First Carb Job Done! Sorta...

[JMHJ]

On my new GSX1100G (and my first bike not technically a "GS") that I bought several weeks ago.

I did it a little at time over the last few weeks, and finally got it all back together today. I got a mixed result, but I'm so pleased I don't care at this point.

Without even touching the pilot fuel screws or balancing, and just running it with the fuel in the bowls, it seems to run really well, with great off-idle response and right on up through 5-7k (about as far as I went with it just sitting in the garage). The catch is it dies within a few seconds when I hook the fuel pump up. It ran for a few seconds on my first try, but got all flooded soon thereafter, so I pulled the plugs and let it all air for an hour and a half with a fan on it and tried again, but only with what fuel was in the bowls, no extra fuel or fuel pressure. It started and ran well like that.

Unfortunately I tried to shortcut, and didn't replace any O-rings or gaskets (just lubed them up a bit before reinstall), so I'm thinking some of those may be the problem. I'm going to have to research and find exactly what I need there and redo that part of it. I will also check the float heights more closely. the float needle (?) tips looked fine to me (rubber).

I found the pilot fuel screws set from the factory @ 2 to 2 3/4+ turns out. I set them all back to 2 turns out to start out with, but I'm not even going to mess with those until I go back and do the O-rings, etc. The bike ran well on the highway when I rode it home after purchase, but shuddered in town. I found one pilot jet completely clogged with white crud, and a little of the same stuff in the bottom of a couple of the bowls and in one of the starter plunger circuits.

I dipped the first carb, but just used carb cleaner on the other 3, soaking the pilot, main and needle jets in it as well. I preferred that over the dip I think. I shot all the passages I could think of with it, then used compressed air too after rinsing in hot water, making sure it was coming out where it was supposed to. I don't know if I didn't get the dipped carb rinsed well enough or what, but it had a light rusty looking residue in a few areas on the outside of it when I went to put it back together with the rest of them.

Getting them back on was the hardest part, but I think I learned a little, and it should go a little easier next time. I know I shoulda done it right the first time, but the whole thing was pretty daunting to me at the start, and right now I'm so happy it actually RUNS, and better than before (with caveat...) that I'm counting it a big success . And I now know what Mikuni "flatslides" are, lol.

 

[Steve]

Just remember: every shortcut you take only means one more time that you will have to take the carbs off again.

I think I couted FIVE shortcuts there, have fun. :-\\\

.

 

[chuck hahn]

Wheres that picture of Picard with his face in his hands that says "What the fvck..this $hit again" First ones done...2...3...4..more to follow?? Anyone wanna take bets???

 

[JMHJ]

Yeah, I'd prefer to be actually riding the thing instead of taking/putting the carbs off and on. . Man, one more inch in there between the airbox and the motor side woulda made a big difference.

 

[JMHJ]

Wheres that picture of Picard with his face in his hands that says "What the fvck..this $hit again" First ones done...2...3...4..more to follow?? Anyone wanna take bets???

That would be first try EVER, with any motorcycle carbs. I think it went pretty well for that. But I'll let you know if whatever I do next falls flat...

 

[chuck hahn]

Scroll down a bit on the right side. Get NEW orings for the carbs and the intake boots from cycleorings.com and some Berrymans from Wally World. I get my carb bowl gaskets from Sirius Consolidated...good gaskets and cheap.

http://members.dslextreme.com/users/bikecliff/

Flip around here to see if they have anything for your bike.

http://www.siriusconinc.com/search_result.php?make=3&model=&part=1&partno=&x=43&y=8&search=search

 

[JMHJ]

Scroll down a bit on the right side. Get NEW orings for the carbs and the intake boots from cycleorings.com and some Berrymans from Wally World. I get my carb bowl gaskets from Sirius Consolidated...good gaskets and cheap.

http://members.dslextreme.com/users/bikecliff/

Flip around here to see if they have anything for your bike.

http://www.siriusconinc.com/search_result.php?make=3&model=&part=1&partno=&x=43&y=8&search=search

Thanks. Robert indicated that some of the O-rings are the same, but not all. I need to get back with him on that. The dip I have was from Napa; not sure how that compares to Berryman's. The carb cleaner I used was one 15 year old or so can (probably had good stuff in it back then), and one from Napa that said "not for sale in California"; I'm thinking that one is probably pretty good too, lol.

My bowls don't seem to be leaking; the gaskets were rubber and didn't tear up; I may have gotten away with that part, but I'll probably do that as well while I'm back into them. None of the intake O-rings were cracked like in the tutorial pic, but I can't swear they are functioning as new either. I took them out and lubed them as well. I had a whole set of the stuff for my 850, but it went with the bike.

