Submitted by Mick McHam, STOC #1134

Original article in PDF here:  Lower Fuel Tank Replacement Steps - Rev c

Mick: I had to replace my lower fuel tank about 6 months after I bought my ST1300 in 2012. It was way more involved than I would have thought and it took a good deal of time. Because I am apparently one of the very few ST1300 owners who've had to do this job, I did a "how-to" write up of it and put it in PDF form (attached). Lots of pictures to help guide you through the process.

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PRELIMINARIES:
This work was performed on a 2005 model ST1300.

This "how to" guide is intended as a compliment to the ST1300 Service Manual (SM). If you don't have a manual, get hold of a copy. There are some pictures and diagrams in the manual that would be helpful and some that you will need. At the very least, you'll need it for steps such as upper tank removal & installation (which I don’t cover here), double checking torque values, and especially the fuel pump tightening sequence for your year model ST. Since those sequence diagrams are probably copyrighted, I did not include them.

The instructions below are laid out in sequence from beginning to end saving you the time of having to hop back and forth around the ST1300 SM. My step numbering system reflects the "nesting" that resulted from having been referred by the SM to multiple pages to perform subordinate steps.

Although I do mention the upper tank, this procedure basically starts with the upper tank already off.

As much as possible, I reference page numbers in the SM so that you can double check or look for clarification. Because I have both, I've referenced page #'s for the 2005 ST1300 and the 2003 ST1300. There are differences.

I've listed torque values for use in reassembly.

Tips & Notes will be in green text.
- it is important to read each step's notes before proceeding.

Steps are in red text.

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Before Beginning...Words of Wisdom

1. Take pictures, lots & lots of pictures, from all different angles before you perform a step. These are absolutely invaluable when putting everything back together. Remember that every hose and every wire has to be connected back up AND routed exactly like it was from the factory. I took a bunch of pictures but wish I'd have taken more.

2. Because there are so many fasteners and parts involved in this procedure, put fasteners in a labeled, zip lock bag for each item. I even taped these bags to the part they go to when possible, such as the cowlings, fenders, etc. just to keep things as organized as possible.

3. Make ABSOLUTELY sure that there is no gas in the upper tank or connecting hoses & lines before removing the upper tank. To accomplish this, I ran the bike until there was one blinking bar on the gas gauge as indicated in the article at this link:http://stwiki.notonthe.net/twiki/bin/view/ST13/FuelGauge

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1. Remove the panniers and rear side covers. (pg 2-6, '05 & '03 SM)




2. Remove the upper tank after making sure there is no gas in the tank or lines.

Since most folks on this site have removed their upper tanks, I'll not go into the details
of removal. If you've never removed the upper tank before, see pg 5-57 '05 SM (p 5-56
'03 SM) for removal, & 5-60 '05 SM (5-59 '03 SM) for installation.

3. Remove the seat height adjuster.



NOTE: When removing the seat height adjuster, be sure and put rags in open
spaces where bolts could fall. This tip goes for any situation where bolts might fall
and be trapped in nether regions of the bike or dropped on the ground and roll into
hiding places.

3. Remove the seat rail (pg 2-22 in the '05 service manual(SM) & 2-19 in the '03 SM).
STEPS for rail removal:
    A.Remove rear fender "B" (pg 2-9 '05 & '03 SM). This is the entire fender, not just
the one that holds the license plate. It sounds like a simple task but there is a lot to it!
STEPS for Rear Fender "B" removal:
    1a. Remove rear fender "A". This is the one that holds the license plate. (pg 2-8 in
'05 & '03 SM). There are four allen bolts to be loosened. Two on the outside facing to the rear and two underneath.



2a. Remove the rear wheel. Again, I'll not go into detail here since most have done
this many times. If you've never done it, see pg 16-6 of the '05 SM & 16-5 of the  '03 SM.

