Worst carb rebuild in the history of biking.

[davidsalford]

Hi guys,
My first post so please be gentle with me. I have had the valkyrie tourer (97) for 15 years or so and have driven all over Spain and now live back in the U.K.
I haven't used it for about 3 years so it was running rough when I started it recently.
I stripped and ultrasonic cleaned the metal parts of the carbs in degreaser then rebuilt them
Next was the petcock which I stripped and cleaned then reassembled.
I put everything back together, Started the bike and all seemed fine bar the idle screws needed setting, so I left it for the next day.

Went in the garage to start it and it wouldn't turn over - as it was hydrolocked in the 6th cylinder. I pulled the plugs and fired all the fuel out of the open cylinders and a load came  out of the exhaust as well.
It looks like the hydrolock was caused by fuel coming down the vac pipe into cylinder 6 and not by fuel coming out the tap.
Fortunately the battery wasn't powerful enough to turn the cylinders so it looks like I have avoided any damage to the starter etc.

I have pulled the carbs and on checking them with an auxiliary tank at 6 inches above carb head height, 3 carbs are overflowing. I have added supplementary springs as per one of the posts on here but they are still leaking. Needles and seats look fine but obviously something isn't good.

I am going to rebuild the tap, but I must say I am seriously pissed about the vac pipe causing hydrolock, and I am tempted to blank the vac off and fit an electronic shut off.

Also there was some oil in the fuel that came out from the exhausts after the hydrolock. I don't know if it was just crap from the exhaust having been soaked in petrol. I am not sure if I should do an oil change now.

Thoughts please lads on oil change and way forward with the tap?

[Chrisj CMA]

I would replace all needle valves and floats.  Ditch the supplemental springs ( whatever they are) and replace the petcock "tap" with a manual non vacuum from a quality manufacturer

[davidsalford]

The supplemental springs are the little springs you get in pens, cut down behind the needles to stop the play you get where they sit in the float.
I will get new needles (80 dollars over here) but could do without spending on new floats if I can get away with it
If I was to replace the tap for a non vac one, I might as well block off the vac and use the original tap so i can keep the chrome tap switch, as I can see no advantage to a Pingel or similar over a de-vacced standard. I have got a rebuild kit in Viton for the ball selector from a carb specialist over here, and I have drilled the rivets and got bolts for it.

[Pete]

On the petcock, not only did the fuel and vacuum diaphrams fail so did the drain between. It is stopped up, bottom toward the rear of the petcock, unblock it. If not stopped up the petcock may not have leaked.

Check you rebuild of the cleaned petcock and be sure it is assembled correctly.

If you had 3 carbs leaking including number 6 it can back up in the vacuum tube.

Also there should have been gas coming from the carb overflow tubes. Check them.

[Chrisj CMA]

The supplemental springs are the little springs you get in pens, cut down behind the needles to stop the play you get where they sit in the float.
I will get new needles (80 dollars over here) but could do without spending on new floats if I can get away with it
If I was to replace the tap for a non vac one, I might as well block off the vac and use the original tap so i can keep the chrome tap switch, as I can see no advantage to a Pingel or similar over a de-vacced standard. I have got a rebuild kit in Viton for the ball selector from a carb specialist over here, and I have drilled the rivets and got bolts for it.

After you install the needle valves. Install the floats without the pen springs and make sure with the carb bank upside-down after all six are on that as you press down on the float you feel spring tension all the way down (which is really up). Then release the float and it should bounce up and down a couple times on the needle valve. 

Falure to maintain spring tension all the way down or not bouncing on the needle when released means to me that at least THAT float or all that fail That test should be replaced

[Chrisj CMA]

One other thing. If you convert your OEM petcock to manual and plug the #6 intake nipple. Once it's all back together and running, ( again while cold) turn the valve off and disconnect the fuel line to the petcock. No gas should drip if it does even a little bit. It's no good and could cause another lock.

[gordonv]

I haven't used it for about 3 years so it was running rough when I started it recently.
I stripped and ultrasonic cleaned the metal parts of the carbs in degreaser then rebuilt them

Is this just something in the language, or did you actually use a degreaser to clean a carb, and it worked?

