For those running FCR's with the standard airbox is there a trick to getting it seated on the FCR's. Have made several attempts to re fit and failed. It just doesn't want to seat on the rubbers attached to the FCR's!! It feels like something is in the way but its not!! Any advice welcome.
the last pair I fitted needed the airbox modifying and it takes some thought to get the throttle cable runs happy. are they a 'ganged together' set or singles? this should help if you haven't read it:- http://bradthebikeboy.blogspot.com/2011/01/airbox-mods-when-fitting-fcr-to-ducati.html
I removed to help fit a tps to them and fairing brackets for my "short" fairings, they are ganged together ie a set. Just finding it a struggle to get them back in situ!!
it's always difficult 'remotely' but, you haven't used any lubricant on mounting flanges have you? The mounting surface area is pretty small from standard plus people often overtighten the jubilee fixings which can distort or even permanently damage the mounting lip plus there isn't a corresponding cut out in the Keihins to coincide with the raised lip portion on the Ducati airbox from memory so lubrication just makes things worse.
No lube on the mounting flanges but someone before me has defo overtightend them at some point but they don't look distorted. Will give it another go when time permits.
I know EXACTLY the problem you speak of, and it's a pain in the ar$e fitting them. The method I use is to firstly make sure the manifold rubbers aren't tightened up, which allows you some movement in the carbs. I use a small flatblade screwdriver which I run round the edge of the rubber from accessing acessing through the top of the airbox with the filter removed, this just runs around the mouth of the carbs and pushes the rubber out. A LOT of patience required in the first instance. I'm a bit quicker at this now having had the carbs on and off many times. Hope this helps. Ian
Cheers Ian, yes i thought of that method, i just need a second set of hands to help . I even thought about fitting the carbs to the airbox and then to the rubbers of the inlet manifold etc!!
You need to fit the carbs to the manifolds first, it'll not work the other way as you can't get the front edge of the airbox under the tank catch otherwise.
never had the degree of difficulty that you two speak of, hope you manage to find a method that makes it easier.
I struggle so much with my memory these days which often then gets accompanied by a lack of patience. Call it a “Zen” approach or whatever but I find that going away and having a cup of tea or even trying the next day means the next approach is totally different and often everything just slots into place. This particularly applies if you have been overthinking the problem, all the key ingredients are there in your head trying to form an orderly queue! I was reassembling the dust covers on a Girling caliper this year and was tight on time and already a bit flustered. It was the exact job that I have probably done over 30 times before in my life but I just couldn’t get them to stay on. I tried the above approach and had a real lightbulb moment, they needed to be fitted totally dry, and that was the only thing I was doing wrong.
Well got the airbox on, no worries, bolted everything up, fitted the TPS and adjusted the map to include. All rosey until I went for a ride, got about a mile up the road and the bike started to cough, strange i thought but kept going until it it started dying on me...bugger. Wouldn't pull and then all of a sudden would kick in a shoot off like a scaulded cat!! Managed to nurse it home and instantly thought it was fuel starvation. Parked up on the drive and it proceeded to dump a load of fuel on my driveway...bugger again. Wheeled it in the garage and pulled up the tank and took the airbox cover off and all i could hear was a gurgling noise, looked down the air intake and could see petrol bubbling up the right hand intake....bugger, bugger again. I had to shut the fuel tap off and crimp the return line to get the fuel to stop from draining in. Then checked the oil sight window and yes i think fuel had got into the oil so dumped the oil just in case!!!....Not the test ride i was after!! Does this for those in the know point to the FCR's and float needles? I did wonder if through removing the carbs and then refitting and messing around with the fuel tank etc managed to get some dirt into them by accident!
From my own experience, one morning I got my bike out, went to start it, starter clicked but wouldn't turn over, it moved the engine slightly then stopped. It was wierd and after investigation my engine was full of full. A straightforward search comes back with plenty of others that have complained of Keihins passing fuel if there's any issues with the floats/needles. I fitted a manual fuel tap, later an electronic solenoid. I'll be going back to the manual one though as when wet the solenoid switches off and it caught me out. I'll sort out waterproofing when I have time. This had occurred overnight though when the bike had been sitting. I thought it was due to grit or similar in the float needles as after cleaning it didn't do it again. Yours has occurred whilst running, which suggests something more serious.
Hi Ian...yes but first run after bolting everything back together and it was running well before the carbs were taken off. Can really only be something to do with fuel flow/carbs etc i would have thought. Going to invest in a manual fuel tap though, any suggestions on what to use?
https://www.ducatiforum.co.uk/threads/fuel-running-in-fcr.10203/page-5 https://www.ducatiforum.co.uk/threads/carbs-and-dynojet-question.3400/page-3 https://www.ducatiforum.co.uk/threads/split-carbs-on-900-ss.294/
unbolt the airbox from the frame for starters. slacken completely all clamps - manifold to engine - manifold to FCR and airbox. - Top the point where they won't grip the rubber. FCR's have a slightly different mouth Outside diameter to stock BDST carbs. seat the manifold stubs into the rubbers - ensuring that they've nested on their lip. do the same with the airbox onto FCR's. Now - don't assume your manifold to FCR rubber is in the correct place - you might need to play with it to lift or lower the carb bank in order make the airbox sit nice. Once you've done that it should just pop on. At this point you can try bolting the airbox down and ensuring that you've got the seating just right by gentle movement. Only when you're happy with the positioning and seating of everything do you tighten the clamps back on.
Just where did you get those Zen pills Sev? Both FCR posts are a great help and saves me typing all day/ removes my guilty conscience! . Only bit that I found differently is that the lips on the std airbox don’t nest with the FCR mouths ( mine certainly didn’t anyway) and that is one of the main problems if not assembled methodically with lots of patience (and ‘dry’)