     NOTE: Torque values for use when remounting the rear wheel:
     Muffler mounting bolts 17 NM <12 ft-lbs> (pg 2-4 '05 SM)
     Muffler Band Bolts 22 NM <16 ft-lbs> (pg 16-13 & 2-20 '05 SM)
     Caliper Stopper Bolt 69 NM <51 ft-lbs> (pg 16-12 '05 SM)
     Rear Axle Nut 108 NM <80 ft-lbs> (pg. 16-13 '05 SM)


3a. Remove the battery (pg 19-5 in the '05 & '03 SM).
STEPS:
     I. Remove fuse holder from the battery cover (see diagram pg 19-5 '05 SM)
    II. Remove battery cover by releasing the tab from the rear fender groove and two hooks from the two tabs on the rear fender.



   III. Disconnect negative then positive battery cable then remove battery.
   IV. Remove the metal battery holder (support bracket)



4a. Remove Rear Cowl (pg. 2-7 '05 & '03 SM)
STEPS:
     I. Remove the Grab Rail Center Cover by removing the 4 bolts, collars &  nuts.



    NOTE 1: Watch out for those collars & nuts! They will drop and go  bouncing on the concrete and
come to rest in places never to be found!
    NOTE 2:Torque values for reassembly. I used the standard for this bolt's  size of 10 NM <7 ft-lbs> .
These standard values can be seen on pg 1-12 of the'05 SM. The size is that of the threaded part of the bolt, not the head size.

    II. Remove the rear grab rail (pg 2-7 in '05 & '03 SM)
     STEPS:
     Remove the seat lock by removing the rubber strap and the bolt holding the locking mechanism down.



    Remove the 4 bolts and washers that attach the grab rail.



NOTE: Torque for reassembly. I used the 22 NM (16 ft-lbs)from the
standard torque value chart.

- Release the seat lock cable from the groove & remove the rear grab rail.

III. Disconnect and remove the rear cowl (pg 2-8, '05 & '03 SM)

STEPS:
- Remove the 4 screws, 2 socket bolts & 2 trim clips from the cowl





NOTE: I have in my notes that I did not see or work with the "2 socket
bolts" and that the cowl came off just fine.

- Remove the rear cowl and disconnect the rear turn signal 2 pin connectors &
tail/brake light 3 pin connectors <Honda wording>.

NOTE: I chose to just unscrew the bulb holders from the cowling
instead. I then wrapped and taped bubble wrap around the bulbs to protect them.

- Disconnect white plug on the seat rail near the ECU



- Release the band that secures the ABS control unit and ECM. Tape the whole mess to the back of the seat rail.

NOTE: Not totally sure this step didn't come after step 6a. My notes are unclear on this.



NOTE 2: The scissors jack in the above picture above was NOT touching the axle as I did not want to bend it. It was about 1/2" away
from the axle and was there just in case something were to happen to cause the rear end to tip down. Very unlikely but thought I'd be cautious.



5a. Remove the relays & fuse boxes from the tabs on the rear fender (pg 2-9, '05 & '03 SM & pg. 1-45 '05 SM)

NOTE 1: I put tape on the top of each relay and numbered them. These numbers were then recorded on a copy of the relay cluster
found on pg. 1-45 of the '05 SM & pg. 1-42 in the '03 SM.

NOTE 2: I have in my notes that there are release tabs on the fuse boxes.



6a. Remove the saddlebag holders. (diagram pg 2-9 '05 & '03 SM)



NOTE: Torque for reassembly of these saddle bag holder bolts is 26 NM <20 ft-lbs> (pg 1-15, '05 & '03 SM,
under "Frame Body Panels/Exhaust System)

7a. Remove the remaining bolts from the rear fender & pull the fender out
(diagram, pg 2-9 '05 & '03SM). See notes below before proceeding.

NOTE 1: There is a bolt to take of off near the relay shelf (see silver bolt, bottom right in the picture in step 5a.). I think
there might have been one on the right side (didn't take enough pictures or notes!!).

