Fitting V4 carbs (1990 FL)

[kpavey]

Hi guys having a bastard of a time trying to fit my carbs back to the engine (93,000kms after sitting/storing the bike for over 2.5years). Any tips and tools to use apart from WD40, loosening the band clamps and a lot of swearing would be greatly appreciated. For example, should you fit the rubbers to the carb or head side first, should you do the front cylinders first then the rear, etc etc??? Is it a one person job or definitely two? Cheers.

[safetypro10]

1. I lubed the boots (opn the heads) with a little moly grease, very little.

2. I attached the front banks first by lining up the inner boot, using a screwdriver to assure the outer boots were lined up a little and gave them a firm pop, went right on.

3. Now the carbs are sitting on the rear boots. Take a long thin screwdriver and while you hold down a little, run the screwdriver in the boot so the carbs get a start. I placed a piece of wood over the top of the carbs and wacked it pretty firmly with a hammer so the carbs popped into the boots.

My only trick. I aliogned the screws on the boots (now loose) to the outside before I started so I could reach them all.

Larry
YMMV

[vfrcbr919]

I found that if you fit the front rubber boots to the carbs, and the rear boots to the head it works the best. I used white petroleum jelly to assist sliding them on, make sure you tighten the clamps on the rubber boots on the carbs on the front cylinders, and on the head on the rear carbs before setting the carbs on the bike. Having a bright light on the situation is also very helpful, as it is difficult to judge where the carbs need to be positioned when looking only from above. I will tell you it is a difficult bike to install carbs on(V65 Magnas are worse!!). I learned this method when having to perform a carb clean on the 1992 that I owned. Hopefully this will help!!

[Scubalong]

Originally Posted by kpavey

Hi guys having a bastard of a time trying to fit my carbs back to the engine (93,000kms after sitting/storing the bike for over 2.5years). Any tips and tools to use apart from WD40, loosening the band clamps and a lot of swearing would be greatly appreciated. For example, should you fit the rubbers to the carb or head side first, should you do the front cylinders first then the rear, etc etc??? Is it a one person job or definitely two? Cheers.

If you still have problem go to garage section and choose the gen. of your bike, look thru all the threads. I seen this before, Also all the people on the forum are very helpful. Good luck

[JamieDaugherty]

I've got the removal and installation procedure outlined on my site. Go to the 'How To' section and you'll find it there. It's shown on an early V4, but the procedure is the same for all.

Enjoy!

[kpavey]

Just want to let you guys know that I succeeded last night - thanks to all for your useful and helpful tips, sort of combined everything.

Here's how I did it:

1) Lubed the 4 rubbers with teflon fortified grease and fitted them to the heads without doing up the band clamps.

2) Just before attempting to fit, sprayed RP7 into the mouths of the rubbers so everything was very slick

3) Offered up the carbies - rear first. Pushed down hard and had them seated/aligned reasonably. Then used a piece of 4x2 and a hammer to nudge them past the rubber lip (put the timber on the edge of the intake plenum and covered the venturis to ensure no crud got down them - obviously removed airbox upper, element etc first)

4) Once the rears were in, moved to the fronts and tapped on centre and each side of the plenum with the timber/hammer. Went in pretty easily actually.

5) Then fit the choke cable, throttle cable, band clamps etc.

It is clear that brute force pushing alone will NOT get them on in my experience - certainly not at 93000kms anyway! With the timber and hammer it's a much easier one person job.

Cheers guys and here's hoping she starts this time around (been sitting for several years, just completed a carbie float bowl and jet cleanout).

[Scubalong]

Originally Posted by kpavey

Just want to let you guys know that I succeeded last night - thanks to all for your useful and helpful tips, sort of combined everything.

Here's how I did it:

1) Lubed the 4 rubbers with teflon fortified grease and fitted them to the heads without doing up the band clamps.

2) Just before attempting to fit, sprayed RP7 into the mouths of the rubbers so everything was very slick

3) Offered up the carbies - rear first. Pushed down hard and had them seated/aligned reasonably. Then used a piece of 4x2 and a hammer to nudge them past the rubber lip (put the timber on the edge of the intake plenum and covered the venturis to ensure no crud got down them - obviously removed airbox upper, element etc first)

4) Once the rears were in, moved to the fronts and tapped on centre and each side of the plenum with the timber/hammer. Went in pretty easily actually.

5) Then fit the choke cable, throttle cable, band clamps etc.

It is clear that brute force pushing alone will NOT get them on in my experience - certainly not at 93000kms anyway! With the timber and hammer it's a much easier one person job.

Cheers guys and here's hoping she starts this time around (been sitting for several years, just completed a carbie float bowl and jet cleanout).

I am glad things working out for you. As I said you can get a lot of help on this forum. Take care and safe riding

[Gray Market]

Hello:

Well, it is too late now, because you got 'em installed. However, for future reference, what I do is heat up the rubber boots with a heat gun. That makes the boots that much more pliable.

And, for whatever it is worth, I keep the boots on the heads (with the lower bands tightened), lube the heated boots with a tiny bit of grease, and install the fronts first. I have this handy little tool, which I found at a hardware store, that can be used to sorta nudge the boots around the carbs as you are installing them.

You installed the rears first. Hmmmm, I've never been able to get 'em on installing the rear first.

It is a challenge to re-install these puppies, and it makes me think twice about removing them in the first place.

Gray Market