vf500 Carb fuel prob please help!!!

Hi seeing if somone could give me a little advice on my miniceptor im trying to bring back to life. The bike has been sittin for 2 years because a friend of mine dumped it and it needed alot of work but i almost have it running. The bike fires right up when i spray starter fluid in the carbs and fuel is getting from the petcock to the carbs but i cant seem to get fuel into the carbs themselves to have the bike run on its own. Im hoping i just have stuck floats or somthing. im definetly not a carb expert and could def use some help.
Thanks!!.

 

My 85' 500 Interceptor that I just bought sat for a while & when I started draining stuff in had about 1.5 quarts of muddy water in the fuel system.

Can we assume there is plenty of fuel in the tank & the fuel petcock is anywhere but the "off" position?

Pull the fuel hose off of the far left carburator & aim in into something to catch gas. Turn the killswitch "on" & hit the starter. The fuel pump should push fuel out of the line while the start button is pushed.

If there is no fuel coming out then either:
- the pump aint pumping (pump is shot or not getting power)
- the inline filter is clogged (replace or bypass it)
- one or both of the two screens in the fuel petcock are clogged (remove both & clean them)
- you have a pinched fuel line (inspect all your lines)
- the vacuum line is not connected to the fuel petcock valve (fuel valve closes when engine (vacuum) stops)

If the vacuum line isn't connected to the fuel petcock the fuel valve will not open. Mine is bypassed & there are instructions on how to bypass it on VFRWorld somewhere.

Check all that stuff & correct any problems. If it still don't get any fuel the float needle might be stuck.

I am looking for affordable carb kits for that exact bike & will let you know what I find because it sounds like you will need them. I know I do! Good luck.

 

Nice punisher this was more help than i was looking for. I already know its not the fuel pump its the 86 model its gravity fed and it has no fuel filter, not sure what previous owner did with it but he wasnt running an air filter either. Gas is definetly getting into the lines so i know its feeding fuel but i smell no gas in the carbs. I was wondering if spraying some cleaner in the inlet holes for the fuel on the carbs would help free things up and also from the top maybe moving those diaphram things will help. Also wondered if backing off the pilot screws would make any difference. Let me know if you find those carb kits only thing i could find was on ebay not sure if i trust that. Thanks again for your input. Going to try again tommorow when i get time.

 

No real shortcuts when talking about carburetors.

IMO, it would be best to pull the carbs and carefully inspect all the circuits. On a side note the carburetors will need to be resynchronized with a manometer after being reinstalled

Also, it is not recommended to remove the carbs from their base unless you have a logged a lot of hours working on these.

Good luck and keep us posted.

 

Yeah, carbs pretty much suck all around. Sometimes it's easier to just send them off to an expert like Billy Carr and let him have the enjoyment/suffering instead of you!

 

+1. Remove and clean. Will run like a champ but no short cuts. Buy boots like Tink said or leave it sit. If the pilot jets are clean and the bowl filters are checked and clear it is a home run. Link.

http://vfrworld.com/forums/mechanics-garage/22449-cleaning-carbs.html

 

Alright cool thanks guys. Ill order those insulators, should i get new jets wile im at it or should they be cleanable. Ill pull the carbs out some time this week...probably wont get parts for atleast a week if i order them off bikebandit. Ill let you guys know how it goes in about 2 weeks when im ready to start this boy up again.

 

Yea.....if he ever gets back to you.

I ordered carb parts off Billycarr in October 2010 and he never sent anything and isn't replying to my e-mails anymore.

 

+1 on the carb insulators (AKA boots).

These become less pliable with age and replacing them with new will make the installation much easier.

Two things to note, you may need to add some persuasion when removing the carburetors. A pry bar is key here but this tool needs to be used very carefully or you risk damaging the castings. Only use the bar on the carb's pry points, noted in this photo:



When reinstalling the carburetors, tilt the boots upward and away from the center, as shown in the illustration below, and then push straight down. This is the Factory recommended install method.



If I could make a recommendation, if you are planning to work on the bike yourself, two must have books for the library shelf: the Factory Service Manual (AKA FSM) and Mike Nixon's guide, Cleaning the Honda V4 Carburetor:

The Motorcycle Project Book Nook

Good luck with your project! Please keep us posted on the progress.

 

Ok well I got the carbs off now was pretty painless thanks to you guys took less than a hour, didnt even have to break out the manual pry bar method definetly key here. I live in philly i cant believe nice people still exist out there haha this is amazing, think i need to move. I was hoping one of u could send me a link where to get these insulators/boots im not sure exactly what im ordering. I thought they were the rubber things under the hats for the carbs, but then again i dont know my ass from a hole in the ground when it comes to these carbs. Im gana go ahead and order that honda carb cleaning manual because im a big doityourselfer and id like to learn this process anyway. I have a clymers manual for the bike was wondering if it was well worth also purchasing a factory manual. Im assuming i have to pull the jets out to clean them and then have to get a synch tool to resynchronize these carbs after this is all said in done. Thanks again for the quick replies i can use all the help i can get on this, tryin to get this pony back on the road asap.

 

For the '84/'85 this is part no. 16211-MJ8-000. For the '86 this is part no. 16211-MF2-711.

Try your local dealer or you can order online from several sources.

Here is one:

Motorcycle Parts, Discount Honda Motorcycle, ATV, Watercraft Parts, Honda Accessories, Yamaha, Kawasaki, Suzuki Bikes, Polaris Parts - ServiceHonda.com

If I could recommend, it is best to verify the year by checking the ID code stamped on the carbs. Sometimes things can get switched around over the years so it is best to double check this before ordering. While there are some jetting and float level changes the main difference btwn the '84/'85 and the '86 carbs is the change from a 32mm bore in '84/'85 to a 30mm bore in '86.

Here are the reference charts:




The FSM is the must have guide if you are planning on working on this bike. The Clymer manual falls way short of the bar. Often lightly used copies of the FSMs can be found on eBay for $25-$30 + shipping. These are well worth the investment.

Hope all goes well with your rebuild and let us know how you make out!

 

Your friend/previous owner didn't run a fuel filter or air filter? Superputz!
Next time you see him, put a bullet through the top of his foot will ya?

 

Ok, I will give you the fuel filter.

But running without an air filter? Sandblasted slides anybody?
Just shoot the guy's pinky toe off then.

Is that not fair Tink? LOL

I hate sandcastles too.

 

OEM filter with an unmodified airbox is the way to go, IMO.

The stock airbox is tuned. While I don't have hard data specific to the VF500F I have read that fiddling with a stock airbox (i.e. removing the intake snorkel) actually decreases performance.

 

Kevin Cameron the author of Sportbike Performance Handbook, says the same - even going further saying don't f**k with it - in so many words.