NOTE 2: There are all kinds of things in the way when trying to pull the fender out the rear of the bike. I had to back off the
lower seat rail socket bolts (pg 2-23 '05 SM & 2-20 '03 SM) until the ends were flush with the frame. These are the
bolts that your Bydawg tip-over bars attach near the passenger foot pegs. I also had to loosen the bolt that goes to the
remote shock adjustment bracket where it attaches to the frame (pg 2-22 '05 SM & 2-19 '03 SM).

NOTE 3: At this point you've got quite a gaggle of relays and wires hanging after they were removed from the rear
fender in step 5a. These could get in your way when you try to pull the fender back and/or tank out. I used a
bungee cord and wrapped the whole mess up into a bundle and pulled it out of the way. Unsure I if I
did this before the fender removal or before the tank removal. (see pic below)



NOTE 4: I had to let the rear brake caliper hang free before the fender would come out.

NOTE 5: Pulling the rear fender out requires that the fender be squeezed and jiggled around quite a bit to get it out.

B. Disconnect the green, side stand switch 2-pin connector and the black fuel pump just underneath the upper seat rail near the front tank. The blue connector also located in this area should already be disconnected from having removed the upper tank.



C. Disconnect the shock adjuster bracket from the seat rail (pg 2-22 '05 SM & 2-19 '03 SM).



D. Remove the starter relay switch from the seat rail (pg 2-22 '05 SM & 2-20 '03 SM).
This relay is rearward of the battery compartment.



E. Remove the bolts and the rear ABS modulator <Honda's wording> (pg 2-22 '05 SM & 2-20 '03 SM).
*** See note below before proceeding ***

***NOTE: This step is the only place where I almost got into trouble. I took the above (step 7) to mean to disconnect the modulator from the bracket then remove the ABS modulator from the bike. This would have entailed disconnecting the four brake lines that feed into it. Made sense because when the modulator was separated from its bracket, it was suspended at the end of long, small diameter, metal brake fluid pipes. It looked like the weight of the modulator could cause the pipes to bend.


** DO NOT REMOVE THE BRAKE LINES FROM THE ABS MODULATOR**

I disconnected one of the lines then went to remove a second. I did not have a set of
flare nut wrenches so I just used an open end 10mm wrench. When I tried to
disconnect that second line, I managed to round part of the nut. It was like someone
put it on with an impact wrench! I looked at the SM and it turns out these nuts are
torqued down to 34 NM! No wonder I was having such a difficult time.

At this point, still not knowing that I had misinterpreted the instructions, I said to
heck with it, there's no way I'm going to be able to remove those lines so I decided to
just leave them connected and see how it went.

When I went to reconnect the one flare nut I managed to remove, I encountered
great difficulty because the long, finely threaded connector wanted to cross thread.
Hard to describe but I couldn't get the modulator in the right position because the
other 3 lines kept the modulator in a slightly off kilter position. After many
attempts, I finally got it back on and breathed a huge sigh of relief.

To prevent damage to the metal brake lines, I made a cardboard support for the
modulator which can be seen in this picture:



NOTE: Torque for ABS Modulator mounting bolts for reassembly = 12 NM <9 ftlbs>. (pg 1-12 '05 SM)

F. Remove the 4 lower fuel tank mounting bolts & washers (p 2-22 '05 SM & 2-20 '03 SM)

     No pictures but you can see them in the SM pictures at the pages noted above. The  location of these bolts are unmistakable at this point.

NOTE: for reassembly, the four tank mounting bolts are torqued at 12 NM  <9 ft-lbs>. (p 1-12 '05 SM)

G. Remove the seat rail lower mounting socket bolts (pg 2-23 '05 SM & 2-20 '03 SM). These are the bolts that the affix the Bydawg tip-over bars if you have them.

NOTE: for reassembly, the bolts are torqued to 42 NM <31 ft-lbs>.



