Im fiddling about with the carbs on my FF but cant see how youre supposed to get to the screws to balance each carb. I thought Id come up with a brilliant plan by putting rubber petrol tubeing over the screw head and adjust from the side but the stiffness of the tubing meant the carbs couldn`t sit back on the “stops” properly at tickover.
Any advice people ?
Martin
I got some gauges and tried to balance my carbs but gave up even with a really good Phillips driver.
will leave it for next year
right angle screwdriver.I bought one to do VF500 carbs and it worked a treat.It was about £35.00.
Thanks chaps. Crooky, I can see how that would help with the two rear ones, but that front one ? I can`t even see the b…y thing !
Hi Guys,
When i was doing the ‘HO’ (1984 Vf1000F) with mercury vac guages i had the same trouble but overcame this problem by adjusting the screws with a small spanner at full throttle with the engine off. I had the seat, tank and air box off (leave carbs together with aluminium ‘V’ housing) i dont think it should take long to get these off. I had a fuel line taped up to the handle bars with a large syringe and topped it up with fuel when it got low. i working out which one needed adjusting, then switched it off, turn to full throttle and adjusted them from above with a REALY small spanner. i can’t remember what size spanner i used but i made small adjustments, started bike and checked guages each time, turning only about 1/4 turn each time. it was easy and had the carbs adjusted in about 2 mins. its just the other stuffing around taking tank off etc, but in the long run it was easier.
Good luck with it.
Cheers.
The Boy.
Boysie, did you get to the front one from the top or the bottom i.e. from the handlebars part or from below the carb bowls - looking upwards ?
Martin
Hi Martin,
With the air box removed i was able to put a little spanner on the screw from the front of the carbies with engine switched off and throttle twisted to full. I think the spanner should be about 7mm? Getting the tank and air box off shouldn’t take too long and the screw at full throttle is easy to get to.
Cheers and good luck.
The Boy.
Adjusting the stops on the carbs must get the CLEVER DICKY Award FOR DEC
2012, I would have never thought of that .[:D][:D][:)]Ha HA Ha briliant
Good one[8D]
Yep. Brilliant. I looked at that setup and concluded that a right angle drive screw driver was what was needed, you have indeed taught an old dog a new trick!
As they say, catch a man a fish, you will feed him for a day, teach man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime…I think I just got taught how to fish…again.
Looks like the Aussie have taught us how to fish ! Well done Boysie ( did you get “Fools and Horses” over there ? Otherwise “Boysie” will mean nothing to you.
I,ll be out in the garage tomorrow - temp about zero at the moment, and will give it a try.
Cheers again mate
Martin
I had to think about it for a few minutes to come up with the idea but i saved some time and money looking for a “90 DEG ANGLE SCREW DRIVER???” I did have the air box out of it already tho.
GOTSTA KEEPS DA BRAINS ACTIVES [}:)]
good luck guys. [:D]
THE BOY
Ive got my carbs on and off “like a fiddlers elbow” at the moment. Getting those bloody little springs in place, pushing the carbs into their rubber sockets etc etc is doing my ed in. Also, a set of carbs I bought 2nd hand turned out to be gummed right up so Ill have to adapt one of the old ones. Anyway, I,m going to “try” and get them mounted on the plate BEFORE" I push them into the 4 rubber sockets. I will use the old fag paper technique with getting the throttle flaps right i.e. allow them to be shut and slide a thin piece of plastic or wire like a feeler gauge, between the throttle body and the flap. Do this for all four and adjust to suit. That usually does the trick or at least very close. Hopefully I can then get the carbs into position with that damned plate into situ. Wish me luck.
Martin
Good luck Martin, I have heard of others doing the same with success. Might be hard to hold any tool steady at zero degrees though!
You definitely need the alloy plate attached to the carbs while fitting into the manifold rubbers so that you can put some weight on them without breaking the lugs that hold all four carbs together, ask me how I know! That plate holds the whole assembly very solidly.
When we set my carb balance with the plate off it ran beautifully, only to find that when the plate was screwed back on it ran like sh1t, what we discovered was two broken lugs on the carb bodies allowing them to move independently of each other, messing up the cross over tubes. New o’rings in the cross over tubes helped a little but we concluded that the only way to balance them successfully was to have the plate screwed to the carbs and go in from underneath, should have asked Paul first it turns out!
We used a 90 degree gear drive screwdriver and it now runs great.
The lugs on the carb bodies are very delicate and can be broken easily. If I can take a photo of them I will post it here, just not sure if they are visible with the tank etc. in place.
I hope this helps, even if only to prevent making the same mistake as me!
Tony
Thanks Tony, "every little bit helps " ( UK TV advert) Those springs are little B`s. Its like my mate used to say - the most heard sound in a DIY workshop “Ping - FUCK IT”
Might even look at the price of some new rubbers between head and carbs. They are brittle and a new set can only help.
All good information.
Cheers
Martin
Hi Martin,
If they are not cracked, save your money. take them off and boil them for a couple of minutes to soften them.
Reattach them to the heads and you can do the same to the carb trumpets inside the air box that sometimes shrink.
When the carbs are reattached to the alloy air box reattach cables etc and then put a bit or rubber grease around carbs and grommets, then slide carbi’s front first, if gromets fold over, unfold them with a hose pryer (pointy screw driver at 90deg.) or screw driver being gentle not to split them. this was some of the reason my brother could never get the ‘HO’ running right as there was 2 gromets folded over and sucking air.
anyways, Goodluck.
Cheers.
The Boy.
if you can afford them get new rubbers About £45.00 the set
Get all the carb clamps in place first making sure they are loose
make sure all carbs are attach to air box plate
even a smige(hardly noticeable) of grease around the inside of the rubbers
If I remember right from my bike
line up carbs on front rubbers,then rock slowly to drop in place on both sets of carb inlet rubbers,take it slow and sure.
you need to be fairly heavy and strong.
have fun[}:)]
Too bloody cold for Me in December
Thanks Gents. I didnt realise HO was your brother - mind you, I can understand why you kept it quiet!! [;)] My brothers in Perth ( since 1974 ) and I,m planning a trip with him from there to Tazzie and back on bikes.Thatll be in 2016. I met that guy Nathan ( something ) who did the trip from Aus to UK on an Aussie postie bike. He was selling his book at the NEC bike show. Nice guy and really genuine.I bought it so my son can give me a present for Christmas !! Kids aye ? Will use your advice and and I,m sure "shell be right"
Martin
Yeh, Sorry mate, if you can afford new gromets go for it. I cant afford to shit lately so need to be a tight ass when i can.
Make sure you use rubber grease on the carbs and gromets and slide the front ones on first. it should slide together easily and rubber grease will not perish the rubbers and has no petrolium in it.
That’d be Nathan Millward?
my rubbers split after 28 years when I took the bank of carbs off
so I had to find the money somewhere so I went without something that was not as important as my vf at the time.
and whats the point of rebuilding carbs and all to find the old rubbers have a hair line crack in one so another rebuild[}:)]
[:)]DO IT ONCE AND DO IT WELL NO COMPROMISE
next time you are miles from home and it starts missing remember what my dad tells me You should not have these things if you cannot afford to maintain them, And he is correct.