What is the best carb sync tool?

[tzortn]

If you own a carb sync tool please chime in. I need to buy one and I am not sure what makes the most sense.

Motion Pro Professional (~$70) / Motion Pro Economy (~$50) - both use mercury. Is the mercury a pain to deal with? How do you store it? How do you hold the tool in place while you are using it.

Vacuum Gauges (~$50) - these are clean and easy to use, but the long term accuracy may be a problem.

Morgan tool (~$100)- Very cool, but expensive. Is it worth the extra $$$. http://www.carbtune.com/

[The CyberPoet]

I've got the Morgan CarbTuneII and believe it's worth it -- because it's an once-in-a-lifetime investment. If I knew I would never need to balance a carb again in my life, it wouldn't make much sense.

As for fuel injection -- most fuel injected bikes still require some balancing of the vacuum levels and have fitments for the same type of lines to a carb sync as carb'd bikes.

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

[guy2600]

+1 on the carbtune. Mercury sucks and is VERY toxic as you know. I have the same and couldn't be happier with it...

[md86]

Used the Motion Pro cheapy one alot . The mercury can be poured back into the bottle if you're worried about the sticks getting knocked over and spilling . Works fine .

[The CyberPoet]

Mercury sucks and is VERY toxic as you know.

Moreover, mercury eats aluminum:

Mercury readily combines with aluminium to form an amalgam when the two pure metals come into contact. However, when the amalgam is exposed to air, the aluminium oxidizes, leaving behind mercury. The oxide flakes away, exposing more mercury amalgam, which repeats the process. This process continues until the supply of amalgam is exhausted, and since it releases mercury, a small amount of mercury can “eat through” a large amount of aluminium over time, by progressively forming amalgam and relinquishing the aluminium as oxide.
Aluminium in air is ordinary protected by a molecule-thin layer of its own oxide (which is not porous to oxygen). Mercury coming into contact with this oxide does no harm. However, if any elemental aluminium is exposed (even by a recent scratch), the mercury may combine with it, starting the process described above, and potentially damaging a large part of the aluminium before it finally ends (Ornitz 1998).
For this reason, restrictions are placed on the use and handling of mercury in proximity with aluminium. In particular, mercury is not allowed aboard aircraft under most circumstances because of the risk of it forming amalgam with exposed aluminium parts in the aircraft.

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

[Fast Glass]

I used to own a mercury snyc tool. Can't remember which one it was though. Worked great, and when not in use it hung on the wall over my work bench. I would hang it off either one of the handlebars, or a short ladder nearby while syncing the carbs. Had it for several years until I sold it with my Kat last summer.

I can backup what CyberPoet posted about mercury and aluminum. We can ship it on airplanes, but it's very critical. I've been in air freight for many years, and have seen a 747 scrapped due to a mercury spill.

[Skier]

The poor college student in me likes the $5 home-made version best. My current setup only does two carbs at once, but I have the materials and setup for a $5 four-carb balancer.

[dumboguy03]

"You get what you pay for." Depends on what you are trying to do. 1 time thing, or over and over. 1 time thing, go cheap, over and over, get dependability. For the record, I hate mercury.

[md86]

Mercury sucks and is VERY toxic as you know.

Well don't eat it then : .