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safetyguy

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Everything posted by safetyguy

  1. safetyguy
    If you have doubts about your TCI, have you considered an aftermarket TCI from one of Dingy's group buys? They work great.
  2. safetyguy
    After trying to get this part for a while now, it is apparently obsolete and none are in inventory anywhere. Would anyone have a servicable used one that they could spare?
  3. safetyguy
    Earl: I discovered what you just said to be the case. If you have a Mityvac (or the Harbor Freight $25 clone) and use it after the initial install, Speed Bleeders seem to work as advertised. The problem was I couldn't figure out how to bleed the left front brake with a traditional bleed valve by myself the other night- my arms weren't long enough to tighten the bleed valve while keeping pressure on the foot brake after pumping and I didn't have a second person around to make the operation work. So since I had some SpeedBleeders sitting on the shelf, I said why not give them a try. Once they are bled properly (with no air issues), I think that there may be some advantages to Speed Bleeders. With them it seems like you can pump your brakes pretty quickly and some real tiny air bubbles come out. I am not sure that these tiny bubbles would have come out from traditional bleeding techniques and they weren't coming out under vacuum either. Of course this is a one time observation and not a scientific conclusion. This is a debate for another thread though .... If I had to do it again, I probably would just install a single Speed Bleeder on the left front and use traditional bleed valves everywhere else. With this setup, one person can bleed the brakes alone. Mike
  4. safetyguy
    Problem solved. I used a vacuum brake bleeder on the left front bleeder. After about 20 seconds under vacuum, a lot of air came out and things started to flow freely. I used suction on all the other bleeders and pulled a few more air bubbles out of each. I then did a normal brake bleed/flush sequence after that, and everything is just fine now. Moral of the story - it may be wise to vacuum bleed the brakelines first when you do something that opens up them up - like put in Speedbleeders. Thanks for the suggestions and ideas!
  5. safetyguy
    The problem is nothing is coming out of the rear bleeder or the left front either. As a first attempt, I was thinking of applying a little suction on all the bleeders to see what that would do. However, you are making it sound like I should start disassembling and cleaning.
  6. safetyguy
    as Tweety Bird said once, "I did, I did!"
  7. safetyguy
    I was bleeding my brakes per the Service Manual - right front, left front, rear, and the one on top. I installed SpeedBleeders on the left front and the rear as I went along. Everything worked as per normal -- fluid came out exactly as expected. No problems until I tried to bleed the one on top. Nothing came out - no air, no fluid, --nothing. I went around to the left front and nothing came out from there (even though it did a few minutes before). Likewise for the rear caliper bleed valve (which worked before). Hey, at least the right front works perfectly. Everything is like it came from the factory -- I never delinked the brakes or did any brake upgrades on this VR. The brakes were working fine before all of this. I just wanted to do some flushing for maintenance reasons. My guess is that there is something going on with the rear master cylinder. I searched the forum but nothing turned up that is exactly like this problem. I am open to suggestions before I begin surgery on the patient ....
  8. safetyguy
    What shape are the carb diaphragms in?
