Front left cylinder at 90 degrees when the others are at 220+

It's not a bad idea to check the screen in the float seat. What I'd suggest is that you remove the idle needle assembly again on that carb and clean out really good once more. That is the smallest passage in the carb and as such is the most likely to be clogged. It's also the most difficult to get cleaned. A piece of thin wire helps to knock loose a completely plugged passage, which it sounds like yours is.

 

Use a copper wire. It won't enlarge the jet hole(brass) like a harder metal would.

 

All good idea's. I will try them if this happens again. As much as I scrubbed and sprayed with carb cleaner and then compressed air they aren't completely clean of varnish. The fuel going in must have been clean because the filters in the float valve seats were clean. But the carbs were dirty. I was hoping to run it clean with normal driving but those holes in the jets are so small that they clog easily so I don't have much faith in that plan anymore.

 

I need some advice on checking the float levels without a special gauge. I have a caliber that might work but I don't know what to do. Can you add some advice.

 

You are just measuring the position of the floats in mm, so any metric ruler will do. I use a small metal machinist's scale but anything will do the job. Just make sure that the end is zero, some plastic rulers have a dead space between the end of the ruler and zero. If so you'll need to sand this down so that you can get an accurate measurement.

Don't forget to make sure that the carbs are positioned as shown in manual. The floats have to be just resting on the needle/seats.

 

dlman:

You have to let the carb cleaner sit for at least day for it to lift the varnish off the inside of the carbs. just spray it full, let it sit, come back a day later and blow it out with the compressed air and you are good to go! Well...hopefully.

Also, start to run gas with 10% or less ethanol in it. That will clean out the carbs too. However, until all the varnish is gone, your jets may get cloggeg with the goop and you have to remove them and blow that out too.

Just cheap suggestions on a PIA problem.

BZ

 

Buy some Techron and run it in every other tank or so. Some have used Seafoam too. This will help keep the carbs clean. Also, what is the condition of the tank? A heavily rusted tank will just make clean carbs dirty again.

 

Mason, BZ and Jamie,

I did have some bad gas in the tank when I started. But I think that I cleaned it out pretty well. The filter I installed in there is working and I am changing it often. I had to install a metal one that I can't look at to see when its dirty so I will be using the force and a time schedule to change it. I think that it is working because the filters in the valve seats were clean. I think that I should have adjusted the floats when I had the carbs off. I really and dreading trying to get them back on again. But that is something that I will have to do again. I can check the jets to see if they are clean too while I am at it. So I guess its a mixed blessing.

BZ,
The only gas that I can get around here is 10% ethanol so that shouldn't be a problem. I have to take it apart again so I will try your suggestion of letting it soak in carb cleaner. I just don't want it to eat up the o rings like it did on another carb cleaning I did. It was a pain to get new ones for it and in some cases they didn't even make them anymore.

Jamie,
Email sent...

A friend is coming over to get his bike looked at. He says that it has year old gas in it so he might have the same problem as me. I hope I can help.
His bike is a 96 600 shadow. I have no idea what they look like. I guess that I am going to take a crash course.

David

 

dlman:

Try and spray the carb cleaner only into and on the parts that are varished. Don't dip the whole carb sections if you can avoid it so you don't eat the o-rings up, just let the cleaner sit (even if it is a thin coat) and it should eat it right off.

Keep us all posted!

 

I took the bike down again today. I think that my head wasn't in it though. (hangover, headache and misfiring) But it did it anyway. I got the carbs off and I thought that my floats were really off when I adjusted them to much. On the bright side the jets were clean. I got it all back together and even reinstalled it when I noticed that gas wasn't getting in the carbs. The fuel pump wasn't even pumping. So I pulled that off and went to a gravity feed. It wasn't the problem. The valves were to tight. I had to pull the carbs again and try and adjust it all over again. I checked the 2 manuals I have and they are pretty much the same in usefulness. But I got into the carbs again and all the same stuff I did earlier but this time I held the carb with the intake hole pointing down and the tilted slightly. Then it measured better and I got them all at 7mm. I reinstalled the carbs and I think that I am getting pretty good at that too. But the gas tank fell off the back of the bike and got a new dent in it. And I lost a screw for the air filter. This isn't a good day I was thinking. I got the bike started and all the bowls were getting gas this time the cylinders heated up and when I turn off the gas it kept running for a long time. I think that it is no longer rich. But I noticed that the number 4 needle valve isn't working and I think that is causing the popping in the exhaust. It might be to lean. Even though the cylinder heated up too. I guess there is a hole in it making it loose its vacuum? And I think that the valves are ticking a little. This is going to take a while until its 100% again. But I am narrowing it down a little at a time. I think I fixed and oil leak in the head supply hose.
One day I might worry about how it looks. Wouldn't that be nice? I think a few marks add character though. I do have some cat eyes flush mount turn signals that I am going to install soon. I have to cut a 1" 1/4 hole in the fairing for these things to fit it.

