I'm sure there are a number of you that have performed the carb shim mod to 3rd Gen Magna's
Is there any downside?
Did it change your MPG?
On a scale from 0-10 (10 being hardest) what is the difficulty factor?
Do you have to re-sync the carbs when finished with the install?
Is it worth the $$$ and time?
I have a stock '94 running K&N aircleaner and I have drilled a 3/8" whole at the back of each exhaust pipe for better flow.. I didn't to perform the exhaust mod, not that it was beyond my talents.
Thanx in advance for your input!
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I think this may be what your looking for. (maybe :-?)
http://www.magnaownersoftexas.com/tips.htm#A1.31
I know you probably have mentioned it already, but where you located? If close to my area come on by and I will help ya do it.
I know there are instruction on HOW to install the shims...
I have 50K+ on my bike, and I was wondering if it was worth it!!!
Does it decrease your fuel mileage?
Do you need to re-balance the carbs?
Greg - What a GREAT offer, but I'm thinking since I live near Clearwater, Fl. we are probably no close enough to take you up on your outstanding offer! But if your coming to the area, let me know... There is nothing like working on a Magna as part of your vacation!!! (well, so long as your not doing that work on the side of the road!!! :shock:
From what I hear it is WORTH the drive to Greg's! 8)
I'm sure there are a number of you that have performed the carb shim mod to 3rd Gen Magna's - yes
Is there any downside? - just the labor of doing it
Did it change your MPG? - have not put mine through a fine tooth comb but I would say, no. Actually, if your motor is tuned well you mileage and pleasure might increase.
On a scale from 0-10 (10 being hardest) what is the difficulty factor? - Depends on the person, not hard but time consuming when it's your first.
Do you have to re-sync the carbs when finished with the install? - nope, the carbs are tied to a bank, not much of a reason for them to chg from where they are set from the factory. Although, syncing never hurts.
Is it worth the $$$ and time? - to me....you bet! I do like a motor to run as they should, responsive, crisp, and getting what is there for the taking with minimal investment and time.
I have a stock '94 running K&N aircleaner and I have drilled a 3/8" whole at the back of each exhaust pipe for better flow.. I didn't to perform the exhaust mod, not that it was beyond my talents.
Thanx in advance for your input! - your welcome! Don't be a stranger, not that you are.
If you leave FL Friday night you will arrive at Gregs Sat. night, couple hours for the carb work and back home Sunday night, thats doable. I'll bring the kerosene for the lamps
Ok.. it looks like Dave Dodge is changing his website and presently has no products listed...
http://www.drp123.com/ (http://www.drp123.com/)
Does somebody have an approx. price for the shim kit?
Thanx
If you are talking jets also, I think mine was 54.00 delivered or less, just shims....I don't know.
As stated before, running K&N air filter and 3/8" hole in each exhaust, so I don't think I need jets, but I am willing to listen..
I do not want to reduce my fuel mileage, with the Magna small tank, I don't want to reduce my range...
So... Shims only???
If all you need is shims, get the #4 electronic washers from Radio Shack. I think I got an assortment of 5 different sizes for $3. This had 20 of the #4 washers. I added two to each needle, and Chad gave me the 105 main jets (thanks Chad). 2-3/4 turns out on the adjusters and it runs like a champ. All stock with the K&N air filter.
I had no change in mileage. Hit reserve right at 100 miles. 42 MPG every fill up. If I baby it (revs under 5000 rpm) I can get 47 MPG, but that's pretty rate.
So are you recommending the jet change as well??? I would really hate ripping things apart twice...
I get right at 40MPG now avg.. between 100 - 110 to reserve on average...
I have run up to 50 MPH on a straight run, flat land, running 45-55...
Hootman,
MPH being such a concern for you, just do the shims for now. Greg states you can pop the tops and install shims w/o carb removal, you can do jets later if you want.
If you stay out of it, I think MPG would be minimal loss. Not knowing your riding style it's hard to say. Setting up your carbs properly you should use less throttle to accelerate. Because my 01 hesitates (and drives me nuts and hate it with a passion) I turn it on and twist the grip around. As others have stated, when it runs better and more fun to ride you tend to indulge yourself. :-P
If you want jets, Allen on the other page under Carbs has 105 Mains. I do understand your gas mileage issue, no one wants to give up much. You can Super Charge your car and all is well if you stay out of it, indulge yourself and it will cost ya!
