carbs coolent lines?
 

Can you disconnect the carb coolent lines?

Literally? Yes, just spring clamps holding them on.

Should you? Thats an oil thread in the making.:D

Ask 10 people, get 12 answers as at least two will change their mind along the way :shock:

You do know the coolant flow to the carbs is controlled by the T stat.. Yes?

Yes you can. Actually the lines to the carbs are connected in order to warm up the carbs. They can be removed since they are quite anoying if like most of us on the forum, you tend to play with them on a regular basis.

I'm going to beat Steve to the punch and say to only disconnect them if they're not yellow.

May as well just take the carbs off themselves. Seems that you really just want fuel lines directly to the cylinders and not mess with the hassle and weight of dual carbs.

Do you have to plug the carbs afterwards?

No coolant, gasoline, nor anything else will come from the carb coolant spigots, but you might cap them to prevent dirt/debris in case you change your mind and decide to re-connect years from now.

Let us know how much extra horsepower you feel after disconnecting them.;)

Only if you don't want bugs finding a new home ;)

This is a funny one as I have had my bike with and without!

It happened when I fitted the electric water pump and couldn't find the correct fitting to run the carb lines.


It played with my mind and I ended up sourcing the correct fitting and hooked them back up after a couple of weeks mainly as I felt that I had not completed the pump mod correctly.


It's so long ago that it's hard to remember if there was any difference but I do live in a place with a very temperate climate.


I have seen other posts on this, maybe do a search.

7, does yellow coolant actually cool faster? Also what size jets (Front vs rear) do you use in the fuel lines after removing those heavy carbs? And, where do you connect the throttle cables?

Ride-It Levers
 

Erik,

How do u like the Ride-It levers? Did you get the double-adjustable folding type, and if so, is the lack of a return spring on the folding lever ever been an issue? Did you also get the free hand guards and if so what is your opinion of them?

As to disconnecting the coolant lines, IMO its not a good idea. Even on 70 degree days they improve warm up speed and atomization of fuel droplets.

Its not that big a deal to deal with them when working on the carbs but back-flushing them is a good idea because crap does build up in the cooling system.

{ThreadJack ON}
The Ride It levers are ok, no issues,,, double adjusting? Umm, no, just lever position in relation to the grip...
http://www.rideitmoto.com/products.php?id=9

And no not really "folding" Only a few deg of reverse movment, nothing like my Off road folding levers of a different brand. Not really worried,, if this pig of a bike falls down.. a bent lever will be the least of the damage incurred.
And no hand guards I bought mine long before that was offered as an option
{ThreadJack OFF}

Hold on, there are yellow lines available? Link, please?


This is a common misconception, so don't feel like an idiot. Yellow coolant actually flows faster, so there is less time for heat transfer; therefore, it cools slower than other colors. If you want to cool something quickly, throw some red on it.

Slider&Folding Levers - Sport bike Racing Parts-Performance Sportbike Custom Levers,Rear sets,Billet Mirror,Sport bike Accessories

Lever pivots up 120 degrees & slides in-out for more or less finger room

They have this same argument in the YZF forum all the time :)

The coolant lines do 2 things, Prevent carb icing which can happen in colder climates (if you're a year round rider you will want to keep the lines connected) and they also prevent the carbs from attracting moisture.

Of course I'm not an engineer and my over simplistic mind may not be comprehending the purpose of the coolant in the carbs properly :)

On my track YZF I have these lines removed to save those few ounces both in fittings, lines, and extra coolant needed to keep these extra lines full and there is no noticeable drop or increase in power, but it does take it longer to start running smooth when its colder outside and I'm idleing it in the garage because I'm too lazy to just drain the float bowls :lol: This is in comparison to when I had a street YZF with the lines attached, even in much colder NY winter temps it seemed to start running smoother at colder engine temps than my current track bike does. Both engines Stock with Stock Carbs, only difference being the Street bike had a D&D slip on and the track bike has a full micron system, both run stock air filter. Have a jet kit for the track bike, but it just doesn't want to run with it, it just prefers to have stock jets and needles in it

:google:
Ya I had already edited my post above.. That folding lever from Ride It is new to me..

Thanks

Here in the Las Vegas area, disconnecting the coolant lines during the hotter parts of the year, gives a marked improvement to the ridability of my Hawk. While in the colder monthes, such as now, having them reconnected makes for a better performing Hawk.

no big differance in power :(

Have subsequently had the carb coolant lines connected and disconnected.

I can tell you that the bike is much more civilised with them connected.

Totally different bike, almost like a well behaved kid that does what you expect and a petulant spoiled brat that does what it wants.

Believe it or not, but that was the difference!

I also take into account the fact that I live in a very temperate climate.

I am sat here in shorts, singlet and thongs, so I know one thing.

They are there for a reason.

As we say here in Oz, "Just My Two Bobs' Worth Mate!"

Cheers!

By "thongs", you're referring to a type of sandal, right?

This thread is worthless without pictures.

Definitely a sort of sandal!!!

Awesome thread.

I ride year round down to 0*F. Had mine clamped shut for 3-4 yrs and noticed no difference. Then unclamped them and still just the same.

I dont run a thermostat (another debate in the making) but used to and had the lines blocke with & without it with no diff.

The coolant is cold at start up anyway, and only a tad warmer by the time you dont need choke so maybe thats why no diff either way.

Try the bike same day, same temp with them flowing and stopped and I doubt you will see a diff. If you do it at diff times, thats too many variables to be a comparison.

Besides all that..

There IS NO COOLANT FLOW to the carbs after warm up... when the T Stat "opens" for full coolant flow to the motor and radiators, it shuts off coolant flow to the carbs.

Erik, true if you have a t-stat, which I dont

Yes but the person discussing "runability" differences does :p

Next time I have the tank off,,, i want to confirm the coolant flow to carbs is completely stopped once the T stat is open.. Until then it's just an educated guess.

When I had the t stat housing open, it didnt look like it had provision to completely stop coolant to the carbs. Since I was trying to maximize rad flow I clamped them.

My field testing is mostly having the lines blocked & not blocked under nearly every possible condition.

Also was concerned about warm coolant to the carbs on 100*F days. Seems non optimal.

Wouldn't it help fuel atomization? And/or heat dissipation through the carbs, a la a third radiator?

I put dry ice in my airbox for ultra cool condensed air concentrate along with installing WinZip for extra compression. I also welded cooling fins on my cases because I think Honda released a shoddy product without thinking things through. They probably don't project for climate change when designing the bike in 1997 and now that the world is hotter the bikes are worthless. Honda should probably use us to design their next bikes because they are clearly making bonehead moves here...

Just poking fun. Before anyone gets offended I'm as big a culprit as any by moving the radiator out of the pesky wind into my calm undertail and chopping up my airbox.

Actually the vtr IS the improved version. The goldwing and vfr have their fans blowing against natural air flow. (in rather than out).

On their forums, switching to a vtr fan/ fan blad is an upgrade.

Honda was probably thinking something silly with those inferior bikes like them only needing supplemental airflow when the motorcycle was stopped... so fan direction may have been determined by better efficiency of a puller fan rather than placement to run while the motorcycle is moving.

Hahahahaha! God I'm an asshole. And good at making shit up. Except for pullers being more efficient... that part is true.