should i be trusting my mechanic

[junk301]

My bike has been in the shop waiting for a broken air/fuel mixture screw.  3 weeks later, it came in and now he said that the bike is only running on 1 cylinder.  Now he said that the bike needs new carbs!!! Is he bullshitting me or should i just get the new carbs!?

[fraze11]

It's goona be pretty hard for anyone to answer this question without any background info on your bike. 

[junk301]

Well I brought the bike in because he said it was running too lean.  His diagnosis was that because the fuel mixture screw snapped inside the carb it caused the bike to run too lean.  So after removing the broken piece and installing the new screw i get the news today that its only running on one cylinder..

[junk301]

a set of carbs will cost me 200 bucks luckily but its more so i want the bike on the road as soon as possible.  waiting 3 weeks sucks!

[weedahoe]

carbs are pretty simple devices. its hard to believe it is broken beyond usage. Maybe youre mech just isnt good with carbs and doesnt know how to work them

[adidasguy]

Lean? Both sides or one side?
There is a mixture screw for each side.
How does one break a fuel mixture screw?
He probably screwed the replacement in all the way.

Fuel/mixture screws are off the shelf - takes a day or two toget one.

I just ordered 2 sets of long ones (no screw driver needed) and they will be in the mail today (Factory Pro "long boys")

[Paulcet]

Now he said that the bike needs new carbs!!! Is he bullshitting me or should i just get the new carbs!?

He doesn't know what he's doing, that's my guess.

If you don't do the work yourself you are at the mercy of a mechanic. The good ones are very hard to find. I suggest you try to do the work yourself, and you will learn a lot about your bike and maybe a lot about yourself.  It might take you more than 3 weeks though. Time is money, you know. If you have more money than time you should take it to another shop.

[mister]

My bike has been in the shop waiting for a broken air/fuel mixture screw.  3 weeks later, it came in and now he said that the bike is only running on 1 cylinder.  Now he said that the bike needs new carbs!!! Is he bullshitting me or should i just get the new carbs!?

Bike needs new carbs does it?

Oh really, so what is actually wrong with the carbs it has? (get his answer to this question)

It would be a quite rare thing for carbs to be so totally fubar you need knew ones entirely. That's why people have two sets, so while one is being worked on the other is in the bike.

My guess is, HE fukked something up and now needs to make you pay for it by telling you you need knew carbs. Either way, he is not a mechanic you should ever go to again.

Michael

[adidasguy]

Mixture screw broke: How is that even possible without really trying hard?
3 weeks to get one? off the shelf part - overnight 1 day. Postal 3 days priority mail.
Now one cylinder?

Sounds like the mechanic fuggled up one of the carbs.

Spare carbs are available. Lots of us have them. Just ask.
ebay always has them.

But first find out what this guy did. carbs to not get totally defective on their own. It takes work to strip screws and things like that which require replacement.

If your profile had your location, there might me a member near to you who would be willing to help you out.

[junk301]

Hey guys it was my previous mechanic who snapped the screw and didnt tell me.  The reason why it took so long to get it is because the parts are on backorder here in canada.....So i brought the bike in tothe new mechanic  because it was not idling and it was running too lean and would ONLY run on PRIME.  Now i got the bike back for now and it only runs on 1 cylinder, and still runs lean and still doesnt idle.  he did replace the screw yesterday but  all it fixed was the fuel issue...which i am content with ( he also did alot of other small jobs on it all together for 200 bucks so thats not that bad..  Problem is he said if I want to get him to install the new carbs hes asking for another 200...Id rather save the 200 for that and the other 200 for the carbs.  ive heard that the reason a cylinder wont spark is due to the coils or spark plug wiring?? Im in toronto, canada btw Any help is appreciated guys

[junk301]

I also missed giving out this information.  The left cylinder is the faulty one.  Also the left cylinder kicks in randomly sometimes so he says.  It hasnt happened to me yet however.  So i have a fauly left cylinder so he says, and a bike that wont idle and runs too lean.

[codajastal]

$200 to install carbs? WTF
Id do it for a case of beer/softdrink and so would anyone else on the forum I'm sure?

[jestercinti]

I'd do it for a sixer of GOOD beer, not some cheap-ass Schlitz or Fosters.   

[junk301]

Wow i didn't know it was that easy to do.. Too bad you arent in toronto My question is guys should i get the new carbs or check the coils or something? Also how would I go about checking that

[adidasguy]

I also missed giving out this information.  The left cylinder is the faulty one.  Also the left cylinder kicks in randomly sometimes so he says.  It hasnt happened to me yet however.  So i have a fauly left cylinder so he says, and a bike that wont idle and runs too lean.

Random?

I had that happen once with Trey. There was a whole thread on it.

In the end: faulty spark plug. Swapped plugs and irt went to the other cylinder.

Check plugs and plug wiring. The wires can unscrew from the coil and the cap can unscrew from the wire.

also be sure the cap is properly pushed down on the plug.

[mister]

Don't go back to that mechanic, he doesn't know what he is doing.

He scratches his head at the single cylinder and says, "Dude, new carbs is needed. Throw me a couple hundry for the new carbs and another couple hundry to put them in" and then Hopes it works. if it doesn't it'll be, "Dude, bad coil. Throw me a couple hundry for the new coils and couple hundry to put them in" then Hopes that works. Short... he doesn't know sh!t and cannot be bothered to do proper diagnosis.

Check you have spark first. If that is fine. Swap plugs like addy said - sometimes spark is seen but when installed it's a different matter.

Michael

[007brendan]

Yeah, these engines are pretty bombshell, especially the carbs, there's not a whole lot to them.  A lot of mechanics these days are simply R&R (remove and replace).  I'd take a shot at cleaning and syncing the carbs yourself.  Anyone can do it.

[mab32]

Take your bike and run away from the shop.
Learn to do these things yourself.
Even well meaning mechanics/shops will empty your wallet, they're there to MAKE money.

[salamander]

carbs are pretty simple devices. its hard to believe it is broken beyond usage. Maybe youre mech just isnt good with carbs and doesnt know how to work them

As near as I can tell, mechanics that understand carbureted fuel systems are a dying breed.  They won't tell you they don't understand carburetors, but the younger ones are probably more up on fuel-injected engines.

[Phil B]

I think probably a good rule is, if you ever feel like you need to ask the question, "should I trust my mechanic?" the answer is probably "no".