Balancing my carbs,

[Shane4371]

Seen videos on you tube,however is their a difference between balancing the carbs and syncing them?got advise from friends saying doing it by ear is pretty reliable,noticed 2 carbs use one screw to sync them?and the outter carbs have thier own sync screws?

[Arnie]

Sync'ing or balancing is the same process just different names, getting all carbs to draw the same manifold vacuum at any given speed.
You can do a mechainical balance on them, but its not nearly as accurate as using a set of vacuum guages.  The commercial ones are not horribly expensive, but you can make a "mannometer" that is just as accurate for $10-15.  Plans are in the files section.

The FJ uses 3 screws for this process on the linkage.  You balance cyl 4-3, then you balance cyl 1-2, then you balance the 4/3 to the 1/2.
You will not get close to balanced by ear.

It really is an easy and quick procedure, and it makes enough difference to vibration and feel that evey time I have my tank off, I re-balance the carbs.  There is rarely much of a change, but the better this balance is, the better the bike feels.

[Shane4371]

Thanks again Arnie,your a cup.so all I'll need is 3 vacuum guages?

[Arnie]

No, you could get by with 2 but that makes it difficult cause you have to change the connections back and forth.
There are sets of 4 analog vac guages, some other balancers with mercury, or stainless rods, OR
You can make a 4 cyl manometer with 20ft of vinyl tubing, a bit of ATF and a wooden mounting board.

Actual numbers (in of Hg) are not important.  You only need them to all be the same.

Search and you will find.  Here's one I just did via google:

   http://www.fjowners.com/index.php?topic=6686.0

Have fun :-)

[simi_ed]

Leopard, is that you?