You do not need to change jets you can run with the shims and a pilot adjustment. The 105 jets with stock non modified exhaust will put you rich, not bad but rich.
Even with the 3/8" drilled holes you will be fine with shims only.
Normal riding keeping RPM's down should yield better than 100 to reserve (assuming you dont have a barnyard door for a windshield). My sons bike will go into the 1 hundred teen's easily enough (K&N, DRP jets/shims, and Muffler mod) Only reason we put the jets in this bike was due to anticipation for aftermarket mufflers. That didnt materialize so we installed the K&N (and muffler mod) which cured it running to fat (rich), it is very close on mixture.
Quote from: TLRam1 on August 19, 2008, 09:32:53 PM
If you are talking jets also, I think mine was 54.00 delivered or less, just shims....I don't know.
In case you didn't receive an answer yet...$7.95 for the shim kit.
Joe
PS
Just FYI I'm exactly 3 weeks now waiting on my order delivery; not sure what's going on there right now at DD.
If ya just need the shims I have a bag full of them as does the coastal coordinator. Contact either of us and we can mail you some.
Yep sure do along with the 105 jets !!!
Quote from: mainerider on August 20, 2008, 07:58:38 PM
PS
Just FYI I'm exactly 3 weeks now waiting on my order delivery; not sure what's going on there right now at DD.
I would give DD another call.
I would also call Dave again and let him know your concerns........
Quote from: Greg Cothern on August 21, 2008, 05:39:20 AM
I would also call Dave again and let him know your concerns........
Absolutely! As the former owner of a business with thousands of hobbyist customers, I can assure you that he had rather you talk to
him about shortcomings than others!!
Hi, My name is Jess I live in Washington state, where the people rust instead of tan, and I'm addicted to Magna's! well and a few other things :cool: I have the infamous California model, What is different about installing carb shims in these beasts? I've had this bikie for about 3 months now, I've been reading though your forum's and have found a lot of valuable information (for which i thank you all very much) but nothing regarding the differences of the cali model. I have the 99' vintage.
Thanks,
Jess
About 3 hrs worth of vacuum hose's and such LoL. The main job is still the same just A LOT OF extra vacuum hose's.
Our deepest sympathy goes out to you in your attempt to have a performance bike (or vehicle of any sort) that complies with California standards.
Lotsa luck.
Oh I don't live in california... In fact where i live we don't do any emissions testing. I just went on a 2300 mile road trip from washington (where i live) into glacier national park in montana. If any of you ever make it up that way, I have to say... WOW . anyways...
You guys make it sound like a huge spiderweb of vacuum hose and death under my seat...
I have heard tales of losing a MOOTster or 2 to the Spiderweb :shock: :lol: :lol: :lol: Hehhehehe any way yeah shims should do you just like everyone else. Thats if you make it out alive :shock: :shock:
*GULP* mail should be here soon, I ordered the shims from DD on monday so... here's hoping... worse case senario? bike won't run because i have a vacuum leak?
Quote from: lragan on August 21, 2008, 08:17:05 AM
Quote from: Greg Cothern on August 21, 2008, 05:39:20 AM
I would also call Dave again and let him know your concerns........
Absolutely! As the former owner of a business with thousands of hobbyist customers, I can assure you that he had rather you talk to him about shortcomings than others!!
Hi,
I have spoken several times with Dave; I'm posting this just to share my experience with others.
A snyopsis:
Placed order by phone on a Tuesday, was told it would arrive in a few days.
1 week goes by, called on a Tuesday and was told that he had to run down to a hardware store and pick up a chrome banjo bolt to complete the order, and would have the order to me by that weekend.
That weekend came and went, no order.
I called again this past Monday and was told that it was sent Friday last week but as of today (Thursday PM) I still don't have it. Should it take 1 week to go from the Carolinas to Maine? I had heard such good things about DD that I am really disappointed in the service so far, which I will share with him again in the next phone call (which will be tomorrow if the order doesn't arrive tomorrow).
Joe
Sounds like Joe anything bad that could happen and all the bad customer service was bottled up and sent your way. I haven't heard from others your difficulty but I would sure give him another shout first thing in the morning so he can get your parts together in case you do not receive his package.
I must say this is the first time I have heard of things taking this long from Dave. Sure he is not the fastest shipper in the world (he is a small business with only a helper or two) but nothing this drawn out.
I HOPE your shipment arrives ASAP!
Was it shipped UPS? If so there should be a tracking number. Don't most shippers have tracking numbers now?