H. Remove the upper mounting nuts, plates & bolts then remove the seat rail
<Honda's wording> (p 2-23 '05 SM & 2-20 '03 SM). See pics in the SM.

*** IMPORTANT NOTE: ***
NOTE 1: I did NOT completely remove the seat rail as there is no need to do this
AND there were still things attached. What I did do was snip just the harness zip
ties near the lower tank (see pic below) so that I could just raise the rail out of the
way to enable to tank to slide back.

I also snipped the white zip tie seen in the photo. It secures the wire that plugs into
the OEM, auxiliary electrical socket mounted near the right fairing pocket. Take
note of how it runs if you have this wire.

NOTE 2: for reassembly, the upper rail flange bolt is torqued to 39 NM (29 ft-lbs). (pg 2-23 '05 SM)





4. Remove the lower fuel tank

STEPS:
A. Be sure that the fuel pump electrical connector is disconnected as well as all hoses & lines.

B. Lift the seat rail up and slightly back, then slide the lower fuel tank out the back. You will have to jiggle it a bit where it
connects to the seat rail but it'll come out.

... out she comes:




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I always use my local dealer for parts. I’ve been with them for 30 years and they give me wholesale pricing. However, most don’t have that luxury and use online sources such as Partzilla, Revzilla, Ron Ayres, etc.



Quantity 4 - 16011-MAJ-R00 Float Valve Set $41 each

Quantity 4 - 16010-MAJ-D00 Float / Carb Gasket Set $24 each

Quantity 4 â€" 16211-MT3-000 Insulator / Boot $9 each

Quantity 1 â€" 17211-MT3-000 OEM Honda Air Filter $38

Quantity 1 â€" 17253-KT8-000 Sub- Air Filter $3

Quantity 1 â€" 16900-MG8-003 OEM Honda Fuel Filter $12



You may also choose to upgrade the slow speed / pilot jets to #40. If California or ABS the main jets also.



QTY 4 #424-21 size 40 $7 each

QTY 4 #9901-393 size 128 $7 each

QTY 1 #009-396 needle shim $8 for a package



These can be purchased at PJmotorsports.com in Oregon. 503-873-8992. These are genuine factory Keihin parts.



Adds up quickly! Potentially a $350 rebuild in parts alone. But, better than paying a dealer or bike shop! I hope this helps and drop me a line if you need any more help.


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Thank You again for your contribution Adam Frymoyer, STOC #949

Submitted by Mike Durkin, aka Space Ghost, STOC #8311

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Honda used the same spark plug cap for all years of the ST1100   -  # 30700-KAF-010.

While trying to diagnose a no-spark condition on my 1994 ST, I discovered that Honda used the same basic plug cap design on the ST1100 as they did in the 1970’s on the CB750 and many other models.

The plug cap contains a 5000 ohm resistor to cut down on radio interference.  Back in the 70’s Honda was running spark plugs with no internal resistor, so the 5000 ohm resistor was a good thing….except it introduced a potential failure point…and they do fail.

Fast forward to 1990 and Honda, despite using resistor plugs on the ST1100, still felt the need to have a resistor in the plug cap. And yes, it is still a potential failure point.

To remove the plug caps from your plug wires, just unscrew them â€" CCW.

Dissecting the Plug Cap

Going in from the spark plug end, you can un-screw the spark plug terminal with a flat blade screw driver.  The 5K ohm resistor and the spring will fall out.

I’ve seen two failure modes for this design:

1 â€" the resistor deteriorates and increases in resistance (a bad thing â€" less energy to your plugs and your coils have to work harder to drive the spark across your plug gap.

2 -  Arcing takes place at the lower portion of the spring, causing an increase in resistance between the spring and the metal terminal at the bottom of the cap.  Same downside as #1.  The plug cap in the picture above has a good 5K ohm resistor. The spring and the spring terminal showed signs of sever arcing to the point that the circuit was open.  

