Rebuilt carbs

[Balsawings]

I've finished rebuilding the carbs on my '81 Interstate using the Howards carburetor repair guide from Randakk's. Everything was easy using new carb kits and I have the carbs ready to go back in the bike.

On page #37 in the book it reads:

"Before you install the carburetor assembly, check for any leaks. Using your syringe, fill the carburetors with fresh fuel by inserting the syringe into the fuel hose and injecting the fuel into the carburetors per Figure 43. Fill the carburetors until you feel slight resistance in the syringe plunger. Manually operate the throttle cable drum until you can see fuel squirting out of all four accelerator pump nozzles. If you see any signs of leaks, you may need to go back and start this whole project over again."

The line out of that paragraph giving me problems is: "Manually operate the throttle cable drum until you can see fuel squirting out of all four accelerator pump nozzles."

Where will I see the fuel squirting out? I have filled the carbs with fuel and have no leaks, but no matter how many times I "manually operate the throttle cable drum" I don't see fuel squirting out. I've got no fuel squirting into the venturi.

Bob C.

[MattMcCoy]

The check valve on the accelerator pump cover and bowl might be clogged.

[Balsawings]

Thanks Matt for the response. I'll go through the book and see if they have any tips for cleaning out that check valve.

Bob C.

[AZgl1800]

this little guy is superb for cleaning hard to reach spots.
I have one.


https://www.harborfreight.com/25-liter- ... 63256.html

[Balsawings]

I have that ultrasonic cleaner. They had it on sale back at the end of last year. I bought it just for cleaning these carbs. Every part of the carbs was run for an hour total. The books says to boil the cover for 10 minutes in distilled water then blow it clear with carb cleaner. I'm waiting for the water to boil now.

Bob C.

[MattMcCoy]

Have you looked at this?

https://www.randakksblog.com/gl1100-acc ... p-testing/

[Balsawings]

Matt, that link would have been nice to have before I started the rebuild. Of course I'm wondering why it's not in the book. I think it's time for a revision of their book.

I boiled the cover for ten minutes, followed with the ultrasonic cleaner and carb spray. It still appears to be blocked.

Time to pull the bowl on #3. I'll let you know how it goes.

Bob C.

[AZgl1800]

how long did you leave it in the UltraSonic cleaner?

it takes a good long while to it to do the work, and those jets are tiny.

I would leave it all night

[Balsawings]

Sorry I've been awol for the last couple of months. Been working 10 hour days, six days a week, leaving me little time to work on the bike or carbs. As they say, "life gets in the way".

Where I'm at. I did find the check valve on the accelerator pump blocked. I managed to get it cleaned out using a combination of Ultrasonic cleaner, boiling, carb cleaner and compressed air.

Now when I move the throttle linkage I get fuel spray out of the #1 and #3 carb. I don't get any fuel spray out of #2 and #4. Apparently something is still blocked on the left side.

Carb gurus or at least someone that knows more about these carbs than I do, please help me out here.

What's the fix? What did I miss or am I missing?

Bob C.

[MattMcCoy]

Did you install the plastic straw in the accelerator channel?

[Balsawings]

Yes, the straw is in there.

Since you bring it up. Does the straw just lay in the channel or is it supposed to be inserted into a hole on the left/right side of the plenum?

Bob C.

[MattMcCoy]

Yes—the straw loosely fits in the accelerator channel when the plenum halves are joined. It’s the rear-most channel and has an O-ring on the 2/4 side.

https://www.randakksblog.com/gl1100-carb-details/

[Balsawings]

I took the time to separate the plenum halves just to check the straw. I checked to make sure the straw was not plugged and blew out both sides of the plenum. The straw was wet with gas and I had to drain the gas out of all the bowls. Gas is getting to the carbs but is not getting into the accelerator passages into the venturi. I can only assume that the passages are plugged. I was very careful to make sure all passages were open when I had the carbs apart but I apparently missed something. Looks like I will have to pull the two carbs off and go through them again.

Bob C.

[OldguyGlen]

See pic from an earlier post of mine.:

download/file.php?id=52462&t=1

These little brass stubs are the accelerator pump discharge ports. They do not remove, you must clean them in place. There is a very tiny hole that you can't see 'cause its on the back side. I made a "J" hook shape in a small wire, and had to "feel" the hole on the back side just by probing with the wire tip and poke the wire into the port to clean it. All 4 of mine were plugged. The plastic straw is just to partially fill the volume of the crossover tube, so you don't have to pump the accelerator pump so much to fill a drained tube system after a layup.

[Balsawings]

Thanks Glen. That is exactly the kind of information I was hoping for. I might be able to clean out that port without a complete disassembly of the carbs.

I will let you know how it works out.

Bob C.

[Balsawings]

Success, I've now got fuel spray out of all four nozzles.

Thanks Glen for the tip.

Now I just got to find time to get the carbs back on the bike.

Bob C.