[new-to-wings]

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So the saga goes something like this; I take possesion of this '83 GL1100 with 32K miles. I don't know squat about it's history and presently it's dirtiest,stored motorcycle I've ever seen. It's been stored and I assume un fired for all of the last 13 years.

I replaced the gas tank and lines,bought a new battery and changed the oil and filter. Now, the bike is still disassembled from the gas tank removal and because I'm anxious I tried to fire it up. It wants to fire and I get a few revolutions of actual combustion and it dies. If I dribble a little raw gas in the intake plenum I can get it to fire for a wee bit more. AND! ( don't be hatin' me) I can get it to actually fire up and idle for a second or two if I use ether. But I don't like spraying ether in a gas engine lest it's an emergency. But like I said I was anxious to see what I have here in this bike.

So, am I kidding myself that these carbs might work without a rebuild or should I just pull them and figure that's the problem why it won't run on it's own? Secondly, I have above average experience with automotive carbs but non with motorcycle carbs. I have gotten a manometer from a friend of a friend but having second thoughts on tackling them myself becasue they look a little more intimidating than a quadrajet. Plus the time factor of farming out the work is appealing.

Or should I still tryand get this bike to run on the carbs now and see where I'm at. I might add they have had gas in them for all of that 13 years and it smelled varnished in the old tank.



Thanks for the input.

Rich

 

[sandiegobrass]

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new-to-wings wrote:

.
(1)So, am I kidding myself that these carbs might work without a rebuild or (2) should I just pull them and figure that's the problem why it won't run on it's own? .......
(3)Or should I still tryand get this bike to run on the carbs now and see where I'm at.....



Thanks for the input.

Rich

(1) Yes
(2) Yes
(3) No

sorry:baffled:... Jim

 

[new-to-wings]

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brevity is the soul of wit.

 

[rcmatt007]

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visit randakks site.... lots of carb rebuild info there, you might also check out the "how-to" forums on www.nakedgoldwings.com

btw.... change the timing belts

 

[wolfblade]

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YOUR BEST BET IS A REBUID WORKED WONDERS FOR MY 82 1100A ITS WORTH THE TIME/MONEY WHICH EVER YOU HAVE MORE OF AND CAN SPARE LOL WITHER HAVE IT DONE OR TAKE YOUR TIME AND DO IT YOURSELF

 

[tomw]

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Don't let a carb rebuild intimidate you. I swear if I can do it so can you.Get Randakks kit.$230 or so.Worth it really once the bike runs damn near like new.Take your time and you could uncover a real jewel.I know I did.Still have a ton of work to do on mine but loving every minute of it.Good luck.Post pics.

 

[Old Hawkeye]

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Yes and don't forget to grese up the spline gear on the rear wheel too. Good luck.

 

[new-to-wings]

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Sounds like a consensus,a rebuild it is. And yes, timing belts are in the hopper of "to do's" along with caliper rebuilds and rear master cylinder rebuild.

 

[OnaWingAndaPrayer]

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new-to-wings wrote:

Sounds like a consensus,a rebuild it is. And yes, timing belts are in the hopper of "to do's" along with caliper rebuilds and rear master cylinder rebuild.

I would make those belts a HIGH PRIORITY . After sitting for 13yrs I'd very concered that one may snap . Then its deep into the pocket once the valves get bent .

As to the Q-Jet ,yes these are more complicated . lots of small/hidden ports . If you have the service manual ( its available hereon the "Reference and FAQ " forum ) and you study up at Randakks ,you can do this . Plan a good day when you can stay with it . You might start with spraying the throttle and choke shafts with some PB Blaster let that soak a bit (if there like mine they are stuck). I can also recommend the kit from Randakk . ITs very complete . You can purchase a printed carb manual or video from him as well .

 

[domscorpiorlg]

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New, I will contribute my two cents in here too....I would STRONGLY recommend that you contact GL PETE on this forum and arrange to send the carbs to him to be rebuilt. He is very reasonable, does a fantastic job. The price he charges is more than fair, and it includes not only the price of the rebuild kit from Randakk, but, it also includes his own special "tweaking" that he does. He even test runs the carbs on a test engine that he has set up in his shop specifically for that purpose. So, when you get the carbs back, you can bolt them on, hook everything up...and if there's nothing else wrong, she will fire up and run like a top! This I can tell you from experience! So, if you don't feel up to tackling the carb rebuild urself...then give Pete a shot at it. He does an incredible job!

 

[William_86]

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first take the carbs out and clean them it may have dirty dry gas... clean them up reuse all the rubber. use only gasoline and air to clean thats what i've done and always worked for me.

