Float adjusting / needle shimming

[Joe Sull]

I was asking Hooligan some questions on this subject but I didn't want to bother you to much. I still have a few questions and I thought Someone would like to look at some pics.

Anyhow, I removed my carbs to make some changes to counteract the new wizbang filters I got from Randy. Shimming the needles and making the float level higher is all I can do till I get some new parts.

Shimming the needles;
I went to the hardware store and got some st st washers. All they had was #6 and the ID was .150 They are a little big but they'll work. The outside had to be trimmed down to .325 OD.
They measure .035 thick. Is that to thick or should I find something else? I've only done one so far and if thats to much, I can go to hardware store #2
tomorrow. I noticed after putting the slide back together that the top of the needle is almost touching the plate above it, or I can only push the needle in a little and it hits the plate. There isn't much more room there.

OK,
This pic is from the tutorial.



I'm heavy into the decimal inch system. I gotta convert. 2.89 mm = .20  (.196)

I did the #4 and it looks like .19 to me. It was like juggling cats. Really cold and no heat cause of gas fumes. The hose kept falling off the bowl nipple  and the funnel with gas in it was falling over. I'll get that under control tomorrow.

The #3 was a lot lower. looks like .25. They should have all been consistent. I measured them the other way and they were all around .88.
The only thing I can think of is I must have mixed them up when I took out the float seats and worked them round again.



I can see the gasket, I guess. So I'm measuring from the top of the bowl it self to the fuel and I want .20 or is there another magic number better?

Thanks guys and thanks Hooligan
Joe

[Joe Sull]

Whats the measurement between needle adjustment slots?

[andyb]

I want to say each groove is 1mm wide, 1mm apart, or 0.040".

[Joe Sull]

Thank you. I had info that shimming .03-.05 mm and that seems minute. That would be .0011-.0019 inches.

[rktmanfj]

Thank you. I had info that shimming .03-.05 mm and that seems minute. That would be .0011-.0019 inches.

Move the decimal point.

You want the shims to be .5mm or .019... half the distance of moving the clip one needle groove, basically.

[Joe Sull]

I could'nt find any suitable washers on the island. I took the .020 washer that was over the clip and moved it under. I reworked some .035 washers to go over the clip. The slides seem to be moving smoothly.

The floats were way out of wack. Twisted, every one.





I picked a number to make the float level a little higher, .86



Most of the float needed to be adjusted from the .88 I had and the twist taken out.



I checked the float level and #4-3 and 2 were right at .20. I made marks with a white paint marker.
The inside edges measure .20.







When I got to the #1, the level was way up.



I got that apart again and it was still twisted. I reset and tried again.



Right on the money.



Hopefully that will make up for the jetting I have.

[Arnie]

Joe,

The washers OVER the clip do nothing.  The reason they were there originally was that this is a good place to store them.  If you're putting odd washers over the clip, you'll likely just confuse the next (if there is a next) owner who will think they are OEM 0.5mm thick washers (or yourself when you forget that they are some weird-ass imperial size)
Note: This is a METRIC bike.  Learn to live with it.  Trying to convert to imperial (inch) measurements just make it difficult for you and everyone wanting to join in the conversation.

[Joe Sull]

Without the washer over the clip, the clip/ needle will work it's way up into the spring. It can't go up far, the needle stops at the plate.
All this stuff is going to be replaced with spanking new parts in a couple of months.

Now then, Arnie, When I got out of high school, I went to drafting school. I was a draftsman for 14 year. IVe worked on missiles, bombs, aircraft, lasers, dynomometers, Partial accelerators, hell, I've even worked on mortuary racks. I never seen one millimeter on a drawing. My grandfarther and my farther were in engineering and I started life in engineering. Whats the moral of the story?
You can't teach old dog, new tricks.
I'm trying

[andyb]

Joe,

The washers OVER the clip do nothing.  The reason they were there originally was that this is a good place to store them.  If you're putting odd washers over the clip, you'll likely just confuse the next (if there is a next) owner who will think they are OEM 0.5mm thick washers (or yourself when you forget that they are some weird-ass imperial size)
Note: This is a METRIC bike.  Learn to live with it.  Trying to convert to imperial (inch) measurements just make it difficult for you and everyone wanting to join in the conversation.

Note:  A 530 chain has a 5/8" pitch, it's a non-metric standard.  Learn to live with it.

The majority of FJ owners I suspect will be more familiar with the non-metric units, because they're Americans.

Conversions aren't difficult for anyone above the age of five, so long as people are marking what unit they're measuring in.  I think I'm going to start using attoparsec, just for kicks.

[Mike Ramos]

Exactly correct andyb.

Many thanks.

Midget.

[ribbert]

The majority of FJ owners I suspect will be more familiar with the non-metric units, because they're Americans.

So in future are the Americans going to refer to their FJ1200's as FJ 72.49620798's?

Noel

[Joe Sull]

Can we get back to you on that, Noel.

[andyb]

So in future are the Americans going to refer to their FJ1200's as FJ 72.49620798's?

Noel

Sure, as soon as I start seeing FJ1188 on the side of bikes from metric-dominated places.    FJ1200 is the model name and in truth only an approximation of displacement.

Then again, I can cheerfully switch between units without whinging.  I prefer to state my displacement as 40.43 cubic attoparsecs, though.

[ribbert]

Note:  A 530 chain has a 5/8" pitch, it's a non-metric standard.  Learn to live with it.

The majority of FJ owners I suspect will be more familiar with the non-metric units, because they're Americans.

I did my schooling, apprenticeship and the early years of my working life with the Imperial system and you deal with it because it's all you know. Then the Country, and eventually my brain, converted to Metric. Having spent years with both, the Metric system is much easier to work with and understand. If you can count to ten, you've got it nailed. Even Thomas Jefferson recognised this hundreds of years of ago and wanted to change it and the country you adopted it from abandoned it nearly half a century ago.
America has no so much chosen to go alone but stay alone on this. The primary reason seems to be not because it believes it to be a better system but because of the difficulty in changing. Globally this is a real PIA for industry.

But as Andy said, you are more comfortable with what you know.

As far as the chain size designation goes, in my opinion measurement falls into two categories.
1. Measurement that merely identifies something, such as chain size, tyre diameter (width is metric), compression, horsepower etc. could just as well be expressed in sticks of rhubarb. These units of measure have remained in common use within the metric system because of familiarity and because they are generally used as stand alone measurements.
2. Measurements that are subject to calculation. where uniformity and ease favours the use of the metric system.

I have older friends who say they are too old to convert to metric, there is nothing to convert to. One is this big, two is twice as big, three is three times bigger...... all the way to infinity, all in multiples of ten. No calculations, just keep moving the decimal point.

Measuring in metric is no different to counting American currency.

BTW, Arnie is American.

There's a lot to be said for working with what you know but thinking metric on a metric machine is less confusing.

Noel

[Mike Ramos]

Again,

Exactly correct andyb.

Many thanks.

Good humor Joe Sull.

Many thanks.

Good point Noel: Detroit is one of the worse cities in the States.  Imagine what a cesspool it would be if all of its' citizens had not ventured afar...

Many thanks.

Midget.