My first Manometer

I ran down to the hardware store and picked up my first Manometer.
Look at her.. aint she purdy?
Anyways, I know this subject has been covered before. Can anyone point me towards the right forum for using this?

 

http://xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=22391.html

Lots of info and several links in this thread ^ ^
Take your time and have fun with the process- - good luck.

 

that's about what my version 1 looked like, a few versions later this is what i use
it's a lot more user friendly and can take some really out of sync carbs
and not suck any liquid

 

Polock, I love the simplicity of your design. Looks like Im drinking Gatorade today.

 

BillB - I recommend your first setup. I also got some T-s and straight couplers (for restriction) but I had to order those to make a 4-tube system.

Use ATF so it won't hurt the engine if a little is sucked in, and if you get wildly varying results, kill the engine, make adjustments, then try again, until you can fine tune. You'll want your column to be about 3ft tall (can't tell size from your pics).

The problem with the two-bottle sync tool is the scale is the same (so if the bottles are 1 ft tall, that's the same measurement accuracy as 1 ft of tubing) but the response rate is slow, so you'll tend to over adjust (it takes a while for the fluid to flow from one side to the other, since the same height column of fluid contains more volume).

 

"Different strokes for different folks." I built and used the 2 bottle (used ATF) system. Had no problems. Felt that trying to deal with 2 carbs at a time was easier. As always this is just my $.02 (maybe not even that much) :wink: ...

skillet

 

When i first built my 2 bottle tool, i put ATF in and it was WAYYY too slow to react, so i put water in it and it worked much much better.

 

Call me stupid but what's ATF?

 

automatic transmission fluid.

 

The scale on my pic? The board is 4 ft long. I used 10w30 motor oil.
The fluid doesn't jump around and it won't surge fast to the top either.
I ended up buying the gauges from jcwhitney but I think they are useless. The needles jump around the whole time including at high rev.

 

Gonna have to recommend RickCoMatic's restrictors. Makes a HUUUGE difference in a DIY manometer setup.

 

??? Im not sure if a restrictor is possible on a DIY manometer. I don't see the need due to the consistent readings I get.

 

if the cops ever came to your place polock and saw your setup,im sure they'd want an explanation, lol

 

I have a Polock set up as well. The only difference is that I used glass bottles. I was getting the bottles sucked flat when I tried to use plastic. I just keep adjusting til I get the fluid leveled in each bottle.

 

not so. other manometers compare vacuum signal against atmosphere. the two bottle rig compares two vacuum signals against one another. As such you don't need a tall column of fluid. You only need to adjust until the fluid stops transferring from one bottle to the other. When they get so close that the fluid siphons back to even from gravity alone (because the vacuum on each is match so cancels out) that is a REALLY close match.

sure it is. tighten a small clamp on the hose JUST barely tight enough to eliminate any fluttering but not enough to clamp off flow entirely. Or homedepot has all manner of fittings for aquarium type tubing. Screw down flow restriction valves among them. If your rig doesn't flutter, sweet. Every time I've used the dial vac gage type the needles are all over the place until you adjust the restrictor valves.

 

No.
Wrong!
I can sync a 4-pack ... right on-the-money ... with 1 (One) Vacuum Gauge.
Done it many times.
In fact, ... NOW, that I have an Aquarium Gang Valve set-up, ... even better than before.
Back when I used to use Golf Tees to plug the Vacuum Lines to the Manifolds.

ALL you need is a Vacuum Gauge
Hose
And a handful of Restrictors.
++++++++++

I suppose it won't be too very long before somebody comes-out with a Carb Synchronizer Tool that's all digital, solar powered, with a combined LED and numeric read-out, that will fit in your shirt pocket. Until then; columns of mercury or the handy, new, stainless steel-weighted synchronizers are the way to go.

But, for XJ-Owners, who are only going to sync-up the carbs every couple of decades ... or, for those who don't want to lay-out seventy-five to a hundred bucks (or more) for Carb Sticks or a CarbTune meter ... buying an expensive meter, or one filled with mercury just isn't practical for as often as you'd ever need to use it.

So ..., how are you going to be able to get your Carbs synchronized without buying the Sticks, or taking your bike to someone who's got sticks, or to a place that charges big-bucks to do something you'd do for yourself ... if you had the means?

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

Easy ... Just hop in RickCoMatic's Time Machine, and come back with me, to the time before Carb Sticks; when you had to "Match-up and Sync the whole rack ... with ONE Vacuum Gauge!

The Old School Method
Single Vacuum Gauge Synchronizing of Carburetors
by: Rick Massey
Special to XJBikes.com
All rights reserved.

First, you need one vacuum gauge. (There's none better than the one sold at Sears for $19.95) and your home-made YICS tool.

A couple of Electric Fans to keep the Old XJ from overheating while you do the tuning-up. Two. Aimed at the Engine. High speed for Max cooling!

You need some vacuum line. Get ten or twelve feet. You'll be making-up lines to run from each carb out to the side of the bike where you'll hook-up the Vacuum Gauge.

You need a few small, hollow, plastic-barrel vacuum line connections. (Those little things you use to plug one vacuum line into another.)

One medium-sized fuel filter; with ends that will fit the hose.

One red plastic spray tube ... like the one taped to a can of carb cleaner.

Four regular Golf Tees. (Just steal 'em from your dad's golf bag)

5-minute epoxy.

Masking tape and a "Sharpie"

OK kids ... Let's ROCK!

