New Idiot on the Block

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L.A.B. said:
FreeRadical said:
OK guys, three minutes into working on the carbs, and I'm already stuck. Can anyone tell me the best way to get the Amal off the bike? The tickler is in way of the bolt I am trying to remove. I can hear my daughter saying "Dad, you're DOING it wrong!". I couldn't agree more!
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Remove the carbs by unbolting the manifolds from the head with the carbs still attached (using a cut down Allen key to remove the manifold to head bolts) then separate the carbs from the manifolds (if required).


New Idiot on the Block
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Yup.
 
Lab, You always have to throw a spanner in the works :lol: or in this case a allen key. You are right detaching the manifolds first,



L.A.B. said:
john robert bould said:
I would have saw the tickler off, with the saw i had just had for my 10 year old birthday :lol: some 55 years ago.
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But then you'd still have to loosen the inner nut-which is almost impossible to get a spanner to, and even if you did you wouldn't be able to turn it.
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After you've done a few restos on old bikes you end up with a drawer full of 'special' little tools.

BTW, for the clutch spring compressor, a 4" PVC pipe cap with hole drilled in the middle and bolt and washer is cheap and works great. At least mine has for years now.
 
OK, progress report on the carburetors and a lot more questions...

Everything metal got a dip in the parts bath today and rotor-rooted so air blows freely through all the holes. Time to order a rebuilt kit. I'm leaning towards the full rebuilt kit that inclues the gaskets, float needle and pilot air adj / throttle stop adj screws.

How does one judge if the jets are still serviceable? I took them apart and they looked "good" to me.

Each throttle needle has a horizontal scratch approximately halfway up the needle. It might be able to be sanded down. Is this normal?

Throttle valve looks like it has slight wear, but nothing major. Can anyone tell me what the trick is to getting the butterfly-shaped needle clip off so I can disassemble the cables?

New Idiot on the Block


New Idiot on the Block


Thanks!

Kevin
 
You can unscrew the big spring off the cable like unwinding a spiral notebook. The needle can be pushed up and the clip slipped off. The main jet is probably fine as long as it's clean. As far as I know the only way to tell if the needle jet is worn is with a proper size plug gauge for your jet. Probobly .106 jet.
 
I use a bent needle nose to hold spring compressed on cable to slip in needle with clip in place then shift cable to lock in notch pretty straight forward - after some learning details attempts. If I use RTV smear on carb cap screws I can get the slides in out with carbs in place but not if lockite used nor can I tighten enough w/o messing the screw heads up tightening to hold when heated and vibed and again trying to undo.
 
Looks like I spoke too soon on one of the carbs. The two pinholes in the body seem to be restricted, even after two dips in the parts cleaner and rooting around with a fine wire. Did I hear mention of people using a guitar string to clear the passage?

Kevin
 
I never had to be accurate enough clearing passages to remember the specific drill size number or guitar string but here's how zinic oxide pushed past.

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kW1yF8Wrcvw[/video]
 
FreeRadical said:
OK, progress report on the carburetors and a lot more questions...
Can anyone tell me what the trick is to getting the butterfly-shaped needle clip off so I can disassemble the cables?
Kevin
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You need to compress the big spring along with the carb top in one hand so the inner throttle cable goes slack.
Bunch the spring up against the carb top in one hand. Then with the other hand you can manipulate the slide and free the cable end.
Push the inner throttle cable so it protrudes out of the bottom of the slide so you can free the lead nipple on the end
and let it pass back through the adjacent notch which will allow it to be removed from the slide.
It's a bit of a learned learned skill. Welcome to the world of Amal carbs.
 
like Mark says but use needle nose to hold spring up tight as possible which takes a good grip even so. Should only take a few attempts to get it dropped out on floor to hunt. Likely won't need to do it again til ya have to learn its special force skills doing it a few times again next time.
 
Slacken
The cable right off .detached from the twist grip. push the cable nipple out of the bottom of the slide then once out side pull it up and thread it through the hole ..you will need to compress the spring to enable this .

FreeRadical said:
Can someone please tell the village idiot how this thing comes apart?

