I already had the new sprockets installed. They are steel! -- soo happy to get away from aluminum. There really wasn't a steel sprocket on the market for this bike with the gearing I prefer, but after having to replace a bunch of aluminum sprockets due to short life span and probably bad maintenance habits, hopefully this setup should last me a bit longer, even if I have to lose a little torque.
I unpacked the chain and threaded it around the sprockets, made a measurement, and used Dad's chain breaking tool. Damn! why didn't I just bite the bullet and get one of these years ago? That was the shiznit! Before I was using a Dremel to grind off the nubs and then a hammer and punch to push the pin out. This was too easy!
Apparently it was. It has been so long since I did a chain, I forgot to advance the wheel all the way forward when I cut it.
I got that done and put the rivet master link on and pressed it without any further issue. Then snugged everything up, and gave the chain a good coat of lube. Next up -- carbs!
I had already removed them from the intake manifold and the air cleaner, so it was simply a matter of removing the throttle and choke cables, a couple hoses, and then slide it out of the bike. This was accomplished rather quickly.
I pulled the bowls and the tops and disassembled to dunk them in carb cleaner. Whew! what nastiness! It has been about 3 years since I had last run this bike and the bowls were showing it. Sadly, I didn't know it was going to be 3 years, so the carb bowls were full of gas over (most of) that time. WERE, being the key word here!
Apparently the gas had evaporated and now there is a brownish-orange rust-looking sediment lining the bowls. I cleaned them out, soaked them, and set about removing all the jets. I was able to remove the main jets and the jet seats on all four carbs.
However, there is another jet that sets way down inside a recess that requires a tiny blade screwdriver to remove. Three of those come out without a problem. The other didn't appear to have a jet in it. WTF?
I kept looking and finally realized there was some goo down in there that prevented me from seeing the slot of the jet. I was able to extricate that matter and then the jet itself. They are now soaking in some carb cleaner.
Melissa come in at some point while I was doing this and the smell of the carb cleaner prompted her to say "It stinks in here". Heh! "No dear, this is how a garage is supposed to smell!" ; )
Next up is soaking the carb bodies. I can only do about half of it at a time unless I dismantle the rack, which I don't wish to do. So I will attempt that later today. Then I need to get some POR-15 to clean out the gas tank.
*THEN* HOPEFULLY I will get to hear it run! It's been far too long! I can't wait!
1 comment:
almost there!
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