HELP 1986 vfr choke not working

I have an 86 vfr 750 with 6,500 miles runs great idles good starts good when warm and even stars good if you start it every couple days, but if it sit for five days or more very hard to start, it does not seem like the choke is working, I took any slack out of cable, cable works smooth, it does seem like the valve should come out farther? also put wd40 on valve.even when enine is warm and you put the choke on really no change to idle speed.

 

A bit of a guess ...

Hello:

I have the carbs off my '89. When I pulled the carbs one of the things, which had to be removed is the choke cable. At the front of the carb assembly, it is held in place by a retaining clamp, secured by a phillips head machine screw. It sounds like your choke cable is not getting enough travel. I suspect it might be that the retaining clamp has come loose.

In order to inspect this, you gotta pull the tank, and the entire air box. Then, you will be able to get a clear view of where the choke cable attaches to the front of the carb assembly. I know, I know, a pain in the butt.

MAYBE you can see it from looking up the underside of the carbs, but I don't think so.

And, last but not least, where the Hell did you find an '86 with only 6,500 miles on it? That's great.

Gray Market

 

I pulled the tank last night and all looked ok but it seems like the valve only pulls out a little I did move the valve in and out and put some wd40 on it, should I try a pliers and see if it will come out more?

I found the bike on craigslist in new mexico, 1 owner all original still had original tires, bike looks almost new.

 

Hmmmm, I dunno ...

Hello:

My bike is in a rented garage several blocks away, otherwise I'd be able to take a quick look at the carbs and see what you are talking about. Right now, I can't visualize it.

If it were me, I would not start yanking on anything on the carbs with pliers. Maybe just let the WD-40 soak in some more? Have you tried heat? Heat gun? Heavy-duty hair drier?

I’ll take a look at my carbs tomorrow and check-in here.

As to the nice, pristine bike, lucky you.

Gray Market

 

anyone with some advice

 

Does it smell like gas when sitting?

I picked up one of these and it turns out the carb float blows leak. It takes a few attempts to start it so to fill up the bowls.

When you pull the choke, you can see the linkage move left and right from the side of the carbs. If that is happening, I'd suspect it sat a long while like mine and may be varnished inside the carbs like mine was.

 

yes I do get a gas smell after I ride it and park in the garage just for a about 30 min then it seems to go away, now I leave the gas valve on and when it is just sitting I dont smell anything and it seem to start much eaiser but still have gas smeel after ride, but the choke does nothing to the rpms.
anything I can use with out having to take carbs apart?

in april 2008 the copy of bill I got from previous owner has that they removed the carbs adjusted and a new carb kit like 350.00 ?

 

Yes, me ...

Hello:

Okay, I had a chance to look at this today. As it turns out, there are four of these valves, one on each carb. If your carbs are still off, turn 'em over, put 'em on a workbench, and manually operate the lever, which is operated by the choke cable.

You will see that there is linkage, which operates the starter (choke) valve on each of the four carbs.

The valves are #7 and #8 on this parts fiche:
honda carburetor components partsmanual fiche vfr700f2 interceptor

I don't know if your bike is a 700 or a 750, but I'm fairly certain the part numbers are the same. Why? Well, because I have an '89 VFR750FK (RC24) and the part numbers are EXACTLY the same.

Now, as to why there are different part numbers (the parts list calls for two of one, and two of the other), I have absolutely no idea.

Learning what I did today, examining the function of the linkage, which operates ALL FOUR valves, my advice would be to turn the carbs over, operate the lever, and see if the linkage actually operates all four valves simultaneously. If not, there is a very simple way to adjust them, which is easy to identify as you observe the motion of the linkage.

You will also be able to see if one of the valves is sticking open. My GUESS is that it will be a simple matter of adjusting the screws on the linkage and "tuning" the operation of all four choke valves.


Gray Market

 

Recent Carb work?

Sounds like they may have "rebuilt" the carbs. If that is the case, I do not know what is going on. Still could be a leaky gasket, but I'd call the folks who did the work and ask them about it. My gaskets are on order and I am ready to dive into the carbs when they arrive.

 

Smell of gas ...

Hello, Again:

If you are smelling gas, it probably has nothing at all to do with your choke problem.

I’m still unclear as to whether or not you still have the carbs off. Again, mine are on my workbench (re-jetting, and adjusting float height).

So, the first place I’d look is at the cover of the floats at the bottom of each carb (four screws on each). First, there is a drain cast into the cover, which has a screw that is turned (opened) to drain the float bowls. So, check and see if those screws are secured. Each of those screws has a gasket, and they are included in the gasket kit (see below).

