throttle cable woes--

[roadstar06]

so, I ordered custom cables for my project, installed them this past saturday-Im using Minkuni vm34s- with cables installed the slide does not close all the way.. is this correct or not??? could have sworn I saw video saying thet should be open only a hair---help

 

[5twins]

See how far they close without the cable attached. That will tell you if they're closing enough.

 

[grizld1]

No, it isn't correct. If there's no slack in the cable you'll have the throttle rolling on whenever the bars are turned. BTW in VM carbs the closed throttle slide lift is not set with the cables, it's set with the throttle stop screws on the carburetors. Be sure that the slide cutaways face the air intake end of the carbies; in VM34's it's possible to install them backward. Click the Tech button, find the VM section of the Carb Guide, and read. Good luck.

 

[gggGary]

With a stock tank the VM's will kink the cable under the gas tank enough to cause problems.

Not the best pics but the petcocks are right where the cables come out of the carb tops.
I used a pair of about 70 degree angles to get rid of the kink you need to cut and remove some throttle cable sheath to install them.

 

[grizld1]

Yep, you get interference with pre-78 manual petcocks, and really bad interference with the vacuum petcocks used from 78 on. Sudco offers angled carb top adjusters that will install without cutting the sheath. Another fix is to raise the back of the tank, but cruising range will be reduced. My preferred fix is to install aftermarket petcocks with a thinner profile. You can find petcocks with 1/4" NPT and 3/8" NPT nipples. If you have a late tank with 46 mm. centers on the petcock mounting holes you'll be able to find both 1/4" and 3/8" mounting plates already tapped and drilled, all you need to do is file the outlet hole in the tank to accept the fuel filter screen and end of the petcock nipple. On Standard tanks you'll wind up having to make your own adapter plate.

 

[grizld1]

OOPS! Scratch what I wrote re. Sudco angled adjusters, they're longer than the straight adjusters and will eat up free length; you'd need to shorten the conduit (sheath), as Gary wrote, and that can be tricky. I've done it with a thin kerf cutoff wheel on a rotary tool, but it takes a light, steady hand and close attention.