idle question!

[tconroy]

After riding and shutting off the engine at the gas station and then starting back up my bike idle drops below the 1100 setting till it warms up some again.It only take maybe a 5 to 10 minute stop for this to happen.Also when at a 4 way stop and letting the clutch out then stopping again when the car ahead goes,it also drops below the idle setting and I have to feather the throttle to keep the rpm's up above 1000. Any answers before I take the carbs off.what about float levels?????? the bike runs great all the time other than what I said above.At idle it is a little sparadic by about 1000rpm's.Dirty pilot jets maybe???? I still have the original caps in the air/fuel mixture screws which Im going to pull off and replace the o-rings also.Please help, Thanks in advance.

[Nessism]

Carb sync and valve clearances checked lately? And by all means, pull the caps over the pilot screws. Adjust for most steady idle.

[tconroy]

I have done a carb sync and that's all.Im going to do a valve clearance check when my buddy brings the tappet depressor over next week.the bike starts and runs good except for this.I do need to cleand the pilot circuit and pull those caps and replace the o-rings in there.Im going to do this friday and see if it makes a difference.One step at a time to eliminate more problems.I have not done a valve clearance on this bike yet and it's way past due, but could that make the idle change like that?

[tone]

you got it in slightly the wrong order there fella, carb sync should be done last as any engine work such as valve clearances can change this & you could end up chasing your tail

A quick re-check of the carbs is needed to be on the safe side

[TheCafeKid]

Yes valves first, then carbs. And yes be sure to check your float levels...i was having the same sort of problem, once it warmed up tho, it started to drown at lights and stops. While ive been doing the cleaning and rejetting ive looked at my float settings and found the two middle cylinders to be wrong, and letting too much fuel in. If you're going to take them apart, you might as well clean them if they are in question anyway..follow the tutorial for your carb set on this site and you'll be fine. They arent as scary as they look.

[tconroy]

Thanks guy's,I think I will wait till i get the tool for the valves and then go that route first.I did change the o-rings in the needle valve seats and noticed a difference then but all i did was replace the o-rings and nothing else was adjusted.Would that be enough to cause this problem???

[TheCafeKid]

If your needle valve seats were leaking, it certainly would be a cause.

[tconroy]

They were leaking but I fixed that and was careful not to change the settings of the floats however I did not check the float level because I was ignorant of how to do it properly and need a measuring device to measure in mm.s. Just changing the o-rings would not change the float height would it??? It's getting colder now in KC so I will have plenty of time to do it right and also know more than I did then about how to do it properly thanks to you all !!!!

[TheCafeKid]

no changing the orings wont fix the float hight, but if your valve seats were leaking around the rings, it would have the same effect as if your floats were off, allowing too much fuel to flow and not shutting it off. So if its running right since you changed the rings, that may have been your problem. However, i would if i were you and since winter is upon us, go over them anyway, if your seats were leaking, chances are that they are in need of a good cleaning and all the orings prolly need replaced...just MHO. And since you have them apart, it would be a good time to check your float levels. This can be done with a set of vernier calipers with a depth gauge on them, and you can purchase the calipers inexpensively, it will save alot of headaches in the end. :-D

[tconroy]

Thanks cafe kid,Im the kind of guy that likes to do things right the first time and I also ask a lot of questions before tearing into a project such as this one. When i lean the bike over to the right to put it on the kickstand it also speeds the idle from 1100 to 1200 which is maybe my reason for asking about the float height.Thanks for your help.

[TheCafeKid]

well that could be too..as the gas is going to run to those floatbowls obviously b/c of gravity. I'd take a look at those for sure. My problem was in my 2 and 3 cylinders..it was bad too..by all rights i should have been very lean. I had intake leaks, jetted too small for my pods and pipe and still smelled rich. Turns out that my 2 and 3 floats were way off. About 3 mm which ends up being alot of gas in the grand scheme of things. To adjust them, use your calipers and set them to whatever your float hight spec is for your carbs. Turn your carbs upside down and measure from the top of the float to the gasket resting surface. (dont have the gasket in there tho or it will skew your results obviously) You dont want the caliper to move the float at all, so make sure it JUST touches the top. If its higher than your measurement should be (which in this case it sounds like it shouldnt be) then you adjust the tang that rests on the needle valve UP (when you turn it upside down you'll be adjusting in reverse...so up moves the floats down and down moves the floats up) If its low, obviously adjust the tang down. It bends pretty easily, and minute adjustments are all you will prolly need. Be picky, because your carbs are VERY picky.

[tconroy]

thanks alot, I'll report back with my findings.Tommorrow will be 18 degress in the morning and only 39 for a high so now is a good time to camp out in the heated garage and tinker!

[TheCafeKid]

man what i wouldnt give for a heated garage...or an unheated garage for that matter. *SIGH*