Bryan's 1989 FJ1200 rebirth in Poplar Grove, IL

[fj1289]

I think I’m most impressed with the levitating screw drivers - nicely done!

[Waiex191]

Levitating screwdrivers? 

Question for the group - if I successfully get the stock airbox reinstalled, who should I see to get my merit badge?  I've successfully navigated the plug in the breather hose challenge.  The inner carb boot fold challenge has got me beat at the moment.  Not much room to work there and I'm thinking of moving to special tool design #2.

[Millietant]

This is my "special tool" which makes getting the Carb rubbers on and in place pretty easy - very technical fabrication using specialist materials..........a metal coat hanger, a pair of pliers and a bench grinder (just to put a point on the business end, on the right in the photo).

It's about 18" long in total. The short right-angled end with the point is used to slide between the carb body and the rubber boot, then twist and lever the boot over the carb body. I was struggling with screwdrivers and levers and lots of grunting and pushing, and my youngest who was helping me just said...."dad, why not make a little tool out of a coat hanger instead of fiddling with screwdrivers".........sometimes a fresh mind sees the simple/obvious solution 

[Waiex191]

First start!
https://youtu.be/ijs4bnqYksQ

[Waiex191]

A quick follow up on my first start video.  Sounded great, idled poorly.  Not sure how well my idle is set, and also I need to synch the carbs.  But, that was cool!

Before the start I drained out the old oil & inspected the filter.  I must have changed the oil the week I stopped riding it, back in 2004.  It looked pretty clean.


I did get the carb rubbers on from the airbox, without tools.  I jammed a piece of wood between the frame and the airbox and magically they all slipped on.  I'd rather be lucky than good.


A new air filter is on my list.  But for now I replaced the rotten foam with some weatherstripping I had handy.


I poured a gallon or so of fuel into the tank and shook it around a bit, then drained it through the old filter.  Glad to report the petcock still seems fine.  When the bike was reasonably new, I developed a fuel leak on the left side, kind of at the corner of the knee pocket in the tank.  So back then I lined the tank with Kreem.  This time around, no rust or anything so the tank looks ok.  I put on new lines and a new filter.   


Question: from looking at the carb fitting, I figured it was all 1/4" fuel line so I bought a spool of it.  When I took out the old line from the petcock to the filter, it looked more like 5/16".  I got my 1/4" line on ok, but am I doing anything stupid using that smaller line?

Another question: the foam on the inside of my side panels is rotting.  Any recommendations or should I just use the green stuff I bought from JoAnn's (local fabric store) for my airplane seat?

Last night I added the FJ to my insurance policy.  Cost me an additional $14.63 over the GN400 policy I already have.  I guess I'm getting old.  Hope to get plates tomorrow, and maybe be riding by the weekend.

[FJmonkey]

Fuel line for FJ's - Gravity feed 84 to 86 is 10mm ID (.393 inch) and fuel pump is 6mm ID (.236 ID).

[RPM - Robert]

6mm is correct except the inlet and outlets on the fuel filter are belled out to 8mm on the stock fuel lines for the fuel pump bikes. Should be fine and there is really no other option as the molded lines are NLA from Yamaha.

[Waiex191]

Thanks Robert and FJMonkey.

My checklist:
1. Install battery box and other misc crap like that
2. Torque and lock the subframe bolts
3. Fix a pinched vent line under the airbox
4. Figure out where to route the fuel tank vent line and don't forget to install it
5. Solder fuel pump connector onto my holley fuel pump
6. Figure out/fabricate fuel pump mounting & plumbing
7. Fix front fender
8. Attach speedo cable
9. Install battery (I'm picking it up tomorrow)
A. Tighten up mirrors
B. Re-attach windshield as best as I can (missing some plastic screws and one plastic thing it screws into)

I'm headed to DVM tomorrow to get plates.

[Waiex191]

I've gotten through a good bit of my list.  One bit of heartbreak - the vent line for the airbox wasn't routed properly, and was pinched between the airbox and the frame.  I had to take it back off again.  Life was bleak.  But then I made a copy of Dean's miracle tool, except I used welding rod as that was what I had.  I didn't think it would work as well as it did.


I scraped off this yucky foam.  I also noticed one of the plastic heads that snaps into the rubber grommet is busted off.  Anybody have a good fix?


I'm putting a Holley Mighty-Mite fuel pump in place of the stock one.  We did this on my son's V30 Magna as well.  Here he is fabricating a couple of bushings for me to use as standoffs.


Pump, plate, bushings, and bolts.


Here is the Holley bolted into the stock fuel pump location.  Spacing between the Yamaha threaded holes is about 40mm.  Spacing for the Holley pump is 2.5".  Those 3 holes form two lines on a right angle.


The only almost major task for tomorrow is to attach the fittings to the pump, and attach the lines to the fittings.  Then try it out of course.

[Millietant]

Oh ye of little faith Bryan    very glad it helped/worked !

But, I can't really take the credit, it'll have to be named "Ryan's miracle tool".....I can't take credit for my son's idea   

[Waiex191]

Dean, sorry I'm too late to edit my post. It will be Ryan's miracle tool henceforth.

I put fittings on my pump and actually hooked it all up. It works.


Here is the bike after a brief couple of laps around the hangars.


At low revs it runs horribly and sounds bad at idle. I can feel one cylinder is not firing and it cuts back in around 2500 RPM.  After 2500 it runs great and I had forgotten how much punch this bike has! 

Would be glad to hear some thoughts on the poor low speed performance. My initial thought is carb synch.  The spark plugs are the old ones as well. I set the idle air jets as per Pat's post earlier in my thread. 

[fj1289]

Normally I’d say a dirty passage in the carb still.  But you’re cleaning seemed very thorough.  

Stuck float?  Any fuel coming from the overflows?

Or a bit of crud may have escaped from somewhere in the system and still clogged up one of the tiny idle passages.  Since is comes in at 2500 rpm or so, I’d say the rules out issues with the slide, needle and main jets.  

Maybe try draining that float bowl?  Don’t remember how accessible the drain is with the carbs in place



Another thought - I don’t remember what year carbs you swapped on.  If they were gravity feed carbs the float seats are larger and can be overpowered by the fuel pump pressure

[Waiex191]

Thanks for the reply. I think the carbs are pretty clean, and definitely no fuel leaking. The carb bodies are '90, same as my '89.  I did compare both float valve seats and they were the same, but I used Pete's because they were cleaner. Also before I installed the carbs I flipped them upside down and blew into the fuel line, and had a good seal.  For the first start was using a Briggs and Stratton tank with no fuel pump and it sounded about the same.  

Also, the bike starts well with choke when cold.

[krusty]

Do you have a laser thermometer? Checking exhaust header temps could pinpoint which cylinder it could be.

[Waiex191]

Great idea krusty.  I don't have one but I can check.

First ride video:
https://youtu.be/CeuR81odws0

Gives you an idea of how it runs poorly/well at low/high speed.