Choke

1978 LTD1000. Stock VM 26’s. Carbs cleaned, fuel T’s replaced. Put it all back together and choke not operating properly. Feels like not all cylinders getting “choked”. Very rough and tough to get going. Once bike is warmed up it runs like a champ. Is there something I missed in disassembly and rebuild? Looking through past topics can’t seem to find anything on this. Oh, and I checked the plugs after riding and all were great except #3 was a little lean.

Are the levers lifting the plungers on all 4 carbs ?

Sounds like float bowl or that extended brass tube jutting out of each carb casting plugged. Bowl starter jet is a cradle just waiting for sediment filling and eventual plugging. Check this first as noted in photos, all the symptoms point to this because it apparently runs fine after. There is a correct way to assemble those lifters, bigger egg shaped down. They made several variations of those in the 900-1000 lineup. Flip the bowl over and you'll not a stamped number right next to the brass overflow nipple, probable "80" in your case. This is the starter jet hole size in MM, so .8mm. Just use a wire/drill bit equivalent to clear. But also look for debris right under the brass jet, clean it out too!     

I’ll take ‘em back off, I guess. 99% sure everything in carbs are clean. Not really sure about the plungers. I overlooked that I suppose. It runs great once warmed up so that is my suspect. I can’t that you guys enough for all the help you have been getting this thing back on the road. 

Yes, all four are moving in unison. I took them off the bike today and opened them up again and confirmed everything was clean by cleaning everything again, lol. Moving the choke up and down seemed a little “gritty”, so I lifted the rubber caps and sprayed penetrating fluid on the plungers liberally and worked them up and down. Sprayed again and I’m going to leave them sit overnight, then reassemble tomorrow. 

Lift the choke rubbers..off their threaded seats you say?? Not to be a sad-sack but that has no relevance to cleaning debris out. Only cleans the choke plunger bores, sorry, need to dig a bit deeper to verify. 

Itll likely ɓe the tiny hole in the bottom end of the brass enricher tube blocked. A bristle from a wire brush is a perfect tool to clean it. (Yes its that small a hole) without them being clear the enricher circuits wont work.

 

lol, no worries brother, just trying to avoid unracking yet again. My fault for not being more diligent the first time. I fixed one problem, then up crops another. My intention was to lubricate more than clean,

Going to try this brush bristle process. before reassembly

Believe me Sullivan, only trying to help. I do this crap all day, or every other ha. Also as Warren mentioned, wire thru the protruding brass tube. You can even sacrifice an ole lighter spring to use. Too small for the hole but bend it in a way to auger it out. These as Warren has shown, have a flat drilled to spec/swagged over to keep it from falling out slug. Old residual fuel can drain back and rest on that slug, reason i always pull them. Crap can come back down the brass tube if not vacuumed out when starting and repeatedly plug that tiny hole. I'm almost sure you don't have the stuff i have at arms length away to resolve this symptom but You Can Do IT. Also if You felt gritty on the choke plungers, could be a couple things. Plunger and carb bore worn or just filth. But.. Please check those bowl starter jets. Merely shooting crap down those holes doesn't cut it.