Suzuki Eiger 400 2004 Rear Wheels Locked (Next Restoration Project)

[Gwbarm]

Took the carburetor back off cleaned the venturi and throttle plate good with carb cleaner. Still sticking a little, felt like it was sticking on the back side of the plate. Took the cable hookup off the carb so i could get to the shaft and lube it good, still sticking a bit. Replaced the return spring still sticking, a tiny bit wont go back completely when only opening 1/4 throttle, but if you go full throttle an let it go it goes back completely to position. So i tried taking the throttle plate out too try to clean and adjust better, although adjustment looks good, one screw came out good wit JIS screwdriver the other had been stripped already with regular phillips so i couldnt get it out. So im assuming the previous owner has the same issue. I decided to try it for a while and see if it gets better.

[Mech]

Might be that the butterfly isn't sitting in the shaft right. The plate has bigger holes in it than it needs so it can be positioned slightly different. It's normal to fit the plate into the shaft, put the screws in and then open and close the throttle a few times till the plate shuffles itself left or right and up and down so it's central with the carb body, then tighten the screws.

[Gwbarm]

That was my thought also, but couldn’t get it out may have to drill the screw out not a whole lot to work with there.

[Mech]

Oh ok. I was thinking it had started loose but run out of drive when it hit the peened/split end of the screw.

And you've given the shaft a lube from inside ?

Does the butterfly look nice and central on the shaft, and closing cleanly..  and fitted with the sloped edge to the plate the right way around.

No suggestions about getting it out if it needs it..  You will have to get the screw right out to get the plate outt, so I'd drill a small not too deep hole and then tap something it to turn it.. Flat jewelers screwdriver perhaps. In fact, the right flat may grab in the cross head if tapped in. I think I'd try those before drilling it. If I got it to move, I might just seat the plate and tighten it back up again.

 

Chokes closing/working properly ?

[Gwbarm]

I pulled the carb back off today, took the throttle plate spring and rubber sealing washer off again, took the one screw out, the one i could get out, started working on the bolt that was stripped. Sprayed lots of Pb blaster in there to try and loosen it up. As i was working on getting the bad screw out, i noticed that it was working correctly, no sticking or binding, turning it by hand. Hooked the spring and plate back up and binding again. So my conclusion is the shaft bushing is bad ,spring is pulling it to one side causing the plate to get mis aligned. Still havent got the screw out i have tried a lot of different things, i think i will try cutting a slot in it but may be difficult it flush with the plate.

[Mech]

Sounds good Sherlock.

Do they have bushes ?

[Gwbarm]

Not sure shaft or bushings are not shown as replaceable parts.

[Gwbarm]

No bushings im just going to lube it up good and put it back together.

[Gwbarm]

Lubing the shaft before i reinstalled it helped a lot, working good now, not perfect but the best im going to get from this old carb, its pretty worn .

[Gwbarm]

Working OK, not as good as when i first did it, maybe lube it with some slick 50, not up to my standards yet, i think i will try replacing the shaft, not listed as a replaceable part, but i am going to try one from one of my aftermarket carbs and see how it works.

[Gwbarm]

Well, that didnt really work out. Shaft from aftermarket is a little different. I am keeping my eye open for another carb, this one works good except for going back to idle, but its Ok i just have to goose it and it will go right back to idle.

So its on to my next venture and spend some real money. The tires are in bad shape i have slimed them and slimed them and green is seeping out they were cracked and dry rotted really bad, it has been good enough to test with but a couple still leak down after a month. So i will be getting a set of Kenda Bear Claw EX , i have used them before and they seem to be good tires. I usually take them in and have them mounted, but this time im going to do it myself, i usually dont, because i dont really have the right equipment to do it and no more often than i need it havent purchased anything descent. Im doing it myself this time because i want to refinish the rims while the tires are off. We will see how that works out, not really something i enjoy doing, changing tires seems to fight me on every level.

[Mech]

Putting tyres on (or off) is easy, it's getting the beads to break that's the problem.

That carb, the shaft can't be that sticky surely ? Are you sure it's not the butterfly touching, perhaps still a bit off center, or, the spring is pushing it a bit sideways to it's sticking on one side of the bore ?

Could the spring be meant to have some sort of bush in the center of it to keep it clear of the shaft or body of the carb, or, perhaps the spring is meant to be rotated and set in some other place on the outer end ? Perhaps the spring is forcing the shaft sideways somehow ?

[Gwbarm]

I think you are exactly right Mech, without the spring it worked fluidly and closed easily. When i put the spring back on it seems to push everything to the spring side, that why i took it all apart Didnt really see any wear on the shaft or the bore. I changed the spring, i thought at first the spring may be weak, no difference. Since you mentioned it i havent checked to see if their is something missing that keeps the spring lined up with the shaft,  because it did seem like it wanted to pull in that direction with the spring on it. Spring shaft or none of those kind of parts are listed as replaceable parts. I will look at my other carb to check if there is another piece thats missing although its the one with the half moon cable hook up may be different anyway.

[Gwbarm]

Finally got back around to messing with the carb today. Still sticky, which i can deal with, but its idling too high, and idle screw is not touching the throttle plate,, but engine runs good with good throttle response. I checked everything seems good may try adjusting the mixture a liitle. I just rebuilt this , i must have missed something. 

