HELP! I need some carbs for my 500!

Hello All. I have been lurking here a bit for the last few months. I purchased an 86 vf500r Red White and Blue ! I really like it. Anyway... Shortly after I bought my bike (like 3 rides or so). I decided the throttle response was a bit off and the carbs probably needed to be cleaned.
I removed them to find some gunk in the bowls and a bit of the norm white crusty on a few jets. Suspected there was more I was not seeing inside carb bodies. I stumbled upon Billy Carr and sent my carbs to Texas for the works carb cleaning and rebuild.

That was over 7 weeks ago. After speaking to Billy on the phone he advised me the carbs were cleaned and waiting reassembly. I called a week later, same story. I called 2 weeks later...same story. He remembered me and promised the carbs would go out same day. Now I have left several messages asking him to please bill me for cleaning and I will reassemble myself. No response to 4 messages left to date.

Does anyone have a set of carbs to sell me? Please I have lost all faith that I will ever see mine again.

 

Bummer to hear this. I know B. Carr get's swamped this time of year and that he runs with a longer lead-time. On a positive note, nothing I have read would indicate that you won't see your set of carbs again. It may take some time though.

Hope this works out. Let us know how everything goes.

 

Thank you I.C., that is good to hear.
Please understand my intention is not to spread gossip or speak ill of Billy C. From everyone I spoke to he does a great job. My gripe is communication. I run a small construction business. I know the "feast or famine" way of business. However, I communicate what my schedule is and keep my word to my customers. If I cannot be on a job at the agreed time, I communicate that too.

I am so wanting my bike back. Gas prices are killer right now and I am making a 70 mile a day commute. I am looking at a few carbs for sale online, but I wanted to see if perhaps anybody here had a set for sale. Figured when Billy gets mine done I will just sell the extra set.

P.S. Invisible Cities, I have read your posts many times and appreciate your wisdom.

 

Certainly understand your frustration. Hopefully this is a small hiccup and you'll receive the rebuilt carburetors soon.

 

I can turn around a set of carbs in less than 10-14 days and do a fair number of carb-cleanings for members on this forum and others.

i wouldn't expect to stay in business if i took more than 2 weeks and do just as good work as Carr.

 

I ordered carb parts from BillyCarr over 7 months ago and he isn't even responding to my e-mails any longer.

Find some carbs somewhere and figure out how to do 'em yourself...it can seem overwhelming but's quite simple when you get down to it. Just stay organized.

 

Thank you all for your sympathy and feedback.

Good news! I purchased a set of 1984 rebuilt carbs off ebay Sunday (5-15). Quick shipment, they came today. Purchased from "Polandpaul" (if I am gonna spread bad news I will spread good news too

Running into a few problems: Carbs are off 84 my bike 86. Therefore.
Fuel lines hook up different.
IE my large 7/16" hose coming from tank now needs to split into two smaller hoses. One on outside of carb body....and another I just discovered (duh) coming from the rear of the carb body.

Guess I need to make a trip hardware store.

Dam not riding to work tommorow!

Has anyone else swapped to later model carbs??????
Better/ worse??

 

Fuel delivery is indeed different. The '86 petcock has a larger outlet. '86 carbs also have two fuel inlets.

All should be fine installing the '84 carbs with, as you suspect, stepping down a new single fuel line. You will also need to purchase new carb insulators (AKA carb boots), see note below.

There has been some discussion regarding swapping the carbs as this has been noted as being a hot mod back in the day. In part this is due to the larger bore on the '84/'85s, 32mm versus 30mm.

Good luck and please keep us posted.

 

Got carbs on Bike is alive!

Thank you IC, I installed the carbs in the original boots. NOT EASY but the are in there and seem to be seated correctly.

Fuel line coming from tank 7/16 (or metric equiv) Two fuel inlets on 84 carbs: both 5/16. I installed a brass tee fitting and cranked until battery dead. :crazy:

What is the weird sucking noise???? Follow the noise. I found the crankcase breather hose that runs up to bottom of air box aluminum plate (the plenum the carbs bolt to) Was not able to "inhale" because:

NO hole on the 84 plate. 86 hose is pre bent like it really wants to plug in where I did....but its a dead hole. I just left it to breath a minute AND BIKE STARTED RIGHT UP:smile::smile: Has a bit of "hang rev" throttle cables all good I believe it is related to breather hose

I am going to drill my plate now and report back after test ride

 

Jacotaco, could you explain to me how the line from the fuel petcock connects to the two seperater fuel lines on your 86' carbs? i'm putting an 86 together and looks like there should be a t-connector but there isn't. thanks!