Hey, I just ordered some shims on tuesday from DD. was hoping they would be here today (washington) but they aren't yet, they were shipped USPS I called dave yesterday and he gave me the confirmation number which you can use to track on usps.gov *i added the priority shipping* which was like 5 bucks. anyways since they aren't here i went out and bought that bag of electronic washer assortment from radio shack. how many of the #4's do i use for each jet. I noticed someone said they used 2 w/jets My bike is stock except for the airfilter. would I still use 2 or just one each?
Which one is the number 4 washer lol :shock:
thanks,
Jess
Quote from: Charles S Otwell on August 22, 2008, 06:10:31 PM
Was it shipped UPS? If so there should be a tracking number. Don't most shippers have tracking numbers now?
Dave said it was USPS, priority mail.
Jester, I would install an additional shim to whats already installed from the factory in your bike. http://www.magnaownersoftexas.com/tips.htm#A1.31 is a write up for the install. With you bike being a California model it will be slightly different from the write up do to the spiderweb of extra hoses! But it will still help. May want to draw yourself a map of the vacuum hoses or mark them with tape or such.
YOU CAN DO IT!
so then add one #4 electronics washer to existing... just to clarify.
thanks
Quote from: Jester on August 22, 2008, 10:09:23 PM
so then add one #4 electronics washer to existing... just to clarify.
thanks
Correct, there should be 1 shim already, adding 1 you will have a total of 2 on each needle.
USPS should have a tracking number, I would ask for it and hunt it down.
I was fixing to order two sets of shims from DD but sounds like there's a bit of a shipping issue at the moment. Are the washers from Radio Shack just as good as long as they are measured for acurate thickness or should I go ahead and order from DD? I only want to do it once and I want to make sure I do it right so let me know what's best.
I'm using the radio shack #4 washers in mine. Out of the 20 that came in the assortement package, only 4 were a litle thicker than the others si I ended up with 16 good ones. I added two per needle to get three total, and Chad gave me a set of the 105 main jets, and helped me change everything. I'm all stock except for a K&N filter and it's runing great.
As BA pointed out if you use the Radio Shack washers, do your own QC on them with a caliper or micrometer to make sure you don't get an oddball in there.
Curtis
well, i got the shims put in yesterday and took the bike for a ride. it seemed to be hesistating a little bit so i continue down the street about a block and it gets even worse. then it dies! OMG :shock: :shock: :shock: so i try and restart it and nothing. okay okay now what right? well i rode aboout 120 miles to my friends house and forgot that i was almost on the reserve.. flciked the petcock over and wham every thing is great runs great accellerates great thanks for the info guys
Jess
So, are you trying to wean it off gasoline and teach it to run on fumes?
Let me know how that works!! :cool:
well i'm just sick and tired of always having to fill the thing up. come on i just filled it up last week do i reallllllly have to do it again??? :cool:
In the Dave Dodge shipping thread, I ordered a SS brake line from Dave last Thursday. Left him a voice mail. He called back. Gave him updated credit card info. Received the brake line in today's mail. Good service, it seems to me. :-D
Yeah I have to fill mine up every day LOL But 100 miles back and forth to work tends to do that :lol: :lol:
Quote from: lragan on August 25, 2008, 06:12:06 PM
In the Dave Dodge shipping thread, I ordered a SS brake line from Dave last Thursday. Left him a voice mail. He called back. Gave him updated credit card info. Received the brake line in today's mail. Good service, it seems to me. :-D
Yeah, go ahead and rub it in :) I finally got my delivery on Saturday; only took 3+ weeks! That touch up paint I sold you a while back went from Maine to Texas in about 3 days...
Sometimes the Post Office is at fault, but I don't think that is the case with your order.
Probably got lost in the shuffle at Dave's place.
I did get around to using the paint. Thanks. :cool:
When is someone going to invent a transporter like in star trek. seems to me that if we had transporters it would eliminate a lot of the cages rolling around.... and fuel prices...
I am not so sure, man. Did you ever try to charge the battery in one of those transporters??? :lol:
I wonder how many parts you could carry on the new V-Max? That would be close to a Star Trek transporter 8).
maybe the next generation *pun intended* magna *another joke well not the bike just the idea that honda would cater to their customers :shock:* will have sheilds and photon torpedos :cool:
does anyone have picts of the shim install to make the directions seem less like chinees to all the slow folk, me! i read the link, but it would be nice to see what im about to get into, thanks in advance for the help!!
