Originally Posted by Hawkrider

So there I was today at work thinking about how many folks are working on their carbs and getting things tuned up and running well. I had mentioned in another thread that since moving to Missouri and getting the Dr. Honda V-stacks that things were a bit on the rich side. So what the heck, why not enlist the help of my two buddies, Sam Adams and George Killian, and dive in...

Do you think that the A&L V-Stacks &/or a FC are worth it for a stock engine; albeit with PAIRectomy, collector restrictor removed, 2Bros cans, TPS @ 450, 48 pilots, .040 shimmed needles (with long OE V-stack F & R) and 80,000 miles on the clock? And what is the skinny on trimming the ID of carb mounting boots and snokel?

So off comes the tank. First two bolts are the front mount bolts. Make a mental note to ensure the inserts don't fall when I remove the tank. As I'm unhooking hoses, I smile and chuckle to myself in respect of the victims of PVLIR this year. Hoses, check. RLOD wire, check. Rear mount, check. Time to lift the tank. The left metal insert for the front mount drops out into the depths of Superhawk hell. Fark@&%!!!

A tip so the above does not occur in the future, clean and apply 1/32”± double-sided all-weather foam tape (i.e., St. Gobain “Normount V2000” [.020”]) to the washer AND to the rubber side of the spacer washer.

Okay, this is recoverable. Time to move on. Airbox, removed. K&N looks good. No mouse nests or dead birds. Damn, those velocity stacks look like works of art! Long screwdriver to loosen the clamps. Got it! Front, done. Rear, already loose? WTF? How'd that happen? Okay, let's move on. Throttle cables, done. Time to unseat the carbs. Carefully twist over to the side. Pop! Out they come. Okay, time for the choke cables. Remember all those poor victims of broken plastic choke thingies. Mental note: Be careful! WTF! The front one is all flimsy and crap! It broke! How could I, the Admin of this site, the owner of Superhawk996.net, the 15 year owner of this motorcycle fall victim to such a ROOKIE MISTAKE?!?! Great, I wonder how long it will take to get replacement parts. Hell, I don't even know where the local dealer is here. Okay, well, how does the rear look? Fine, carefully removed. Now the front...Hey, it's NOT broken! The little rubber sleeve just came off the plastic part! Phew! Hmmm, how'd that happen...?

Mike’s brass choke cable “thingies” are fantastic!

Moving on. Coolant lines clamped. Coolant lines off. TPS wire, check. Remove float bowls, carefully as not to spill gas everywhere and I want to check the crap in the bowls too. Front, nearly spotless. Rear, nearly spotless. Okay, lets go inside to cool off and George can help move the needles down one notch. Everything goes smoothly. I notice that the throttle linkage is a tiny bit sloppy. There is a brass bushing in the linkage rod that connects the two carbs. The rear operates the front and is opening just a tiny bit sooner than the front. Disassemble, clean, and lubricate with white lithium grease to prevent further wear. That helps take up a few ten thousandths of play. I'm good with it.

Since you mentioned the carb coolant lines, I'm baffled by this one. Since I back-flushed and refilled the coolant (including removing the T-stat and reinstalling it with a new O-ring) I've been finding a small puddle of coolant under the engine. I checked/tightened all the hose clamps and I then thought it was coming from the carb heater connections but I am still not sure. The really, really weird part is this occurs days even a couple of weeks after I've ridden; i.e., engine stone cold and untouched! I'll check the carb hoses again but now I'm suspecting overflow tank/hoses. Ever see or hear of this happening before?

Moving on... Hey, there's the front mount insert! Woohoo, no digging required!

So that's where I am, folks. Saga to be continued. I hope this is just another carb R&R that goes smoother than most.