Brakes:
Hey guys, I’m brand new to Ventures and of limited mechanical ability, but I need to rebuild my calipers. I just bought a 1987 Venture in good condition except that the last time they parked it (3 years ago), they lost their back brakes on the ride home. Sure enough, when I went to look at the bike, there had been evidence of a leaky front caliper. Thanks to another thread, I learned about the linked braking. So I was planning on rebuilding the rear and left front calipers. But the right front caliper actually looked like it was more likely to be the culprit. The leak puddled on the right side of the bottom of the rim but I don’t remember if the wheel had been angled such that the leak might have crossed through the spokes from the left caliper. Either way, the hand brake works and the pedal does not.
Do the front and rear caliper rebuild kits have the same part number? Is there a known good source for the kits? What is considered a good price on these? I think I found kits to rebuild all three(no pistons) for around $100. A bit pricey for some rubber seals and a couple of pins, so that seems about right.
Carbs:
I siphoned out the 3-year-old gas and have been running Seafoam (about 4 tanks so far) through it. The bike starts, warm or cold, with the choke on. Once warm, I can bring the choke back 1/2 way, but that’s it. I can get it to idle between 800-1200 rpm, but can’t keep it running with the choke off.
Even idling (with 1/2 choke), I have to give the throttle a little feather before taking off or maneuvering at parking lot speeds. I know very little about carburetors. Should I start by trying to adjust the idle? Is balancing the carbs something I can do myself?
Thanks for the help.
