just had the carbs off adjusted float heights etc, whilst off I noticed one of the carb heater union threads in the carb bowl alloy was three quarters stripped, I’ll have to be careful when I put that back on I thought, anyway fired her up an that union is leaking oil, no problem I’ll turn the petcock to isolate the carb heaters, still leaking, nipped the union up more and of course the 4 remaining threads stripped, so now with the engine running oil pisses out, no matter which way the petcock is set, so either that valve operates on the return or it’s broken, anyway I need the bike tomorrow so I need to cut the carb heater circuit, I’m thinking fit a blanking plug where the carb heater pipe joins the top of the oil cooler, and another blanking plug in the back of the petcock where the carb heater pipe joins the petcock, has anyone done this?, can anyone see a problem with this course of action (other than the carb heaters won’t work ), Cheers Mark
no problem doing that at all Mark, I do it/have done it on every early aircooled I have had if the opportunity presents itself but a controversial subject on here, as older threads will reveal.
Thanks for the replies, I have done a temporary (bodge) fix for tomorrow, those of a nervous disposition please look away now! I’ve made my own blanks by cutting off the unions, tapping M4 and fitting screws with O rings and Sikaflex as blanks , the original pipes were badly kinked so I was going to replace them anyway, I do need a replacement bowl & pipes soon though. (The Sikaflex is there as a threadlock, the screw being threaded through the entire length of the fitting and a small O ring under the screw head will do the sealing, it was only after I applied it that I found my bottle of threadlock!).
