Carb(uretor) Surg(ery)!

So I thought I'd take my very limited mechanical knowledge and combine it with my most prized possession to gain a horse-power or two. Sooo, I ordered a Maxair Predator Pro air intake kit for my V Star 1100.


Step One: Roll that bitch into my workshop (apartment)

The boxes are there for break dancing

Matthew Allen Towery Jr. AKA "The help"

I ran her with the fuel off until she died to drain the fuel line.  Then I rolled her in the night before the install.  The temp in the apartment immediately went up 30 degrees, so that was a good call.

Step Two: Strip off all the crap in the way of the carbs

Tank off

Gretsch Drums

 

Front carb intake

Some useless crap I sold on Craiglist to some sucker for $25

Stock air box, air filter, and air filter housing removed

Step Three: Open up the carbs, switch out the jets, adjust the floats to 14mm, adjust the pilot mixture screws, exchange and shim the needle

What's that on the table? Instructions. Badly needed instructions.

I managed to lose a washer off the needle that I wasn't supposed to.  Pretty awesome, huh?  I replaced it with another washer that was almost exactly the same size. Oh well. I also noticed that one of my carb heaters is broken.  Oh well again.

Step 4: Put it all back together.

Step 5: Roll it outside and start her up.  Or, try to start her up and realize she just isn't working right.

Step 6: Go back inside and weep with despair at the thought of taking it all apart again.

Step 7: Keep trying to start her up until you raise the idle up to where it should be, at which time she'll cough into life.

So far, performance isn't great.  Tomorrow I'm getting the valves adjusted and carbs synced so hopefully that will work. We'll see.