850T Running. Sort of. With video. Update with new video! Now with ride video!

[swooshdave]

https://youtu.be/XlqVo_T9kQk

I haven't touched it except the screws on the sides of the carbs. It seems to be idling high 2k but I've got that down. Looking for any advice before I throw the vacuum gauges on it. Smells rich. I don't like the pop.

Thoughts?

[Groover]

Almost sounds and looks like it's in choke, but it's not. The choke plungers seals may be hardened.

The bike looks nice, what's the story on it? Did you just pick it up?

[n3303j]

Didn't know Guzzi made a hit & miss governed engine.

I always start most projects off by returning everything to factory specifications.  Check compression and do a full tune up with a carb clean and all adjustments and replace all filters, points and plugs.
Going to have to sooner or later so might as well be sooner.

Once you are back to factory settings and specifications you will probably find your problems are gone. If not then you will have found your problem at the specification that could not be met.

Mine doesn't run like that on FULL choke, ever.

[swooshdave]

Almost sounds and looks like it's in choke, but it's not. The choke plungers seals may be hardened.

The bike looks nice, what's the story on it? Did you just pick it up?

Where have you been in the last week? 

[Triple Jim]

It's running mainly on one cylinder, and the other one is way rich.  Feel the head pipes soon after you start it.  The cooler one is the one that's way too rich.

Maybe a stuck enricher plunger as suggested above, or possibly just adjusted wrong.

Download or view online a carb manual for your particular carbs and figure out which screws control idle mixture and which control idle speed.  Also where the enricher (starter) plungers are, so you can make sure one doesn't have a cable that's too tight.

[swooshdave]

The exhaust on the right side is softer. I'll pull the enricheners and see what they look like.

[swooshdave]

I took apart the carbs. Took some compressed air to them and put them back together. Nothing looked untoward. Bottomed the air screws and turned them two full turns out. Not neighborly to fire up a bike at 11:30pm so it will need to wait until tomorrow.

[Triple Jim]

The side with the "softer" exhaust may be the one that's running properly.  That's why I suggested feeling the temperature of the head pipes to find which is misfiring.

My Mille was idling like that when I got it.  The problem in my case was misadjusted idle mixture screws and a little dirt in the idle circuit of the bad side.

[swooshdave]

The side with the "softer" exhaust may be the one that's running properly.  That's why I suggested feeling the temperature of the head pipes to find which is misfiring.

My Mille was idling like that when I got it.  The problem in my case was misadjusted idle mixture screws and a little dirt in the idle circuit of the bad side.

Idle mixture screws were probably not right. I'm at two turns out. The Haynes says something about different starting points for the left and right carb?

If the cleaning stops the popping I'll warm it up and put the ColourTune on to dial it in. Then the vacuum synchronizors.

[n3303j]

How are the compression numbers?
Rocker clearances correct?
Timing dead on and repeatable?

[swooshdave]

https://youtu.be/MhO59-Hjg2c

Couldn't resist starting it up this morning before leaving for work. It wouldn't start initially and then i realized that it helps to have the switch set to RUN... 

Sounds awesome! I'll tweak it a little and now all I'm waiting for is the new brake lines. Cracked brake hoses aren't conducive to safe riding. That doesn't mean I won't take it slowly down the street when I get home. 

[Triple Jim]

The Haynes says something about different starting points for the left and right carb?

That doesn't matter, since you should adjust the idle mixture screws for highest idle RPM, not number of turns out.

[swooshdave]

That doesn't matter, since you should adjust the idle mixture screws for highest idle RPM, not number of turns out.

I just thought it was an interesting note about the starting point to be a little different from side to side.

[Triple Jim]

I don't have any experience with Haynes manuals for Guzzis, but in the Kawasaki triples world, they're known to be inaccurate and less desirable to use than the factory manuals.