 

Your jets aren't what you should be concerned with, from the sound of your issues it's the pilot circuit that is causing you trouble. Did you pull the pilot needles again when you cleaned the carbs out? I'd also suggest getting a new float needle on at least that one carb. When it comes to carbs, anything weird like that will always cause you trouble.

Please don't cut your fairing!

 

I cleaned all the needle float things last time I had it apart less the number 4, because I couldn't get one screw out. I am not sure what you mean by pilot circuit? Could you please dumb it down a little for me? Maybe tell me what I should do to check them?

 

See a tutorial for cleaning carbs here: http://images.google.com/imgres?img...+pilot+jet&gbv=2&svnum=10&hl=en&safe=off&sa=G

It has good pictures of the pilot jet and what washers/o-rings are involved.

Basically just pull them out and inspect. The tiny washer and o-ring tend to stay in the bore. Use a dentist pick to remove. In a pinch, a deck screw can be used. After removing the pilot screw, just thread it in GENTLY until it stops. 1/8 turn counter-clockwise and GENTLY pull. The washer and o-ring should be on the threads of the deck screw.

 

Thanks for the link Masonv45 that will come in handy later on.

Tip: To reinstall the carbs I have found that nothing is harder if you are not doing it right. But here is a way that I found to do it with no trouble. Grease the inside lip and the bottom of the boots. Remove the front 2 boots altogether. Push the rear carbs on. Then lay the front 2 boot on the top of the motors intake and the bottom of the carbs. The boots should look level at this point then with even pressure push on both sides of the intake box downwardly and watch it pop the carbs back on. Simple huh? Now I can pull the carbs and get them back on as easy as changing the plugs.

 

David, you should check out the carb installation procedure I have outlined on my site. I think you'll find that, although you are on the right track, installing the front two first makes things a lot easier.

 

Well I don't think it would matter if one does the front of back first. I will know more tomorrow when I pull them off again to clean the pilot screw out. I hope that the diaphram that wasn't moving last time I looked isn't broken. New ones are running about $80 if I can find one. But I did see a set of carbs on line for $40 that I can part out. If the VF500 carbs are the same as the 700?

 

I took off the carbs again and I took out the pilot screws there was junk all over the ends. A little steel wool rub down and some carb cleaner thru the hole until it squirted out the front and they went back together. I counted the turns in and mark where the slot was pointing and counted the half turns in. I think I did alright there. But when I pulled the needle valve out this is what I discovered in the one that wasn't moving.

Its enough to piss off the pope.

 

I need this part number can anyone help me? I just need one. I ordered one from a bike place for $120 and they said it would take a week to get here. I guess I should be happy they still sell them at all.
Piston Vacuum 16111-MB0-871

 

Dave Dodge might have some used ones he can sell you: info@drp123.com

http://www.drp123.com/

Website is always under construction - but his info is on the contact link.

P.S. Since the diaphragm is toast, can you send it to me when you get a replacement, I'd like to experiment on it.

TIA

 

I never got an email saying that there was a reply to this message I wonder what other threads I am missing out on.

I was experimenting on it and some contact cement covered with gasket maker for protection sealed the tear in it. At least it will get me by until I can get another one. If your guy Dave can get me one cheaper I will be all over it. I was talking to Jamie and said he might be able to help but I haven't heard back from him so I want to here what he wants to do first.

I am not doubting that the seal will fail again. I need to get another one soon.