[Gwbarm]

Decided i had about enough of this and yanked the carb back out. Im fairly ssure the mixture needle was set too lean, although i set it to service manual specs. The needle was pertruding proud of the venturi. I knew it didnt look right and set it from expierience. Could be the needle was a little different in the kit i bought. While i had it down i deciided to fix the throttle plate, in order to do that i had to drill out the stripped screw. 

That went fairly well , finally got it out , the throttle plate was hard to get out, very tight, i planned on replacing the plate and throttle shaft, but not listed as replaceable parts.

 

Completely disassembled i might try to use the shaft and plate from one of my aftermarket carbs, they are good for parts.If not i think ican clean these up enough to reuse, but would prefer to have new.

 

Most times buying Ebay OEM carbs, are not plug and play, they require aa lot of work.

 

[Gwbarm]

Got the carb all torn down in my last post, while im trying to source some parts i decided to install an aftermarket carb i had on hand.

 

Cranked right up and idled a little slow but i upped the idle a bit and idled good, so i have no manifold or connection leaks.

Not quite as good a throttle response as OEM, you might have heard it stumble a bit on accelaration, thats generally what i get with aftermarket carbs, but will work for now.

I also installed the rear handle brake cover, never thought too much about it until i was working on my other one that had the cover in place, when i removed it to adjust the brakes everything looked new under there, so they do work to keep rust and corrosion down to a minimum

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Gwbarm]

Finally got around to finishing up the original Kei Hin carb on the Eiger. Rehash what i have done, Got the screw drilled out got the throttle plate out, it was really stuck in there, cleaned it up, put the throttle plate back in, works good now it was just really gummed up, it was down around the shaft and wouldnt let the plate completely close, and wouldnt cleanout with carb cleaner or ultrasonic. The only problem is i drilled the screw out, was going to replace it with one of the aftermarket carb plate screws but they were a different size and the shaft from the aftermarket is different, the screw is not listed as a replacement part. Oh joy now i have to figure out what size it is and try to devise one that will fit. 

[Mech]

Yeah pretty unusual little screw I suspect. Flat head and soft metal too so they can be splayed on the back to prevent it falling out and going into the engine. If the shaft's slotted so the plate goes in the shaft they don't need much, some soft rivet would do. If it has a flat with the washer against needs to be tighter.

Computers and laptops have lots of small screws and some of them are quite soft.. Perhaps go see a comp tech and rummage through his old bits or screw collection. I have a small jar of computer screws. If I had one I'd post a few over to you..

[Mech]

Just checked and laptop uses 2.8mm flat headed screws.. Their heads are flat top and under and only 0.8 thick..Next size up is 3.2 but I think that looks too big.

Edited November 19, 2023 by Mech

[Gwbarm]

It was actually a phillips or JIS not sure which, but its not going to be too bad to find, just checked it with my thread gauge, its a standard 4mm just need to get one with a recessed head and cut it down to size.

[Mech]

Oh ok, didn't think it would be 4mm.. 4mm are fairly common. They often hold the plastics onto the dash/speedo.

[Gwbarm]

Yeah probably an over kill for size its very short and i think the ones on the aftermarket carbs are probably the 2.8 that you mentioned, didnt check them but they were quite a bit smaller. I just need to look in my rogue screw bin and see what i can find.  

[Gwbarm]

Got it fixed, doesnt match the other one very well, it does screw in, which is fairly amazing that i drilled the  tiny old one out without buggering the threads, but it will do for now, i will keep looking for the correct screw.

 

[Gwbarm]

Havent been doing much to to the eiger lately with holidays approaching and other projects in the works. Its beeen running quite well with the aftermarket carb i installed, just havent got around to reinstalling the OEM yet. Not even sure what brand it is, it was just a new one i had floating around.

 

I did delete the OEM vacum petcock on the 2007 it was in pretty bad shape and i didnt trust it.

Went with the cheapest one i could find on Amazon, non vacum operated. I feel like i have more control of the fuel this way, but maybe just old and set in my ways, Nahh couldnt be that.

I also checked the throttle cable housing on it to make sure i didnt have any spiders living in there, very impressed with how clean and new looking it was, for a very abused bike, that has been treading swamps for many years. I know better than to buy one with a snorkel on it, but thats what showed its ugly face at the time, and i had a weak moment.

 

 

[Mech]

Nahh couldn't be that...

I'd happily swap my vacuum tap for a manual, but I'm too tight.

It'd have to fill the sump and blow the engine before I'd spend any money(or time) on it.

[Gwbarm]

Agreed! I had been using it on prime since i got it, and got to where it wasnt getting enough fuel flow on prime and decided it was time. It would start in the run setting but wouldnt keep up. After tearing it apart i see why, im suprized it ran at all. 

[Mech]

Lol..  You guys have reactive fuel.. We only have a little E fuel and people only use it in newer cars.. All the old machinery gets petroleum.. 

[Gwbarm]

Just about all our fuel is 10% ethynol. You can get what they call 100% gas, it cost about 1.00 more per gallon, but i use it in all my small engines.  So all your gas is still pure, no ethynol, thats a good thing, and yes Ethynol it is very reactive and does permanent damage to carburetors.

[Mech]

I think the govt set a quota of ten or fifteen percent of the fuel had to have ethynol in it. It's at every gas station but it's not used too much. Most of us still use the real fuel.. haha. Well around here in the country it's not used so much. In the city they have newer cars and it might be used more.