  9. safetyguy
    I installed mine today in my 88 VR. Just for background - my original TCI works fine and it is installed in the same spot as it was when it came from the factory. Also, I have the original radio & cassette player in place. Here is how I did it - 1) Removed the battery and battery box. Once I did that I was able to get the two plugs out from the original TCI. (There is a bar under the battery box that gets in the way. Just work around it. You can work the plug's locking tab with a screwdriver and get the plugs out. Took the two connectors (with their wires) and pulled them to the left side of the air filter box. You may want to route them under another wire that was running in that same area. (I duct taped the connectors on the original TCI to keep moisture and junk out.) Reinstalled the battery box and battery. 2) Follow Gary's installation instructions and mounted the new Ignitech box on the air filter cover with the Velcro. Used some dielectric grease and connected the plugs. (I tie- wrapped the connectors to keep them together). 3) I had to find a creative place to put the MAP sensor. Gary's instructions said that he mounted his in the left fairing. Problem is that I still have a bunch of original radio equipment there. After much experimentation, I velcro-ed it VERTICALLY on the left rear corner of the air filter box - i.e., the top part of the MAP sensor is under the airbox lid edge. (By left - I mean where your left thigh would be if you are sitting on the bike. By VERTICALLY - I mean that the TCI box is mounted HORIZONTAL on the airbox lid. The MAP sensor is on the left rear side on the airbox itself and is mounted VERTICAL. It fits just about perfectly there.) Connected the vaccum hose at the plastic connector and snaked it up to where the MAP sensor is. My impressions of the new unit (after a 40 mile test ride today)- a. It works. It works great actually. For the most part it is comparable to the original unit or even better. Gary's program does seem to give my old VR some more oomph at the mid and high end of the rpm range. It seems different at the low end (2000-2500 RPM range) but it is hard to quantify exactly why I think this. Not a problem at all. b. The rev limiter at 7500 RPM is a surprise when it kicks in. I guess it is needed and I will keep it for now. c. It seems to take an extra few revs of the starter to get it started than the original TCI. I think this is part of the programming (if I remember some discussion in another thread.) Not objectionable - just different. d. I don't know what the impact on gas mileage is at this time. All in all, I am very very pleased with the unit. Even if your old TCI works, I highly recommend this as an upgrade. I can't wait to play a bit with the programming in the future but I must admit that Gary's upload is really pretty good "as is". Thanks again Gary for putting this whole deal together !!!
  10. safetyguy
    I think you guys are onto something here. Don't the Gen2s have a way to manually add air to the suspension system? Is there any interchange between parts from G2s and G1s?p Can we engineer a system with an adjustable pressure relief device (i.e., to limit the air in the front to 17 psi and the rear to maybe 60psi) that can be hooked into the old lines? Hey after resoldering one broken joint on the CLASS printed circuit board, revamping the dessicant, and cleaning out the air solenoids this weekend - I must admit that I wouldn't mind becoming a biker with no CLASS.
  11. safetyguy
    Gary: Just sent my payment to you, so I am in.
  12. safetyguy
    I would have interest as well.
  13. safetyguy
    Thanks all - this is the info i needed. Re: Flyinfool's question - interesting question but I don't know the answer. I think your switch is either defective or has been bypassed. I could test the switch when I replace it to see if it is normally open or closed. I also would have concerns about bypassing it -mostly for safety reasons. Besides not disengaging cruise at speed, I think that if you bypass the switch that you will create some dangerous situations when using the starter when you are in gear.
  14. safetyguy
    Does anyone know where to get a clutch switch for a MKII? Mine was broken & rigged by the PO as a fix- I just figured it out after a few years of ownership whilentrying to diagnose a cruise control problem. I can't find the part number anywhere. Looking at the online microfiches, I am having trouble actually identifying the actual part. Another idea- By chance does anyone have a spare that they are willing to sell?
  15. safetyguy
    Just to add more to the diaphragm knowledge database- Working on another bike that had similar Mikuni carbs, I had great difficulty trying to get the raised edge of the diaphragm to stay in the groove while trying to get the cover screwed on. The solution is one that I wish I figure out previously when replacing mine on my Venture. Long story made short, I used four pieces of regular masking tape to tape the diaphragm in. Place the tape on no more than about a tenth of an inch of the diaphragm when measured from the outside edge. (i.e., just enough to hold the diaphragm edge in when it is seated in the groove.). Put the cover in place and put your four screws in hand tight until it just seats and back each screw out - no more than a half turn. You should be able to pull out each of your four masking tape pieces intact. If the tape pieces rip and do not come out intact, disassemble and try again. Again, the performance that gets restored when you replace diaphragms is amazing. You lose this gain by not having your diaphragms properly sealed. Hope this helps someone and please let me know how it works for you.
