removing carbs

[archangelof2003]

Ok....I've spent the last hour looking before I post an obvious question...but I can't find what I'm looking for so here it is.

I'm getting ready to take the carbs off my bike to clean them.  This is the first time I have done this (however I've cleaned carbs before) but the frame is much different than other bikes I've done and I just want to know if there are any little secrets to doing this.  If there is anything you all can do to help me out it would be great...if there's a link I did'nt see...point it out to me!  HELP!

bk

[h2olawyer]

Basically, they lift up out of the boots, pivot the front carb to the left side of the bike and they come out the left side of the frame.  You will have some interference with the coolant lines and the wiring harness, but with a little trial & error, they will come out - and without putting much pressure on the hoses.  You need to move the wiring harness out of the way and the carbs shouldn't do more than contact it - maybe a little pressure, but not much at all.

After doing it a couple times, you will get pretty good at it.

Remember to loosen the clamps holding them to the boots, and disconnect the throttle & clutch cables.

There will probably be other hints to folllow.

H₂O

[Lucky]

a little wd-40 on the carb boots helps too. the bottom of the carbs will need to slide over the boots, bending them slightly.  i use a long bit on a drill to really loosen up the clamps so they drop down & sit on the vacuum fittings allowing the carb boots to flex a bit.

only other bits of advice: bend back the welded on retainers for the wire harness & coolant/plug wires.  pull the harnesses away from the frame & up slightly there should be slack enough to do this. this gives you more room to manuver the carbs out.

as you move the front carb to the left & out the frame, lift the rear carb slightly & swing it 90 degrees. then the carbs should come out the left side.

some people seperate the carbs to get them out but i don't reccomend it. you have to be able to install & remove them as a set. if you loosen the bars joining the 2 carbs together, you change the synq.  you should synq them anyway, but still...

--Lucky

[Night Vision]

if you pop the carbs staight up out of the intake boots, you can then take the carb boots out (two allen bolts on each boot)  and get them out of the way..... that opens it up alot.... but not necessary, you can take carbs out without removing boots..

but the main thing is.... yes they do come out the left side.... and be careful you don't break the plastic drain nipples or drop anything down the intake

like H₂ O said.... make sure you unhook the throttle and choke cables... my carbs don't have a clutch cable  ;)

[archangelof2003]

WOW!

Amazing what a little help from friends will do.  I got the carbs out in just under 8 minutes with no damage.  Thank You to all!

Now....the hard part.  I got to looking at the carbs and they make me nervous.  Seems the fool who owned it before me (he's now in prison for kiddie things btw...very weird) managed to take the carbs out but I think he screwed up some of the screws and what not.  Nearly every screw on the whole thing is rounded out and even the 130 jets (which I understand are stock for an 82 with the intake flapper) are chewed up.  I hate half-a$$ed mechanics!  It's one thing to do things wrong but damage is irreversable.  Anyway, enough of my tyrant, back to work.  Do I need to seperate the carbs to get them open?  I don't want to if I don't have to but I will.   These carbs are nothing like the ones I am used to (old RD's and such) and I really don't want to mess anything more up. 

I have my bachlour party this wknd so I'm prob not gonna actually get to do anything on it till Sunday.  Once again thanks for everyones help and I really look forward to riding with you guys sometime!

bk

[munkyfistfight]

I know it may be a little excessive, but I take the front engine mount bolts out and stick my jack under the motor and lower it a few inches. Makes a little more room to move around. Then again, I don't have the cooling system hooked back up yet or the wiring harness.

[Lucky]

BK, i've rebuilt a few dozen of the Visions carbs, so anything you need to ask, go ahead.
these screws often stick hard because they are steel, the carbs are aluminum so they are too easy to over tighten (plus galvanic corrosion if they are neglected)

here is how you get the screws out:
if there is still some phillips left in the head of the screw, carefully secure the carbs in a vice and use a WELL FITTING impact driver to 'crack' them free.

personaly though i prefer to use a good set of small vice grips (good meaning the serrations on the jaws are still present) on the head of the screw. attach them so they are horizontal to the screw (like a ratchet or breaker bar) not vertical like a screwdriver, and crack them free.

you can then either replace them with screws from the hardware store (no chrome, this aint a Harley!) or i can put together a good used set for you for a modest price (i have 8-10 XZ550 parts carbs)

if $$'s tight, i have good used parts for everything you might need on those carbs, or you can get new kits from Keyster/Sirrus on Ebay.

you can clean the carbs out with carb cleaner, but sooner or later (probably sooner) you'll have to tear them down again. the best solution is to get a can of Berrymans Chem-Dip ($12 at Pep Boys) and dip the carbs.

you can remove the tops without seperating the carbs & infact that is the prefered method for quick inspections, etc as seperating the carbs changes the synq.

also, i rebuild these if you don't wish to tackle them, but i suggest you do as they aren't that hard & it's good to get intimate with your bike.

