Well today, I finished assembling my right side carburetor, so now both carbs are completed and boxed up and waiting to go on the bike. I have a question about bench syncing these early model carbs without the joined linkages.
Each butterfly is set independently using the idle screw on each carburetor. What’s a good initial setting on these carbs? I’ve used the slip of paper under the butterfly and open it just enough that the paper slips out. But I’ve been looking at the tiny passage holes in the top of the bore of the carburetor.
You don’t have to put much pressure on the idle screw at all for the first of the passageways to show. Would that be a good visual benchmark? Turn the screw until that first hole is just hidden by the butterfly? Opinions?
I’m also a little concerned about synchronizing these carbs once the bike is running, since there are no vacuum ports anywhere. I’ve already bought new intake manifolds that don’t have vacuum attachments. I looked at them but somewhere I read that the early boots were somehow angled differently?
I spent the rest of my day going through the ignition switch and the front brake switch ( that little oddbal switch that hangs down below the front brake lever.)
I broke them down and cleaned them, spray painted the ignition switch housing, cleaned up all the contacts, checked the wires for continuity, and replaced all the brittle PVC wiring loom.
All of my switchgear have now been gone through. That feels like a pretty big milestone. I deliberately tackled the more detail oriented fine work first.
So , jobs completed to date;
Instruments rebuilt
Switchgear rebuilt or replaced
Ignition switch refurbished
Front brake switch refurbished
Frame mount hardware cleaned in ultrasonic cleaner
Rubber bushings and mounts softened ( time will tell how well that lasts)
Swingarm bronze bushings installed
Battery box stripped and painted
Center stand stripped and painted
Swingarm stripped and painted
Carburetors rebuilt with CORRECT jets and choke plunger, and missing parts replaced!
I’m beginning to feel like I’m gaining some momentum on this build! And I just got a call today from Marbles Motors
He called to tell me how much I owed him!
I should have my painted parts by the end of next week, right after I sell one of my kidneys!
Until next time,
Bob