Smells like gasoline

[Bluesman614]

Thanks Vic.
I did see those smaller pipes between the carbs afterwards though I think the smell was comming from the rubber spacers with the loose clamps. I rode it last night and to work today. So far I can't smell gas anymore. Lets hope that was it. I guess whoever worked on it before overlooked tightening them. That's one reason I like doing the work myself...I'm picky

As soon as I find the right settings for the mixture screws and sync the carbs properly, I'll be happy.....Just curious... How many turns out are your mixture screws? Different for each bike I'm sure.

If my friends sync tool does'nt work out ok tonight, Lane offered to give it a go in a couple of weeks after the lunch.
Still lots of riding left this year at this point to do a complete carb overhaul. I'll keep an eye on those pipes though to make sure they don't leak. Thanks for the heads up.

[admin]

I think mine are 3 or 3 1/2 turns but it's been 5 years since I've touched them so my memory is not clear. There's a special 50 RPM drop procedure in the manual you should use to calibrate the adjustment precisely. Smart move getting Lane to help you synch the carbs, I saw his synch job and it was right on, just make sure you don't rev the engine and suck in his blue kool aid. :lol:

[Bluesman614]

Wow 3 to 3 & 1/2.....Interesting

I've had mine anywhere from 1 & 1/2 To 2 & 1/2 the latter where a Honde Mec. said he sets them. I just can't seem to get it running as good as it did before they were touched in the first place. I wish they were'nt.

I have a Honda mec. manual and tried setting the idle according to the instructions but the RPM's didn't respond the way it said it would. I'll have to read it again to see if I missed something.

All I know is that I used to get 280 or just over before the fuel light came on which gave me around 48 MPG. I can't get there any more.
I remember reading somewhere on this fourm about someone getting 51 MPG. I'd like to know how he gets that much??? What's your trick?

[admin]

There are different setting for different years. 84 has the biggest opening.

I have recorded 52 MPG quite often with my Wing although lately it's down a bit to the 49 - 50 MPG region I think the carbs need work so I'll pull them off for a rebuild this winer.

I used to get about 350 before the light started flashing on mine and I'd like to get back there but it'll take some fine tuning and some careful driving.

[Guest]

I had my carbs "adjusted" this spring with the result that I get an average of 350 km before the bar starts blinking. That's with two up and touring speeds.

[Bluesman614]

Ok...Ye guys are killing me.
I don't know how you get such good millage. I drive fairly easy, ( most of the time), and don't push it and the most I ever got was I think, 290 before the light
I've played with different settings on the idle scerws and havn't gotten close to what you are getting. However Vic, I tried setting them at 3 turns last night as you mentioned after using my friends sync tool,... (jumpy vacuum guages as it were), by the way, they were out even after being adjusted by a repair shop...go figure,.... and today I got 50 kh before the first bar droped down. An improvement . I'll keep working with it.


I think with Lane's sync tool, it will be even more accurate. I may just have to get one of those...how many days till Christmas...

[Bluesman614]

Hi Keener, Just wondering if you know how many turns are on your idle screws. I thought that 3 to 31/2 turns would be too much but as it turns out,... it's not. At least not for Vic's 84. At least now I am making some progress.
This is a great fourm...Thanks guys. Bluesman.

By the way Keener,... if you tell me that you are getting that kind of millage riding through the hills out there,... I'll buy your bike :lol: .

[Guest]

Bluesman, I think I misled you with regard to my earlier post. I meant to say I get 350km from a tankful while the bar starts flashing at about 300 km.

As for the number of turns on the idle screws, I can't say. Working on the carbs is something I leave to an expert at a local shop.

I assume you won't be buying my bike after all, right? :lol:

[Bluesman614]

I feel much better now
I was getting close to that before an "expert" got near it.
I'm getting closer to getting it back there.

I guess it would be a bit of a drive for me to come and pick up your bike anyway

You could always come to Kitchner for lunch on the 22,....We could trade...woops, I better not say that too loud,... she might hear me :oops:
Be sides, I'm growing attached to her too much now. :roll:

[bluewing]

For the first time last night I had a very strong smell of gas from my bike. I checked the hoses and they were dry, no sign of leaks and I checked the carbs and they were also dry. I took my gas cap off and there was a very large amount of vacume in the tank. I took my air filter out and you could see light but it is time for a change and it also smelled strongly of gas and was damp. I filled my bike with gas at 3:00 P.M. on my way to work. The bike sat out side until 2:45 A.M. the next morning. I drove home 140 K and that is when I smelled the gas. I will recheck the gas lines, they were replaced 4 years ago but I have no problems doing it again.

[bluewing]

The last week I have had a strong smell of gas from my bike, I changed all the fuel lines and filter and still had the smell. I put paper under the carbs and left it over night with no signs of a leak. I noticed the last few times I took my gas cap off to fill the tank there was no vacume at all so I changed the gas cap and the smell is now gone.

[Guest]

I've replaced all the fuel lines on my '85. Used a brass tee to replace the plastic one where the lines split. I couldn't find the OEM replacements for the lines after the split. After fiddling with some plastic fuel line I found on eBay (watching it leak) I settled on some Gates 3/16" black fuel line. The bends are a little tight, but the line doesn't seem to collapse.

As for idle screws, I think more time is wasted twiddling them than is necessary. The stock spec. for the '85 GL1200i is 2.25 turns out from seated. I've had that idle drop procedure get them way off. I've inspected the plugs after idling for 10 minutes at 3+ turns out, and the plugs were clearly fuel fouled. If the carbs. and ignition system are in good shape, the bike is going to start and idle pretty well with the screws just about anywhere. If you can't get a decent idle between 2 - 4 turns, something else is wrong.

Also, idle screw twiddling won't affect mileage (unless you spend a lot of time idling). The contribution from the idle circuits is negligible as soon as you're on the main jets. If you really want to change the mileage with carb. tuning you have to change float heights and jets, etc. Changing the floats -.7mm from the spec. setting at 7.5 mm reduced my gas mileage by a whopping 20%!

[garyft]

Changing the floats -.7mm from the spec. setting at 7.5 mm reduced my gas mileage by a whopping 20%!

I couldn't find a spec when I had my carbs out to work on them and so I wound up estimating where they should be. What position are the floats in to take that measurement?

[William_86]

i believe that the carbs should be on the plenum and you work them on upside down.

[dwitgoldwing]

I got in the habit of changing all the hoses on my bikes thanks to a similar experience
on my 1995 Kawasaki KDX200 dirtbike. Every hose on that bike had hardened and cracked and fuel was pouring out every where. So I knew my 1986 'Wing would definitely have some issues.
I think it would be a good thing to post in a "For new members section", to change out the fuel lines if they are original to the 1200 just as a standard precaution.
I'm in the process, (over the next few months), to change out every piece of hardened or cracked rubber with a newer or better one.
D