  16. safetyguy
    You can try and ajdust the idle screw. Remove the left side cover. It is the downward pointed screw between the two sync screws. You should be able to turn it by hand - you don't need a screwdriver, but pliers may help to start it. Turn the idle screw counter clockwise and see if your idle goes down. Make sure you don't adjust the sync screws!!! (These need a screwdriver). Please look at attached photo
  17. safetyguy
    Thanks Earl- I am good on slides these days. (I replaced 4 on my 88 with new ones) and just picked some up for my little Yamaha Virago 535 (which I haven't put in yet). The temporary patch that I made to the slides in my 87 Virago 535 (XV535) adds more to my confusion over the diameter size of the slides. The 535 wasn't running well and it turned out one of the slides came apart (i.e. keeper out of the black slide body). I glued this one back together. About 200 miles later, the other slide on this two cylinder beast came apart in the same manner as the first. I glued this one but dropped it while handling and it broke. So I needed a slide in a hurray to keep it on the road. While researching the purchase of a replacement, I found somewhere on-line that said the 535 carb slide was the same as a slide for a Venture 1200. Being experimental, I looked at the old 1300 slides that I had taken out last year. It seems to me all dimensions (except the vent hole adjacent to the needle hole on the 1300 slide is significantly larger in diameter) were the same when I measured it. So I glued up a 1300 slide and installed it in the 535 to get it back on the road. (I had recently done the same with an old 1300 slide for a friend with a 1200 back at the beginning of this thread). Basically, the 1300 slide works fine in the 535. The diaphragms are the same size and are interchangeable as well. It seems like the low end power is off a bit but I figure it is no worse than having some pinholes in the diaphragm. I will replace both of the carb slides soon with ones purchased recently from another VentureRider.org member. Ater I did this, I found that the 1200 slides are interchangeable with 1990 and newer 535s (i.e. through Yamaha part numbers). The part number for the 1987 and 1988s are completely different. More confusion -- So this begs the question - even if the part numbers for all of these slides are different, it seems to me that the only variable is the size of the vent hole. (my guess remains that the exterior dimensions is the same for all. ) The needle retention plastic screw is the same. If someone can post the diameter and overall length of a 1200 slide body, I can do the same for a 1300 and 535 slide body. By slide body, I mean the black plastic piece with everything off. While this seems an academic question, I wonder if other slides for Mikuni BS34 carbs could possibly work. For instance, here is a link to a carb slide for a 80-84 Yamaha XS650 which also uses a BS34 carb. The replacement slide is $62 not $150. http://www.mikesxs.net/products-75.html#products Another variant of the Mikuni BS34 carb was used in 1985 Kawasaki ZN1100B2 LTD's (as an example). I think that the BS34 carb was used in some Yahama outboard motors as well. Could something like this work? How does one research this? I guess what I am wondering is - have we missed other possible (and cheaper) sources for these slides? The other question is: is the vent hole sizing really that critical? Maybe Mikuni developed a solution to the problem of the slides coming apart in subsequent years (e.g. the 1990s) and these parts could work as well.
  18. safetyguy
    Not that I would ever questions Earl's experience with these things, but it would be nice to know if there really is a difference in the slide diameters between the 1200 and the 1300 slides. If the "bigger" 1300 slides fit in the 1200 carb body as described, this argues for them being the same diameter size-wise. Seeing that charlie h. has both in his possession at the moment, would you be willing to measure the outside diameter of both (with appropriate calipers) and report back to everyone? Also, if we go with my original assumption that the two are the same (with the difference being in the vent hole sizing), can they be used interchangeably? What is the real impact of the size of the vent hole? Unless I have the way these carbs work backward in my mind, I am thinking that the larger the vent hole is, the result will be a slower throttle response on the low end with a slower return to idle from the high end.
  19. safetyguy
    The way the keeper is press fitted into the plastic slide is a real problem on these old Mikuni carbs. My thought is that in Northern climates after 20 years of riding in summer (heat) and storage in winter (cold) creates multiple expansion cycles, leading to these slides coming apart. Either the plastic gives or the metal looses elasticity - or both. These slides are hard to come by and they are very expensive these days. It just seems wrong that a new slide is well over the $100 mark - each. I wonder if we could organize a group buy and get the cost down. I must admit that I have glued a few of these together but also have replaced others with new &/or used slide units. The glued ones seem to hold up but I don't know if they will hold for 20 years or not. On these forums, a lot of people mention using superglue to do the deed. I wouldn't use superglue or JB Weld - I don't think it will hold. What I have used is the Versachem Plastic Welding System which I bought at the local NAPA store. This is a two part methacrylate system that hardens in a few minutes. (It is the same stuff I use to glue broken Venture plastic parts everywhere else on the bike). I checked with Versachem and they said it should be gasoline resistant and the temp properties should work for this application. No sanding, I just used the smallest amount of Plastic Welder spread evenly where the metal keeper meets the inner barrel of the slide. The three times that I've done this, I made sure all the slide parts were assembled at the time of gluing (i.e. plastic spacers, diaphragm, metal keeper). I made sure that the keeper and the other parts were seated all the way down and all the excess was removed. The operative word here is use only a little amount of the plastic welder and wipe the excess off quickly. The rationale is to minimize the weight of material added to the slide in addition to getting a tight fit. http://www.itwconsumer.com/catalog.aspx?prodID=49 If the slide came apart on you and you have no clue how to get the pieces back together, I offer this old post -- http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=37273 Final word, use my repair technique at your own risk - it is experimental at this point. Yes, it is probably better to get new slides if you can but this may get you back on the road in a pinch.
