Odd sync/color tune

ok today I decided to syncronize the carbs on the bike using a vacuum kit. I hooked all 4 into one, (on to the #3 carb vacuum stud). got it calibrated. Hooked it up one on its correct carb stud, and balanced all 4 to same level, @1k idle. I left them hooked up so i can adjust as needed, while doing color tune.
I did #1 first. its very yellow/orange. can not get it to adjust. #2 same. #3, #4 are odd. I can see spark, but no fume ignition. The bike seems to idle very well, and i can feel exhaust out of both pipes. so im stumped why I would get such results with syncing, if the #3, and #4 are not firing? And why can I not get #1, and #2 adjusted properly on mixture. I did a total tear down and rebuild. replaced everything possible. bench sync, and clear tube fuel level were spot on. im stumped. any idea's? oh and i left the Yics plug tool installed.

 

This smells of vacuum leak.

Exactly what kind of YICS blocking tool are you using?

ARE YOUR VALVES IN SPEC?

 

whitewolf_00 wrote:
I hooked all 4 into one, (on to the #3 carb vacuum stud). got it calibrated.
HUH? This makes no sense. Explain please.

whitewolf_00 was correct. Same as my "non-homemade" vac gauges. One would FIRST connect ALL 4 gauges (via a 5-way Tee) and adjust each vac to read exactly the same height using only ONE vac source.

This is a very good calibration practice and should be performed before each use of the tool for sync.

 

yes sorry that was correct. the gauges I have a 5 way tee.. you hook all 4 meter hoses to the tee then hook it to the #3 manifold to calibrate the 4 meters. once the meters were calibrated, I hooked one hose per carb as directed. I then syncronized the carbs. Once that was done, I removed spark plug #1. put color tune plug in and could not get it to change color from orange/yellow. I tryed cylinder #2 with same results.cylinders #3, and #4 I could not get any color. I looked in tube and saw the spark, but no ignition of the fuel/air mixture. I also left the meters hooked up while I color tuned. During all this I left the yics tool installed in motor. It was one I bought off ebay. Rod style with like 8 o'rings.

 

whitewolf_00:

I would be most interested to see what you will find, because you stated that it "seems to idle very well".

I have never heard a 4-cyclinder engine can idle vey well with just 2 firing.

Just one thought: after you put in the YICS tool, did you put the BOLT back in? Also, I find that I can see the colotune better if I close my garage door and turn off my overhead "bright" flourescent shop lights.....like in the dark.

By the way, I notice you are in Washington state. How far are you from the Canadian border? I am just north of the border in Vancouver, BC.

Vince.

 

I do the vac sync with gauges I got from Len,with 4 separate lines and gauges. I block off the YICS set the vac and then I remove the vac sync gauges and unplug the YICS then I color tune, adjusting the air/fuel mixture. Then I go back and repeat the process. I might do this two or three times. I then tweak the air/fuel settings until I have the desired color on my plugs. If its the wrong or right procedure I don't know, but it works for me.

 

I still don't understand how these vacuum gauges are suppose to work...

How much were those gauges from chacal, ground-hugger? I'm about to make my own manomater, I'm fairly sure, but would be nice to know.

 

I paid $114 for it but I'm a firm believer in buying the proper tools for certain jobs. I don't like to mickey mouse things together when it comes to making critical adjustments. I don't trust home made equipment for doing jobs could result in serious damage to my bike just to save a buck!

 

Back to the original questions:

The sync method you're describing won't work effectively if at any point all 4 are tied to one. The whole idea behind doing a running vacuum sync with YICS blocked is to ISOLATE each cylinder and adjust them relative to each other. You can't do that if multiple anything is connected to a single point, vacuum-wise.

That "internet" YICS tool does not work effectively; and does require the YICS bolts be put back in, otherwise you're simply creating a MASSIVE vacuum leak (which would explain the lack of result with the ColorTune.)

You're getting oddball results because you're not adjusting anything in relation to anything else; at least not as Yamaha intended.

 

bigfitz52, I think you misunderstood!

The tee-all-4- to one source is just the 1st step to CALIBRATE each gauge to read the same height by the same vac amount. Each gauge is fine-adjustable.

After that, one would split them up and connect one to each cylinder, of course.

 

yes correct. all 4 to one source just to calibrate, then hook up each hose to its own source. its the way the instructions say.( and i did).the yics tool i got is the rod with o'rings it slides all the way into the yics ports, and yes you do put the bolt back in.(which I also did.) Now maybe one of the o'rings is bad? that could cause the vacuum leak? that might be the cause of unajustable orange color tune.?but what would explain the no color colortune in #3, and #4?. the bike starts up as it should.. when cold 1/2 to full choke, then no choke when warm. it idles at just over 1k? it dont backfire , or run ruff. so im confused. oh and i did check the valve clearences a month or so ago. and they are with in tolerances.at least for now.. The Yics eliminator tool I got is one sold at Yicseleminator and the gauges are Motion pro syncpro carb tuner. the colortune is Gunson colortune like on ebay. So i think the equipment i got is good.

 

Not the YICS eliminator. The others should be OK.

 

ok thought the yics eliminator tool i bought would work... guess ill look for a diffrent one. the one with the wider band of rubbers to seal the ports.

 

The proper tool is a factory replica (Len sells them or you can build your own) that has the ability to actually block the "gallery" between the passages AND properly seal off the gallery from the outside on whichever side it's inserted from.

Here's a diagram of YICS. See the upper illustration. What we're doing (or trying to do) is isolate the passages from behind the valves from each other (without contravening a major vac leak in the process.)

 

I've never done a colortune before so I may not know what I'm talking about but shouldn't you do that without blocking the YICS galley. Its my understanding that you block the YICS when you sync the carbs which is a separate procedure from colortuning. It seems as if you're trying to do them together. I'd get it synced, remove the YICS blocker, and THEN try the colortune...its worth a try at least.

 

I've never done a colortune before so I may not know what I'm talking about but shouldn't you do that without blocking the YICS galley. Its my understanding that you block the YICS when you sync the carbs which is a separate procedure from colortuning. It seems as if you're trying to do them together. I'd get it synced, remove the YICS blocker, and THEN try the colortune...its worth a try at least.

 

Nope. Blocking YICS isolates each carb/intake tract. That's what we want.

With YICS open, the ColorTune would be "seeing" a mixture that was affected by whatever was going on with the other three, mixture-wise.

When we use a ColorTune, we're doing the same thing that the factory did with an EGA. And Yamaha's EGA manual clearly specifies that on YICS bikes, it needs to be blocked for the process.

 

OK that makes sense. That's why I said I may not know what I'm talking about. Unfortunately I haven't had the pleasure of using the colortune yet.