Manometer works great!

Thanks to all who have posted on the manometer topic over the years. I decided to go with the water version for several reasons. Bought some tubing at Lowes and a couple of connectors and 4 vacuum resistors at Advanced Auto and made a 4 line setup. Colored the water blue for easy reading and had a go at it the other day. Syncing was a breeze although even light pressure on the screw would cause a change in the reading. Turning screw with no downward pressure is not as easy as one might think.

Anyway all synced up at idle(1050rpm) and everything okay until I increase the rpm to 3500 and all hell breaks loose. The readings are all over the place with the #4 dropping off the chart. I haven't been able to locate a similar problem on any thread here so take a shot at it if you think you know what's up.

thanks

 

Tweez.....well, synching is supposed to be done at idle, you know! At 3500 rpms the vacuum pull and variations in vacuum are going to be so great that I'm surprised that it didn't suck all the fluid into your intake!

 

Nicely organized board there ! I'll have to tidy up my rig now.
You didn't give your reasons for choosing water. Water is 30 % heavier than oil, and seemed less messy during set-up and break-down.
A year ago RickCoMatic promised he'd build one, just to prove that One Gauge - Old School was just as accurate. How's that coming along Rick?

I found 4 fuel filters a buck each- - $4
20 feet of hose from Lowes - - - - $5
the 4 way vacuum Tee - - - - $2

 

That's a real nice looking rig you've built there. I noticed in your picture that the air box boots weren/t installed. That extra restriction is probably going to change your measurements if you synched without them installed. Also, since the tubes are not all pulling from a common well, you are going to have to still synch bank 1 (carbs 1 & 2) to bank 2 (carbs 3 & 4) to get them all balanced. This means using one of your two hoses hooked between them after you've balanced each bank.

Good job!

 

The carburetors should remain synced across the whole throttle range. We set them up at idle because that is where the system is most sensitive and it beats having somebody hold the throttle at 6Krpm while we do it.

Some thoughts:

Valve issues will effect your results. Did you check your valve lash.

Secondly, by using water you have made a very sensitive instrument. Roughly speaking 1psi = 2 inches mercury = 2 feet water.

Mine are probably within 1/2psi. That would be a foot on your manometer.

 

It must be nice to have good eyes. I assumed they were connected.

Tweezer, do yourself a favor and install some tees in the bottom of your manometer so everything is all interconnected.

 

Look closely at the bottom of the tubes and you will see horizontally oriented blue colored tube(translation: they are connected). I will take a better picture in case someone wants to see the detail. As for why the water instead of atf or oil, I've been bathing in chemicals lately(lost my stash of nitrile gloves) and didn't want to deal with the potentially messy setup and eventual disassembly of the rather bulky tool. Not worried about how long that water sits in the tube either as it's not likely to degrade the tubing. And when I don eventually knock it over, I won't have to shout !@#$ and scare the neighbors.

MiCarl, could you explain how to check the valve lash? I don't have any of the manuals on this bike or the XJCD yet, so I'm flying blind without input from this forum.

thanks a bunch guys!

 

Tweezer, do you have the part no. for the 4 vacuum resistors from Advanced Auto?

 

Why yes I do. It's a Vacu-Tite product 3/16" vacuum restrictor part #47311.

and here's a better picture of the setup:

 

I guess my eyes are better than Gamuru's

Measuring the valve lash simply means sliding a feeler gauge between the shim and the came lobe to make sure clearance is within spec.

Unfortunately, Yamaha does not list the specs of these newer bikes on their web site. You need your shop manual or guidance from another X owner.

 

Not fair! You're a lot closer to it than I am beings how you're in Michigan and I'm all the way out here in Washington. :wink:

 

MiCarl, thanks for the advice. Also, if my math is not too fuzzy, I think that you are saying that the water is approximately 12 times more sensitive. (1 psi =2in Hg = 2ft H20(24in). I think that's correct. So, if i'm within 6in would that be roughly equivalent to 1/2in Hg? If so, I'm good at idle and now also at 6k.
Not sure if it was the Seafoam treatment or what but my dropoff on #4 seems to have gone away. I'll try a little video like of it later.

thanks

Oh, on the valve lash-When I pull the top cover(valve cover i think-total newby here) I should be able to check those valve clearances at that point.
Is there a ballpark #. and do I have to check them in a particular orientation?

 

Oooooh, X alert, X-alert! You'll need some special feeler gauges to check those five valves per cylinder, because they have to have a very tapered tip to access some of the valves. The kind that I offer here:


vs7) Aftermarket Valve Shim Feeler Gauges Set.


