[heloego]

   My Mikuni VM32 on my ElectraX has been a great carb most of the time, but I've consistently had an issue when at idle, and it's my only complaint.
   It has a tendency to hunt, and at every stop I have to adjust my idle after giving it a minute to settle down. It never settles down to proper idle (900-110) requiring adjustment as needed.   Once throttle is applied it runs great until the next stop, then the adjustment process starts all over again. I suppose it gives the cagers and maybe others the impression I'm doing something highly technical (NOT), but it is just not right.

   The cable is free. No binding at all, and the slide drops nicely back to bottom once the throttle is released.

   Thoughts, please?

   
   

[Bilgemaster]

When you say "hunting", I wonder if you may have a small air leak at the intake manifold between the carb and head. If you still have a large rubber tube there, cracks or other deformities in it are a common cause for "odd" running.

To test for air leakage, get it idling and gingerly spot-spray the area with WD-40 using the thin red nozzle tube doodad. Any increase in revs reveals the location of an air leak.

It could be may other things (worn slide, float or float needle binding, worn slide, a cloggy jet), but an air leak is by far the most common cause.

[cyrusb]

Have you peaked out the airscrew? I know you have probably done this but I had to ask.I usually do them to the fat side and get a good steady idle. Does it idle good when its cold?

[heloego]

We need a smiley that shows me slapping my head. Should have thought of both of those suggestions earlier. DOH! I guess I always had a soft spot in my heart for Homer. 
Checked the manifolds for leaks. None noted. The intake manifold is only a few years old. Came with the carb.

I'll check the air screw. It was adjusted per the Mikuni VM Super Tuning manual, and was good to go a couple years ago.

I'll need to get it back on the stand anyway to install a heater pad on the bottom of the crank case, so will check it all again once the sealant has cured.

[cyrusb]

I have to ask about the heating pad. Whats up with the heating pad?

[tooseevee]

I have to ask about the heating pad. Whats up with the heating pad?

           If I decide to start up the '08 really early in the Spring when it's still what the bike calls "cold", I put the old Milk House Heater right up cuddly-close to the engine and warm everything up for about an hour. Starts right up without killing the little Motobatt.

            I'm sure that's what he means to do with the crankcase heater.
 

           

[cyrusb]

           If I decide to start up the '08 really early in the Spring when it's still what the bike calls "cold", I put the old Milk House Heater right up cuddly-close to the engine and warm everything up for about an hour. Starts right up without killing the little Motobatt.

            I'm sure that's what he means to do with the crankcase heater.
 

         

Yeah,figured that. I'm wondering what the installation looks like. Mine starts 2 kicks max any rideable temp. The PWK 30 carb enrichment circuit ensures that.

[heloego]

   Temps here can get a slow as 0 degr F and the heater pad was chosen due to using less power than a small ceramic heater, even if left on overnight.
   As it turns out I either got a bad pad or the out put is a LOT less than I expected. Left plugged in overnight I can barely feel any heat emanating from the pad after at least 8 hrs. 
   Back to the ceramic heater I suppose.
   Haven't done any checks on the AVL carb issue yet due to been installing my sidecar on a Brother's HD. That actually went better than expected, so the Cozy is gone and I have some additional room in the garage finally! 

[cyrusb]

I don't know how you are doing this but watts are watts. I would throw ah old blanket over the entire bike and lay a droplight with a 100 watt bulb under the motor. That has done it for me with my Bolens snowplow for a long time. Should work for you. Please disregard if you have done this already .

[DavidGraves]

A neighbor farmer regularly started a small warming wood fire under his Ford 8N tractor in the colder winter months.....

[Bilgemaster]

A neighbor farmer regularly started a small warming wood fire under his Ford 8N tractor in the colder winter months.....

Sliding little charcoal-burning grills under the flywheels of Model T Fords to warm up that old monograde crankcase oil on cold days for easier starting was once fairly common practice. In fact, did you know that Ford once manufactured its own Ford-branded charcoal briquettes? Never happy to waste anything, they would take the end bits and other scraps of wood left over from constructing various body panels, turn them to charcoal, and press them into briquettes. In fact, much that original wood used for their cars was often supplied by various independent contracted parts suppliers, since Ford would only accept such parts if shipped in specially-designed wooden crates that could then be cannibalized for their cars. Ford carried on making briquettes until the early '50s when the concern was sold to Henry Ford's cousin-by-marriage, E.G. Kingsford, a name still familiar to all backyard grillers in the USA. More info here: https://www.classicautomall.com/vehicles/1831/1925-ford-model-t-tanker-truck