Re: Carb balancing fail.
 

Sookie , look at it this way , you have provided a thread for somebody to reference to on a search when they have this problem in the future , or you may be able to help them yourself , it`s all good at the end of the day . I balanced mine the other day on my Pointy K3 and next time I do it I will find it all a lot easier , now pass over the 11" 45 degree bent nose pliers please :)

Re: Carb balancing fail.
 

Try both gauges on one carb in turn - see if they both read the same before adjusting, set the dampers as well - gives a more accurate reading.
Even if they're not able to be set them so they read the same at least you'll be able to allow a correction that will allow you to use them.

Re: Carb balancing fail.
 

You'll need fuel - tee the tap into the vacuum line for that carb. It also sounds like it's running lean, which makes the needles flutter and it will run worse without the airbox, worse still if you have a loud can and not rejetted to compensate. You can work around it though, take the airbox off, remove the appendix collector thing on the left side, put it all back (block up the holes), and you can run it with the airbox and with access to teh adjuster. Finally I can picture the gauges you mean, multi-coloured faces, and they're utter crap, a decent set doesn't have any damping screws. I've used them before, they're worse than useless.

Re: Carb balancing fail.
 

Its really bugging me now, I've balanced the carbs but it still don't sound/feel right. A bit slow on the uptake, like meself, and hunting. Gonna get something to put through them to clean them out and see if that helps.

Re: Carb balancing fail.
 

Have you got a totally stock exhaust etc. on the bike? cos from all you've said it does sound like it's running lean. That could be a blocked jet, though, if the setup is stock, but adding a louder can does need the carburetion modifying to suit.

Re: Carb balancing fail.
 

Its a stock exhaust just now as I had to take the louder one off for the MOT but I think everything has been left alone just a different can stuck on the end, to be honest I'm not really sure being the apparent 5th owner of the bike.

Re: Carb balancing fail.
 

You balanced your carbs on a pointy?
I thought they were fuel injected.. :confused:

Re: Carb balancing fail.
 

Throttle bodies need balancing too. :)

....

Sookie,

I have mentioned this before. My experience with mechanical gauges indicates that they are best stored permanently... in the local landfill.
Make yourself a water manometer. They are far more accurate for balancing carbs than any gauge. No calibration required. The aim is columns at the same height, although a couple of inches won't make a bit of difference and you'll see that (probably more) anyway because carbs generally don't balance equally at all rpms. There are plenty of plans for home made manometers on the net.

Here is one: http://www.obairlann.net/reaper/moto...manometer.html

The only thing that I do that is substantially different is to run the hose to each cylinder (as indicated on the linked page) back down to the base and add a bottle into each line that is just sufficient in volume to hold all of the water in the system - it is not a lot, less than 100ml. I also use 10mm ID tubing for the main part of the gauge (easy to see and easy to fill - the small stuff is very hard to fill) and 4mm ID (I think - use what fits) for the hoses from the bottles to the carbs.

Also, a couple of fuel filters make fine dampers for gauges.

Cheers

Re: Carb balancing fail.
 

I never mentioned Carbs once , Back to school for you :smt081

Re: Carb balancing fail.
 

A big thank you to MattCo.
I now know what this weekend brings.