Hey guys!

So... I need your help again. I took my baby apart and replaced the gaskets to the exhaust system (really had to tighten the bolts to get the weird leaking sound to disappear but eventually it did). I also removed the carbs to check their status. They were fine I guess, so I put them back in after having cleaned them a bit, cleaned the throttle cables and the choke cable. Now she is really, really hard to start with or without choke. I can get her to start playing with the throttle but as soon as I let go of it she dies. It's like she cannot idle at all. On the other hand, she's much more responsive now when riding (at least in first gear, since I'm riding in a garage I can't really go higher) and packs that punch I was aiming for. Before winter rest she felt a bit bogged down somehow.

So guys, what have I forgotten when putting everything back? I checked the hoses from the tank, both the two connecting to the petcock and and the vacuum one from the carbs to the petcock, I checked the two hoses that don't connect to anything but just hang there from the tank (overflow and pressure I guess) and I know for a fact the two breather hoses from the air box are connected. Somehow, I have a feeling that it is either a blocked fuel hose but more likely connected to air since she roars when playing with the throttle... Or am I completely mistaken?

Oh, by the way, I followed the sticky guide to carb cleaning here (great guide) but I was curious about one picture. Where I have marked the pics with yellow question marks (and on the other side, too lazy to draw there) I have screws fairly loose and sticking out. What do they do and are they essential somehow?



Thanks!

 

There is of course, the fuel line from the petcock to the carbs, but the vacuum line doesn't go to the carbs, but rather the vacuum port on the engine, by cylinder 1 - this is what opens the diaphragm in the petcock, to allow fuel to flow when it's turned to On or Reserve.

Those are your float bowl drain screws, and they most definitely should not be loose , as that will allow fuel to leak right out of the bowls.

 

One other thing to note about the picture, is #1 and #4 bowls are reversed. It doesn't affect functionality at all unless you need to drain the carb. Then it will be a huge pain. I think the person who originally posted the how to took a picture of a spare set of carbs.

 

Sometimes I amaze myself with my own stupidity. Of course they are the drain screws. I actually drained the float bowls and closed them so I should know that. Don't know why I suddenly got so confused when I saw the picture. Watching them from another angle while drinking beer might be a reason... Thanks JNS!

And yeah, you're right. I meant the vacuum line to port on the engine by cylinder 1. Since it attaches so close to the carbs I was a bit loose on the truth there. But yeah, that's the line I meant and it is attached. Hmm... I don't know what I possibly could have done to f**k things up.

I am actually wondering if the fuel pump could be malfunctioning... and then I realized that the -92 doesn't have one... right?

 

Thanks Hamlin6. I was lucky enough to understand that the picture was wrong when I saw my own perfectly aligned with each other . But then again, I could easily have figured that mine was wrong and switched them too...

 

Yep. The screw to your vacuum line needs to be tight. There needs to be a little washer on the screw too.
I can't speak to the fuel pump on a 92. A '98 has one but will run without one.

 

Hmm... a washer you say? On the petcock side or cylinder side?

Now I'm playing with the idea that it is the idling that is stuck in a locked position so to speak. So when I turn it around, nothing happens but it remains closed. Wouldn't that explain why it works when using the throttle but now when using the idle screw? Ah, I guess I have to strip her again then. But on the bright side, the double bubble iridium screen I bought from China was almost a good fit and looks really cool .

 

A washer on the vacuum screw on the #1 intake manifold. That's where you would hook up a line if you were going to sync your carbs. That's what I thought you were referring to as being a little loose.

 

Ah, I get it. No, it's tight. I was referring to my own wordings as being loose.

 

Gotcha. No harm. no foul. :-)