1984 GL1200 Carbs shortest route to testing motor

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Nightcorona

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I have a long sitting bike with a few problems. I had to pull heads and clean out junk. I am on a time crunch. I need to get it in a place where I can at least see if it runs. Do I dare just put gas with seafoam in and give it a go? What is the least I can get away with.
 
I have used starting fluid sprayed into the intake on non runners just to confirm they would indeed run.
If the carbs are really gummed and varnished up unless it's very minor, Seafoam probably won't help.
It's more of a maintenance product and not a real miracle cure.

Usually it involves extensive cleaning of entire fuel system to get it right.
 
well if the cylinders are all cleaned up ,,,and the motor turns freely ....you can check for lower slop by turning motor over and watching where the pistons top out ...they should pause the same on each cylinder ..if there is slop in one it takes longer ...it that seems good you can actually put heads back on ...i doutb very seriously that the carbs are going to be in good enough shape for it to run ...if the bike has been sitting so long ...

to be honest this bike has shown enough to me that id go all the way checking things out ....i just cant advise a short cut ...now i will say you can wait on staor but what the point the clutch is showing signs of not doing right ....

1200s on the whole are great motors and i advise doing ll possible to check the thing out ....im rather sure there will be carb work to do or switch to single carb ...if diaphams are bad...carbs are rather toast and new will have to found and bought ...or single done ...why chance the motor to carbs that can dump fuel in and backfire or hydrolock and bend a rod ...carbs will have to be cleaned and check for operation and leaking or a known good set put on .....

if i were you id just settle down and stay at it ...your not familiar with these motors like me or others who have time in them and really cant take chances ....to big a gamble in my opinion
 
Thanks now I feel a little better about what I need to do. I am sure even if I cleaned them out they would not be synced anymore. The single carb deal? Do you get more horseys? How much wallet damage is that?
 
You can spend as much as you like but the Solex and pvc manifold by dkl is very reasonable at around $150. That is with a brand new carb.
 
when i had my shop ..i always had a perfectly good set of carbs on the wall to put on any motor to test it ....and its tough not to have something like that ....as for your carbs ...the 1200 carbs are rather ok if the diaphams are good and enricher circuit is not stuck ...but if the sllides are damages they are junk and single carb is really about the cheapest way ....but for sure you need to check carb rack out first as they could be fine ...syncing carbs can be done by bench syning and that is plenty close enough...once you get the heads on and belts on and timed right it will be time to look at stock carbs ...if your waiting for gaskets you can look at them now ...blacklander is a very good 1200 expert that for sure involves carbs ...im sure he will help point you in right direction on 1200 restore ..as in best steps to make ...
 
Thanks I emailed backlander hopefully he reads email. If I had known what I was going to have to do I would have offered the guy 300 tops. He lied it wasn't started last year it was last decade....lol
 
Synch is really a non issue if you just clean the carbs. If you take them off the rack or bend/remove linkage yes you need to synch.
 
ok ...really the next thig to do is the make sure heads are in decent shape as in valve sealing '''poor some water or some sort of non dangerous fluid in combustion chambers and see if the valves hold the fluid for a good while ...this is called the leak down test ...just requires heads upside down to hold fluid in chamber ...
 
OK so if I take each pair of carbs off pull the bowls and they look clean then maybe blast them out with carb cleaner. Would this be good enough to start it I had a rusty tank that I have cleaned alot if the first gas has a little rust coloring still in it will the filter catch it?
 
i wouldnt take carbs off rack at all ..id clean them one at a time ..float and float seats come off easy on 1200 carbs and jet too get a baby snot sucker and it will blow and suck things as wel as flush stuff with fuid and is all hand operated ..if you get things clean ..try it but that a gamble on rust in tank
 
I'd leave the rack intact and remove the bowls and clean them first. Be careful not to get carb cleaner on the diaphragms. I would leave them in place until there is an indication of trouble. They can be really stuck and be torn just removing the cover.
 
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Ok I cheated. I pulled the whole body. The first one doesnt look very scary. I had a whole apartment in it though.
 

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Big mystery I have 3 carbs that have just a little line of varnish in the bowls. Then I have one that is full of yuck. It had a pile of rusty crap in the bottom and the drain screw had the end corroded. How is this possible??
 
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