Carb synch...holding the screw while tightening the nut??

[Anonymous]

Last night, while participating in the 3rd carb synching in the past month (long story...won't get into it!), I wondered if any of you had come up with a way to hold the d*%! little screw steady while tightening down the 8mm nut...without burning fingers or turning the air a dainty shade of blue! And without buying Suzuki's carb synching tool, of course. It's an '81 GS1000 running BS34SS carbs (going from memory on the carb number, but I think it's right).

Also, the book recommends balancing at around 1500-1800 RPM, I think (memory, once again!), but I noticed the vacuum unbalanced once the RPM hit about 2200-2500 (assuming the tach is halfways accurate), so we ended up balancing it at around 2200 this last time.

The two middle cylinders (2 and 3) always seem to run hotter on the bike...any merit to the idea of 'balancing' the carbs so that 2 and 3 have less pull or vacuum than 1 and 4 in an attempt to get them all to run around the same temperature? Or will this create other gremlins? Anyone with a similar bike ever try it?

Answers to any or all of the above would be most appreciated!

[MichaelHoward]

These aren't too expensive. Well, not terribly!!

http://www.shadowfax.co.uk/it060008.htm

[moto_dan]

The tool I use...

I use a cobbled together tool consisting of a long handled screw driver with a 8mm? socket hose clamped to it to hold the nut and then a long narrow flat blade screw driver to turn and then hold the adjusting screw run through the middle of the socket. Is this clear as mud?

[robertbarr]

A number of repair manuals (and mechanics) advocate setting the middle two carbs to run with about an inch less vacuum than the outers, for the reason you stated. I've always used this approach, and it makes sense.

[Anonymous]

A number of repair manuals (and mechanics) advocate setting the middle two carbs to run with about an inch less vacuum than the outers, for the reason you stated. I've always used this approach, and it makes sense.

other than heat--wouldnt this out of ballance also reduce the engine power?????

[Jay B]

I too a deep well 8mm socket and drilled several holes in it along the top. Then I took an old long blade slender phillips screwdriver and cut the tip off. I insert the screw driver into one of the holes to tighten and loosen the nut from the side and then adjust the screws once they are where they need to be I tighten it back up. Total investment for me was taking the time to go to a buddies to use his drill press to drill the holes. Better than the 20 bucks from the shop.

[Anonymous]

I use a carburetor adjusting tool that was purchased from Autozone for $12.00. The things some of you guys will go through to save $50.00 amazes me.


Tim

[Anonymous]

Thanks guys. We'd looked at the 8mm socket, but never thought about drilling holes on the side to tighten and loosed the nut!

Anyway, it's not necessarily the money saved by not buying the 'special tool'...it's the satisfaction of knowing you didn't have to.

Well, guess it's off to the garage!

[Anonymous]

Don't remember where I read this, but it seems that inlet channels 1 and 4 are slightly longer than 2 and 3. That's the reason why 1 and 4 vacuum settings must be slightly higher. Don't know if this is true, though.

[Anonymous]

Don't remember where I read this, but it seems that inlet channels 1 and 4 are slightly longer than 2 and 3. That's the reason why 1 and 4 vacuum settings must be slightly higher. Don't know if this is true, though.

Sounds reasonable