Mileage: 29,424
Maintenance Summary:
- Installed new rubber plugs in carbs
- Installed new o-rings in carb isolators
- Installed new o-rings on both timing and crank adjustment caps
After re-installing the carbs which were removed to access the top rear shock pivot bolt, the bike seemed to be running very lean. When I rebuilt the carbs I didn’t replace the rubber plugs inside the bowls. The plugs were in poor shape, and I was always worried that small pieces of rubber would find their way into a jet.
Having found some aftermarket plugs on eBay, it was time to pull the carbs — again. Here one of the old plugs alongside the new. Click on the picture to enlarge.
The installed plug is near the center of this picture. I did find one partially clogged jet.
Another possible cause for the bike running lean is an air leak at the junction between the carb insulators and the cylinder heads. I didn’t bother to test for a leak, I just replaced the o-rings at that junction when I re-installed the carbs.
Two other o-rings that were replaced today seal the adjustment caps, or covers; the timing cover shown here always had a bit of oil around it. There’s another identical cap between the clutch and the oil filter on the front of the engine.
The o-ring sits in a groove on the back side of the cap. The new part seemed to be slightly undersized in terms of diameter.
After putting everything back together I took the bike for a short run. It’s running great again! The only problem that won’t go away is one where the temperature gauge sometimes doesn’t work. I’m starting to suspect that the 7V regulator is intermittent.