Identifying Carbs

[kspencer]

I have spark, and so am ready to start the great adventure of following the rest of the BikeCliff Welcome Advice set. Since the next step is O-rings, it brings the question:

How do I identify the carb so I can identify the right o-ring package to get?

Now, while this is a 1981 GS850G (never assume the rest of the list memorized your bike ), it may not be a 'stock' carb. See, when I got the bike I also got a "parts" box, which happens to contain most of (maybe all of in the bits and pieces) two more complete carbs that look roughly similar.

So the real question is: "How do I confirm it is/is not the carb that should be there if it's stock?", followed by "what do I need to find to determine what it is, if it isn't stock?"

[TheCafeKid]

I have spark, and so am ready to start the great adventure of following the rest of the BikeCliff Welcome Advice set. Since the next step is O-rings, it brings the question:

How do I identify the carb so I can identify the right o-ring package to get?

Now, while this is a 1981 GS850G (never assume the rest of the list memorized your bike ), it may not be a 'stock' carb. See, when I got the bike I also got a "parts" box, which happens to contain most of (maybe all of in the bits and pieces) two more complete carbs that look roughly similar.

So the real question is: "How do I confirm it is/is not the carb that should be there if it's stock?", followed by "what do I need to find to determine what it is, if it isn't stock?"

Well only ONE type of carb would fit that bike, unless some serious mods had been done to it. And those would be Mikuni BS32SS.

[chef1366]

Buy the o-rings for the CV style carbs

http://www.cycleorings.com/

[Steve]

Also, if your box of extra parts only has two carbs, you need to be aware that the carbs are all unique, and can not be easily moved to another position in the rack.

#1 will have a sync mechanism on the right end of the throttle shaft that engages the tab on the left end of the throttle shaft on #2
#2 will have the sync mechanism on the right end of the throttle shaft that engages the tab on #3, and a tab on the left that engages the mechanism on #1
#3 has the main throttle cable hook-up and has tabs on both ends of the throttle shaft
#4 has the sync mechanism on the left that engages the tab on #3

Other differences are in the gas and vent ports.
#1 has gas and vent ports on the right only
#2 has gas on both sides and vent on the left only
#3 has gas on both sides and vent on the right only
#4 has gas and vent ports on the left only

.

[doctorgonzo]

I have to admit a proud moment for me was getting a set of carbs from Chef taken off the rack, looking at them and going... hmmm... that's 1, that's 2 , that's 3, that's 4 without even really having to think about it. It IS sinking in...

[kspencer]

Ah, in my ignorance I was unclear - I thought a carb was the unit of four.

OK, then, I have seven carbs sitting in the box. And a lot of parts that - from diagrams - appear to be everything but the case (right label?) in which the jets and screws and such fit.

As to "heavily modified" - remember, folks, that while I'm pretty sharp at computers and such, I have pretty close to zero clue as to knowing whether something's been modified or not. Which is why I was asking for a positive means of telling, "Yep, it's the standard." I'm 99% sure it is [edit - standard, I mean], but I've been tripped by that 1% too often over my life to ignore it if I see it.

[Matchless]

If you still need some numbers to help you identify the carb parts, you can have a look here http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum...ad.php?t=73723

Each CV carb body has a faint number that can be read from the right side.

[kspencer]

Just to close the loop, yes, they're the standard carbs. It's not a 1 percenter.

Thanks again for the info, folks.