Cracked diaphragms...now what?

[BIG_brother]

All 4 of my diaphragms look like this! I am now ****ed!

Rebuilding carbs on my 82 GS1100

bikebandit wants $106 a piece THAT IS INSANE!

[chuck hahn]

i know I may get flamed for this..BUT OH WELL!!


Honestly, thats not a "critical" spot for a crack. Just a thin dab of Ultra Black RTV gasket maker will seal them and all will be well again. Put it on the side thats showing in the picture and let it cure overnight before reinstalling the slides.

Clean he rubber with some rubbing alcohol for a nice clean surface for the RTV to bond to.

[fishfarm]

Here's some repair/replace options:

http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/showthread.php?t=184453

[BassCliff]

Hi,

You can replace the diaphragms and not the whole slide. You can find them all over eBay. Partsnmore.com has slides/diaphragm assemblies for $90.

Mr. GregB shows us how to machine a whole new slide.

http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/showthread.php?t=162403

There's also these resources:

http://www.motorcyclecarbs.com/_W350.cfm

http://jbmindustries.com/Yamaha650.html

Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

[sedelen]

Yeah, they're not cheap, Boulevard Suzuki wants $99.42 each for them.

http://www.boulevardsuzuki.com/fiche_section_detail.asp?section=95961&category=Motorcycles&make=SUZUKI&year=1982&fveh=2156

I'm not one for recommending non Suzuki parts, so I don't know about the quality of these, but they're allot cheaper.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/SUZUKI-GN250-GS450-GS1000-GS1100-COMPLETE-CARB-SLIDE-GENUINE-MIKUNI-/290894440901?pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&hash=item43baa8e9c5&vxp=mtr

If that's the worse of the lot, I believe it can be repaired with some type of cement. After that a little grease around the edges will hope promote a seal.

Don't know if these will work but they say they're for a BS34 carb.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/BRAND-NEW-CARB-SLIDE-DIAPHRAGM-YAMAHA-SR250-XS650-XS650S-XS400-XJ400-Mikuni-BS34-/271194216818?pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&hash=item3f246f5972&vxp=mtr

Perhaps Bill (Chef1366) will have some, might want to contact him.

[greg78gs750]

i agree with chuck on this one, rtv has its uses.

[sedelen]

i agree with chuck on this one, rtv has its uses.

I second that, it appears to be in a non critical, compression area. Just need to seal to work.

[tkent02]

Someone on this forum will have perfectly good used ones to sell.

[subid]

I patched up the diaphragms on my Honda with RTV and patches cut from nitrile gloves, worked like a charm

[loud et]

i know I may get flamed for this..BUT OH WELL!!


Honestly, thats not a "critical" spot for a crack. Just a thin dab of Ultra Black RTV gasket maker will seal them and all will be well again. Put it on the side thats showing in the picture and let it cure overnight before reinstalling the slides.

Clean he rubber with some rubbing alcohol for a nice clean surface for the RTV to bond to.

My two cents....I agree fully. Clean with alcohol. What popped into my mind was applying the rtv to both sides of the damaged areas.....a long smooth swipe of it to increase the bonding area. Also I would possibly attempt to very lightly lubricate the carb cap and body with o ring silicone or vaseline and right after applying the rtv put the diaphram into carb body and install the cap with the 4 allen nuts finger tight.
This will allow the rtv to naturally form to the final shape. Just finger tight as to not starve the new joint you are creating. Sit overnight? Remove and see how it went?
Just some thoughts.
Maybe overthinking.....lol
Im the hyper type. Lol

Or you could just swipe some rtv on, let it dry....be done with it.
Either option is a cost effective alternative to try.

[BassCliff]

Hi,

i agree with chuck on this one, rtv has its uses.

Yes, some minor defects can be repaired and can last for a good while. Weigh all your options (and budget) and keep us informed. Good luck.


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

[Nessism]

I'd search out some good used parts. Shouldn't be hard to find or expensive.

[bluewool]

A fine paint brush and some "Gorilla Glue" worked great on my 1150 until I found some parts carbs... or beg some ProSeal off a rotary AME.

Hey Ed, a lot of your old bikes look like new golf gear... ???

[tom203]

While waiting for spring here, I stumbled across this

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Diaphragm-KZ700-750-1000-1100-Suzuki-GS1000-GS650L-1100-BS34SS-MIKUNI-70mm-/330899774879?pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&hash=item4d0b29dd9f&vxp=mtr

[sedelen]

While waiting for spring here, I stumbled across this

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Diaphragm-KZ...29dd9f&vxp=mtr

That's a very interesting option to say the least, and a lesser expensive one. I don't know if I'd be too enthusiastic about cutting off the washer though should it have one.