[sharp21]

I need to rejet & just got my Carb screw kit from NewBonneville so am ready to go!
Ive been searching for a thread that described the best way to get the carbs out to change the mains, with the least amount of hassle or stuff to unhook, but I can't find it. They came out the side somehow...
If somebody knows the thread or can give me a run-down it would be a big help
S.

 

[Pokeyjoe]

The Haynes manual outlines the process.

You basically remove the battery, remove the airbox mounting screws in the battery box, loosen the clamps on the carbs, and pull the airbox off the carbs by moving it to the rear. Once that is done, you can pull the carbs off the engine clamps and slide them out the left side. You can do all this without disconnecting the throttle cables.

Edit: Ah, but we're talking about a Speedmaster, so the procedure may be a bit different. Get the manual.

 

[BonnieBlack07]

DINQUA's

http://www.dinqua.com/Triumph/carbs1.html

Check out the site - he actually outlines it using his own Speedmaster/America. Not really sure....but it's generally the same for the Bonnie too -

 

[ocguyocguy]

You don't need to remove carbs to rejet

Unless you want to, you really don't need to remove carbs to rejet. Get a small ratchet wrench with I believe a 6mm socket to hold the short phillips screw drive that fits into the 6mm socket, then you can remove all float bowl screws and replace with the allen head screws if you want...I found this much easier than removing carbs...I have done it both ways and I think you'll find this the easiest way to rejet.

 

[B02S4]

If it's your first time then I suggest removing the carbs (but do not disconnect the cables) to do it.

 

[why II]

I agree with removing them. On the Bonneville the first time I did it I took them all the way off and I'm glad I did because one of the phillips screws was really tight. I had to set the carbs on a table and ended up putting on a lot of pressure to break the screw loose. Couldn't have done it on the bike. Replacing them with the allens will make getting back into the carbs much easier.
If you pull them all the way off take photos to check your reinstall.The cables aren't that hard to put back on. Right after you take them off you might put them back on for a little practice.
Check out the site on an earlier post. It's a very good primer.
Good luck.

 

[sharp21]

I got the allens to replace the screws as I have heard that they can strip out pretty easily.
Ive got the manual & have been studying up on it, its just nice to get advice from the guys here that have done the job.
It's actually gonna be above Zero degrees tomorrow so a good a tim as any!
S.

 

[Baltobonneville]

Least amount of hassle is to not remove them at all.

 

[Dave2001]

Make sure you use the right size screwdriver is a big help. The one to use is a No2 Phillips and NOT a Pozidrive one. Beware as the two look the same, but the subtle difference mean that if you do use a Pozidrive bit, you WILL damage the head.

This is because the Phillips has a shallower angle to it, and the Pozidrive is steeper. It has extra 'teeth' between the main cross, which means it will not engage correctly with the Phillips style screw head.

The use of the wrong version is the number one cause of a stripped head on these type of screws, so check you have the right type!

 

[sharp21]

Roger that Dave, I'll be careful.
Ill take another look at it today with the tank off, but I suppose removing them would be good practice for when I step up to a bigger set of carbs!

S.

 

[Kem770]

I kept mine on and just used a small ratchet and an off set screw driver. I had to remove one screw with a small Vice Grip, but it went smoothly.

 

[Verde]

I agree with B02S4 in taking them off the first time. It's great familiarization. My gear wrenches came with a bit adapter which was great, but I finally went and bought one of these for the extra convenience. http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00947478000P?mv=rr

I use that with both a short and a long 3mm allen bit for carb tinkering since I put the nb screws in. I also have a small screw driver with half the handle sawed off for pulling the pilot jet with the carbs still on.

 

[oldretrorider]

I pulled them off the first time and I was glad I did;

Given how tight the screws and the jets are installed by the factory, it would have been a bitch to try to get them off with the limited space and leverage under the carbs. Now that I have replaced the phillips screws and reinstalled the jets myself, I will be able to replace them more easily in the future.

It was much easier to see what was where with the carbs facing upwards. Now that I know where everything is, it will be easy to do it mostly by touch without taking the carbs off.

Most importantly, I got over the intimidation factor. Following Dingua's superb instructions, it was a lot easier in retrospect than it seemed. I can't believe that I put this job off for six months because I thought it was too hard. I am much more confident now about doing work like this on the bike myself rather than forking over tons of money to the dealer.