Prep:
Fabrication of the "Vacuum Restriction Valve." (Absolutely necessary)

Take the skinny red tube and run it through one of the hollow, plastic hose connectors.
Seal that hollow connector with epoxy; leaving a length of the red tube extended from each end.
(This fabricated little-metering device will be the all-important "Vacuum Pressure Restrictor" that will allow you to read the vacuum gauge without the extremely WILD fluctuations on the meter you'd get if you tried to get a vacuum reading without it.)


When the epoxy hardens; cut-off the extraneous ends of the red tube -- flush.

Using a short length of vac line ... attach the restrictor to one end of the medium-sized fuel filter.

(Now you have a restrictor attached to the fuel filter. You just made what you NEED to get the needle on the vacuum gauge "Quieted-down" enough to get an accurate reading without the meter being so wildly fluctuating as to be useless. You have Baffled-Restricted-Regulation and this softens the harsh, impossible-to-read fluctuation, the indicator would have, without it.)

Hook-up and Sync:

The rest is by the book.
YICS tool inserted.
Four Vacuum lines run from the Carb Intakes over to where it will be convenient for you to connect these four lines up to Vacuum Gauge ... each marked with a little tape label for one through four. Stick the golf tees in the ends of these lines ... and get ready to sync the carbs.

Attach your "Old School - Baffled Restrictor" to the vacuum line coming from Number - 3 with the red tubed restricted end plugged into the vac line coming off the engine.

Plug the Vacuum Gauge into the Fuel Filter end. You're officially restricted and baffled for testing ...

So, let's do it!

Run the bike and get the vacuum reading of Number 3 (Three) ... to check for good vacuum on three and to observe how the needle of the gauge is still going to MODERATELY "Vibrate" as it measures engine vacuum.

Sneak the rev's up to 14 > 16-hundred rpm's and the fluctuation will become rapid enough for you to read the vacuum that the hole is pulling.

Mark the gauge face with a short strip of masking tape and mark the tape with a check-mark. Don't let the tape strips block you from seeing the vacuum gauge needle during the sync.

Authors Note:
It's a good idea to practice pulling a golf tee out and covering the hose with your thumb. This will keep the engine from stumbling and possibly stalling.

Checks and adjustments:

Read the Vacuum being pulled by Number 2. Mark maximum vacuum drawn by 2 with line of tape.

Get your magic fingers ready to do the "Carb-Shuffle!"

Pull-out the baffle and block the vacuum with your thumb until you can insert the golf tee you have ready between your lips or behind your ear.

Measure the vacuum being drawn by Number 1. If the max vacuum being drawn by Number 1 is NOT the same as you have MARKED for Number 2 --ADJUST the SYNC SCREW on Number 1 ... until the Vacuum drawn by ONE is the SAME as the Vacuum drawn by TWO!

Two down ... two to go! But, here's where it gets tricky.

Plug-in to Number 4. Set the Vacuum drawn by Number 4 -- to -- the BASE Vacuum you measured for Number 3. (Actually check 3 again ... adjust 4 to match 3 -- because 3 is the Base Vacuum Port, has NO sync screw adjustment, and usually has the petcock vacuum hose connected to it.)

At this point you start TWEAKING. From here until the rack's in-sync ... it's all down hill!

The engine should be sounding pretty darn good; right about here. But, we need to finish it off!

Just hook-up to Number 2, now ... and bring the vacuum being drawn on Number 2 -- UP or DOWN to match the value of Number 3.

They'll be no need to adjust Number 1. Number 1 is connected to Number 2 and goes right along for the ride when you sync Number 2 to Number 3 ... and you ...

HEAR the results of synchronizing all four of your carbs with only one vacuum gauge.
Let what I have outlined, here, be your guide ... but, don't be afraid to get creative with where to have the golf tees ready to pop-in the lines!

When you wrap-it-up ... the One - through - Four ... Final Measurement should be all right on the same value -- right across the board.
Yes? DONE!
No? Tweak until you nail it!

 

Bill, I've used your setup, albeit a bit neater<LOL> construction and 4' of verticle tube on a 4.5' 2x4 for years. It's simple, reliable. You stick it in the corner till you need it then use it, put it away again. I keep my open tubes in a sock and wrapped around a couple of drywall screws set for that purpose and use red atf.

It will actually give you a closer scale then some of the $100 commercial units as the atf will be affected at much lower negative pressures. If you get your carb sync'ed to within a 1/4" or better, you're golden!

jeff

 

Sure. It's called fuel injection. make mapping adjustments with a USB cable and an Iphone app. If it ever needed adjusting that is...

You just gave me an idea for a one gage rig though. A handful of the right fittings and some extra tubing and a guy could eliminate all the pulling and plugging with the golf tees (and dropping and losing them and searching for more with the YICS tool stuffed into a hot motor) while still using just one gage. I bet one vacuum gage and all the hose and fittings I'm thinking of would cost about the same as two gages.
One restrictor in the main line going to the vac gage. three 'T' fittings to branch out to the four intakes and on/off valves in those lines.

I was pondering that fluttering and the need for restriction and all the other day while chatting with a certain XV owner. What I hit on was that yes you need restriction from the source of the vac signal (at the intake) and what helps a lot is some sort of plenum between that and the gage taking the reading. Most often this is only some length of hose. An actual chamber of any sort would have a lot more volume and I suspect help a lot when using a needle type vac gage. If I ever get around to making and using it I'll be sure to let ya know how it worked out.

 

Rick, which part of this thread is "WRONG"?

 

That you can't get a Vacuum Gauge to stop fluctuating uncontrollably.

Although, my MotionPro Carb Sticks got broken.
Now, I have to dispose of some Mercury.

The Aquarium Gang Set makes it easier to Swap Manifolds.

I think I'm going to look into Solenoids to speed thing up.