Importaint: INSTALL AN INLINE FUEL FILTER

Lastly, enjoy the party, don't get arrested, & if you need pointers, somewhere i have the tape of my bachlor party where i oil wrestle 2 women.....   :o 8) ;D

--Lucky

[h2olawyer]

Lastly, enjoy the party, don't get arrested, & if you need pointers, somewhere i have the tape of my bachlor party where i oil wrestle 2 women.....   :o 8) ;D

--Lucky

Two stroke or 4?   ;D

H₂O

[h2olawyer]

Oh yeah - my carbs don't have a clutch, either.  Typing & thinking in a hurry when I responded.  Didn't re-read it when I was done.  At least someone caught it.   ::)

H₂O

[archangelof2003]

I've seen the Keyster kits on ebay, are they good?  After spending a little over a year as a service manager in a Stealership I've seen that alot of aftermarket parts just don't have the quality of OEM.  I've also seen, however, that most of the carb parts are discontinued from yamaha.  I just want to be sure I'm getting a good quality set.  Don't like to do alot of work then do alot more because I cut corners.  I would really like to have the bugs worked out of this by mid June.  Anyway, I can get the screws out no problem (I'm pretty calm and don't rip into things) and if you say I can get the carb bottoms off without seperating them then I'll give her a shot.  I have access to a carb sync but it has to run first to sync!  Lucky, I did'nt realize you were the same one from the other Vision website.  Alot of good info there...thanks!  Also I would like one of your cd's.  Where and when and how?

As for the party, well..If i end up wrestling even a couple chicks I'm afraid my fiance would know because I would be sore for a week to follow!  I'm 30, just don't recover from what I like to call "exercise" like I used to!  hahahah...

bk

[Brian Moffet]

I rebuilt my carbs (having never been in them before) using the keyster kits and they seemed to be high-quality.

I did notice that they didn't have the main air jets that my bike has, either because my bike is an 83 or because my main air jets had been changed out long ago.  Jets are cheap and plentiful though.

Brian

[h2olawyer]

The air jets in the Keyster kits for 83s are wrong.  The 82 kit also has jet issues - don't remember exactly what they are, but you will need to get a new jet or 2 if you are going to replace them all.  Your choices for rebuilding Vision carbs are to reuse what you have, find some parts carbs or the Keyster kits.  Very few carb parts are still available from Yamaha.  Needle & seat are but expect to pay near $50 per carb!  You should be able to find jets at your local dealer.

H₂O

[Kenny]

   For Info: the carb kits  came with the same jetting the Canadian 83's had, as that was the set of carbs that I gave them to send to Japan so they could make the kits up.
                     :) Ken S.

[h2olawyer]

Thanks for the clarification, Kenny.  I'm sure glad you did the work to get these made.  I'm getting a full set of kits for the 83 carbs I recently bought.  They will need everything in the kits and then some.   ::)  The main things I'll have to find are the plates that holds the needle seats to the upper carb bodies.  Pretty sure the ones from a set of 82 carbs will fit.  I have a couple extra sets of those I use for parts.

H₂O

[archangelof2003]

K...so I got them apart and I'm cleaning them.  I have an 82 so the pilots are both 60's and the mains are 130's?  I want to be sure to get this right.  Why are there 2 mains ?  This is just a different carb than I am used to.  I did get the 130's on the "top" replaced at the dealer....2 bucks a piece for some of their NOS stuff in the back.  The 60's were tough to get out.  The one had been tamperd with in the past and I had to use an easy-out to get it out...but they come with the Keyster set.  I'm going to replace all of the screws as they were rounded out real bad.  Not from me but the "mechanic" who owned it before.  I have just 1 question though.  My float pins are "mushroomed) on the ends.  I have never seen this.  Should I grind one end off (being careful to not get shavings anywhere of course) or is there a fancy trick to this?  Also do I need to take all of the rubber o-rings and whatnot off before I dip them in carb cleaner?

Just got started on them today by the way.  Pretty rough recoverin from the bachlour party.  Good time though...me and 18 of my closest friends in a house on the lake for the whole weekend.  Prob the last time that'll happen!

[QBS]

BE VERY CAREFULL when removing the float pivot pins.  There is a very specific NON INTUITIVE procedure that calls for them being carefully pushed out from their pedistal holes.  Ignorance, hamfistedness or both will surely break one of the pedistals.  I've done it and so have many on this forum.  The correct procedure is detailed in the Haynes manual.  Do not procede until you know the right way to do this.

It has been so long since I've done this that I'm not confident enough to instruct you.  Wait until a more current guru can chime in to give you better advice.  You've been warned.  Good Luck.

[inanecathode]

 To keep from breaking the float pivot pedestals i took a pair of needle nose pliers and used them like bearing removers to straddle the float pin where it comes through the pedistal. holding the needlenose against a surface and lightly tapping on the pin, alternating with twisting the pin a bit is a sure fire way to keep from breaking the things.

[munkyfistfight]

I haven't had a problem with it yet. I actually can get my pliers to grasp the post and the pivot without touching anything else. I don't need a punch. I've done it a ton of times already in putting these things back together and taking them apart.

[h2olawyer]

I've done them a few times.  Working carefully is critical.  Glad I had some practice before I start on the 83 carbs in a few days!  Going to treat them like Waterford Crystal.  I have lots of 82 carb part spares but 83 parts are unobtanium.

H₂O

[supervision]

 Regarding those float pins, on the set of 83's I just cleaned up.   For some reason those were fitted so tight it was unreal.  The way I did it was first make a piece of scrap metal that was the exact  fit between the two posts just above the pin, next using a small pin to press out the  pin into a small scocket.  I used about a 6" clamp to do the pressing. When putting back together I honed out the post holes, and adjusted the fit for better conditions next time. They must be crazy fitting them that tight.  My 82's are not as tight, it's unnecessary!   Those posts will snap like a twig, you'll be pissed