New Voyager owner with question re: bike runs poorly

[windinhishair1000]

Hi all,

Well I was recently given an '86 Voyager by my father in-law, as he is no longer able to ride it. The bike sat in his damp basement for the past two years, possibly a little longer. Gas was in the tank, and in the carbs as well, and more than likely was very bad. So far I have removed the gas, replaced it with a couple of gallons of 93 octane, along with some Gumout fuel system cleaner (they were out of Seafoam or I would have used that). Prior to doing that, I also drained the rusty colored old gas out of the carbs. My hope was that it would run fine after that, but no dice, it will only run fully choked, and even then doesn't like to stay running without the assistance of starting fluid every so often.

Okay, so that being said, should I wait a day and let the new gas and treatment sit in the carbs in hopes that it will clear everything up, or should I just start tearing apart the bike to remove the carbs. I have a copy of the service manual from this site, and have looked at the carb removal/rebuild articles by Bill on here. That being said, I have to say carb removal looks a bit daunting, though I'm fairly mechanically inclined. I was going to pull them and pay to have them rebuilt if I did went that route. Also, for some reason the front calipers were engaged on the rotors and I had to remove them to even move the bike....any thoughts on why the front brakes would do this? The brake handle was not depressed and could not be squeezed even slightly.

Anyway, I'm really looking forward to getting this thing roadworthy before the real cold sets in here. Any advice on the best path to that is appreciated. The bike is cosmetically in very good condition and only has 20k miles on it, and will be a complete change from my HD Fatboy. Thanks in advance.

Joe

[broksonic]

I'm sure some of the folks on here will give you more info than I can, but if it was me.. I would pull the brakes and do a rebuild on the whole brake system.

The carbs I would have rebuilt and while I was that far into it, replace the fuel lines and filter.

You said "rust colored" fuel came from the carbs so figure the carbs will be varnished up and sounds like the jets too.

Just what I would do anyhow..

[Bill O]

I would say the pilot jet ports are varnished up, based on your description. Probably would work out better for you to remove carbs for a rebuild. Check the part number on the igniter. if the part number starts with an "11" change it for another one that starts with a "12" . Someone will chime in with the actual part numbers.

To be sure, you should wrench into it to both get her to top notch condition and so you can see that this bike is really not that difficult to work on.

I concur, the break system need to be cleaned out.

The '86 was the first year of the "Baby" Voyager (after the 1300 Voyager). After the '86 and early '87's the rest are damned near all the same through the last year model, the '03. Fork changes, clutch changes, cruise control, and rear speakers. Also, each year you could only get in one color. Soon you will be able to tell what year (or two) a bike is by it's color scheme.

Welcome aboard.

Bill O

[chevyman1]

The ignition part # you want is 1248 (ebay $75.00 - $150.00 make sure the # is on the box) If it's the 1179# or no # visible change it out ASAP.
It won't be a problem if you keep the battery fully charged and the engine spins over normal, if the battery is low the timing advances on start and it can/will kick back and brake the starter chain .
As for the carbs you can do them your self.
remove the fake tank and upper air box, take the bolts out of the lower air box and move it back all the way, loosed the clamps holding the carbs in, remove the fuel line (you might have to pinch it off if you have a full tank).
use a peace of wood (broom handle, hammer handle, etc.)pry the carbs back out of the manifolds and then up unhook the throttle and choke cables and slide them out, I slide them out the left side.
As for cleaning them there is a procedure in the tech section.
Don't be afraid to ask any questions along the way there is always someone here that will help you out.

[windinhishair1000]

Thanks to everyone for all the quick responses and great information. I'm going to start tearing into removing the carbs tonight, and I'll check out that igniter # as well. Brakes as well, though the pads look darn near brand new so I may just replace the retainer clips. Pics to come soon :)

[chevyman1]

on the brakes change out the fluid and clean out the reservoir make sure all the holes are open.

[Mr Jensee]

If you clean the carbs yourself I recommend finding a welding supply and purchasing a simple torch cleaning tool. I comes with various size cleaning wires that are great for getting into those tiny openings in the carbs that just won't open with ordinary tools. FYI.

[windinhishair1000]

I tried posting an update this morning but it didn't post for some reason.

