Clutch Video, Carb Video.

So I have a hobby: I film. Amateur stuff, but I like to think I have a knack for it. So as an afterthought, I borrowed a friend's camera when I was replacing my clutch friction plates and thought I'd cobble together a video at some point as a way to give something back to the forum.

I just finished editing it, and it's not perfect, but I'd like to think it would take the 'scary' out of it for someone else considering doing it for the first time. It's rendering now; when it finished, I'll put it on Youtube and stick a link here in this thread and in my sig.

Edit: Here's the link: http://youtu.be/iYWQZnDR8V4

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But here's the deal:

I am about to redo my carbs--as in, completely break the rack, replace throttle seals, move all parts from one broken carb body to a new carb body, do a full cleaning, set float height, install bicycle tubes over my manifold boots, reassemble, do a bench sync, build a manometer, do a vacuum sync, adjust mixture... And I was thinking it'd be great to do a video of this.

Because frankly, after a month of reading about it, I was really afraid to break into my carbs. Most stories seem to have things getting worse before they get better. The only reason I finally did so is there is a motorcycle co-op in Austin (first in the nation, now there are one or two others supposedly), and I'd have people telling me what to do and keeping me from doing anything stupid, and helping me in case I got lost in the process.

Now that I've been in there, though, even though it was a speed clean (I was on a schedule!), I feel confident enough to do a full clean--and I have to anyways, since one of my carb bodies needs to be replaced. And since it's apart, I want to do it all right. And give to others what I wish I had had: a video of the process.

While the other video was an afterthought, though, I'd like to really do this one right. I'll be filming in 720p, with a camera that has proper micro/macro settings for close ups when necessary. And so before I get into this, I'd like all the resources and walkthroughs I can get from people here.

I've heard schmuckaholic has a good breakdown I should see that I haven't found. Rick's guide is an obvious resource, though the lack of pictures is frustrating (and something I'll be remedying with this, I hope--we'll be able to take pics from the video to stick in his how-to... get well soon Rick!). Any little references to tips and tricks on various parts (how to build a manometer, how to do the bench sync, how to use the manometer, cleaning guides, disassembly/reassembly tips, organization methods, whatever) are welcome. I've seen lots of it at various points, but don't have it all in one place--help me out!

Also, especially caution on mistakes not to make! Just reminders of all the common pitfalls out there. Even if I don't run the risk of making them, anything that can go wrong I want to know so I can include warnings in the video. Example: I didn't have any problems with my pilot jets, but some people seem to mangle them--can people explain to me how that happens, how to avoid it (lots of penetrating oil and the correct JIS screw drivers?), etc.?

Appreciate it! Clutch video is 55% done rendering as we speak, should be up in an hour or two if I don't have to run off and do something between now and then.

Thanks,

fintip

 

How to Change Throttle Shaft Seals

and while your at it, bookmark this webpage!

www.xj4ever.com

I'm subscribed...interested to view the video(s)

 

http://youtu.be/iYWQZnDR8V4

 

just a few things you missed.
trace that gasket on a cereal box then you'll have another.
take off the cable at the lever and you won't scratch up the clutch arm.
12$ for a clutch plate ? is that a chacal price ? did you use new springs?, very important
if you leave a plate out your clutch will slip real bad, that's all.
you didn't use a torque wrench on the basket, they strip easy.
no lock-tite on the basket bolts and no never-seze on the case bolts.
that's all minor stuff though, thanks for the vid, you done good

 

That's a great list of details, Polock. I'll include that somewhere on the video, either a comment or in the details.

And yes, that was a Chacal price. For anyone interested, here's Chacal's prices on the relevant parts as of April 2nd:

 

Great looking video man, Subscribed and liked it.

Thanks for taking the time to make it.

 

Nice job.

Some other points:

If the bike is on the side stand, you don't need to drain the oil.

Before installing the new plates, they should be dredged (soaked) in oil.

Also a thin film of oil on the gasket before mating the two surfaces.

I always replace the clutch cable when I install new plates.

 

Bingo.

Biggest "miss:" Not soaking all the new parts in oil, per my how-to which you quoted but didn't follow. (It wasn't just a casual suggestion.)

And you DO NOT need to Loctite the clutch bolts; you DO need to use a torque wrench to keep from BREAKING things.

Good effort. But here's the thing on how-to's: it's kind of important to do it RIGHT if you're going to present it as telling people "how-to." You fussed at me because my (correct) how-to didn't contain enough anti-idiot warnings. At least I present the correct procedures before declaring "this is how you do it."

Might wanta study up a tad for the next one.

 

i can tell ya how NOT to, if one of those hub bolts feels funny when you tighten it, it don't matter how much loc-tite is on it

 

Well, I do freely admit in the video and make clear at the end that I'm an amateur and it's not authoritative, and tell people to look for updates (like the ones I'll get from you and others here, and will subsequently be putting up there on the video).

And like I said, it was a last minute... Just wanted to give people a visual aid. Didn't even have a camera.

I didn't have your how-to at hand, and when I was reading it (having never seen a clutch taken apart myself) I wasn't able to make quite sense of it all (it looks complicated and in the pictures you can't tell what parts move and which parts don't). I did it just with my friend who's a long-time shade tree mechanic (who does pretty well, but definitely has broken a thing or two in his day).

Anyways, not oiling mine didn't break anything for me--how serious is it to oil things? I probably would have if I was alone, you see my asking in the video, but since he said not to, I went with that.

I'll go add all these comments to the video! I didn't have the anti-idiot warnings at hand (even for myself!), but I figured it was better than nothing, and knew I could just add them as an afterthought and it'd still be better than what I was starting with.

(Also--when did I quote your how-to? I did the filming over a month ago, so I don't remember, and don't recall hearing myself quote you in the editing. Just curious.)

Tsakz, I've read that since, but was a little skeptical--is that true even if you keep your oil with just a little bubble of air in the window? I'll make a comment letting people know anyways.

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Polock, holy shit. What happened?!

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More importantly, Advice for the carb video? Sources, tips? Anyone wanna help start putting together a 'script' of sorts of the steps/things to be filmed?

 

Added all the recommendations mentioned into the video. Let me know if there's any way to improve it, or if I got something wrong.

 

I keep mine 1/8" to 1/4" from the top of the glass, and I've no lost a drop in the half dozen times I've had my cover off.

 

Good to know.

Is this generally true on all bikes that have a wet clutch?

 

Hope you take a lot of pictures of the carb cleaning process. I think a lot of us would not be so intimidated if we were able to view good pictures before diving in the first time.

 

What to expect when you're expecting (to hate XJ Carbs)

 

tabaka, I hope to do one step better with video--though the video will be high enough resolution that we'll be able to take pictures from it, if you're set on that.

 

QUESTION:

Can someone tell me the story of XJ carb variances in complete detail, so that in the video I can explain what might be different for people using mikunis, or HSC33's instead of 32's, etc.? Which carbs are used on what bike, for instance?

More details, though: The vacuum line goes on the #2 carb instead of #3 on some bikes, right? Does it matter/why? Are the throttle arms always on the same carbs? On which bikes are 2 and 3 identical, on which bikes are they not?

 

For a list of which carbs for which bike, read the last page of schmuckaholic's "setting fuel levels" article over at xj4ever.com

As far as the vac line, it doesn't matter which carb the line is hooked to. Yamaha put it on #3 originally because that is the carb that you sync all the others too, so it made sense to them to put it there. I ran with the line on #1 for a year until I hooked to #3 after my rebuild.