 

[chuck hahn]

But they have been compressed and taken a set...so for the few extra bucks youll have them all new and right. Presquished gaskets take more force to seal than new ones also,,,which means you can strip a hole easier trying to get them to seal again.

 

[Steve]

Make that SIX shortcuts.

.

 

[chuck hahn]

Again...once an oring is compressed it takes a set. The intake orings are toast...TRUST US!!!!!

 

[jbthomp]

The catch is it dies within a few seconds when I hook the fuel pump up. It ran for a few seconds on my first try, but got all flooded soon thereafter

That's because your float levels are too high. You need to get the clear tube to check the float levels before you put them back on. Or you will have to take them off again. As i just found out the published float height spec is just a guideline. It could be way off especially if someone has messed with it before you and bent the arms on the floats instead of the little adjusting tabs.
This tool or something similar is what you need to check the actual fuel level in the bowls. You could probably make one if you wanted to.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/271428455754?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649

These guys on here know their $hit for sure. I for sure could have saved myself a couple weeks work and about 5 carb removals if i would have done it their way first. O well life is full of lessons and the best ones are hard learned for sure. Good luck!

 

[JMHJ]

Keep your shirts on. I'll change 'em :lol:

I've never heard that phrase in reference to used O-rings - "takes a set" or "taken a set". They've been "set" in a certain position, and aren't going to seal well anymore, I take it.

I gambled and lost. I looked at info. from several sources - both carb tutorials, youtube stuff, the Suzuki shop manual, etc. I couldn't remember it all. And none of it was for my specific carbs except the manual, which was better for carb function theory than the details of cleaning them. The "you HAVE to change the O-rings" part escaped me somehow.

At any rate, it ran good out of the bowls like I was saying - no hesitation, no stumbling, a feeling of lots of power through the range I revved it in, etc. Maybe under load it would be different?

The float needle tips looked perfect (the Suzuki manual had a pic of good and bad), and the internal springs seemed to work. As those haven't been compressed as hard as the O-rings, I will reuse those, and change all the other rubber seals I can get my hands on replacements for.

 

[chuck hahn]

Its not about the position they are set at in the grooves. Its about they have been squished flat and they are longer round. And the heating and cooling over the years bakes them to a set thickness. Once you break the seals, they wont expand to refill the gaps if you try to reuse them. Follow me??

 

[JMHJ]

That's because your float levels are too high. You need to get the clear tube to check the float levels before you put them back on. Or you will have to take them off again. As i just found out the published float height spec is just a guideline. It could be way off especially if someone has messed with it before you and bent the arms on the floats instead of the little adjusting tabs.
This tool or something similar is what you need to check the actual fuel level in the bowls. You could probably make one if you wanted to.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/271428455754?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649

These guys on here know their $hit for sure. I for sure could have saved myself a couple weeks work and about 5 carb removals if i would have done it their way first. O well life is full of lessons and the best ones are hard learned for sure. Good luck!

I don't think these carbs have been into before now. The floats and float height measurement are a little different than I saw on the other tutorials; you have to lower them until they just contact the needle plunger, then hold them there and measure. I will get an extra set of hands to help me with that when I have them off again. They all looked the same and I didn't disturb the tabs, so I thought... lol.

 

[JMHJ]

Its not about the position they are set at in the grooves. Its about they have been squished flat and they are longer round. And the heating and cooling over the years bakes them to a set thickness. Once you break the seals, they wont expand to refill the gaps if you try to reuse them. Follow me??

Yeah, that makes sense.

 

[jbthomp]

you have to lower them until they just contact the needle plunger, then hold them there and measure.

Yes that's how you do it and make sure you measure from the gasket surface with the gasket removed. There is no way to know for sure what has and hasn't been done in the past especially with a bike that is a couple decades old.

 

[srg]

That's because your float levels are too high. You need to get the clear tube to check the float levels before you put them back on. Or you will have to take them off again.
...
This tool or something similar is what you need to check the actual fuel level in the bowls. You could probably make one if you wanted to.

$7 for all four:
http://guglielmo.us/mc/carb_fuel_level.html

 

[JMHJ]

Excellent. I think the Ed Ness tutorial has something like that. If my floats are set right and those needles are seating, the gas may be bypassing around the o-ring on the tube that the float needle sits in; I can't name that part. I'm guessing here, with the best of my memory as to how it operates.

I can get some tygon tubing, and can probably come up with some screws too, although mine are a bit different and seal w/o any type of gasket.

 

[Killer2600]

$7 for all four:
http://guglielmo.us/mc/carb_fuel_level.html

That doesn't include new drain screws that are $5 each as per that howto

 

[jbthomp]

o-ring on the tube that the float needle sits in; I can't name that part.

Inlet valve or needle valve seat