Tech How-To
A good portion of modern four-stroke engine performance is due to
the Keihin FCR carburetor. An accelerator pump and a high-tech
slide supported by four wheels make the FCR a relatively complex
design. There are many parts that can wear out and get dirty or
gummed up. There are a few shops that specialize in mods and
service for these carburetors. Some, such as JDJetting
(www.jdjetting.com; 253.939.7114) and Factory Pro
(www.factorypro.com; 800.869.0497), sell kits that you install
yourself, and others, such as Zip-Ty Racing (www.ziptyracing.com;
760.244.7028) and Tokyomods (www.tokyomods.com; 888.457.9403), will
set up the carburetor for you or actually modify it for increased
performance and response. White Brothers offers both options.
As complex as the FCR carburetor is, it is more intimidating to
look at than it is to work on. You will still need a good
manual.
Getting the carburetor off and back on will be the hardest part.
You'll need to remove the cover on the side of the carburetor,
disconnect the throttle cables, make sure the vent hoses are all
free from the bike and disconnect the wire to the TPS. Do not
remove the TPS from the carburetor; it is synched to the throttle
shaft with a meter, and it must be resynched if removed. With
perimeter-frame machines, it is almost always easier to take off
the subframe and the shock before removing the carburetor.
01 Ty Davis starts by thoroughly cleaning the FCR
body in a solvent tank filled with Simple Green rather than using a
petroleum-based solvent or contact cleaner. He warns that you
should never spray contact cleaner into the mouth of a carb. |
02 If you have an aftermarket fuel screw
installed, this is a good time to remove it. Take care so you don't
lose the small spring, washer or O-ring. If you still have the
stock fuel screw, removing it can wait. |
03 You will need to extract this bolt from the
throttle linkage above the slide. It may be a secure Torx with a
tiny post in the middle. You may need to visit a special tool store
to find a dimpled Torx socket. |
04 With the Torx removed, the slide's lifting arm
can rotate out of the way, and the slide can be pulled out. The
brass fitting on top of the slide holds the needle in place. |
05 The slide has a wear plate that lifts off. Some
companies recommend changing it every 25 hours. It is an expensive
part, but replacing it can make a big difference in how crisply and
cleanly the bike runs down low. |
06 The back side of the wear plate has this very
delicate seal. Davis warns that chemicals like contact cleaner will
cause the seal to swell and ruin it. It is a good idea to replace
the seal when the carb is apart. |
07 Davis removes all the vent hoses at this point.
Small brackets mounted on each rear corner of the float bowl guide
some of the vent hoses. Remove the bowl screws and the idle
adjustment bracket. |
08 Work off the float bowl and look for any dirt
or other junk in the bowl. This one is quite clean. Most water and
sediment will settle in the drain bolt. |
09 With the bolt removed, the throttle pivot shaft
should simply pull out. Note the return spring attachment and the
placement of the two washers. Clean up the shaft and assorted
parts. Set these parts safely aside. |
10 At the top of the slide will be some
arrangement that allows removal of the needle. Some off-road bikes
have nonadjustable needles (only one clip position), and they can
be replaced with an adjustable one for tuning. |
11 Using a small tool, push out the float pin. A
small Allen wrench or the back end of a drill bit should work fine.
