CX500 GL500 650 Global

kingston73 wrote:I've been riding it for a week since I took the carbs off and cleaned it, and I didn't really notice until today, my idle is different between a cold and hot engine. When I first start in the morning, after it's warmed a little and will idle off choke, it's right around 1100 or so, just over the 1000 mark. But after riding it for a while, when it's good and warmed up, it settles into an idle around 1500. Is this normal, or did I get something not right after cleaning? I don't want to just start turning idle adjustments and screws, because it does run very strong and the plugs are a good color, but if it's idling too high i'm wasting gas that I don't need to.

There shouldn't be any real difference no matter what the ambient temps are as the engine temp is deterimined by the oil and the cooling systems once the bike is running.High idle when warm can mean a small air leak in around the engine side carb boots or as you say an incomplete carb clean.Did you high pressur air blow the carbs really well after cleaning them?

I just went out and checked for air leaks, both boots definitely seem to be leaking air. When I took the carbs off, I also replaced the O rings where they meet the intake. New, OEM rubber. From spraying starter fluid on the engine side and carb side of the boots, it is definitely leaking on the engine side. What else can I do to seal this? When I first got the bike, the PO had some rubber gasket sealant around both sides at the intake, so he must have had the same problem. I didn't use a torque wrench on the bolts but used a very small box wrench. I didn't want to strip the threads so I didn't muscle them down hard, is it possible I just haven't tightened them enough? Or do I need to sand the aluminum of the boots down? I'm guessing that maybe the reason there's a difference in idle between cold and hot is the aluminum expands and alters the idle?

EDIT: I just answered my own questions after reading Shep's CarbBoots post. It's too dark here to do anything, but tomorrow I'm going to take the boots back off and try the brake fluid soaking trick he mentions, because my boots are both very hard. I'm also going to put some gasket sealant in the O ring channel and put the O ring on top of that. I'll let you know how it works out.

I've tried the brake fluid trick and it only worked a little and then after about 2 weeks!!
I have a spare pair of boots here and they are as hard as rock and I took them off and had a better pair.They were part of the course of some air leaks for me.
It may be possible to use some Sealer/RTV in the lip inside the carb end of the boots to before pushing on.I also use a thin smear on the Carb/Engine seal rings just for good measure.I use Clear RTV so you can't really see it.There does come a point though where they may not be serviceable

There is also Spray rubber,

http://cgi.ebay.com/PLASTI-DIP-SPRAY-110Z-RUBBER-COATING-SPRAY-CLEAR_W0QQitemZ350092793375QQihZ022QQcategoryZ42927QQtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1713.m153.l1262

Which may be able to seal all joints without looking bad?

Well, the sealant worked, the idle has settled down and is steady, but I need to turn it down now, it's up not quite to 1500. It should be just over the 1000 mark, correct? Is turning the idle down just a matter of adjusting the single black knob under the carbs?

kingston73 wrote:Well, the sealant worked, the idle has settled down and is steady, but I need to turn it down now, it's up not quite to 1500. It should be just over the 1000 mark, correct? Is turning the idle down just a matter of adjusting the single black knob under the carbs?

According to all the manuals and what I always use is setting the idle using as you say the Big black Screw Idle speed adjuster to 1100 rpm +/- 100 rpm.

I always prefer it on the higher side than the lower to allow the oil pump to correctly lubricate the engine at idle

Higher is my choice too.

With my 81 it can be hard to start when it's cold, but I'm talking sub 40's... Quite often my battery needs a jump, might just be that my battery sucks, but also I have to start at full choke, and it starts dying, so I go 1/2 choke, starts dying so I go full choke, then 1/2 then full then 1/2.... I haven't cleaned my carbs like Larry says to, I just ordered his book and can't wait for it to come in!!!!!!!! I also have the issue of my choke cable getting sucked back down, but just found out how to fix that thanks to this forum, maybe the other CX forum I'm on, I'm tempted to find another just because different forums offer different advice, and I like knowing all I can, but this one's helped me a ton so far

There's good info on the Aus forum as well as CC's,

http://australiancx.asn.au/forum/