Anyway, I got the carbs out last night--whew, what a job. That being said they were pretty dirty, and some of the "gas" that came out of them and the fuel lines literally was the consistency of vaseline by the time I checked out the container I used this morning. A thorough cleaning is definitely in order, but mechanically the carbs appear to be sound, which leads me to my first question:

Do they need to be rebuilt if all the parts are in good shape and just dirty? Secondly, do they need to be synchronized if I'm not rebuilding them? The last owner said it ran fine the last time it actually ran.

I'm definitely planning on removing all unnecessary emissions as covered in the tech article on this site, as that would greatly simplify re-installing carbs or future removals. Anyone know where to get the "id caps" that cap the unused vacuum inlets?

Lastly, what all requires vacuum on this bike? i.e. transmission, etc?

I'm sure I'll have more questions, but that's it for now. Looks like I'm not able to post pics at the moment. Thanks in advance for any replies :)

[davidl]

No one has posted this but if you get stumped or don't know where to go from where you are, Carl Leo IS the guru of Voyagers. If you have a question or problem and no one can answer it, call email Carl. He has helped me more times than I can count. For example, when you are putting the carbs back on, remove the starter to give you some more room. Just a little tip he gave me and it helped alot.

You will like the XII. I own both a XII & a Wing. And so far we like the Voyager better. More of a "Sport tourer"

Welcome to the family...

[windinhishair1000]

Thanks for the pointer DavidL, and the welcome! I'll be lucky if I get this thing ready before the serious cold kicks in here in MI, but you can bet I'll be taking it for a test ride anyways! It's sure to be a better cold weather ride than my HD Fatboy w/o windshield :)

[EZdriver]

Last year I went through almost the exact same exercise and here's what I would do knowing what I know. The carbs are very simple, just follow the instructions to clean them in the manual. I would order new floats and float valves which some have rubber tips on them. Anything rubber or plastic in the carbs will be deteriorated from ethanol. You will have to clean the jets (needle jet, needle jet holder, pilot jet). The best way to clean them is soak them in Berryman's carb cleaner from the auto parts store. Only metal, no rubber or plastic. You can use a single strand from a wire brush or as suggested use an acetylene torch cleaner tool. The torch cleaner tools are abrasive so be careful. I also had to put a thin stainless washer under each needle valve as a spacer to richen the mixture. It's simple just pull the dome off and pull the needle valve up out of the diaphragm and install the washer. After you remove all the rubber hoses, catch can and such for the emissions, use auto parts store rubber caps to cap the four vacuum ports. Replace the fuel filter and all the lines. Note that there is one port on the left outboard carb which is metered vacuum for your advance. All others are capped. Yes you will have to check synch after reassembly. I have a two gauge Rotax aircraft engine synch system which works fine. To reassemble, I used the flat plate on an aluminum sheetrock square to pull the rubber boots back as I put the carbs back in. After they were in place, I simply pulled the plate out allowing the boots to be re attached. After you're done, you'll feel like you just wallpapered the hallway through the mail slot, but you can do it. Good luck!

[SgtSlag]

After you get it cleaned up, and running decent, it will be time to mothball it for the Winter months...

I have used SeaFoam for storing three different bikes, since 2006. I've never had a fuel-related carb issue since 2006. I also use SeaFoam periodically, during the riding season, about once per month, just as a precaution against water, and varnish deposits. Be sure to also get a smart charger for storage.

I would also suggest Progressive Fork Springs, and non-air rear shocks, as an upgrade for the suspension (only use HD springs, NOT standard... otherwise you may be installing a second pair of shocks, within a year -- the voice of experience). They will greatly improve the handling, and the ride comfort. An AGM battery is also a good upgrade: sealed, no maintenance to worry about; will typically last twice as long as a flooded battery... Get yourself a battery monitor, if you can find one. A voltmeter is good, but a smart monitor is better: a smart monitor will perform a load test each time the bike is started, which will warn of a pending battery failure -- a voltmeter won't do a load test. This saved my wife and I from walking on the highway, this Summer -- it was close, but we managed to get a new AGM installed, just before it died completely. Cheers!

[Mr Jensee]

I highly recommend getting an Odyssey battery (they are orange). I got one from an online supplier called Battery Mart. The shipping was free. Cost me $109 last week. Make a note. You do not have to order the terminals as they suggested. They were $13 extra and totally unnecessary. A Battery Tender Junior works well. I use a Yuasa Smart Shot myself. Either is available at Walmart or the local bike shop.