 

[blink]

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on my present rebuild,i've decided to send my carbs out to pistol pete for a randakk rebuild.it is a bit more money but i want perfection in these carbs and someone who does it regularly will do the job right and knows a few tips and tricks.then there's no question on any further carb issues.
i rebuilt one set,and 4/5 of another,this time i'll send out for all the time and expense it really isn't cheaper to do myself.

 

[DaveO430]

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I agree with William_86, except for the using gas to clean with. Carb cleaner or paint thinner is safer and better and cheap enough. If you know anything about carbs these are not that complicated, just 4 of them. Take them off and disassemble them, clean them up and try them. It will at least run well enough to determine if there is anything major wrong with the bike before putting a lot of cash into it.The idle circuits are what will be the most problem to get cleaned out but at least on an 83 it has removable idle jets.

 

[durangod]

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i rebuilt my own carbs on my 83 1100A, wish i had known about GL pete at that time, ended up costing me my time then i had to get them redone at 400 bucks. but that was my mistake i put the float in upside down, so make sure if you do it that you see how it is before you take the float off to replace that jet in there. there is also an issue if you dont have a vac guage to sync them. would i do it again, yes if i had a vac guage i would, its not that bad, just remember that when you take the those inlet boots off not to crack one, they are pretty durable but sitting that long they can get hard as a rock. and then make sure when you slide the two carbs together with the little tubes that you dont bend one, this job required alot of patience if its your first time, i almost lost my patience several times my first time...

footnote, with the inlet pipes off, take the time to plug up those holes cause i came close to disaster by dropping something inside

 

[RonKZ650]

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Yea there's no use rebuilding til you determine what's wrong first. The 84 Aspencade I have was running perfect, then sat 6 months. Gas went bad in the carbs and I made the mistake of trying to run additives to clean the carbs. This did not work at all so off with the carbs to find the pilots clogged. Napa carburetor cleaner soak for a while and the jets cleared right out so back together. Bike ran fine then sat a few months only to run like junk again. Off with the carbs, no jets bad this time, 2 vacuum diaprams bad, presumably from being damaged by the gas additive. Replace those, back together, runs great, sits 3 months only to run like crap again. Off with the carbs and of course the other 2 vacuum diaphrams are now bad. So to the tune of $800 I now have all new diaphrams. Back together, sit 6 months, runs like crap again. Remove carbs again. This time 2 pilot jets clogged, 2 partially. Clean them, back on the road again. Sorry to ramble, but all these problems those rebuild kits would not have helped me $0.10. If it's sat around the gas has clogged the jets for sure, that may be all there is to it, or maybe not, but I'd investigate first. Lesson is to never let a goldwing sit around for more than a week because they want to be ridden and will punish you to the end if sit around.

 

[mdbauer1962]

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New - Here's how the carbs on my 1980 looked after 16 years in a barn. If the bike looks like it is in good enough shape to save, take them off and at least clean them out and try to see if she'll run. I did this and ran mineusing a boat gas tank until I wassure the engine was sound and I wanted to keep going.

 

[Motorcycle Pete]

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The "cheap and dirty" rebuild usually works....pull the carbs as an assembly, and pop the tops and the float bowls. Clean the crap out of the jets, bowls, and pistons. You could try it without, but the basic "rebuild" kits work well, with jets and float bowl seals.

If you want to/need to do the full rebuild, you'll be detaching the carbs from the plenum (central box, with the air filter on top) and, at that point, with a bike as old as yours, you'll need the Randakk kit, because the seals will all be wasted, and you'll get gas leaking into the plenum, if you don't replace them all.

You can do the "cheap and dirty" route in a few hours; the full rebuild takes a serious day or two....

Good luck! :waving:

 

[GoldWingPastor]

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Can't beat a Randakk Rebuild and know you are gettingit done right the first time!

LOVE the avatar new-to-wings!!

 

[chesapeake cheapskate]

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Sticking my 2 cents worth in, the el cheapo Wal-Mart carb cleaner spray works well as a replacement for gasoline if you are troubleshooting, doesn't have the damaging pre-ignition that ether has, and is safer than manually adding gasoline. If she won't fire, a spritz in the plenum will let you know if it's lack of fuel, or lack of spark. Works on F.I. too. I put a Corvair engine and transmission in a V W bus once and almost incinerated myself manually adding gasoline to get it running. It backfired through the carb, I jerked back and spilled the gas, and Death Race 1 was on with me as the flaming idiot.

 

[Rumple]

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Exavid, should be jumping on here soon. If you want to farm them out, he knows of a place that can do the complete rebuild for alittle over $400. That may seem like a lot but it will cost you over $200 in rebuild kits plus your time. But welcome to the forum. You might do a search on carb problems and you will find the place here reccomends.
Later Rumple