Lazy Carb Fix

[feederbb]

With the risk of sounding lazy, which I guess to some extent I am, I'm looking for the easiest way to fix my rough idle/low rpm miss. Every winter when the weather gets too cold, my 90 FJ sits in the garage corner, covered waiting for weather warm enough for a ride. Every year it seems to get a little rougher on that first ride but does eventually clear out and run as she always does. Once above what seems to be the idle circuit/low rpm, she seems to run as normal.  Well this year she needs a little more loving because my usual hr ride didn't clear it up. Yes, I do have fresh fuel in the tank. Any advice to what would be the easiest way to get through this? Like I said it's a 90, stock airbox, pretty much stock everything but seat and pipe. I'm pretty set on keeping her that way so please no pod cleaner/carb mods, etc, etc. I'm not real confident with the local dealer and just haven't messed with multiple carbs before (just mostly riding dirt bikes, pre-fuel inj).  I'm sure it's probably listed somewhere in other posts but after looking for a half an hour on a multitude of carb issues, I'm burnt.  Thanks in advance.

[Mark Olson]

change your spark plugs.

put a fuel additive /injector cleaner in the gas tank.

change your air filter.

ride a bunch of stop and go slow speed stuff so the carbs are on the low circuit.

that should be nice and lazy for ya.

[movenon]

I try to start mine up and run it once every few weeks pus in the fall I put some additive in it. Also don't forget to change your fuel filter under the tank. Clean fuel is good fuel..... 
George

[Dads_FJ]

I fill up my bike on non-ethanol fuel before it goes into hibernation.  Might be too late for you though, but with the support from this list a good carb cleaning isn't too hard.

[rktmanfj]

IME, if anything can get it without removing them, Seafoam or Berryman's will.

[SlowOldGuy]

The problem is that one or more of your idle jets are partially/fully clogged.

You can try one of the fuel additives that Randy suggested.  I'd add Techron to that list.  I've had some luck with it in the past in my FZ1, but eventually it got so bad that I had to pull the carbs and fix it the right way.  But it certainly doesn't hurt to try an additive.

Another long shot would be to pull the idle mixture screws and try to back flush a spray carb cleaner through the idle circuit in hopes of knocking any crap out of the idle jet.  Doesn't require pulling the carb bank, but it may not fix it either.  If you try this, don't lose any of the idle mixture screw components: mixture screw, spring, tiny washer and o-ring.

DavidR.

[Pat Conlon]

UniPod air filters sure make accessing the carbs much easier...that oem air box was a pain I struggled with for 25 long years before I installed the UniPods...I don't know why I was so stubborn...

[Dan Filetti]

I'll relay this (again).  I use Startron in all of my vehicles that sit, bikes, mowers, snow blower etc.  By way of example, every year I had to pull and clean the carbs on the Ninja 250 -the orifices are very small and clog easily with ethanol fuel that sits.  It seemed an inevitable spring ritual despite trying seafoam and stabil etc.  That is until I started storing my bikes with Startron.  For me, it really seems to help.  As evidenced by the fact that I have not had to clean the Ninja carbs since I started using it.

I do not work for this company, have no affiliation etc, but it sure does seem to work well to counter-act the effects of sitting ethanol.

Dan

 

[yamaha fj rider]

+1 Dan, I have had 3 or 4 tell me how great this was. Easy to find and works. Hope this helps?

Kurt

[feederbb]

Thanks guys I will try the fuel cleaner angle and go from there.  I've had the bike torn down to some extent for a valve shim check, wheels, shock, and swing arm/forks off but never messed with the carbs or airbox. I guess in reality, it's not that I'm lazy but fear the path that I have not taken yet. Pretty much everything I do to it is in my own garage because I haven't had good luck with any of the dealers and mechanics in S Utah.  My "ex" worked for two different motorcycle dealers in So Cal and I would offer my services on my off days from my real job in trade for parts and labor that I wasn't comfortable with. One thing I do know inside and out is my dirt bike that I race and sometimes I ask certain questions at the dealer just to see how stupid an answer I can get out of them. I try not to laugh outloud because I still need them for parts that I don't have the time to wait for online.  As far as the pod air cleaners, I know it would make things easier but as stupid as it may sound to some of you guys who have modified/personalized your FJs, I'm really trying to keep it as stock as possible. Even though I still have an aftermarket exhaust, I've still got that two ton twice pipe up in my attic.  I know sooner or later tire availability will dictate a possible wheel change but as long as I can get the rubber I'll be stock.  There is just something about a clean stocker that I love.  It was such a cool piece right off the showroom floor.  One last question though, I'm not going to harm the motor trying to run the crap through?  I mean it's not like I'm going to flog her until she spits it through or anything, just wouldn't want to have a lean situation hurt anything and I'm assuming as long as its clean above that it shouldn't??  If the cleaner stuff doesn't work, I'll get tired of looking like a goon stalling and gurgling at stoplights and pull the beast apart!  Thanks again.