New Idiot on the Block
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FreeRadical said:
Can someone please tell the village idiot how this thing comes apart?
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Same principle as the throttle slide. First move the choke lever to fully extend the slide.
You need to slacken the inner cable so you can push the nipple out past the bottom of the choke slide.
See the long notch in the slide with the round hole near the top? That's where you pass the cable nipple up and out of the choke slide.
You should be able to do this my simply compressing the spring upwards. I seem to recall taking a small screwdriver or pick to reach into the slot and push the bottom edge of the spring upwards compressing it. Once compressed you should be able to park the spring edge on the top of the slide to hold it in place while you work the inner cable nipple free. Then push the nipple down so it protrudes down and outside the slide and then pass it up along the slot towards the round hole up near the top of the slide where the nipple can pass through the hole, thus releasing the cable.

Like the much maligned Commando center stand and stock air filter, some people elect to simply remove the choke mechanism from their carbs because it's such an odd design.
 
Finally got it to come off! I think the spring was in there for so long, it had corroded to the air valve. Thanks for the help!

I'm posting a couple of pics of the inside of the tank. The guy lined it himself (no, really?!) and it's in pretty rough shape. Will MEK and some drywall screws get rid of the liner so I can start fresh? FYI - the tank has a dent and needs to be re-painted at some point. Wondering if I should just leave the whole job to the pros on this one.

New Idiot on the Block


New Idiot on the Block
 
As a kid into fast little outboards me and buddy would find or steal gas tanks that looked rougher than that and restore them fine by lye boiling and shaking with wased off lime stone coral rocks. Lye can eat right through steel after a while of course and once and a while it eat a hole in tank but better find out while still on shore.
https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=ly ... +gas+tanks

What ever coating that remains after lye boil and rough items violent shaking should just be left in place and then Novalac coated thicky permenantly over so in couple centuries they'll find the novalac [Caswell] resin shaped tank with just rust powder sicking to it hear and there but still usable for gas tank on the road. Not a bad idea to heat the coating pretty good after it semi-sets-hardens over a day or so.

BTW the cap rolled pin is not very hard to bump out the way while sill hangning in a cap hingle so easy to put back on though your caps may be pure trash.
 
FreeRadical said:
I'm posting a couple of pics of the inside of the tank. The guy lined it himself (no, really?!) and it's in pretty rough shape. Will MEK and some drywall screws get rid of the liner so I can start fresh? FYI - the tank has a dent and needs to be re-painted at some point. Wondering if I should just leave the whole job to the pros on this one.
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Ugh. Looks like the P.O. did a real shitty job sealing it. Didn't even mask-off the gas cap seal. What a Bozo. He probably didn't prep the tank properly either. Light color, looks like Kreem to me.

Since you're going to re-paint it anyway, why not check with a radiator shop and just have the whole thing hot-dipped and stripped. They're got big hot tanks of caustic chemicals that will take the hide off a rhinoceros. It will remove all the Bondo from the outside as well (your paint guy will love you for it). Then you can re-seal the tank properly using POR15 or Caswell 2-part epoxy (the stuff is bulletproof). My tank has been extensively repaired by Ross Thompson and he coats his tanks with some black shuff, I think it's POR15, which seems to be holding up just fine to our 10% ethanol. Probably easier just applying the single stage stuff.

You'll need to remove the cas cap first. You have to drive the roll-pin out with a suitable sized drift and hammer.
 
I in NO WAY want to start a debate about oil; however, it is time for me to drain the fluids while I wait for some carb parts to arrive. Did someone say a good quality 20w50 motorcycle oil and some zddp was a more-or-less accepted method of lubrication? I have some Marvel Mystery oil on my shelf - is that an acceptable substitute for zddp?

I am also having a hard time finding SAE 90 EP gear oil that doesn't come in a 55 gallon drum!

Thanks a bunch!

Kevin
 
FreeRadical said:
I in NO WAY want to start a debate about oil; however, it is time for me to drain the fluids while I wait for some carb parts to arrive. Did someone say a good quality 20w50 motorcycle oil and some zddp was a more-or-less accepted method of lubrication? I have some Marvel Mystery oil on my shelf - is that an acceptable substitute for zddp?

I am also having a hard time finding SAE 90 EP gear oil that doesn't come in a 55 gallon drum!

Thanks a bunch!

Kevin
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Any good 20W50 "V Twin" motorcycle oil is fine. Also you should find pointy top quart bottles of 80W90 gear lube on the shelves of most auto parts stores, heck even Walmarts. I buy both of these at the AutoZone chains.
 
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