[Wild-Bill]

Forgive my ignorance, but "drop down" method? Me to the ground or the screws?

One at a time, back the A/F screw out until the rpms start to drop. Turn the screw back in until the rpms drop again and then set the screw to midway between those two points.

That is absurd...good thing your powers of observation never cease to amaze.

In my defense, I'd moved three times since I put them in there and I'd never used them since they weren't needed for my 750.

...Would it also be possible to put the adapters in and tube some hose out from them, then plug them and keep them out of the way during normal operation? It seems like a prudent option to me...

Exactly what I was planning to do.

[spatula6554]

To clarify, I was referring the absurdity of $40 for the adapters. I am glad you found your original set.

[KatKrak]

Pardon the Hijack,
Bill, Did you say you had a line on some brass adapters ? Can you tell me where ? I'd like a set as the ones that came with the carbtune are cheap and shatty.

*Edit* Um, never mind, brain fart here, I see the link.

[spatula6554]

Last night was Transmission Cooling Line Tube Bending 101 in my garage.

My 1997 Monte Carlo with 200,460 miles on it needed new lines into and out of the cooler. What a pain...especially with Autozone's awesome quality tools! It is done now and seems to be working well.

As I took a drive to prove it out a bit, I pulled into a gas station. 2 guys were there, one with a Nighthawk 650 and another with a BMW F800GS all laden with hardcases, bags and gear. Turns out they are from Rochester and have been touring around the area. They grew up down in Corning / Elmira area and just come down for a couple of days in each town and hang out. Nice guys; they told me to get my Kat going. Hopefully I will see them around once the bike is running.



Tonight was Spark Plug Night in my garage. What a joyous time it was.

I was messing around on my bike and decided to pull the plugs. Last time I was trying to set the carbs right before a proper sync it was running lumpy and Cylinders 2 and 4 were not firing.

All the plugs were fouled when I pulled them so I set them aside and got the plugs I purchased in Scranton when my wife and I were driving home Friday. I know I got the right plugs from NA Warhorse because I know the part number, NGK JR9B. I pulled a new one out and looked at it...

...picked up a plug I just pulled out of the bike and looked at it...

...looked at both of them side-by-side...

...the old plugs in the bike were not JR9B. They were some DR89E-L or something (I don't remember the exact part right now) and the ground shape was different than the JR9B. Good thing I checked.

Also did 5 of 6 plugs on my wife's car, a 2003 Chevy Blazer. Cylinder 5 seems to be impossible to remove with standard tools unless you move the steering column...no thanks. Almost all of the old plugs I pulled were within spec anyways.

Purchased the Motion Pro 90° Carb Adjustment Tool this morning on eBay and the 5 mm Adapters tonight on Z1. This new ambition is due to a goal of having the bike ready and proven by August 20 2011 for a ride in the area.

A lap around WGI would be awesome...

[loudnlow7484]

I know this happened a long time ago, but if I had a bike that seriously wiped a cam like that, and then followed it up by snapping the cam chain, I'd have been taking a long hard look at the state of the top-end lubrication. Just my opinion... I guess it has been going fine for you so far, but it just seems like something that should have been really checked out.

[spatula6554]

I know this happened a long time ago, but if I had a bike that seriously wiped a cam like that, and then followed it up by snapping the cam chain, I'd have been taking a long hard look at the state of the top-end lubrication. Just my opinion... I guess it has been going fine for you so far, but it just seems like something that should have been really checked out.

You are scaring me now... How would one go about that? Please bear in mind that the PO did not take care of the bike. I would be willing to wager that when I had the valves done it was the first time. The valves set properly combined with the new camshafts would have forced the next weak point to fail, even if the lube rates and pressure were correct.

Thoughts?

[Wild-Bill]

Seems like a valid chain of thought. Shade tree way to check for top end lubrication is to pull the valve cover and briefly crank the engine up. If oil flies everywhere then you've got plenty of oil flow. If not then you've got a problem.

Messy but fairly reliable...


If you just want to clean out the oil passages/galley on general principles you can throw a bit of diesel in with the oil, swap filters and idle the engine for five minutes or so. Change the oil and filter right afterwards to get rid of all the gunk the diesel breaks loose.