[swooshdave]

I don't have any experience with Haynes manuals for Guzzis, but in the Kawasaki triples world, they're known to be inaccurate and less desirable to use than the factory manuals.

Very true but they also tend to take specifications from the factory manuals...

[Tom]

IIRC and someone can correct.  On the older engines and this being an Eldo engine in a Tonti frame.  The idle mixture screws were set a 1/2 turn different.  This was consistent with the engine being timed as two different single cylinder engines sharing the same engine crankshaft. 

I'm at work so I can't verify right now.

[swooshdave]

So as I'm not familiar with Guzzis does the second video sound like it should?

[Triple Jim]

So as I'm not familiar with Guzzis does the second video sound like it should?

It sounds like it's running on only one cylinder now, with the other one not firing at all.  Again, I suggest you feel the head pipes and see if one is hotter than the other.

[Cam3512]

"Feel the head pipes"  So there's some good advise...

What's the status of the cylinders?

[fotoguzzi]

So as I'm not familiar with Guzzis does the second video sound like it should?

to me it sounds right, can you rev it and it sounds good then>?

[canuck750]

I have spent a lot of time this spring / summer getting both my Eldorado (VHB 29 Delorto) and the V7 Sport (VHB 30 Delorto) tuned and running right using a strobe, colourtune and an exhaust gas analyzer.

Small air leaks through the top cap were fixed with new Delorto gaskets, new rubber cable boots and replacing the choke plungers.

As per Charlies recommendation I flat sanded the engine faces of the slides to remove any scoring and again recue air leaks.

I got a lot of good tuning advice form the experts on this site for the old VHB carbs.

In short this is what was advised AND worked

install the stock jets and needle setting and resetting the floats to stock height

Before you fiddle with the carbs 1st re-torque the six head nuts on each head, then set the valve gaps cold.

Fit new BHP6ES spark plugs properly gapped.

Fit new copper core high tension leads and new NGK caps (Harpers and MG Cycle sells them in kits)

Set the Left (S) and right (D) carb air screws as per the factory manual.

Adjust the idle, use carb sticks or similar.

Set the timing with a strobe using the full advance at 3500 rpm.

Re-balance the carbs

The bike should idle and run smoothly, my 850 likes to cruise at 75mph and 4200 rpm.

[swooshdave]

to me it sounds right, can you rev it and it sounds good then>?

Sounds really good. I suspect the sound may be funny because I'm deep in the garage and there's a lot of echo. If I get on the bike and take it down the street and it has no power or shakes badly I'll know it's off.

[Triple Jim]

Have  you felt the head pipes carefully after it's been idling for 20 or 30 seconds?

[swooshdave]

Have  you felt the head pipes carefully after it's been idling for 20 or 30 seconds?

With or without oven mitts?

[fotoguzzi]

you could just feel the air coming out the end of mufflers once warmed up, temp should be same on both..

[swooshdave]

you could just feel the air coming out the end of mufflers once warmed up, temp should be same on both..

That does sound safer. :-)

[Triple Jim]

The crossover causes quite a bit of mixing, so feeling the exhaust coming out of the mufflers may not really tell you a lot.  If the pipes are cold and you start the engine, and feel the head pipes before they get too hot, it's very easy to tell if one is heating up a lot faster than the other one without burning yourself.

[Tom]

It would take a little longer but you could feel up your valve covers.

[Triple Jim]

As long as he starts the engine cold, and lets it idle for a while, yes.  But if there's a problem in only the idle circuit in a carb, and he rides the bike around for a while, then both cylinders may warm up.

[fotoguzzi]

The crossover causes quite a bit of mixing, so feeling the exhaust coming out of the mufflers may not really tell you a lot.  If the pipes are cold and you start the engine, and feel the head pipes before they get too hot, it's very easy to tell if one is heating up a lot faster than the other one without burning yourself.
[/quote]Jim you know your stuff ! I just didn't want anyone to get burned. and true about the crossover, I hadn't thought of that.