Suggestions > separating carbs from engine.

[brian]

(Enters room and bows to CBX gods). Complete amateur garage mechanic here. ’82 ran strong prior to my right shoulder rotator cuff surgery in March. Went to start it earlier this month and fuel flowed from somewhere around the right two carbs onto the engine. If I can get my video posted I’ll post a link. I have a K&N setup, so don’t have to tilt the engine. I’ve loosened all the clamps, choke cable, throttle cables (but not disconnected these yet). Any tricks to getting the six-bay carb assembly separated from the engine? I’ve tugged, pried a little (but don’t want to break anything). It “wiggles” but wont pop out. Any ideas? I want to yank the whole thing out then hook up to the tank to see exactly where it is leaking from. Thanks in advance!

Brian / #5313 / Clearwater, FL

[brian]

Here is a short clip of the leak... (copy / paste to your browser)
https://youtu.be/pes_OAVeKsY

[wyly]

I've only had problems getting them to stay mounted, a removal issue is new to me.

Did someone use a sealant of some sort to hold them in place?

Try warm the rubber with a heat gun, if you don't have a heat gun a hair drier may work.

go to this link for everything you want to know about cbx carbs http://www.motorcycleproject.com/

or send a private message to dave79, I don't think there's anything that Dave doesn't know about the cbx six-pack

[tevan]

Heat them up with heat gun. Get them pretty warm. Then I use a piece of plastic about one inch thick against cylinder side and use a pry bar against the plastic and the angle iron that attaches all the carbs together. Make sure you heat the rubbers up very good before the pry. They should pop right out. Pry one side then the other.

[daves79x]

If you can still start the engine and warm it up - that's the best. The carbs will pop right off with NO prying. If not, do as suggested and warm rubbers thoroughly with a hair dryer/heat gun. Then straddle the bike, grip #1 and #6 carbs and push straight down first. They should pop out, but if not, up-and-down and they will come out. Remove throttle cables at this time also before sliding the rack completely out. Same drill when reinstalling - grease the rubbers and thoroughly heat - straddle the bike and push them in. Be sure they completely seat by comparing both sides. Rubbers should nearly touch the sync screw port.

Now to your problem - it is in all likelihood the O-rings in the fuel joint tubes that are leaking. Might as well plan to separate the carbs completely and renew all of them (fuel joints, air cutoffs and accelerator pump). Also a good time to go over them completely and clean, verify correct accelerator pump operation, etc. Randakk's excellent kit has everything you need to renew those items and is more than worth the money.

So be mentally prepared to do all the above. I can help you if you need it.

Dave

[brian]

Thank you all for the suggestions. I'll give them a try - got somewhat delayed by a Heart Attack!! After dinner Wednesday had chest pain - dismissed it as indigestion but when it got worse asked my wife to take me to the ER (which she was so kind to do - even though she is the beneficiary of the life insurance!!). From the ER rushed to the cardiac-cath lab and an hour later had a new stent in place and felt good! Amazing how the docs / technology figure these things out. 100% blockage in a smaller artery, all the rest look good they say. I'll try these suggestions next weekend (I hope) and keep you all posted. Stay tuned and thanks again..!

[steve murdoch icoa #5322]

No doubt you are going to come across a couple of 100% clogged arteries in your carbs when you get them off so just look at your heart attack as a dry run.
Gotta stay healthy so you can ride your CBX.

[NobleHops]

Holy smokes, you're really reaching for excuses here, aren't you.

[NobleHops]

I keeed, I keeed. That is simultaneously awful and amazing. Very glad you're so well. Modern medicine is amazing when it is.

Now let's get back to your bike!

[Rick Pope]

Hey there Brian, it's been along time, just over 11 years, since you met us for the beginning of the C2C ride.

I hope you get things sorted out with your carbs, and stay healthy.

Susan and I just drove much of US 50 this week, retracing the C2C on our way back from Colorado.

[brian]

Well, well, well, long time for an update 'eh?

Thanks for all your suggestions / concerns / jabs 'n jokes. I've always felt I was in my twenties or thirties but over the past 3-4 years aged into the late fifties pretty quickly! This summer it is the big 6-0, ugh!

None-the-less, I want to get this thing running again! I need to get on my local limited access highway and open it up! I hope it happens. So I finally got back to it and sat on the frame and grabbed the left and right carbs and yanked up and down and i could feel the rubbers come lose, then the crow bar made easy work of getting them off the engine (should have just used the crow bar to begin with). Now I'm taking them to a local shop for a rebuild quote. I've also sent old-school-carbs a request for a partial rebuild as I cant afford the full-on service at this point - don't know if they do that. Dave - do you really think I could assemble the Randakk kit myself (with the list's help)? I took the bike to a Randakk rally a few years ago - seems it was going to be his last - then did Deals Gap. He sells good stuff, just don't know if I am capable of getting it all back together once I get it apart - seems a bit overwhelming to me.

