Carb Body Plug?

[b00ster23]

Hello, first let me say that I've been searching the forums for the last month. And I feel as if I've been doing the best do dilligence one can ask. I'm an IT guy trying to do some mechanical work, and I'm extremely close to finish. Down the question and comment...

I have a '79 GS750/26SS carbs, which I'm in process of cleaning and replacing needed parts. The PO fisted the fuel screws and the tips are broken on 3 of the 4...ouch. When taking apart #3 carb, I noticed under the float 2 small holes. I can only assume that these are for fuel flow and need to be clear, correct? The reason I ask, is that there seems to be a "plug" in one of the hole and before I try to remove it, I needed to know this was by design. My gut feeling tells me this is probably one of the broken tips that's jammed in the body. Any advice would be appreciated.

BTW..Thanks for all of the great posts! And I've seen the super duper welcome a few times, but feel free to post anyway Cliff. I've replaced the petcock, Carb boot O-Rings, inline fuel filter (added), plugs. Next step is to check the voltage...I'll need to research what the relay mod is, I've seen it posted a few times now. Thanks Everyone!!!

Casey

[BassCliff]

Hee Haw Howdy!

Hi Mr. b00ster23,

I'm sorry I haven't dealt with VM carbs (I think that's what's on your bike), but I can point you to the VM Carb Rebuild series and the Mikuni manual on my little BikeCliff website. And since you asked so nicely, here is your very own mega-welcome!

Let it be known that on this day you are cordially and formally welcomed to the GSR Forum as a Junior Member in good standing with all the rights and privileges thereof. Further let it be known that your good standing can be improved with pictures (not you, your bike)!

Perhaps you've already seen these, but I like to remind all the new members. In addition to the carb rebuild series, I recommend visiting the In The Garage section via the GSR Homepage and check out the Stator Papers. There's also a lot of great information in the Old Q&A section. I have some documentation on my little BikeCliff website to help get you familiar with doing routine maintenance tasks (note that it is 850G-specific but many tasks are common to all GS bikes). Other "user contributed" informational sites include those of Mr. bwringer, Mr. tfb and Mr. robertbarr. And if your bike uses shims for valve adjustments, send an email to Mr. Steve requesting a copy of his Excel spreadsheet that helps you keep track of clearances, shim sizes and other service work.

These are some edited quotes from one of our dear beloved gurus, Mr. bwringer, with ideas on basic needs (depending on initial condition), parts, and accessories.
***********Quoted from Mr. bwringer************
Every GS850 (and most other models) has (or had) a set of well-known issues that MUST be addressed before you have a solid baseline for further troubleshooting. It's a vintage bike, and it's quite common (as in, every single GS850 I have had contact with) that there are multiple problems that have crept up and slowly gotten worse over the years. It's not like a newer vehicle, where there's generally one problem at a time.

These common issues are:

1. Intake O-rings (install NEW OEM or Viton only - common nitrile O-rings will quickly deteriorate from heat)
2. Intake Boots (install NEW -- these cannot be repaired)
3. Valve clearances (more important than most people think)
4. Carb/airbox boots
5. Airbox sealing
6. Air filter sealing
7. Petcock (install a NEW one)
8. On '79 models, install new points or Dyna electronic ignition (or at least verify that the old points are working correctly)
9. On all models, it's fairly common to have problems with the spark plug caps. These are $3 or $4 each, and often worth replacing if you're keeping the stock coils/wires.
10. Stock exhaust with NO leaks or holes -- good seals at the head and at the junctions underneath.
***********************************
Carburetor maintenance:

Replace the intake boot o-rings, and possibly the intake boots. Here's the procedure:

http://bwringer.com/gs/intakeorings.html

Here's an overview of what happens with this particular problem:

http://cycleorings.com/intake.html

You'll also want to examine the boots between the carbs and the airbox. There's a good chance these are OK, but check them over.
And finally, if things still aren't exactly right, you'll want to order a set of o-rings for BS carbs from the GS owner's best friend, Robert Barr:

http://cycleorings.com

Once you receive these rare rings of delight, then you'll want to thoroughly clean and rebuild your carburetors. Here are step-by-step instructions that make this simple:

http://thegsresources.com/gs_carbrebuild.htm

***************************************
OEM Parts/Online Fiches:

I would definitely double and triple the recommendations to use Cycle Recycle II and Z1 Enterprises as much as possible. These guys are priceless resources. Z1 tends to have slightly better prices, CRC2 has a wider range of goodies available. If you're near Indy and can bring in an old part to match, CRC2 has a vast inventory of used parts.
http://denniskirk.com - Put in your bike model and see what they have.
http://oldbikebarn.com - seems to be slowly regaining a decent reputation, but it's still caveat emptor. They don't have anything you can't get elsewhere at a better price anyway.
http://www.babbittsonline.com/ - Decent parts prices. Spendy shipping. Don't give you part numbers at all. Useful cross-reference if you obtain a part number elsewhere. Efficient service.
http://bikebandit.com - Fastest. Middlin' prices. Uses their own parts numbering system to obfuscate price comparisons -- can be very confusing for large orders. Cheapest shipping, so total cost usually isn't too bad.
http://flatoutmotorcycles.com - Slow. Cheapest parts prices, crazy shipping costs. Don't expect progress updates or much communication. Real Suzuki part numbers.
http://alpha-sports.com - Exorbitant parts prices. Different type of fiche interface that's quite useful at times, especially with superceded part numbers. Real parts numbers. Shipping cost and speed unknown due to insane, unholy pricing.

