One black plug, 3 good ones...

[TheCafeKid]

Yes, I used washers on all 4 carbs, but only #3 is black.

Ok...Here's what happened to ME. This is only a possibility. I could not find washers that would fit in the slide needle bore, the little area at the bottom of the slide where the needle is recessed. So, I had to grind some down to fit. All was good, except on cylinder, one of the washers actually got jammed about halfway down. Felt like it was seated, and I, being as dim witted as I can be at times, didnt think to measure the length of the needle on each after i did the mod. Simply put the slides back in and went ripping down the road. So the needle in THAT carb was higher than the rest, maybe another washer or two worth, as a matter of fact, so it was stupid rich. My fuel economy took a dump, down from 40mpg average to about 32mpg average. I decided that the ONE washer i had put in each was too rich, so I added another, and thats when I found my mistake. I would suggest perhaps you pull that slide and check that you're good there. Also, I found that washer THICKNESS was not at all consistant and had to mix and match to get a mean average across the four... Just a suggestion.

[hikermikem]

How about making one of those fuel height gauges they show in the factory manual and verifying the fuel level in that #3 carb?

Good idea Ed - I actually made one of those things last year & used it on my 550... can't hurt to check.

Another thing to try is switching number 2 and 3 plug caps to see if the problem follows the cylinder or the plug cap (both 2 and 3 fire at the same time). Could be you have a bad cap or bad wire.

Yeah, I was already thinking about doing just that- I rode it to work today, so i'll try switching the 2 & 3 plug wires for the ride home.

Thanks for the suggestions!

C ya

[hikermikem]

So, I had to grind some down to fit. All was good, except on cylinder, one of the washers actually got jammed about halfway down.

Thanks Josh - I didn't have to grind any washers though, I bought them at Radio Shack & they fit perfect...

Thanks for the suggestion!

Also, I found that washer THICKNESS was not at all consistant and had to mix and match to get a mean average across the four...

Hmmm... didn't check the thickness of my washers however, If I have to dis-assemble the carbs down the road I'll be sure to check that...

Just wondering - is a "mean average" just one that's ****ed-off?

Thanks again,

mike

[hikermikem]

Update after carb sync...

Just a little update after I sync'ed the carbs. The POS Motion-Pro carb sync'er I used may, or may not have been accurate - I had a lot of trouble getting it to work. The good news is I called Motion-Pro & they are sending me a re-conditioned unit & some replacement fluid all for free. They were GREAT to deal with - very helpful & sympathic to my woes. Tells me they know they have a problem-child out there, but they are tying to fix it - gotta respect them for that. Hey, think Ford Pinto...

I did manage to perform some level of carb balancing, although I wouldn't bet the farm it's spot on... The bike certainly runs much better; smoother & less vibration for sure. Acceleration is better too.

WOT still stumbles at bit though, 1/2 - 3/4 throttle pulls very well.

I also played with the mixture screws for a while too - the #3 carb still is out-of-whack as compared to the other three. I didn't count the actual turns for each mix screw/carb combo, but suffice to say, #3 was way different from the others - maybe 1 turn where the others are at 2.5.

Haven't yet checked the fuel level in the bowl as Nessism suggested, that's a tomorrow job because we're supposed to get a taste of TS Hanna here on the East coast...

I'll report back after I actually make some progress.

Regards,

mike