What Do You Use For A Manometer?

[hueco]

I need to synch my carbs. I have a 4 tube manometer that uses liquid mercury. It has been in storage for about 5 years. When I got it out the other day most of the mercury had "evaporated" . In other words there was not much mercury left. It seems like mercury is about as hard to get as plutonium and about as expensive. I would prefer not to make my own. Due to time restraints.  Where can I get some mercury? Or what are ya'll using for a carb synch gauge? Thanks. hueco.

[Skinhead]

I bought one of these,  little pricey, works well.  No afiliation, yada, yada, yada...

http://www.carbtune.com/

[Ricky-D]

Vacuum gauges work well and can be incorporated into a very inexpensive set-up.



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[Patrick]

I use a plain jane vacuum gauge..

[XXTi]

I use this homemade one as seen here before.

[Bugslayer]

I made mine..... it works pretty good.

[hueco]

I made mine..... it works pretty good.

Bugslayer. What are you using for liquid in it? Thanks.

[Bugslayer]

I made mine..... it works pretty good.

Bugslayer. What are you using for liquid in it? Thanks.

Auto Trans Fluid

[quexpress]

Vacuum gauges work well and can be incorporated into a very inexpensive set-up.



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Looks good. What gauges did you use/purchase?
Thanks!

[Ricky-D]

Those are NOSHOK gauges.  Got em on E-Bay, less than six bucks each.

You can find them on-line.

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[gordonv]

Nice!

Where did you get that one from, and how much was it?

[Dag]

I believe that if you want a good result you must have six vacuum meters. You have a given amount of vacuum which is divided into six carburetors. Adjust one carburetor, you have simultaneously adjust the others. With only four references, it is always two that are "invisible".
My Valkyrie sounded like a popcorn machine when I bought it five years ago. It was on three different Honda workshop for synchronization of carburetors. None of them got it 100%. (THEY HAD ONLY 4 VACUUM METERS) That's when I found out that I had to perform the maintenance yourself.

I made my own "tool"



Parts needed: http://valkyrienorway.com/Tools.html

And a few years old video (I think I have to make a new one)

Carb Sync Honda Valkyrie

[Ricky-D]

I think one thing that gets forgotten when discussing  this subject is that snubbers need to be incorporated into each vacuum line.

Reason being that the vacuum pulses are spaced out to such a degree that the indicator, whatever it might be, will pulse at a rate to which no reading can be derived.

Each snubber needs to be adjusted to a pretty close tolerance and ideally closely matched to each of the other vacuum indicators so as a whole system it is accurate and truly reflective of the motor and carburetors.

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[alph]

I made mine..... it works pretty good.

that's the coolest set up i've seen!!  that's what i'm going to do next year when i sync my carbs!!  but i'm using cool aid instead!!

[XXTi]

That one's a LOT prettier than mine, but I used it as a model.  

[Bugslayer]

[/quote]

that's the coolest set up i've seen!!  that's what i'm going to do next year when i sync my carbs!!  but i'm using cool aid instead!!
[/quote]

Thanks. I just followed everyone else's lead.
So which will it be?  Grape or cherry?

[quexpress]

Those are NOSHOK gauges.  Got em on E-Bay, less than six bucks each.

You can find them on-line.

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Thanks!
I've pulled the trigger on another set. 

[quexpress]

Hi Mase!
Long time no see!  
Hey! I have had a few of those on a shelf in my garage for the past 3 to 5 years ... but never got them to work right.  
I got fed up and pulled the trigger on a set of liquid filled dial vacuum gauges yesterday. Oh well.  ???

[Sodbuster]

I use a set of "Carb Stix" with the mercury that I've used for 20+ yrs with excellent results. Some don't care for the mercury thing but works fine if you're careful.

What's nice about the mechanical gauges is you can lay them on the floor, across the handlebars, turn them every which way and not worry about spilling some toxic substance.

[Ricky-D]

That's a cogent point.

There have been a few reports about losing the vacuum integrity of the system and the motor has sucked up the fluid into the motor.

Probably the reason for using a transmission fluid. Semi combustible.

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[hueco]

Here is the one that I have I was asking about. It used liquid mercury. I put ATF fluid in it. Like Bugslayer uses. But. it just sucks the ATF fluid up all the way into the carbs if I don't shut bike down. I guess the snubbers are not small enough? I don't know. I would put a picture of my manomter but, I don't how to do it how this site. Everyplace else just download picture. I do not have a copy of computers for dummies. How do you guys do it.

