Carburetor Part for 1988 Suzuki GSX1100F Katana

[Arion]

A local shop broke this part (pictured below) while trying to hammer in the emulsion tube instead of just manually pressing it in. A replacement is not available from Suzuki. The repair shop initially promised to locate a replacement but that was two months ago. Please help.

The part is a plastic guide for the flat throttle slide in one of the carburetors. The emulsion tube/needle jet is also pressed into this guide. The plastic guide is held in place with 2 secure-Torx screws. The throttle bores are 34mm. The numbers stamped on the side of the Mikuni carburetors are 48801 E7804. I believe the carburetor bodies are the same for the 1988-1993 GSX1100F models, as they are for the 1986-1988 GSX-R1100 models, but I'm not certain.

I have been e-mailing salvagers all over the world, but no one seems willing to part-out a set of good carburetors. Any suggestions for locating a replacement part?

I have tried gluing the part back together but nothing seems to work. ABS and PVC solvents have no effect, and epoxies won't stick.

Also, I am reassembling the carburetors myself. There are 2 main jet sizes: 110 & 112.5. Are the 110's for cylinders 2 & 3, or 1 & 4?

Thanks for any help,
Nikolas

Vancouver
Canada

[VifferJim]

Okay - two months without a bike because of something STUPID that the shop did???

I think that's long enough (anyone out there disagree???)...

Go back to your buddy at the shop and give him a time certain to produce the replacement part OR replace the carbs - sounds fair to me...

[Black_peter]

[steves]

I would try to locate a new, complete set of carbs. At least that way you'll have 3 spares if it happens again.

I wouldn't go back to that shop again, and I would send them the bill.

[steves]

Also, you might want to try http://oldskoolsuzuki.info

[The CyberPoet]

SudCo normally carries Mikuni subassembly parts new. visit www.sudco.com
If that offers no joy, try going to Mikuni directly.

Or as Steves said (and I endorse), get another set of carbs complete off ebay, etc. Personally, I'd make the shop go that route if they mangled up a set of my carbs -- 60 days is way beyond any concept of reasonable on correcting their own F-up.

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

[Arion]

Mikuni doesn't offer this part separately because it is proprietary to Suzuki. I learned this from http://www.winnerscirclecanada.com, a distributor of Mikuni parts here in Canada.

In the meantime, I finally found a couple of salvagers who claim to have the correct part and are willing to sell it: Cycle Salvage in Connecticut and LA Salvage in California. Keeping my fingers crossed...

Thanks for the suggestions guys.

Anyone know about the main jets and to which cylinders they correspond?

[The CyberPoet]

Anyone know about the main jets and to which cylinders they correspond?

Usually the smaller jets go in the middle two cylinders, since the temp is higher and fuel has better evaporation as a result. Note that they only do this in certain countries for pollution control reasons -- those countries that specifically measure values at idle as part of their national pollution standards. In all other countries, they put the same jets all the way across (as do all the aftermarket jetkits I've seen).

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

[VifferJim]

wouldn't go back to that shop again, and I would send them the bill.

I agree with the sentiment from Steve, just not the approach. You should never expect a good response from someone when you surprise them with a bill. They'll him-and-haw about how you never gave them a chance to fix it and what you're asking for is entirely too much.

If you have any intention of getting money out of the shop that broke your bike, you're best served by creating a paper trail to cover you. Ultimately, you could end up in small claims court. Without documentation to show that you did everything right, you give the bastards wiggle room to get out from under their obligation to pay for damages.

[Arion]

I have been keeping records of my investment, including time spent on internet searches, records of e-mails and telephone bills, receipts for the part, its shipping, and customs charges. In the meantime, I have also been calling the shop and leaving messages asking for any progress on their part, as well as keeping them informed of my progress. The owner and head mechanic who caused the damage never seems to answer the phone himself, and has never returned my calls. He may be ignoring the messages because as they say: "Out of sight, out of mind." But, once I have the bike repaired, I will approach the shop with my records and he will hopefully and ultimately take responsibility. If he doesn't, then I will suggest that he should since the reputation of his shop depends upon it. A potential complaint to the Better Business Bureau could also be a good motivator. Only if that fails will I consider small-claims court.

My only question at this point is how to assess the value of the time I have spent searching for the part. What sort of hourly rate would one attach to that?

[The CyberPoet]

My only question at this point is how to assess the value of the time I have spent searching for the part. What sort of hourly rate would one attach to that?

What would he charge you to have one of his staff do the same if they were on the clock? I'd think that would count as prevailing rate. In no case should it be less than minimum wage. Perhaps jgmann67 (a lawyer or former lawyer?) can answer this better.

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

[VifferJim]

My knee-jerk response is that your time is probably lost... especially the time that you spent to research and find the necessary part(s). I would be more inclined to focus on the actual repair costs (parts and labor for a reputable stealership to repair the bike) and the lost use of your motorcycle.

But, I don't practice this type of law with any regularity.

If you end up in small claims court, you will have difficulty getting a magistrate to wrap his head around how much your time is worth. But, having documentation in hand that shows:

a. This is how the bike was before stone-fingers got his hands on it;
b. These are the damages inflicted by him rendering the bike little more than a lawn orniment; and,
c. This is how much it cost to put the bike back to the condition it was in before stone-fingers got his hands on it.

should mean a result in your favor....

Again, I don't practice this type of law; and the law can be different from state to state and country to country. Don't use this as legal advice. I would encourage you to talk to an attorney in your area, the state consumer advocate if you have one; or the BBB (as a last resort, though - the BBB is effectively businesses policing businesses).

[Special K]

Try thes guys:

Motorcycle Sports, Inc
Munford, AL
256-831-6495
Ask for Jeff or Ronda

Manuel Motorcycles
Akron, OH
330-634-9800
Ask for Mark or Pete

Motorcycle Salvage
Delaware, OH
740-362-5595

Willies Cycle Salvage
AL
800-334-4045

220 Cycle Salvage
Greensboro, NC
336-674-6483
Ask for Buck or ??


BTW....the 110's always go on 2 & 3 to help them run just a tad cooler, but its NOT really necessary........it was a theory that was used in the mid 80's that has only proved out on long distance race bikes that were NOT going fast enough. The temp difference proved to only be about 1-15 degrees F

[Arion]

I received the part from Cycle Salvage in Connecticut, and it fits! The carburetors are now fully assembled, installed, and adjusted. The float levels were double checked, the diaphragm seals seated properly, and the pilot screws set to 2.5 turns out from full stop. The bike starts and revs...but immediately begins backfiring at irregular intervals. Air leaks?

The rubber intake trumpets from the airbox are still nice and flexible. The rubber insulators on the cylinder head are also in good condition. All are seated properly. The o-rings for the float valves were replaced, as were the seals for the float chambers. Should I have changed the o-rings pictured in the photograph of the broken part as well? It does seem that way now. Can anyone think of other possible causes?

Thanks.

[Trigger]

What did the part cost ya? Maybe you can make a list of all the places you contacted and put it up here so if any others have problems you can refer them to the post instead of answering individual questions. Just a thought.

Glad your back on the road