Sycho;
I'm with you... I will be doing the Carb job semi soon and plan to take some pictures, but it is a few weeks out yet... If you get there before me, please feel free to take some shots... I am attaching 3 pictures that Greg Cothern was nice enough to share with me (THANX Greg!!!! What a great Guy!)
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If you in the North Texas area give me a shout I will help you with them......
those picts are nice and kinda give you an idea of what your looking at, but what i was wondering is if anyone had picts for a step by step install. look at that post # 2 and already a pain in the ass!!! sorry
I've got the step by step for the jets and shims install from dave dodge. let me scan them and i'll email them to you. send me your email when you get a chance.
chadschloss78@aol.com
EDIT:
I've got it scanned into Adobe, it's 11mb and 4 pages long. If anyone can host this file so others can get it let me know. maybe it can be added to the info/tips and tricks sections.
There is a write up on the tips and tricks page on the main MOOT page, http://www.magnaownersoftexas.com/tips.htm#A1.31
When I did my shim install (no jets) i did not remove the carb bank from the bike. I just kept pulling hoses and brackets until i could get the carb covers off exposing the rubber diaphrams and needle jet assemblies. the hardest part was probably getting the air filter housing out. there is a small notch in the housing the will slip over the carb horns if you position it properly.
Yeah I should do a write up for carbs on bike shim install (been lazy), I have installed shims with carbs still on the bike.
I however have difficulty in reaching the pilot jets for adjustments and also like to clean the slow speed jets, so have found it, to me, beneficial to remove the carb banks. I have finally learned the process after 45 or so hehehehehe.
yeah but this one has pictures greg :)
:shock: hey uh... Greg...... you know... if your ever up in washington......... 8)
If I were coming up anytime soon I would bring my tools and help ya!
I just did the shim/jet kit and it went in pretty easy. I do have a question about it though (not to hijack the thread)...
I have a 97 magna with k&n filter, muffler mod, and about 35k on the odometer. After the shim.jet kit, the bike runs awesome. I have three turns on the mix screws. No hesitation, no problems!
I do, however, still have some popping on deceleration. Can this be fixed with another shim or maybe an adjustment?
Thanks in advance
Did you turn out your pilot screws? Minor popping is not a bad thing and some can be expected. Turn your pilot screws out to 2 3/4 turns, if needed go another 1/4 turn out.
Hard to do with the carbs on the bike.
My '99 Magna was bone stock and always popped a bit on decel. I always thought it was cool.......added personality to her!
Curtis
I am at three turns on the screws... will more reduce the popping?
Don't get me wrong, it is MUCH better than before. I am just curious to the "cause and effect" of the shims and adjustment...
Quote from: Curtis_Valk on September 10, 2008, 09:06:19 PM
My '99 Magna was bone stock and always popped a bit on decel. I always thought it was cool.......added personality to her!
Curtis
Exactly!!!!!!!!!!!!Yes, more turns out will help to eliminate that. I would go in more explanation, I have to get off here.
three to 3.5 turns is all you're going to get out of the small 40 pilot jets that are in there. any more than 3.5 turns out, he may loose the needle/spring while driving down the road. what he needs are bigger pilot jets.
Quote from: Curtis_Valk on September 10, 2008, 09:06:19 PM
My '99 Magna was bone stock and always popped a bit on decel. I always thought it was cool.......added personality to her!
I pop, therefore I AM cool!!! Curtis said so! :grin:
I'm with you David!
Now that I know it's normal, I like a little backtalk from my bike on deceleration...
It's like my bike is complaining... "No, I don't want to go slower, I want to go Faster!!!"
Will the 42 pilot jets cause it to stop backfiring completely?? Mine does backfire a bit sometimes.. If we were to add 42 pilot's were would we need to set them at "turns out" to be successful. Anyone have no decel backfire whatsoever..?
Let me be clear.. My bike does not Backfire (Bang like a shot from a gun).. It is more of a minor babbling on deceleration
minor babbling on deceleration Exactly what mine does...
It is not a backfire!!!
A little decel pop IS NORMAL! Matter of fact if you tune it all out you will be OVER RICH on the low circuit.
Think about it, snap the throttle closed at high RPMS its pulls from the idle circuit as the slides are down.
You do not want a lot of decel pop however, just a hint.
Sounds like our bikes might just be perfect then...! :cool:
I wish i had a little POP :-?