Once the pin is moved, you should be able to pull it out with your
fingers. |
12 The float manipulates this float needle to keep
the fuel level in the float bowl constant. Look for damage near the
pointed rubber tip. The needle is loosely attached to the float via
the wire loop. Don't lose it. |
13 The main jet is threaded into the needle jet,
so remove them together. The fuel baffle (called a "spacer" in the
manual) will come off easily after the needle jet tube is out. |
14 Unscrew the starter jet and the pilot jet. A
blade screwdriver with a tip or shaft larger than 4mm wide will jam
in the pilot-jet opening. Clean all the jets, and ensure that all
of the openings are unrestricted. |
15 There is a screen at the bottom of the
needle-valve seat that prevents trash in the fuel from entering the
float bowl. It cannot be removed for cleaning, so use compressed
air to blow it clean from this side. |
16 Use a finger to operate the accelerator-pump
rod through a full stroke. You should feel spring resistance but no
hard spots or hitches in the travel. If it doesn't move freely,
pull it apart and clean it. |
17 A small screw holds the fuel-line fitting in
place. The carburetor was otherwise quite clean, but this fitting
and passage need a bath. |
18 A little grease on the O-rings will ease the
cleaned fitting back into the carburetor body. Don't get carried
away with the grease. Install the screw that holds the fuel-line
fitting. It shouldn't need thread-locker. |
19 The throttle shaft rides on two small needle
bearings, and they should get a little grease before the shaft is
installed. A cotton swab is a good tool for this job. |
20 The throttle-return spring has a hook that must
engage the throttle shaft before the shaft is reinserted. The shaft
washers fit between the body and the throttle-valve lever: the
metal one against the carburetor body and the resin washer against
the lever. |
21 Getting all the throttle-valve parts lined up
takes a bit of fiddling, but once they are arranged, the throttle
shaft should easily slip through the freshly greased bearings. |
22 After setting the plastic spacer in place, use
a socket to thread the needle jet/main jet combo into the body. The
pilot and starter jets go in next. The threads are brass inside
aluminum, so don't go crazy tightening jets. |
23 Before the float and needle valve go in, this
wire loop attached to the needle must be slipped over this tang on
the float. Work over a surface that will allow you to find the
float needle if it is dropped. |
24 Lower the float and needle valve together.
Carefully guide the needle valve into the needle-valve seat. If the
tip of the needle bumps the seat, it will pop the wire loop off of
the float and cause needless cursing. |
25 The manual outlines a method for setting the
float height using a caliper. Davis uses a Honda tool that measures
the height of the float while lightly blowing into the fuel
line. |
26 Lift the throttle-slide lever arm out of the
way with one hand, and hold the slide (throttle valve) and the
throttle-valve plate together with the other hand. Make sure the
needle doesn't hang up while going in. |
27 The bolt holding the lever arm to the throttle
shaft is the only one in the carburetor that calls for
thread-locker (blue). Again, you may need a special Torx bit that
is drilled to clear the center post. |
28 Insert the front float-bowl screws and snug
them down, but remember to add the vent hose guides. Then attach
and tighten the idle-adjustment screw and bracket. |
29 Using your good #2 Phillips, take out the three
small screws holding the accelerator-pump diaphragm in place.
Detach the cover carefully so you don't lose the spring that rests
on the diaphragm. |
30 Early FCR carburetors had much poorer
accelerator-pump sealing, and the pump membrane could pack with
dirt. You can see that only a little dirt has entered this pump and
the membrane is in good condition. |
31 Replace the diaphragm, spring and cover;
tighten the screws; then move to the top of the carburetor body and
replace the top. On a Honda, this wire holder goes on the front
screw. |
32 Before installing the fuel screw in the
carburetor body, first slip the spring over the end of the fuel
screw, followed by the washer and the O-ring. This Zip-Ty screw
comes with the new parts. The rubber covers are separate. |
33 With a stock or aftermarket fuel screw, it
should take between eight and nine rotations to fully tighten. If
you get less than eight turns, don't force it. Check the threads on
the screw and in the carburetor body. |
34 The stock hot-start fitting has a plastic 14mm
hex that is a pain to get a wrench on. Zip-Ty Racing sells a
billet-aluminum unit with a 10mm hex. If you haven't already,
remove the hot-start plunger and check for corrosion. |
35 Zip-Ty Racing also makes a float-bowl drain
bolt with a magnet in it. We've tried them, and the magnet nearly
always has metal stuck to it. Now install the drain bolt (stock or
aftermarket). |
36 All that is left is to reattach the vent hoses
neatly, and the carburetor is ready to go back on the bike. Now
just keep it this clean, and your engine will stay very happy. |
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