HCP3445 metric Feeler Gauge Set. These gauges will work on all XJ engines EXCEPT XJ700-X and XJ750-X models, which require thinner feeler gauges to check the intake valves clearances on those models. Complete set of 3-1/4" long straight-blade feeler gauges combines all sizes from .0015" thru .035" (.038mm thru .889mm) on a handy storage ring. Sizes on the blades are listed in both decimal and metric dimensions. Includes a 2-1/2" long ruler.

Non-"X" engines have valve clearances in a range from .004" - .008" (0.110 mm - .200 mm)

Decimal Inch Sizes:
.0015", .002", .0025", .003", .004", .005", .006", .007", .008", .009", .010", and so one by .001" increments up to .026", and also .028", .030", .032", and .035".

Metric millimeter sizes:
.038, .051, .064, .076, .102, .127, .152, .178, .203, .229, .254 (steel and brass), .279,
.305, .330, .356, .381, .406, .432, .457, .483, .508, .533, .559, .584, .610, .635, .660,
.711, .762, .813, .889

$ 12.95



HCP6383 metric Feeler Gauge Set. These gauges will work on all XJ700-X and XJ750-X models, which require thinner feeler gauges to check the intake valves clearances on those models. Aftermarket 32-blade metric set has 95mm long blades, hardened and polished, with the tapered ends needed to access the valves on these models. NOTE: these feeler gauges will fit perfectly, although you will have to rotate the blade 90 degrees to the holder for some of the inner valves on X-models.

Comment: the inclusion of inch measurements AND the inclusion of smaller sizes makes this set ideal for all XJ-bikes and especially for X-models.

X-engines have valve clearances in a range from .004" - .012" (0.110 mm - .300 mm)

Decimal Inch Sizes:

.001, .0015, .002, .0025, .0028, .003, .0035, .004, .005, .006, .007, .008, .009,
.010, .011, .012, .013, .014, .015, .016, .018, .020, .022, .024, .025, .026, .028,
.030, .032, .034, .035, .040"

Metric millimeter sizes:

.03, .04, .05, .06, .07, .08, .09, .10, .11, .13, .15, .18, .20, .23, .25, .28, .30,
.33, .35, .38, .40, .45, .50, .55, .60, .63, .65, .70, .75, .80, .85, .90. 1,00mm

$ 14.95


BTW, you should start praying RIGHT NOW that your clearances are in spec, because changing the shims on X engines is way beyond the normal tedious, annoying task that it is on the non-X engines.....major dis-assembly is required.

Pray to all the Gods that you know----Jesus, Buddha, Yahweh, etc.---as well as any you don't, even feel free to make some up as you go along, because you'll need all the help you can get!

 

wich is the better way to do one of these?? Water or oil if oil what kind/weight? How full do you fill it? I have no idea and just don't want to do anything that is going to complicate matters with my bike.

 

i tried the water tubes, then built a single vac meter setup with a aquarium valve
the water tubes are way more sensitive, almost to sensitive
the tubes can't be wrong, the aquarium valve might leak, check before and after, mine never has
the meter is so much easier to setup and use, takes up less garage space too
if someone is watching the WOW factor of the tubes is amazing
the meter takes longer to use since you must go over the readings several times, the tubes are just there to see and tweak

 

Will last a lifetime if you don't abuse them, and are true professional quality:


j2) Morgan Carbtune Pro 4-column Synch Tool-Gauge-Stick....brand new, no display box, includes all accessories and instructions. This is the one that everyone recommends using, and is superior in design, ease of use, and accuracy versus fluid-filled versions. Uses damped stainless steel sliding dowel rods instead of mercury, giving accurate, safe, and easy-to-read measurements. More expensive than other synch tools and worth it. Use it even once and you'll wonder how you lived without it.
NOTE: this tool is used on all XJ engines, regardless of whether it is a "YICS" engine or not.

Also, please note! you can sometimes find these gauges selling at a discount at various places, but most of these places are offering a much older, now-discontinued Carbtune II version, rather than the latest, much-improved Carbtune PRO version that is offered here. The PRO version is much more durable, accurate, and easier to clean and service than the older version.


HCP96Q Morgan Carbtune Pro 4-column Synch Sticks:
$ 114.00


j3) Storage/Transport Pouch for the above carbtune pro synch stick....very nice zippered and clasp-closure storage case to hold the gauge and all the accessories neatly and safely. You REALLY want to have this to safely store and transport the (somewhat fragile) synch gauges!

HCP1287 Morgan Carbtune Storage & Transport Pouch
$ 19.00