I could us a little advice...

[Smitty161]

I have been gone for quite awhile...work, injuries, weather...

But now I have the bike, 83 VR, out for the first time since winter. Where to start??? Problems, problems, problems.

Didn't have the time or energy so I had a local shop do a much needed valve adjustment. Bike ran pretty good on the way home. Kreem'd the tank when I got home...last years highway shutdown will not happen again. New fuel filter installed, of course. After installing the tank and firing it up I now can not get the bike to run right. Bike idles but wants to stall when given throttle. Feather it quickly and build rpms to 3000+ and it takes off like a rocket. If on a hill it seems to have more trouble wanting to take off from a stand still, no torque. I have previously done the 5bikes washer treatment to the carbs. Diaphrams are crinkled but hole free. I just ran a full seafoam treatment and this did not make a difference... yet. I adjusted the pilot screws from one and a half turns out to three and a half turns to get the bike to be somewhat rideable. I have noticed some cracks in my intake manifolds...done nothing with that yet. Carbs have been sync'd as good as possible. Bike has always had a slight hesitation at throttle but nothing that really bothered me till now. At speed now it seems to be a little rough.

Let me just say I know enough about mechanics to cause myself some expensive repairs later. I truely do not know what to look at next. Can anybody point me in the right, logical direction on what to check next.

[Marcarl]

I'm out of time right now, but go to sleep and by morning there will be enough ideas here to keep you busy all day I'm sure.

[bongobobny]

Sounds like a vacuum leak. I would check your plastic YICS box and start replacing rubber lines all over the place. You can also have vacuum leaks at the base of the carbs...

[warthogcrewchief]

My thought was a lean condition too.

 

A lean condition could be from:

- a vacuum leak

- air box assembly not seated

- oil drain hose on bottom of air box not connected

- cracked carb boots

- floats adjusted too low.

 

I recently spent almost two months troubleshooting what I thought was a vacuum leak. Turns out it was the floats adjusted too low. The idle would climb, because I had to have it adjusted high to run at 1,000 rpm. As the bike got warm, the idle would return to "normal" at about 3K RPM. The idle would also climb up to 3 and 4K when riding.

 

If you have this indication, I would recommend a float adjustment. I found a great way to do a bench check without having to mess around with reinstalling everytime you do a minor adjustment!

[Smitty161]

Thank you for the advice...

I do need to check everything stated but as luck would have it, the bike started acting close to normal just today. Go figure. Guess for some of my problem it just needed to be exercised. Parts guy told me once that the worst thing I could do to the bike was to not ride it for awhile. I did just order diaphrams from Sirius Consolidated to try to smooth things out even more. While I'm waiting for the diaphrams I'll replace all hoses and such. Run another tank of seafoam for good measure.

To whoever negotiated our group price with Sirius...Thanx!!!!!!!!

$69 for four diaphrams. Still a $30 savings. Chris and Martin have been a pleasure to deal with.

I'll post what I think I've learned and how it turns out.

[warthogcrewchief]

Yep, just like aircraft...if you don't fly/ride them, they'll start having problems creep up. I've heard of carbs gumming up in as little as two weeks. However I've seen bikes sitting for a year and fire right up... running seafoam is probably the best thing you can do as it's a cheap/quick fix. If it doesn't, start going down the list, from easiest to hardest.

[Condor]

 

I recently spent almost two months troubleshooting what I thought was a vacuum leak. Turns out it was the floats adjusted too low. The idle would climb, because I had to have it adjusted high to run at 1,000 rpm. As the bike got warm, the idle would return to "normal" at about 3K RPM. The idle would also climb up to 3 and 4K when riding.

 

OK, I gotta ask a question that's been bothering me for a while now. How in the 'H' do floats get out of factory adjustment other than becoming saturated and not floating any longer??? There's been a lot of discussion here about adjusting the floats, and if the bowls have never been messed with, I can't see how they can get messed up?? I just don't see it. Enlighten me!!

[Smitty161]

So much for the bike suddenly doing well. I work a night shift and on the way home this morning the bike felt like it dropped a cylinder. Revs were all over the place...up and down. Half way home, at a stop, it just idled down and died. Started with a weak sputter so I could barely get to the side of the road. Pulling the choke in about half way allowed it to start and I got it home. Whatever my problem is it seems to have settled in and won't quit now. Can't work on it till Tuesday evening. In the mean time does anybody have any more suggestions besides what the above fellas have suggested?

While typing this I have pondered the float question. Could the gunk in gas build on the outside of the float and change how it floats in the puddle.....? This being offered up by a guy who is known for being wrong...most of the time. So says my better half.

I'd like to know about the float too, for it seems I'm going to have to look at mine. I've never done carb work before. The thought of four of them scares the begesus out of me.

Wish me luck and thanx again everybody.....

[Smitty161]

Update.....I did not have the time to breakdown my carbs so I had a mechanic friend help me out. Seems all things rubber had finally given out in all four carbs. Carb boots were also cracked so a new set from Sirius are now installed. The bike is now a bike again. Smooth, fast and powerful. $520, all totalled, in parts and a little to my buddy is money well spent. Bike is back to being amazing. Sorry, no pics on the condition of the carbs, just couldn't make it there in time.