 

[sharp21]

Yeah they are coming right off so that I can get a good look at everything.
Ive only been doing my own wrenching for a few years, but if you have the book & take your time it goes fine
Its not rocket science...
S.

 

[sharp21]

Done deal

No real problems. Make sure to double check your connections when getting it back together; I had 2 of my vacuum lines backwards but caught it before flashing her up.
Got everything re-installed & she fired up no problem. Idle right about 1100. You can really hear the air sucking through the K&N's! If there wasn't still a foot of snow I would take her out for a run down but I guess I will have to wait for some nicer weather...
I did notice that she would stutter when I cracked on the gas hard from idle. Even managed to shut it down once like that... Might need a lil fine tuning but I need to get on the road for that.
I did run into one problem with the right side cover:

The mounting holes on the Freak kit seem to be a little tight & it was cold out. Ive got it mounted now with the other 2 studs but it'll probably rattle... Don't suppose that'll be cheap from the factory

Anyways, now that I got that out of the way I can continue with my main project:

S.

 

[Verde]

Ditching the side cover's isn't all that uncommon. I'm sure someone here has a spare sitting around. I think I left mine in a box in New Mexico. I won't be through there again for a while, but if you still need a replacement one in 3 months or so you can have it. It says "america" on it though. Might *might* be able to have someone scrounge around for it before then.

 

[sharp21]

Appreciate it!
Had I seen the battery relocations that they are doing over at BonneveileAmerica then I probably would have went that route, but I do like the large amount of space now under the seat.
S.

 

[oldretrorider]

I did notice that she would stutter when I cracked on the gas hard from idle. Even managed to shut it down once like that... Might need a lil fine tuning but I need to get on the road for that.

The Jenks Bolts carb tuning guide is really good for dealing with stuff like that. After I installed the larger pilot jets that came with my D&D exhausts, I noticed that if I blipped the throttle at idle, the revs would actually dip below 1,000 before going up again. I thought that I would have to turn the idle screws out, but Jenks said I should turn them in because it indicated that the mixture was too rich, rather than too lean. After I turned them in one quarter turn, the problem went away.

 

[clydeturbeaux]

I re-jetted my T-100 with the carbs on the bike

and, while it was a bit challenging, it worked out fine. Those little screws are apparently torqued from the factory at approximately 200,000 ft/lbs and by using a 1/4" drive ratchet, 1/4" socket and a new Phillips tip I was able to break them loose using a combination of up-force and rotational effort.
Nothing quite as satisfying as hearing that little "snick" of the screw breaking loose and seeing it remain intact.
I did have a short period of drama in removing the mainjets as the main jet holder came out with them. These were only torqued to about 150,000 ft/lbs and nobody told me that removing the main jet holder would allow the "collar" to fall out as well.
This little piece is asymmetrical and I couldn't find a clear reference as to which way it went back in. (Only a warning someplace that if you get it backwards, it'll leak like crazy).
Fortunately, I was able to mine the wisdom of a frequent poster here and get it in correctly. Upon disassembly of the other carb, I verified the position of the collar and now smugly felt as if I had learned something of value.
I'm sure this is "common sense" to the experienced bike mechanic, but the collar goes in with the countersunk machining towards the needle (up).
I would have never attempted this without reading all of your contributions / opinions and thank you all for sharing your experiences and tips.
Did my first oil change yesterday and found the drain pan wouldn't fit and the lift obscured wrench clearance. Placed a 2" paver under the rear wheel and shimmed the side stand with a 2x6 to gain sufficent room.
Hope this helps someone else.

 

[Verde]

I had to go poke around BonneveileAmerica to see what you're talking about. The thought of using an aftermarket oil bag had crossed my mind, but this was a lot cheaper:

Glued together insulation board and shapped to fit between frame rails. Layed down some glass, pulled it off the mold, and then put down some reinforcment layers on the inside. I didn't protect the blue board well enough from the resin and you can see how it's a little wavy at this point.

Here it is with the top trimmed, bondo done, and a base coat of primer on. I used 1/4 20 bolts going through rubber grommets on the box and into the side of the frame to mount it. Had to borrow a really small pneumatic drill and cut a drill bit in half to fit between the frame rails. Thankfully the tap came with a cheap drill bit I didn't care about

Many many layers of sandable primer later...
I guess it's just a c-hair wide cause the edge of the chain scuffed that back corner(that other line on that panel is just the reflection of the frame). May end up redoing it out of metal because I can now, but I need another project like I need a hole in my head.