Stainless Bolts, Viton o-rings, metric taps, dies, assorted hard-to-find supplies and materials, etc:

http://mcmaster.com - Fast, cheap shipping, good prices. No order minimum, but many items like bolts come in packs of 25 or 50. Excellent resource.
http://motorcycleseatcovers.com - Great quality, perfect fit (on original seat foam), and available for pretty much every bike ever made. Avoid the textured vinyl -- it's perforated.
http://newenough.com - You DO have riding gear, don't you? Great clearances, always outstanding prices and impeccable service.
***************End Quote**********************
Additional parts/info links:

GSR Forum member Mr. duaneage has great used upgraded Honda regulator/rectifiers for our bikes. Send him a PM.
New electrical parts:
http://stores.ebay.com/RMSTATOR or http://www.rmstator.com/

http://www.ricksmotorsportelectrics.com/index.php

http://www.electrosport.com/

For valve cover and breather cover gaskets, I recommend Real Gaskets (reusable silicon):

http://www.realgaskets.com

Carolina Cycle

http://www.carolinacycle.com

Ron Ayers Motorsports

http://www.ronayers.com

MR Cycles

http://www.mrcycles.com

Moto Grid

http://www.motogrid.com

Salvage/Used

http://www.ricepaddymotorcycles.com

http://www.ozpowersports.com/

If all else fails, try this:

http://www.used-motorcycle-parts.org/

Used bike buying checklists:

http://www.amadirectlink.com/roadride/Riderresc/checklist.asp

http://www.clarity.net/~adam/buying-bike.html

Lots of good info/pictures here:

http://www.suzukicycles.org

http://www.cyclechaos.com/wiki/Motorcycle_Wiki

http://www.bikepics.com
Basic motorcycle maintenance/repair:
http://www.dansmc.com/mc_repaircourse.htm
Online Clymer manuals:
http://search.ebscohost.com/ Click on "Small Engine Repair" then "Motorcycles". User=library, password=library. Note: This link may not work if you are on a school campus.

Thanks for joining us. Keep us informed of your progress. There's lots of good folk with good experience here.

Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff
(The unofficial GSR greeter)

Click here to visit BikeCliff's website.

[b00ster23]

Thanks Cliff... I've been through the manual and there's no mention of a plug/valve. I can only assume because there's differences in the carbs, thus the numbering, there are specific requirements. If someone can grab a pic of a #3 Mikuni26SS carb, from the down up, with the float removed, it would help. Thanks!

[Nessism]

I think you are the one that needs to post the photo so we can see what you are refering to. Basscliff has instructions on how to post a large format photo that is hosted by Photobucket or similar. I'd love to help but not sure what holes you are talking about.

[b00ster23]

Gotcha... Thanks for the reply Nessism. I'll post in a couple of hours. I'll grab a pic at lunch time...

I had to bring 2 of the carbs into work today to get 2 fuel screw tips out of the body...argh...I was able to find some info on popping them back in reverse, by using a "pointed punch tool" I did expand the hole slightly inside the carb body...but really I didn't have a choice. I'm hoping I still have enough adjustment with the fuel pilot screw to get a good idle. It's better than being plugged, that's for sure. Thanks again for the reply, and I'll have a link up in a couple of hours.

Casey

[b00ster23]

Here's my images... If you look on the left, you'll see the brass. Is this a check valve?

http://www.dowagiaclighthouse.com/images/carb2.JPG

http://www.dowagiaclighthouse.com/images/carb1.JPG

[Nessism]

I "think" those passages are for vents; some are open because of the way the vents nest together (two carbs, one vent), and others are blocked because they are not needed.

In case you don't know, those fuel screws are hard to come by. The easiest and cheapest way to get them is to order a K&L carb rebuild kit from Z1 Enterprises.

Hope this helps and good luck.

[b00ster23]

Thanks for the quick reply!! Yah, I already go the fuel screws, the main reason for opening the carbs in the first place. I just had noticed the vents (holes), and wondered if something was amiss. It stands to reason that because of the fuel circuit there would have to be a start and finishing point. Thus the reason for the plug. Thanks again.

Casey

[b00ster23]

Appreciate the Great Information

With this past issue, I just wanted to thank all involved in maintaining and keeping this site alive! Because of this site, I've been able to do some things I would have otherwise, felt impossible to do. I've rebuilt my carbs, bench sync'd, and the bike runs like "cutting butter with a hot knife" Thanks again!

Casey (b00ster23)