Who here syncs after cleaning carbs?

[drinmotoracer]

So... I got in an email debate with my cousin about synchronizing your carburetors after you take them apart for a cleaning. My cousin is adamant about saying that NO matter what you always have to sync your carbs. My stand on this is that you don't need to synchronize your carbs if your just taking off the floats, unscrewing your jets, and cleaning those up and then buttoning everything back up. I did read on other forums, other motorcycle manuals, and tutorials that you are supposed to synchronize your carbs after a THOROUGH cleaning. However, I kind of think if your not disrupting any of the mechanisms (like you would if you install a jet kit for example, or completely disassembling your carbs from each other) then you definitely have to synch. I cleaned carbs on my old gsf400 bandit and didn't synch them and they ran great...
Any opinions from you guys or a simple poll of who actually does sync carbs after doing a non-invasive disassembly and cleaning...
Thx

[surferdude]

I have the understanding the synch'ing is recommended after a thorough cleaning vs. doing what you've described.

[squirrelman]

carbs

if the link with screw and springs between cARBS has not been separated--as u would do to dip carbs in cleaning solution--then no new synch should be necessary.

[Doc]

I say sync em just to be safe.

[drinmotoracer]

BTW, I have never synched the carbs on the hawk... I read a tutorial on the hawkgt.com/kb site, that said to take the airbox off and rev the engine in neutral and listen to airflow... I thought this was a really crude way of matching carburetors. I used to use my home made poor man's carb synch tool which consists of a yard stick 20 feet of PE line, and motor oil... but haven't used it in awhile. What do you guys do to synch (besides bringing it into the mechanics)?
THX for the input thus far!

[Guth]

Synchronizing Carbs

I plan on buying a couple of vacuum gauges to do the job in the future. It would seem that the trickiest part will be figuring out how to ensure that the gauges are both calibrated correctly (or rather "synchronized" with each other).

All the best,
Guth

[DefTrap]

Having synced the Hawk carbs more than I few times I have to say it makes next to feck all difference.

[squirrelman]

gauges are not as good as mercury tube thingie. unless u get the really expensive liquid-damped kind of gauges.

mechanical synchronization consists of visually lining up throttle plates with first of 3 small progression holes, so that both throttle plates JUST start to uncover the outermost hole..this will get you in the ballpark, but not a really proper job until mercury tube thingie has been applied.
use idle speed screw to set to point where hole appears, then adjust synchro screw so both carbs look the same.

[Guth]

?

Hi squirrelman,

What is it about the mercury tube tool that has you choosing it over regular vacuum gauges ?

Thanks in advance,
Guth

[squirrelman]

well, Guth, since i ain't no longer fortunate enough to call meself employeed, i has 'ta saves all me money, and dems mercurys is al\ot cheaper.

[Guth]

Interesting - we must be talking about different gauges, as I thought the mercury tube device ran quite a bit more than the vacuum gauges my neighbor had suggested.

Guth

[squirrelman]

we ain't talkin 'bout no Harbor Freight drek here.......mercury gauges made by motion pro and others are readily available priced about $55-$75.

[drinmotoracer]

Yeah the mercury gauges are more accurate, b/c the vacuum gauges aren't 100% calibrated and they deteriorate over time losing calibration further. The mercury lasts pretty much forever, but they are kind of more dangerous... especially if it accidentally gets sucked into the carb and gets vaporized in your exhaust... trouble.... big trouble.