Hi all. (Thinking about getting a '99 Katana 750 back on the street.)

[Haggard_99]

Hi all!

I stumbled across this forum while researching what I might be getting into if I try to get my '99 Katana 750 back on the street.

Long story short, it has been sitting, for a *long* time. It has spent the better part of the last 12 years immobile. After it sat for about 4 years, I tried to start it, during which a whole bunch of cranking resulted in nothing more than a backfire. A friend of a friend played around with it about 5 years ago and got it running, but it was never 100%, which was sort of why I just put it away again. I know the carbs are going to be a mess, and the gas tank probably has rust in it, and that's just the beginning...

I contacted a local shop that has a good reputation. The people in there seemed more than reasonable. They politely explained that I'd probably be in for somewhere between $500-$1000 just to get it running. Of course, who knows what other issues could pop up after that?

So, I started thinking: Why don't I give it a shot myself? How hard could it possibly be? What could go wrong? I'm fairly mechanically inclined. (Most of my experience has been with 1970s-1990s American cars, just about everything from oil changes to engine swaps.) I've got access to some tools. I have a buddy that's pretty good at handing me beers while I'm turning wrenches...

I've read a bit here and there over the past couple of weeks. I've found a few different guides for rebuilding carbs. I've found write-ups on cleaning out tanks. I found an awesome how-to for a fuel injection conversion, but I don't think that's in the cards right now.

Clearly, I'm stupid, or I would have taken better care of the bike. But, I've heard of other people taking on crazier projects that turned out successful. So, what does everyone think? Am I out of my mind? Is this a reasonable project? Have at, let me know what you think, and don't hold back. I've got pretty thick skin...

Thanks for reading!

[RobertTravis]

Welcome to KR.

You could redo the bike, fill it with this crappy gas they have today & have the exact same problems/symptoms you do now only 6 months down the road...Life happens. Just because you didn't mothball your bike doesn't make you stupid. It happens.

Drain the tank of all that junk gas. Slosh it around, stir it up and dump it. Put some fresh in, slosh around and drain it. Inspect tank & treat as needed.

Clean the carbs...which means taking them apart, chase out the circuits and soak for 24hrs. Replace ALL of the fuel and vacuum lines with fresh rubber replacements. Install a fuel filter to keep the sediment that may fleck off of the tank out of your newly cleaned carbs.

Pull and replace spark plugs. Start it up...then sync the carbs.,.which in case isn't apparent, is just setting the cracked open position of the butterflies so that each cyl has the same vacuum reading...nothing more that that.

I'm redoing my '89...so your project is a lot easier to find parts for and probably in better shape...

[Haggard_99]

Thanks for the reply!

Regarding your comment on "crappy gas they have today," is the ethanol content the cause of the problems? I always thought the problems with carbs after sitting was just a result of solids left behind after the volatile components of gasoline have evaporated? If it's worth the extra effort, I might be able to find ethanol free gas locally... Also, I'd like to think I'm older and wiser now, and if I was to put it away again I would either run it dry and/or use Sta-Bil.

Taking apart and cleaning the carbs doesn't seem too difficult. "Chase out the circuits" - I guess you mean cleaning out the jets and seats for the needles for the float valves, and basically any holes that the gas needs to move through? A piece of thin wire and/or a spray can of carb cleaner should be good for this, no? "Soak for 24 hrs" - Do you mean soak in fresh gas? I've heard that some people use ammonia to clean gasoline varnish, but that it's rough on brass? Maybe just spray some Gumout into a container? Or SeaFoam?

As far as the fuel filter: I mentioned that I'm more familiar with cars, and those fuel systems operate under pressure. I thought that carburated motorcycle fuel systems operated just on gravity? If I put in an in-line fuel filter, would it allow enough flow to keep the carbs happy? I guess it should be fine until it became too clogged?

Thanks for the brief explanation of synching the carbs. That was the only part I knew absolutely nothing about, and I think that may have been the reason it was never 100% when it ran 5 years ago. If the rack of the 4 carbs was not completely disassembled, shouldn't the butterflies all still be aligned properly? [Only the bowls were taken off for cleaning them out.] Or, is the slight variation of the internals in each carb enough that all 4 need to be set slightly differently? I'm guessing that the synching is something where 'close enough' doesn't cut it? Single gauges don't seem to be too expensive. Checking one carb at a time, adjusting, and re-checking until all are the same should suffice, yes?

Sorry so many more questions. I don't expect an explicit answer to every one, but I'm grateful for any and all input from anyone.

Thanks!

[92xjunker]

Canned carb cleaners won't work. Soak in berrymans carb dip. It is the the evaporation of the gas to a sticky state, ethanol accelerates the process. Running tour carbs dry after staybil is added to the fuel would be proper. Syncing the carbs everytime the carbs are removed and or serviced eliminates any imbalance cause by the alignment being upset when they were yanked off or pushed on, ect.....

[Cheap Bass Turd]

Welcome aboard and I'm new here myself.

I'm saying go for it as I am doing the very same thing. lol

Picked up an '89 with literally 7800 miles. It was partially ressurrected as the date codes
on the tires are 2006. Other than that, MAJOR hibernation sickness abounds.

