Carb synchronizers

[Bobber55]

Do you prefer mercury or the round guage type. I need to buy one but don't have any experience with them.

[t3rmin]

I had bad luck with the cheap-o mercury carb sticks. The instant gas vapor touched it, the plastic restrictor plugs started melting. Poor build quality, cheap materials.

I've got the round gauge type now and it feels like a much higher-quality part from which I'll get years of use. It's also the low-end model, but it seems the low end gauges are better than the low-end sticks.

However, the round gauges are markedly harder to use. The mercury stick with the columns side-by-side is much more intuitive than looking back-and-forth between four round gauges.

[denydog]

What a coincidence! I'm in the market for a new set of Carb Synchronizers as of yesterday. I just started doing a carb synch with my ancient set of mercury Carb-Sticks, when half the mercury was sucked into the engine. :shock: This never happened before, and I can't figure out what I did differently.

Oh well. I'm open to any type. I remember seeing some recommendations recently. Think I'll try the search function.

[Tom MLC]

What a coincidence! I'm in the market for a new set of Carb Synchronizers as of yesterday. I just started doing a carb synch with my ancient set of mercury Carb-Sticks, when half the mercury was sucked into the engine. :shock: This never happened before, and I can't figure out what I did differently.

Oh well. I'm open to any type. I remember seeing some recommendations recently. Think I'll try the search function.

They got those little restrictors in the end of the tubes that's supposed to help keep the mercury out of the engine. Maybe you lost one of those. I cracked one of the mercury tubes (didn't lose any juice). So I looked for a replacement. I got one of these from z1enterprises http://z1enterprises.com/detail.aspx?ID=2727. Works great. No mess, little fuss.

Each gauge has a valve that must be closed a little to dampen the needle, otherwise it dances wildly. And you gotta "calibrate" each gauge to one cylinder so they all read the same. Once that's done its a piece of cake. The longer rods help for the inner cylinders, too.

If you want the Lexus of carb sync tools, get one of these. http://www.carbtune.com/

[rustybronco]

Doesn't make a hoot of difference to me round or tube, but i prefer home made vacuum ones.
some may disagree but its worked for four jobs so far...

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d44/rustybronco/vacuumgauge005.jpg

[cberkeley]

I got one of these from z1enterprises http://z1enterprises.com/detail.aspx?ID=2727. Works great. No mess, little fuss.

Each gauge has a valve that must be closed a little to dampen the needle, otherwise it dances wildly. And you gotta "calibrate" each gauge to one cylinder so they all read the same. Once that's done its a piece of cake. The longer rods help for the inner cylinders, too.

I'm looking at one of these too (J,C. Whitney, Does it come with the correct adapters to fit our Suzuki Carbs or does one have to buy or fabricate adapters extra?

[cberkeley]

Tom and others:
Sory about the double post on this. Did not realize that Tom had already responded to my post in the Tech area. .....Ahhhhh! another "Senior Moment" .
Cheers, Cletus:

[Tom MLC]

Tom and others:
Sory about the double post on this. Did not realize that Tom had already responded to my post in the Tech area. .....Ahhhhh! another "Senior Moment" .
Cheers, Cletus:

From one mid-life brother, to another...

Uhh, what was the question? :?

[49er]

I bought a Morgan Carbtune about a year ago. A little dearer than the ZI product. They wont be bettered for quality, accurracy and ease of use. Others are also singing their praises on the GSR.

http://www.carbtune.com/

[wayne cooper]

Carb Tune

Just to reassure or push towards. Since buying (investing?) the Morgan unit I have given away the two sets of sticks that I had on the wall. Carb tune works far better and no chance of having mercury in your cylinder let alone having them fall off bench and lose the mercury all over the shop floor.

[jm_foote]

For those of you that are cheap, you could probably work a home-made water based manometer. You would just have to make it larger as water isn't as heavy as mercury.

Anyone know how much vacuum are we talking about?

[bcrowther]

This may sound radical but when I was talking to my mechanic buddies they suggested that I use a stethoscope that has a rod on the end of it, or a hollow tube of metal. They said that each carb will have a distinct sound. Like tuning an instrument to the right pitch you tune in the carb to sound like the others. You would start with #3 and work from that point. I was going to give it a try and will update when I know more. Anyone else ever hear of such a thing?

[tkent02]

About twelve feet....

For those of you that are cheap, you could probably work a home-made water based manometer. You would just have to make it larger as water isn't as heavy as mercury.

Anyone know how much vacuum are we talking about?

But if you join them at the bottom you can balance the vacuums without any distance.

Like four tubes coming up from the bottom of a sealed jar.

Not a true manometer but getting them all the same is what is needed.

[tkent02]

Car guys do it to synch dual side draft carbs....

This may sound radical but when I was talking to my mechanic buddies they suggested that I use a stethoscope that has a rod on the end of it, or a hollow tube of metal. They said that each carb will have a distinct sound. Like tuning an instrument to the right pitch you tune in the carb to sound like the others. You would start with #3 and work from that point. I was going to give it a try and will update when I know more. Anyone else ever hear of such a thing?

get them all to sound the same and you are close.
All you need is a hose in your ear.
And a way to stick the hose in an identical spot on each carb.
Never tried it on a bike.
Should work.
Need to get it to idle without the airbox, so some stock box guys may have an issue with this, might not be accurate after the airbox is back on.
And don't stick a vacuum hose in your ear or your brains will come out from where your eardrum used to be.

[cberkeley]

And don't stick a vacuum hose in your ear or your brains will come out from where your eardrum used to be.

That, I imagine, will enter the combustion chambers, foul the plugs and goo-up the intake and exhaust valves real bad. :-D