[Madmike]

Here is the one that I have I was asking about. It used liquid mercury. I put ATF fluid in it. Like Bugslayer uses. But. it just sucks the ATF fluid up all the way into the carbs if I don't shut bike down. I guess the snubbers are not small enough? I don't know. I would put a picture of my manomter but, I don't how to do it how this site. Everyplace else just download picture. I do not have a copy of computers for dummies. How do you guys do it.

...  could depend if you hook the other side to atmosphere or to the common set point.....

regarding posting pics I think there are some instructions stuck at the top of the "general page" that should help if you plow through them... not sure if you still have to use Photostash or not..

[mirion]

I think one thing that gets forgotten when discussing  this subject is that snubbers need to be incorporated into each vacuum line. Each snubber needs to be adjusted to a pretty close tolerance and ideally closely matched to each of the other vacuum indicators.

Where do you get these snubbers or how can you make them?

[Jess Tolbirt]

I have a butt load of mercury,, how do i get it to you?

[Ricky-D]

I think one thing that gets forgotten when discussing  this subject is that snubbers need to be incorporated into each vacuum line. Each snubber needs to be adjusted to a pretty close tolerance and ideally closely matched to each of the other vacuum indicators.

Where do you get these snubbers or how can you make them?

I used hemostats on the lines. Works great and a cheap alternative. Like 3 bucks each at the flea market!

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[mirion]

Each snubber needs to be adjusted to a pretty close tolerance and ideally closely matched to each of the other vacuum indicators so as a whole system it is accurate and truly reflective of the motor and carburetors.

But Ricky, you say that the snubbers need to be adjusted to a close tolerance, how do you adjust a hemostat? I like the idea of 6 individual NoShock vacuum guages but I am uncertain about the snubbers you refer to.

[Ricky-D]

Take a single vacuum gauge and hook it directly to a single vacuum barb on a carburetor riser and what you will see is a wildly reacting vacuum gauge needle.

I use pretty thick plastic tubing to attach the vacuum gauge to the riser so the way I found to attenuate the wildly swinging needle was to squeeze the tubing with a hemostat. I call that "Snubbing".

The trick is to find the "sweet spot" where the needle is still reacting to the vacuum pulses but in a less wild fashion so that a good visible reading can be attained.

If you squeeze too hard you can block off the movement of vacuum and get a false reading and if you don't squeeze off enough the needle in the vacuum gauge swings too much.

If you have determined what is a good result regarding the pulsing of the needle in the vacuum gauge, now is the challenge to do the same for all the gauges/hoses so that the gauges all mimic each other.

It may sound a little much but if you want to get a good comparison of each cylinder I think this is an important step, kinda like a baseline adjustment to a uniform setting.

As an additional note here on the subject of snubbing, I have read on this forum on past threads, on the same subject, where some have bought the air control valves that are used on fish aquarium air supply systems. You should know what I am talking about since these are readily attainable from any place that sells fish and fish aquariums and aquarium supplies. These valves are way too much money for my system and so I decided to go the hemostat route.

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[FLATSIX]

This is my "set-up" - works fine and the ATF-fluid is not "wild reacting", but gives a smooth reading.

No problems because of the length of the pvc-hoses.

[Bugslayer]

This is my "set-up" - works fine and the ATF-fluid is not "wild reacting", but gives a smooth reading.

No problems because of the length of the pvc-hoses.

[/quote]

Looks good.

[FLATSIX]

I attached rubber fuelhoses from the nipples at the intake-elbows to above -between the upperside of the carbs .
This way when I do the synchronisation I only have to unscrew the chrome-plates and connect the 6 rubber hoses to my  "setup" and I am done . See the picture.
I also work with different colors instead of the 1-3-5 etc. - much more easy and quick!

[RonW]

I also work with different colors instead of the 1-3-5 etc. - much more easy and quick!

+1

[lee]

HOW TO MAKE A SNUBBER:
See picture,  they are called BUTT SPLICES.  Just crimp them down to where you can
barley blow through them.  Put one in each vacuum line this will take the pluses out
of the ATF.

PS: Make it easy on your petcock,  put one in the vacuum line to the petcock
      and leave it there.

If you want to test them just put a tee in line and add a vacuum gauge.
Should take about 2 seconds for max vac. to pull through the BUTT SPLICE after you
crimp it down enough.