I've pulled apart the carbs and used Seafoam and a Q-tip for the bowl bottoms. It was
literally that bad to have a shiny layer of glaze in the entire fuel system. Hadda soak them
each at a time cuz my carb cleaner soaker is a one gallon paint can w/ basket setup.
just checked the can and it's Beeryman's Carb Parts Cleaner. It screams now but has
that annoying flat spot at 9500 to 10,500 rpms that I have been reading about. (Probably
gonna shim the needles on that one.)

Doing a spark test lit me up like the 4th of July so the cracked wires and coil assembly
got replaced. I was just holding the wire when it bbq'ed my fingertips. lol That'll wake
up a fella real quick.

With all the plastic off it got a light rub with 600 grit and some navy blue glosscoat cuz
I'm burning out on painting every bike I've owned black. The blue/black/silver combo
looks sweet actually. Left the fender and wheels silver.

Yeah there's 15-18 labor hours in it but I think it's well worth the effort especially if we
know that it ran ok when it got put into storage. That gives a solid starting point for
restoration as it's usually the fuel systems that need a rebuild and some NEW hoses no
matter how nice they may look. Those two and and an oil change usually get a scooter
back on the road. A clean tank and yes, fuel filter will make a huge difference keeping
them running. Fresh battery, fresh gas, fresh tires, etc.

After all that, next (for both of us) is new brake fluid and fork oil. The steering head and
swingarm pivot need a shot of grease. few drops of oil down all the cable housings especially
the speedo drive and cable. Work that clutch cable loose and use a drop of oil on both ends.
I'll be checking wheel bearing slop too when I drop the wheels to spoon on some
new non dry rotted Dunlop 407 rear and Battlax front.

Simple huh? Dust it off, fill the tank, and it's a brand new bike????????????

Have fun, I am too.
Cheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeap

[Haggard_99]

Thanks for the encouragement. I'm starting to really think that I can handle this project...

I've found the service manual, a series of videos on rebuilding carbs, and a few other odds and ends that I think will be helpful along the way. This forum is a wealth of information.

One thing that I haven't come across yet: Is there a standard amount of vacuum to set for when synchronizing the carbs, or is it just more important that they all match? [Or are as close as humanly possible.]

Cheap Bass Turd - your 'handle' describes me as well. That's part of the reason I'm about to try this myself, rather than handing my hard-earned greenbacks over to a professional. Good luck with your project!

Thanks all.

[Kreylyn]

One thing that I haven't come across yet: Is there a standard amount of vacuum to set for when synchronizing the carbs, or is it just more important that they all match? [Or are as close as humanly possible.]

No set standard amount to measure for. The sync process is to make them all match, not meet a specific #. As such, gauges/sync tools that compare vacuum are going to be more accurate than one's that "measure" it.

You can make a simple sync tool for less than $10 invested that is highly sensitive, and works great.

Krey

[Haggard_99]

Krey: Thanks for the input. A quick Google search yielded a few different ideas. I think I finally understand now why I did all of those manometer problems in school....

It seems that I've gathered all the basic info that I need to get started. Now, it's off to start collecting hardware and get this project underway.

Thanks all!

[Haggard_99]

Hey again all, just a little bit of a follow-up. It's been a while, but the project is still underway (slowly but surely).

I wanted to say thanks to Steve for the Carbs 102 & Float Height videos, they've been immensely helpful.

Also, Berryman's Chem Dip is MAGIC! A two hour soak had everything looking like new.

To any other noobs considering digging into their carbs themselves that might stumble across this: Go for it, it's really not that bad of a job.

[ZukiFred]

Glad to hear things are going well.

[Haggard_99]

Update: IT RUNS!

I finally had a chance to rig up a temporary gas tank and fire it up. It sure was nice to hear it purring again. I did the 'spray water on the exhaust' trick and it appears that all 4 cylinders are functioning properly, so I think I can rule out any problems with the ignition which I was worried about because of how long it has been sitting.

I do have a question, if anyone knows the answer: I understand that the fuel petcock operates on vacuum and should only allow fuel into the carb bowls when it is needed, and the temporary tank is the same as using the PRI setting on the petcock. And, the overflows or 'puke tubes' on the tops of the carbs are for when there is too much fuel going into the bowls. Is it normal for some fuel to come out through the overflows when using a temporary tank, or do I have a problem with my float needles and/or seats? I hope I explained that properly, and I imagine someone else out there has probably had and maybe fixed the same issue. Thanks in advance for any input.

Also, thanks again to Steve for the carb rebuild videos!

[Kreylyn]

Update: IT RUNS!

I finally had a chance to rig up a temporary gas tank and fire it up. It sure was nice to hear it purring again. I did the 'spray water on the exhaust' trick and it appears that all 4 cylinders are functioning properly, so I think I can rule out any problems with the ignition which I was worried about because of how long it has been sitting.

I do have a question, if anyone knows the answer: I understand that the fuel petcock operates on vacuum and should only allow fuel into the carb bowls when it is needed, and the temporary tank is the same as using the PRI setting on the petcock. And, the overflows or 'puke tubes' on the tops of the carbs are for when there is too much fuel going into the bowls. Is it normal for some fuel to come out through the overflows when using a temporary tank, or do I have a problem with my float needles and/or seats? I hope I explained that properly, and I imagine someone else out there has probably had and maybe fixed the same issue. Thanks in advance for any input.

Also, thanks again to Steve for the carb rebuild videos!

Yes, there is a problem. The float needles should prevent flooding. If the carbs are over flowing, then check the float needles. If it's a 98+ bike, also check the o-rings on the needle seats.

Krey