[loudnlow7484]

You are scaring me now... How would one go about that? Please bear in mind that the PO did not take care of the bike. I would be willing to wager that when I had the valves done it was the first time. The valves set properly combined with the new camshafts would have forced the next weak point to fail, even if the lube rates and pressure were correct.

Thoughts?

You'd probably have to ask arsenic about that. I know there are fittings near the bottom of the engine to check the oil pressure in the high pressure oil passages, but they wouldn't help you if the oil pump is fine, but there is a blockage in the passages to the head. Does the bike leak or seep any oil in the headgasket or base gasket area?

[spatula6554]

You'd probably have to ask arsenic about that. I know there are fittings near the bottom of the engine to check the oil pressure in the high pressure oil passages, but they wouldn't help you if the oil pump is fine, but there is a blockage in the passages to the head. Does the bike leak or seep any oil in the headgasket or base gasket area?

Not that I recall...would that indicate higher pressure at the gaskets due to a blockage in the passage downstream of the pump?

I will have to look into the top end lubrication now...

The Motion Pro 90° Professional Technician Carburetor Adjustment Apparatus arrived late Friday (I am trying really hard to not call it a $75 screwdriver). The brass adapters for syncing arrived Thursday but it has been a busy weekend of house hunting and estate auctions so maybe Monday evening after work I can get some time to work on Katherina.

[spatula6554]

Since we last left off, loudnlow7484 scared me enough to take off the valve cover and check the top end lubrication. Turns out 2 of the 8 wide head Allen bolts are actually stripped out of their threaded holes on the head. I did verify that the top end was receiving oil so that helped to assuage my fears.

Yesterday afternoon I decided to pull the carbs and clean them completely but this would be my first endeavor doing something like this and I need some help. Per Carbs 101, I am only doing one at a time allowing me some extra copies to put the disassembled one back together.

Pictures...

It looks to me like a Factory Pro (6 clips?) needle / jet kit?

Is there anything else on there that needs to be disassembled? I took it as far as I can without more information on what to force and what not to force.

What usually comes off the carbs for a Chem-Dip cleaning? Do you remove the butterfly valve, spring, etc...?

Any other information or tips?

[Wild-Bill]

Looks like you're ready to dip that carb. I leave the butterflies on because the screws are swaged in place. The springs don't suffer at all from dipping. Big thing is to remove anything made out of rubber. I do make a point of working some oil around the butterfly shafts as I'm putting everything back together as well as using a little WD-40 on the choke plungers just to keep them from sticking until they get some gas through them. (That's the normal lube for the choke plungers but it'll evaporate pretty quick.)

[spatula6554]

Thanks for the input...how long in the dip? Can says 15-30 minutes but I have heard up to 24 hours.

(EDIT)

I will let it sit overnight, take it out in the morning and hit it up with some carb cleaner. Maybe get up early and procure some canned air to do it proper.

Arsenic, any leads on where to source the screws for the bowls and lid on top of the carb? I had to drill some of them out in order to remove them. I have heard Allen heads are recommended but I am leaning towards Torx due to the positive engagement rather than an interference edge. Are they something to obtain from a parts dealer or something I can find at Lowe's?

[Wild-Bill]

I get them here:

http://www.mcmaster.com/#metric-socket-head-cap-screws/=duu7qq

M4x16 SS screws with washers work really well.
(M5x16 for 600/750 carbs)

Only problem with McMaster Carr is you have to buy fairly large quantities. You'll have a bunch left over. If you're just doing the one set send me a PM. I've got plenty on hand.

[spatula6554]

Thanks for the offer...currently talking with Arsenic about those. The three holes grouped in the Venturi are fed by the tube directly beneath them correct? Is this the idle circuit? I was trying to force air through those three and carb cleaner and some was getting through but not much...

It is drying overnight while the metal internals sit in SeaFoam.

[Wild-Bill]

...The three holes grouped in the Venturi are fed by the tube directly beneath them correct? Is this the idle circuit?...

If I've got the right mental picture going then yes, those are the idle passages.

NBD on the screws. Just be sure whatever screws you get are long enough to grab threads all the way through the carb bodies. The two screws holding the bracket for the idle adjuster are the big concern. If you get exactly the right length screws for the rest of the bowls then those two will only grab about two threads each. That's not enough.