Large issues with one carburetor…
Large mistake!
A few weeks in the past I took all three carbs out to take a better have a look at them. The issue was a bit bigger and likewise concerned a caught choke plunger and a rusted stable throttle cable. If I had observed these items earlier I might need discovered a plan and accomplished one thing about it immediately. Now I used to be going through this downside when every thing else was shifting ahead and good progress was being made. Nicely, no time stress…. proper?
The already cleaned carburetor is on the far left right here. To be trustworthy, that clean-up received´t be adequate at the moment. I´ll should do all three a bit extra significantly this time. My unique carb caps are additionally there, badly cracked and prepared for the bin…. I purchased copies from John Bova in Ohio some time in the past. I´ll try to clear these up and deal with them with some rubber-mending-compound an see how they prove. I’ve no excessive hopes.
Right here´s what I’ve to work with. Grime and dirt is not any large deal. Oxidation and caught components are a lot worse. The carb on the suitable right here let go simply of each throttle slide and choke plunger. A simple clear, in a while. These cable rubber components are literally in somewhat good situation. Each sorts are available on eBay, however I imagine I can reuse all of them.
Right here´s the one inflicting all the difficulty. You’ll be able to see how corroded the brass components are and we are able to solely think about what it seems like on the within. All the pieces is totally dried out after 40 years within the barn. Nicely, my restoration got here to a grinding halt right here, to say the least.
What I used to be going through right here, to this point, was the caught slide and the caught plunger. Right here I’ve unscrewed the brass choke plunger housing and thoroughly tried to drag on the cable to take away the plunger from the physique. Caught stable. OK, I crammed it up with penetrating oil and went on to the slide as a substitute…
I eliminated as a lot of the gore I may by compressed air and sprayed the physique and slide with 5-56 (my penetrating oil) again and again .
The factor with penetrating oil is it is advisable to get an ever so small motion within the caught components for the oil to penetrate and do its magic. Right here I had the identical downside in two locations on the identical carburetor. The caught throttle cable truly labored in my favor on the slide. The cable was rusted stable contained in the sheath simply above the adjuster. So, by rigorously unscrewing the carb prime lid I put an increasing number of stress upwards on the throttle slide. At first it didn´t transfer in any respect, so I introduced out a barely greater artillery.
My beloved torch… Warmth is a surprise employee in terms of caught components. By rigorously (and I imply rigorously…) heating the carb physique, placing extra pulling stress on the slide by unscrewing the lid a bit extra I lastly received motion. It began going upwards and I knew that this battle was received! Extra 5-56, extra warmth and after some time there it was….
Slide out! One down, one to go. Now I may additionally begin engaged on liberating that carb throttle cable. Extra in a while that a part of the job.
The retched choke plunger was nonetheless caught stable…. I knew I needed to be affected person and never pull to onerous on the cable. That small brass half could be very simply damaged. The cable attaches to the highest half by a slotted gap within the plunger and that makes the plunger extraordinarily straightforward to break.
Braking the plunger was plan B or possibly even C. I figured the plunger could be the identical as on the road bikes, however I actually didn´t wish to drill that damaged brass half out of my H1R carb physique. Plan B was to easily let it sit for a number of days with penetrating oil in all channels going to and from the choke system and work out tips on how to proceed with these issues whereas making my final working journey to LAX simply earlier than Christmas.
As I used to be planning these measures to free my plunger I additionally realized that IF I wouldn´t win this battle I used to be in for a a lot bigger downside, That drilling resolution….No, didn´t fancy that one bit!
I recalled being provided a set of carbs from a fellow H1R proprietor in Belgium about six months in the past. I opted out at the moment. A fast e-mail confirmed he had one other set (!) obtainable. Full and in good situation.
This time I didn´t hesitate. Higher secure than sorry. I simply might need to exchange one of many carbs right here. I totally perceive you don´t wish to cut up a full set of carbs (I wouldn´t both…) so I purchased all of them three. We determined to attend with the transport till after Christmas to keep away from the chaos throughout peak transport season.
For now….Again to the throttle cable!
Right here´s what I did earlier than going away for 3 days working. I cut up the cable on the 3-into-1 joint, attached the 2 free cables and crammed the joint with a mix of penetrating oil and kit oil. Gravity stress downwards into the caught cable… A little bit wiggling and jiggling of the cable to get that a lot wanted motion ought to do the trick.
So, I left for work leaving my throttle cable hanging from the bench having ordered a brand new set of carbs from Belgium attributable to a nonetheless caught choke plunger…. To say I had some issues to consider is an understatement! Throughout that journey I did give you a plan to free the plunger….
Again from work I began that plan. It concerned making a few instruments to get to the caught factor contained in the carburetor physique. First i needed to make a device to get the spring out of the best way with a view to attain the plunger with the opposite device. I made my very own “spring retaining device” out of an outdated clamp I had within the storage. I made a big slit on the backside half and a smaller one on prime. My plan was to carry the spring compressed contained in the brass housing whereas I fettled with the plunger.
It truly labored type of OK… right here it’s. I needed to wire it to maintain it in place, however the spring remained contained in the housing and when the adjuster turned totally in I received sufficient room to work with.
There it’s… Caught like H-LL! My plan was to get down there and thoroughly flip it to get that motion wanted for the penetrating oil. Time for device quantity 2 of this plan. “The plunger turning machine”.
An outdated, and really low cost, screwdriver served my goal completely. It had the proper width on the blade and I may simply make it a bit thinner to enter the slot within the plunger. I simply needed to make a slit within the blade to accommodate the cable exiting the plunger.
To the suitable right here you see the plan illustrated on one of many already extracted plungers.
Mild and exact heating of the carb physique on the space across the plunger, extra 5-56 and some light knocks with the small mandrel and ultimately a twist with the “plunger turning machine” did launch the little bugger!
The sense of victory in my mancave was huge at this time limit. Not solely did I save the plunger, which may have been simply changed, but additionally the cable and the carb physique. Thanks quite a bit!!
Now I’ve a set of “particular Kawasaki instruments” for carburetor physique restore work.
I´m somewhat puzzled by the truth that one in all them may get that caught whereas the 2 others had been fully unfastened. They had been saved in the identical barn and sat in the identical open field for extra that 40 years.
As you possibly can see the plunger was a bit broken on the prime in precisely the best way I used to be afraid to brake it off fully by pulling too onerous on the cable. I used to be capable of reverse that harm by rigorously bending the highest components again collectively.
Right here they’re, all three plungers. Guess which one was caught? Yeah, not too onerous…
OK, subsequent up are the cables. I might a lot choose not having to rebuild them. I do know I can, however it’s a ache to get the proper size measured and difficult to get these small nipples accurately soldered to the cable. Higher attempt to save those I’ve! That work is up subsequent and within the subsequent submit.
Keep tuned for extra!
/Per