Carb cleaner should be used instead, from everything I've read. Maybe someone else will explain.

[Chrisj CMA]

I haven't used it for about 3 years so it was running rough when I started it recently.
I stripped and ultrasonic cleaned the metal parts of the carbs in degreaser then rebuilt them

Is this just something in the language, or did you actually use a degreaser to clean a carb, and it worked?

Carb cleaner should be used instead, from everything I've read. Maybe someone else will explain.

.

I used a product called Crud Cutter from Tractor Supply and it is technically a degreaser and it worked great

[oldsmokey]

I haven't used it for about 3 years so it was running rough when I started it recently.
I stripped and ultrasonic cleaned the metal parts of the carbs in degreaser then rebuilt them

Is this just something in the language, or did you actually use a degreaser to clean a carb, and it worked?

Carb cleaner should be used instead, from everything I've read. Maybe someone else will explain.

I have great results using the ultrasonic with white vinegar and simple green. Preferebly the cleaning vinegar. (not for pickling eggs)

[Leathel]

Check the float heights to see if they are within spec....If the float valves are not sealing the floats are likely distorted and sitting low

OEM books says to replace the floats if not in spec


 On my bike I purchased a set of K&L float valves as I had found info that they are longer, and they are by about .5mm from memory which lifted the floats by 2mm (once again from memory ) and I managed to get away without replacing the floats... Much cheaper.

[indybobm]

I have got a rebuild kit in Viton for the ball selector from a carb specialist over here, and I have drilled the rivets and got bolts for it.

Can you tell us about this? You rebuilt the ball selector side? Any pictures?

[Bagger John - #3785]

K&L sells a float height gauge and a level tube which has a fitting that replaces the bowl drain screw. It allows you to fill the bowl with fluid and visually check the level from the outside. I've made both types in my home shop.

As far as the carbs...I'd replace the float needles, needle seats and confirm float height both statically (bowls open) and dynamically (w/ fluid present) before buttoning things back up.

If parts are in spec, you should not require any "extras" above and beyond Honda's design. Anything else in there is a Band-Aid at best.

[davidsalford]

Is this just something in the language, or did you actually use a degreaser to clean a carb, and it worked?

Carb cleaner should be used instead, from everything I've read. Maybe someone else will explain.

I use an industrial degreaser mixed to 4 parts hot water (approx) and I chuck everything in there in a little sieve.
It brings everything up very nicely. Anything stubborn I give a squirt of carb cleaner then run it back trough. You can't use anything flammable in the ultra sonic.

Whilst the bike was in bits today I did a desmog on it, I have no kit so I have cut the pipes and chucked all the bits left in the cleaner. I put some chopped bolt ends in the holes and JB welded them today so I'll put it back together this weekend.

Can you tell us about this? You rebuilt the ball selector side? Any pictures?

I have got the kit to rebuild it from Manchester, the guy made it up of the top of his head, he says he has rebuilt a few of these over the years. I shall do it this weekend hopefully and I will take pictures as I go along if you wish.
In the meantime here's the bits he gave me.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/jp24klhz4re88em/20170621_204241.jpg?dl=0

Check the float heights to see if they are within spec....If the float valves are not sealing the floats are likely distorted and sitting low

OEM books says to replace the floats if not in spec

 On my bike I purchased a set of K&L float valves as I had found info that they are longer, and they are by about .5mm from memory which lifted the floats by 2mm (once again from memory ) and I managed to get away without replacing the floats... Much cheaper.

They seemed to be in spec or near enough, but they just weren't seating. I went into town and got a new set of oem needles today (£6 each) and I have put those in, everything seems fine and there's no overflowing or leaking from any of the carbs. I couldn't get hold of any K&L ones as they don't have them in the UK.

I replaced one of the air mixture screws as well as it looked a bit rough and I have made a little adjustment tool from a bit of brass bar I had so I should be ok to tweak the settings.

I just need to decide now whether to rebuild the petcock with the vac or without the vac and put an electronic cut off valve in.

[Leathel]

I desmogged mine and that gave room to fit the cutoff at the T between the carbs .... I like the piece of mind its got less fuel in the lines to flood carbs.