 

Test ride...stuck floats on rear cylinder carbs.

OK so i was low on fuel and decided to risk the 1 1/2 mile voyage to gas station.

Bike ran very well on highway. Pulled good "Crispy"....... large lighting bolt touched down up ahead. Lit up the sky nicely. I tucked in and thought low ...lets stay low thoughts.

Any way, Stalled at traffic light (yeah I was running on fumes). Got her going and limped up to pump. Success! Short lived....

Filled up with Premium and scooted out. Pulling onto highway something was wrong...very wrong. Like wheres the power Scoob??? Why is the rev limiter kicking in at 5k rpm?? Because I was running on two cylinders thats why.

Pulled plugs, turned over engine to push out ALOT of gas from rear cylinders. Installed 4 new plugs. Tapped on carbs a bit hoping to unstick float. Repeated process 3 more times. No go.

I figure A: floats just stuck or B: something is holding float valve open.
Any thoughts team? I think I can get off float bowl from "clutch lever" side rear carb easy enough....but that "throttle " side rear...well I do not feel good about it at all.

Need to resolve this before I wipe out my two rear cylinders.... Any thoughts on a fix besides pulling carbs off again?

Oh and by the way Innovations, I do not have my 86 carbs back yet. But these 84 carbs have two fuel inlets 5/16 fuel line worked for me. I got a brass tee and union to hook up to 7/16 fuel line coming from petcock.

When I get my 86 carbs back (which may have the tee on them) I will get back to you.

 

'84 and '85 carbs only have one fuel inlet. Most likely you have installed another set of '86 carbs. Check the throttle bore, '84/ '85 are 32mm, '86 is 30mm.

In terms of the sluggish engine, what you are describing may also be related to a failing spark unit and not a fuel delivery issue.

On a side note, be careful not to run the engine in this condition as a flooded cylinder can lead to hydrolock.

 

Got it right and realize I am a DA.... sometimes Patience is a mechanics best tool

OK, what I thought was stuck floats were not. Pulled float bowl. Float moving fine. Got gas moving through carb and when float up; gas still pouring in. WTF@#@

Regroup. Looked more carefully at manual. That 2nd fuel line is not a fuel line it should have been hooked into the air plenum. Gent who rebuilt carbs has it backwards facing rear of bike not plumbed in. So I have been dumping fuel in to an AIR vent.

IC, your post is exactly correct ONLY ONE FUEL INLET on 84 carbs. My mistake. I have named my bike "America" I hope she forgives me for trying to drown her.

Got gas lines and vent lines routed correctly. Cycled engine without plugs to blow gas out. Cleaned plugs.

Bike now runs VERY WELL. RPMs build quickly. I almost forgot how smooth this little sucker is. Also runs cooler. Used to climb into upper 2/3 of temp gauge. Now in traffic with fan on barely past 1/2 on temp gauge. This may have something to do with flushing cooling system and correctly adjusting valves but clean carbs helped I am certain.

By the way Billy C. Invoiced me ! My carbs are in transit. He knocked $65 off price do to delay. I ordered new intake boots and when I feel up to it I will go back to original carbs. In my heart, I feel Billy knows these carbs better than anyone. I wanted him to set my carbs up. The wait sucked, I lost my patience. Now I have two sets of cleaned and rebuilt carbs, one of which I may sell.

I also must note: While the bike was apart I checked compression. Before valve adjustment: Fronts : 150 135 held psi well. Rears: 135 145 dropped quickly. Valves way way too tight! After my adjustment: Fronts: both 160 held well, Rears:170 150 slow drop psi. I conclude rear cylinders may be showing some wear but overall still pretty tight. Bike has 19,000 miles on it.
Also I flushed cooling system, Air filter very new, replaced some missing or damaged rubbers for fairing and gas tank, repaired broken mount on gauge unit, replaced chain and sprockets, added some silicone to rear cush hub pads, cleaned and painted exhaust, and added MIA muffler connector seals (I was wondering why they moved so much!) Bike bandit microfiche helps me figure out if I am missing parts sometimes.

Wow, I just wrote a novel. In short bike feels tight and crisp. Still need to synch carbs for perfection but at the moment I am satisfied she is road worthy and safe. Soon I will be swapping in original carbs.