  20. safetyguy
    I just hooked it up to the flux capacitor. The plug provides the requisite 1.21 jigawatts (check it with a meter if you don't believe me) and allows for smooth passage through the space time continuum. I just set the control to 30 years in the future and my old Venture Royale is still faster than anything that came from the Harley Davidson factory. And the Mr. Fusion I picked up fits right under the fake tank cover, so now I have enough power to add a few extra lights. Roads, Where We're Going We Don't Need Roads
  21. safetyguy
    This is all good advice -- it is better to have a running bike than to make one too many modification and THEN have to figure out how to get things running again & where to buy replacement parts for 20+ year old Ventures.
  22. safetyguy
    Earl- Sorry about the delay in responding - but I am confused. I accidentally busted a slide on an 87 Yamaha XV535 about a week ago. I had a reglued 1300 Venture slide with a good diaphragm which I installed. The exterior dimensions of both slides were identical - i.e., slide diameter and length. The only difference that I could tell was a difference in the size of the vent hole at the bottom of the slide - with the XV535 slide's vent hole being noticeably smaller than the 1300's (rough measurement- vent hole diameter on the 535 is about 0.092 inches and the 1300s is about 0.139 inches. Somewhere in an old post, someone said the vent hole diameter for a 1200 slide was 0.094 inches so it is probably the same as the size of the 535's vent hole and the slight difference is in how the measurements were taken). The slide from the 1300, including the diaphragm, seems to fit perfectly in the Virago and the little 535 seems to be running fine - maybe a little more time for the power curve to kick in at wide open throttle. It probably no worse than having a few diaphragm holes but at least it is back on the road. I thought of plugging the vent hole with plastic weld and redrilling with a 3/32 drill bit but haven't gotten to it yet. When I went looking for the correct replacement slide for a friend's 1200 online about a month ago , it seems that the replacement part for the 1200 was the same as for a 535 - which is why I thought the 1200 and 1300 parts had the same diameter slide. (The rationale - if the 535 and the 1200 are the same part number; the dimensions of the 535 and the 1300 measured out to be the same, wouldn't the dimensions of the 1200 and the 1300 be the same too?) http://www.boats.net/parts/detail/yamaha/Y-41R-14940-00-00.html So am I missing something? In any case, do you have any ideas where to get some inexpensive 1200 slides and another one for the 535? My "out of the box" thinking is that there must be another Japanese motorcycle manufacturer that used the same carb (Mikuni BDS34 ??) and if so, their replacement slide should work in our old Yamahas even though they may not be exactly the same. I know Suzuki used this same Mikuni carb body on the Suzuki Intruder Volusia about 10 years ago and I thought they were used on some Yamaha snowmobiles as well. So instead of $100 or more for a single carb slide, there may be a suitable slide replacement available for much less - if we can only figure out the right part numbers. Am I on to something here? Hey, I can dream can't I?
  23. safetyguy
    I thought the 83-85 slides were the same shaft diameter as the 86+ ones. The only difference is the size of the vent hole at the bottom of the 83-85 being smaller in diameter).
  24. safetyguy
    I installed J.B.'s (Lonestarmedic's) cables and they seemed absolutely fine. Well worth the price! And for those cheap complainers - the price of the copper welding cable alone has to be at least half the cost of the battery cable set.
  25. safetyguy
    Have you checked the TCI connector -- maybe it is loose. A couple of other things to do -- search this forum on how to check your pickup and ignition coils with a meter. Just some random thoughts...
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