82 Seca 750 - carbs are sad but so is my wallet

I usually buy parts from Chacal but I'm very poor at the moment so I need the most affordable options possible while still doing a proper job, any suggestions on what I have so far?

I've found these Damineding parts that seem to be the most affordable:
Damineding 4 X Carburetor Carb Rebuild Repair Kits YAMAHA XJ750 / XJ 750 Seca 1982-1985 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07B235J91/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_Kul0CbY9ZXCJR

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.com/ulk/itm/322833755526

I plan on making the air box boots from hose at Lowes and building the home made YICS tool. Should I buy the valve shim tool or does a folded zip tie work just fine? Not sure which valve shims I should buy, do I need a valve shim kit like this?
AHL Adjustable Valve Shim Kit 9.48mm O.D. for Yamaha YFZ450R YFZ450 R 2009-2012 (52pcs) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01GJOY7X6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_C-l0Cb46K01TD
Do I need a set of calipers?
Am I forgetting anything?

 

I have never seen throttle seals and engine to carb boots so...well, nasty. Good luck trying to keep that in your budget and as well in the black as you can.

 

I have been in your situation and still mostly am. The absolute best advice I ca give you after looking at the pic you posted is to do whatever you possibly can to save the money to buy a deluxe carb rebuild kit and new intake boots from @chacal. I literally almost cried when I pushed the confirm payment button. The part that made it all worthwhile is the first time I pushed the start button after putting it all together again and hearing it roar to life. A little expected tuning and man oh man, it rocks. I'd ride it anywhere. Like I said, that is my best advice from someone who is in your exact situation. I have a midnight maxim in hiding until I have saved the money for the necessary parts to resurrect it as well

 

do not buy the shim kit. there is a shim pool here and you may be able to swap shims around. zip tye works good wire works better.
stay away from those carb kits I got a set and only used the drain screws. jets are not correct sizes.
to rebuild carbs the parts you need the most are the o rings and seals , your jets just need to be cleaned.
you can just buy the float needles and save there too.
Correction
do not want to spring for throttle shaft seals use 2 number #11 o-rings for each seal.

calipers as in brake calipers or measuring calipers?

rebuild calipers

I find the 20$ for measuring calipers well worth the money

you do not need the yics tool, hardly any one here uses them

do the brake system and carbs , shims for motor. shinko tires and wait to make her pretty

 

Yeah I've had a vacuum leak as long as I've had the bike but this spring when I took it out of the garage and washed it the cracks got exponentially worse, believe it or not it actually ran alright last fall (after it was warmed up and the choke almost halfway in) without noticable fuel leaks but it's been crying in my garage now for 2 weeks straight. Truly sad times.

BTW is there a way to shut the fuel off? All I see is prime, on, and reserve?

 

fuel shuts off when bike stops running with petcock in on or reserve position if it keeps flowing in on or reserve get an in line shut off valve but fuel should not flow in prime if your needle valves are working properly.
do the free stuff first clean connectors a can of electric spray cleanr and a tube of dielectric grease.

I started buying hardware part lots on ebay and resold the parts I got to make money. you need air box boots look for a lot that has them. got my first XJ in late summer and started riding it in the following spring.
even cheap bikes are not cheap after you fix them

 

Measuring calipers, I assume that's the way to measure shims?

I've gone through the brake calipers, put new seals and such in but left the brake lines and brake shoes alone. I put a new front tire on along with a wheel bearing and redid the fork seals as well.

Did you happen to buy the Damineding carb boots? I'm a little concerned if they'll fit since they're so much cheaper than the oem ones.

 

only need to measure shims that are unmarked.

rtv silicone my boots