[SlowOldGuy]

... as stupid as it may sound to some of you guys who have modified/personalized your FJs, I'm really trying to keep it as stock as possible. Even though I still have an aftermarket exhaust, I've still got that two ton twice pipe up in my attic.  I know sooner or later tire availability will dictate a possible wheel change but as long as I can get the rubber I'll be stock.  There is just something about a clean stocker that I love.  It was such a cool piece right off the showroom floor. 

I once had the same mind-set about my '85 that I bought off the showroom (and still own).

I wanted to keep it stock and put off suspension upgrades for a long time just to keep the anti-dive.  I was convinced my A/D was working perfectly and I didn't need to upgrade anything.

Boy was I wrong!  I was missing so much performance I have to shake my head when I hear your argument.  I'll bet I can park my FJ right next to yours and 99 out of 100 people wouldn't notice the RPM fork valves and straight rate springs, the Penske rear shock, the '89 FJ front wheel, YZF600 rear wheel, Wiseco piston kit, degreed cams, Dyna Ignition, coils, and wires, DynoJet carb kit, headlight relay mod, and missing A/D crap.

They might notice the R1 calipers, SS brake lines, RPM Oil Cooler upgrade, and RenTec engine bars, but so what?  None of this detracts from the greatness of my FJ and it adds soooo much to my enjoyment of it.

DavidR.

[Pat Conlon]

........ As far as the pod air cleaners, I know it would make things easier but as stupid as it may sound to some of you guys who have modified/personalized your FJs, I'm really trying to keep it as stock as possible......There is just something about a clean stocker that I love.  It was such a cool piece right off the showroom floor.....

Yep, I bought my '84 new and felt the same way.....silly me.

[ribbert]

I know it would make things easier but as stupid as it may sound to some of you guys who have modified/personalized your FJs, I'm really trying to keep it as stock as possible.

This is a very common thought.

Original FJ's are far from rare,  there's 3000 or so members just here, presumeably all with at least one bike and I would think the majority are standard.  Perfectly good bikes with minor damage are still going to wreckers every day. It does not increase its value.

DavidR is spot on, most of the mods that will improve the bike enormously will not change it's appearance.

I have a bog standard one and a modified one and they are vastly different machines to ride.

Do you want to ride it or look at it? (personally I think mods like the 17" rear wheel improve it's appearance, looks like it SHOULD have been.)

Noel

[craigo]

Do you want to ride it or look at it? (personally I think mods like the 17" rear wheel improve it's appearance, looks like it SHOULD have been.)

Noel

+1 on the 17" rear wheel. Drastic improvement on the way the bike rides and looks like it's the way Yamaha should have done it. The cherry on the sundae is the large variety of tires you can get for her. If you do one mod, this should be it.

JMO,

CraigO

[feederbb]

Yeah, I knew I'd get some feedback on the stock statement and I mean no disrespect by said comment.  I've had some "personalized" bikes prior, Honda 400-4, RD 400 Daytona, and GS 550E.  Some of the reason I keep telling myself to NOT modify is because it probably makes me ride a little slower, look around more as I ride instead of dragging pegs and seeing how much I can scrub off the chicken strips.  I've had some good asphalt skin donations, broken bones and high price bike rebuilds and I guess I'm at a different place.  I get my rush more on the track with the dirt bike so if I take a digger it's easier to load my ass and take me to emergency.
   Probably all it will take is some loose gravel or some turd in a car doing something stupid and she goes down, then why not??  I've had some older cars where I did the brake, suspension, motor upgrade deal as well as ones that I kept all stock and they both were fun in their own way (we won't even talk about the 60 Brookwood STATIONWAGON).  I don't ever expect the FJ to be worth more being stock, there are way too many, it's just a personal thing for the time being.  Perhaps I haven't owned her long enough or the fact that I don't have the funds that I once had (divorce/retirement) or that she's never been down, I don't know.  Just enjoying my little kookaloo in my own little way.