Otherwise, I'm doing good - finished cardiac rehab and right shoulder rehab, oh - can I give you all a suggestion: never try to pull-start a lawn mower with your non-dominant left arm while your right arm is in a sling from rotator cuff repair. You just might tear your left rotator cuff!! Thankfully it was just a partial tear - but the shoulder is really a complicated joint and takes forever to heal. Don't ever try it!!

Thanks guys and hope to be riding again (sooner than later)!

Brian

[wyly]

yes you can do it!

I'm not any sort of mechanic and I've found with the proper technical manuals and the expertise available on this forum there isn't anything I can't do...Sometimes it takes awhile before I grasp what I've been told but the forum experts have got me through it every time.

My best carb advice,...nixon's carb books. invaluable... be methodical, take your time...clean uncluttered work space...take pictures of everything during disassembly, you can't have too many pictures... separate labeled tupperware containers for each carb/parts...buy the best carb kit you can, I think Randakks is what's recommended ...when in doubt ask Dave!


and pine sol makes for an excellent inexpensive parts soaker/cleaner.

[daves79x]

Brian: Sent you a PM.

Dave

[Sharpie66]

- do you really think I could assemble the Randakk kit myself (with the list's help)?

Absolutely!

Let me start by saying that I don't believe the difficulty of a task should be the deciding factor but rather each individuals ability to break down said difficult task into small, manageable components throughout the process from start to finish. I am not a mechanic and never have been. When I first got my CBX I took her to a local bike mechanic for basic maintenance work....brakes, tires, choke cable, fork seals, etc. This mechanic had been highly recommended by many people. When the work was completed I was very dissappointed with the lack of attention to details....heavy handed on fasteners, greasy fingerprints all over, chain adjusters incorrectly installed, wrong size rear tire. I vowed never to take my CBX to another mechanic but to learn everything possible and do all work myself from here on out.

The following year I decided to tackle my carbs. I noticed a small leak coming from somewhere, was getting harder and harder to start, gas mileage was below normal, one of the pipes would take forever to warm up with the others. I have many friends who ride and everyone single person told me not to do this myself but rather send them out to a professional rebuilder. However, I am a very stubborn person and I completetly trust my ability to manage difficult tasks, ask questions, research, learn and be thoroughly organized.

So, I bought Randakks kit and Mike Nixon's carb book and went at it. As disassembly progressed, I layed out each and every single piece in order on my workbench....

image.jpeg

I studied all this for 2 weeks before I reassembled. I had friends pick a single piece off the board and I would not be satisfied until I could call out each piece by name and function. Only then did I move forward with progress.....clean, clean and clean some more. And then clean again! And...well you get the idea.

I certainly had my difficulties through this process. One always does when learning. I was chastised for naively drilling out my main jets (thanks Dave). Bought new ones to replace my butchery. I had a heck of a time hooking cables back up. Nixon's videos were of the upmost help here. Thanks Mike for taking care of all of us.

In the end, all went back together and everything worked fantastically well. I was one of the fortunate ones who did not have to repeatedly remove the carbs over and over until I got it "right" and I have put on 32,000miles since my rebuild with not a single issue. The following year I bought another CBX which had been sitting for almost 30 years. Boy were those carbs in bad shape but I had no problem repeating my success of the previous year. This time I was able to complete the task in a weekend with the same results. Last year I bought a super nice V65 Sabre which had been sitting for 12+ years and wouldn't even fire up. With my knowledge gained of the CBX carbs and my confidence level increased, I had very little problems rebuilding those carbs and she runs beautifully now.

So, back to your question....I would not be asking others if you can do this but ask yourself if you are comfortable with breaking down a large task and asking for help. Those two go hand in hand in my book. I don't believe anyone will judge you differently no matter your choice. For me it was an amazing journey and I have learned how this incredible piece of engineering functions.

Good luck with whatever choice you make and I hope your recovery continues. By the way, my first carb rebuild was pretty done one-armed...I am a commercial carpenter and fell through an opening on the 2nd floor and landed on the concrete on the 1st floor. Doctors had to cut and shorten my left ulnar bone due to extreme compaction at the wrist among other things. I started my rebuild two weeks after surgery.

Patrick

[wyly]

Last year I bought a super nice V65 Sabre which had been sitting for 12+ years and wouldn't even fire up. With my knowledge gained of the CBX carbs and my confidence level increased, I had very little problems rebuilding those carbs and she runs beautifully now.

yup, after n unfortunate and rather expensive encounter with a professional/dishonest mechanic I swore that no one would do that to me again... after working on cbx carbs I had no fear of rebuilding the carbs on a GS1150ef which hadn't run in 25yrs, got the right kit asked a few questions of the GS experts and dove in...runs beautifully. Now I only seek professional help when I don't have the specialized tools required to do the job, like rebuilding the head.

I still doubt my abilities when attempting something new but as another encouraging forum member told me "once you've done that you can do anything"