Second, there is a rubber grommet / gasket which seals off each of the float bowl covers. See if the covers are tight, and see if there is any leaking from the covers. You may have to replace the gaskets. The part number for the gasket kit is 16010-ML7-004.

However, there are any number of places where there could be a gas leak. Check the lines to / from the fuel pump. Just follow the “plumbing” and make certain everything is tight. Also, it is not a bad idea to simply turn off the gas at the side of the tank every time you are putting the bike away for the night.

Gray Market

 

carbs are on bike everything is back together, rode today started right up but I have been leaving pet cock on wich I guess is leaving fuel in carbs for easier start up? the gas smell was there again after ride only for about 25 min then it goes away it smells like it is coming out of gas lid where the key unlocks cap?

 

this f* up indicates that someone in this bike's past should have read the manual!!

 

Try seeing whether a fuel pump bypass wire cures your starting problem.

Fully primed and topped -up carbs, not cranking and cranking on the starter, is a real aid to dependable starting.

i'm suspecting a lot of fuel is evaporating from your carbs after riding then parking a hot engine (no air circulation behind those fairings and within the V) on a hot day, thus baking the carbs dry.

 

Quite a bit of help here ...

Hello:

There are now four of us trying to help you here, and there is a limit to what can be said on a discussion group.

Whenever I see these sorts of things on discussion groups, I always think to myself, "What would I do?"

As a caveat, I confess that I am overly obsessed with getting things like this corrected, for once and for all. So, if it were me, I'd start from scratch. I'd go through EVERYTHING, step by step. I am the classic "if-it-ain't-broke, fix-it-ANYWAY" kind of guy. I dunno, it is just the way I am "wired-up." If I have something apart - something that is labor intensive, hard to reach - I'll think to myself, "Well, as long as I have this apart, I think I'll replace this, and that."

If it were me, the choke issue would "bug" me. If it were me, the gas smell would "bug" me.

I don't know what else to say to you.

As an aside, I've been working on my bike quite a bit lately. Prior to this I've been paying $75/hr. labor charges, with a highly respected, experienced certified Honda mechanic and certified Dynajet tuner. And, sure enough, I've found error after error - like the leads on the rear two coils (#1, #3) being reversed; like the diaphragm atop the vacuum slide within carb #2 being folded over and not sealed; like the oil being over-filled; not to mention loose and missing bolts here and there.

I've had it. I will not let anyone else touch my bike from now on. I'll do it myself. I've recently spent about $800 on tools, and I'm not done.

Last but not least, I've found the Haynes Manual extremely helpful; a MUST HAVE if you are going to work on these bikes on your own. Also, there are Honda Shop Manuals posted here-and-there on VFR discussion groups, posted as PDF files - also extremely helpful (almost like "VFRs for Dummies").


Gray Market

 

At idle with the bike warmed up if you pull the choke lever it should kill the bike...or at least make it idle real crappy. First thing is to make sure the mechanical parts are working properly, Gray Market has done good job of describing this. If it is...you could "toy" with the idea that the "starter jets" are clogged. They are pressed into the carb body and aren't easily removable as slow and main jets are and are frequently overlooked (you mentioned the carbs had been cleaned). In addition, the holes are small, not much bigger than slow jet opening so they can clog easily.

As for the "smelling gas"...well...I've often found some people's sniffer's better than others and it doesn't necessarily indicate a problem. If your carbs are leaking externally, you should be able to observe this by a "wet" or dirty spot underneath. If they are leaking internally into the engine...it's most obvious at idle, when your bike needs the least amount of fuel...IE idle like crap. It would also make for a hard warm restart...you'd probably have to open the throttle and crank awhile to get it to start.

When you shut your bike off, there's always about 70cc or so of fuel left in each carb. Unless it leaks out, or you drain the float bowls, this is the fuel that gets fed to your engine next time you try to start it. Your fuel pump won't do squat until this fuel begins to need replacing. The problem can be this fuel is essentially exposed to atmostphere through the float bowl vents, making the volatile parts of the gas (easily evaporated and mixed with air) evaporate away pretty fast. For this reason...if you start your bike daily in warm weather, you may get by without a working fuel enrichener circuit (you know...choke). But if it's cold, or the bike sits for several days...it's gonna be a hard start.

 

BTW...I used to have one just like that...and I loved it. Yours looks to be pretty clean. Good thing you came across it before I did.

 

thanks to all for your advice and help