Is Carb cleaning in order?

I

impamentor

Full member
Location
New Forest, Hampshire
Advise please?..

I?ve finally had some time to look at my newly acquired RGS on the day of delivery it would not start! it seemed slow, laboured on cranking. So the battery charger was put into service and an over night charge did not resolve the problem. A new Odessey replacement was advised and duly ordered and delivered the next day?.thanks Keith. I fitted the new battery and a set of plugs (just to be safe) and after a few prods she came to life (just). But will not run well below 4000rpm with coughs and spitting in abundance below 3000rpm and of course it will not tick over below 2000rpm.

On removal of the plugs, 2 of the three seem a fine colour but one looks ?dry? if that?s the right word. Have checked the spark and all three look good???.I think it?s a carb problem is it just a matter of , off with the float bowl and out with the jets and a good clean and blow out with the air gun??

TIA

Graham
 
  Quickest and easyest way to do it is just to pull the bank of carbs off and do them on the bench, pull all of the jets and the idle mixture screws and give them a good squirt through with some carb cleaner, check the condition of the mixture screw o rings and pay particular note to the little hole downwind of the slide, place a finger over the pilot jet hole and squirt carb clean down the mixture screw hole, you should see a jet of carb clean come out the hole. Mind your eyes. Set the float levels and bench synch the slides. Should get you going. If not a full strip and proper clean out is probably in order. Have you fitted the ignition yet?

  Keith
 
Probably.  A service of the fuel system wouldn't do any harm.

A few suggestions to assist your decision:

How long has the bike been standing idle?
Is there fresh fuel in the tank?
Is the tank dirty inside?
Has the tank been sealed recently?
Are the carbs in balance?

all or any of these could lead to the symptoms you describe.  If the tank has been sealed and fuel put in before the sealer has had time to cure you could have all sorts of gooey gunk in your fuel system.

As you suggest, I'd drain your tank and carbs, fit new lines (with filters), add fresh fuel and try again.  Look for deposits in the float bowls and strip the carbs down if they are dirty, check over the jets and needles, clean and reassemble with new parts as necessary, but make a note of the position of the needle, pilot screw and idle screw before you take them out!  Recon kits for Dellorto carbs are reasonably cheap and readily available.  If you do this you should be able to get a reasonable result on balancing the carbs using vacuum gauges.

If all that fails, send them off to the ultrasonic cleaners and spend more money!

Regards

Martin
 
implamentor said:
Thanks Keith

Thought as much but just checking, hav'nt had the time to fit the ignition yet, would like to try....  before/after. 

Graham
Click to expand...

90% of carburation problems are electrical...........  ;)

      Keith.
 
Here's a a simple tip I've picked up this week relating to sluggish starting problems during this cold snap [in the UK]. I've been doing a few adjustments on my racer and its been very reluctant start in these low temperatures, the combination of  high compression and castrol R40 will thwart even the newish Odyssey battery and the engine has been very sluggish to turn over.

I've discovered that if I switch a small blower heater on and point it at the sump for half an hour or so the bike will burst into life at first prod. The difference is quite dramatic and I'm wondering if what is actually happening is that the battery is warming up.
I've noticed some modern car batteries have an insulating jacket. Any thoughts on this?
 
On second thoughts I'll scrap the before/after interest and fit the DMC ASAP

I did consider changing the wasssal sprocket for the more modern induction gear or just go for the age old engine mender 'start ya bastard'

Graham
 
bob said:
I've discovered that if I switch a small blower heater on and point it at the sump for half an hour or so the bike will burst into life at first prod. The difference is quite dramatic and I'm wondering if what is actually happening is that the battery is warming up.
I've noticed some modern car batteries have an insulating jacket. Any thoughts on this?
Click to expand...

Hi Bob

very common here in western Canada to wrap the car battery in a warming blanket, comes in 50 watt or 80 watt varieties, you plug the battery warmer into the household power. Helps dramatically at - 40 Celsius...
http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/browse/4/Auto/3/BatteryAccessories/BatteryAccesories/PRDOVR~0113116P/Motomaster%252B80W%252BBattery%252BWarmer.jsp?locale=en

also most cars in western Canada have so called "block heaters" installed, like electric kettle elements, inserted into the freeze plug on the block, sticking into the engine coolant. also plugs into household power, heats the engine coolant and circulates it, also an immense help in getting a vehicle started when it is really cold out.

for the motorcycles, at - 40 I don't bother trying to start them..........

Paul LeClair
 
I am sure a battery heater helps but I know that sump heaters are used on some service vehicles on 24 hour standby in certain areas. Oil viscosity will create so much drag on the reciprocating parts, especially with a monograde oil.
 
Hi Graham - check that there's no verdigris on needles and deposit in needle jet - this can cut off any fuel reaching cylinder except through the choke system - quite common on a machine that's been unused fir a while - HTH - Phil
 
Ahh

That answers a question, all three cylinders fired OK on choke.  The carbs are coming off this weekend for a good coat of looking at. Verdigris? is that the same/similar to giss.

Thanks Phil

Many will be glad to see your HTH, much appreciated.
 
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