1s as I have never replaced all of the diaphragms at the same time, only as needed and I am thinking that they stiffen with age and one could be stronger than another. All inputs are welcome!
  23. joboo
    I added the VIP tour pak doing just what you said, I had the short sissy bar bent at a custom cycle shop, I added a clear poly board under the trunk for stability. I attached it to the bar with pipe clamps lined with rubber so it cannot move. I bought a new in the package backrest bar on ebay for $30. The VIP tour pack with wrap around backrest, luggage rack on top and spoiler with flashing brake lights that I attached with a removable connector, all for $400. It is extremely stable and looks pretty good, the white is a close match with the white on the bike, I am going to add some blue to finish it off but the pics are what is so far and they do not do it justice. And I WILL bet there are not very many RSTCs with a trunk!
  24. joboo

    float adj on carbs

    joboo replied to a topic in Watering Hole

    Just to let you know, it may not be the floats but if you do the manometer test with the tube like in V7 Goose procedure it will tell you if they need adjusted or not. If they do, once you have the float bowls off, remove the roll pin that holds the floats on, the tab is the flat metal piece that is in contact with the pin on the float needle. Carefully bend the tab with a pair of needlenose pliers. Remember to check those pins. And DON't lose the tiny spring clips! ( they are what holds the float needles in contact with the tabs) The best advice however is to check if this is even necessary. In all honesty sounds to me like your other carb adjustments are off or you have slider or diaphram problems or even a plugged jet or two. Have you used Yammer Dan's Seafoam Cure? The rule is rule out the obvious/easy stuff first then take the plunge if you have too.
  25. joboo
    Very Cool! It looks better than you described. If the paint job is too expensive there are some pretty awesome transfers you can put on and then clear coat it.
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