Carb Sync screw driver

HI Guys,

Looking to sync carbs on 84 VF500 and wanted to know if you "need" a 90 degree head screw driver or not. I know things are really tight in there and a small inspection mirror is a nice thing to have too. I don't mine buying the tool but I can't find one at the local shops so ordering online won't help for the weekend project.

THANKS

 

As far as I know it can be done without the Honda tool. It's not easy and you need a socket set with muliple length extensions and wobbles and the like but I have defintely read of people succeeding this way. I chickened out and bought the tool. It was frighteningly expensive but I plan on keeping the bike a long time.

These are the notes I made when doing mine.

Turn up the idle to about 3000rpm

Jump the radiator so it's always on! Important! engine gets really hot and fan switches can stick!

From the left side use the synch tool

First synch 2 to 4 (4 is black knob, 2 is the hex nut). This is the hardest to get to.
This synchs the front two carbs

The move to rear two
Do furthest away from left side hex screw first which is 3
Then do the nearest which is 1

Note these numbers are consistent with the cylinder numbers in the FSM but differ from the interweb documents which transpose 4 for 1.

You can get them close but not perfect. If you press too hard when adjusting you are moving the butterflies so will get a bogus reading.

 

Thanks for the info. I'm going to adjust the valves first and then sync the carbs. I have a Clymer service manual which pretty much sucks so I bought a Honda manual. It's funny how the two manuals differ. I'll post my results once I'm done.

 

I have small hands so I fluted a socket to hold the D shaped bit that you use to adjust these screws. I wear an old Nomex flight glove so I don't burn the sh!t out of my hand. One of the flutes is painted black so I know how many turns I'm at. Works great-glad I only do it once a year though.

 

Rangemaster, OP refers to synch screws not idle mixture screws. Thankfully, no D-shaped fuel screws on VFs. After adjusting any synch screw, blip the throttle a few times to assure the linkages and throttle butterflies have settled into the new position. Usually you'll never need to turn any synch screw more than about 1/8 turn.