New plug caps list for $ 28.49 and sell for $ 17.48  at Power Sports Plus.

I bought a used set of coils and caps for my 94 when I was thrashing around trying to fix my no-spark condition.  Caps for the 1/3 coil had 5K and 100K resistance.  Caps for the 2/4 coil had 5K and infinity resistance.  The coils came from a 1998 and the EBay seller was also auctioning off near perfect body panels and a “running” motor. Based on my resistance checks the bike was running on two cylinders and rather poorly at that. Kinda makes you wonder why a 1998 ST1100 with good plastic and a running motor was being parted out?

The bottom line is that the ST1100 plug caps are a potential failure point and they should be checked at least once a year.

There are two ways to check them.   Remove them from the plug wires and measure the resistance from end to end â€" you are looking for 5000 ohms.

The second way is to leave them on the plug wires and measure 1/3 and 2/4 â€" end cap to end cap â€" you are looking for approx 25K ohms  - that’s 15K for the coil secondary and  5K + 5K ohms for each end cap.


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Thank You again for your contribution Mike Durkin, aka Space Ghost STOC #8311

Submitted by Adam Frymoyer, STOC #949

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For quite some time, I’ve been meaning to post a carb draining procedure for the ST1100. This year I finally took the time to take some pictures while I drain the carbs for winter storage. I strongly recommend carb draining for LONG TERM storage. My bike sits for 5 to 6 months, pending on winter conditions. It is also a good maintenance practice to drain out any contaminants (if any) of the float bowls into a clean container. If you see any crud while draining, there is a potential problem in the fuel system that needs to be looked into. Most guy’s don’t drain the carbs. They choose their favorite fuel stabilizer, add it to the tank, fill the tank, and walk away.... Most of them get away with it for a long time, but how many times a year do we help someone through a carb rebuild caused by sitting / storage? As always, this is just my opinion and the way I do it. Please follow the service manual for the proper way to work on your bike.

I first start by removing some of the body panels needed to gain access to the float bowl drain screws. I have to remove the (optional) fairing extensions / deflectors, center maintenance cover and the panel plugs.







I always push out the panel plugs very carefully from the inside, out. Always a risk of damaging these cheesy plastic plugs by prying them out with a screw driver.







Now that everything is out of the way, I go to the recycle bin and get out a clean container to drain the fuel into. The carburetor’s drain hose is down at the bottom of the bike just behind the side stand pivot and shifter. This particular jar I used was able to be wedged up in the body panels and stayed firmly put. Even full of gas.





I have a long flathead screwdriver to get down into the bowl screws. This particular driver had to be ground down on the sides to reach into the recessed bowl body to get at the screw head. It’s a cheapo Harbor Freight driver that only gets used once a year for this job.





I suppose you could start were ever you want, but I do the easy side first. I always start off with doing #2 (left front) carb first, then work my way back and around to the other side. I tried to get the best pictures I could, but those screws are WAY down in there. Get the brightest flashlight you own to look in there!



I hold the flashlight inside the bike while looking down through the plug hole. You’ll have to bend down the black rubber insulator mat with the driver, but the screw is easily viewed and accessed. I open it up a couple of turns and let it drain for a couple of minutes. I also leave the driver in the screw head while draining.





Now that #2 is drained, I tighten up the screw snug and move back to #4. Same procedure for #4, however you will need to use the cut-out in the fairing for driver clearance.





Getting more gas !



Now that #2 & #4 are drained, I move over to the right side of the bike and do #1 & #3. This side is tricky due to the engine breather hose that is routed right between the two carbs. Also, this side is a lot tighter for screwdriver clearance between the valve cover and the synchronization screws. Don’t disturb the synchro screws while getting the driver down in there!



As I said before, it’s tricky getting around the breather hose. I use a bungee cord to pull the hose out of the way “gently”. If the hose was pulled on too hard, it may pull itself out of the air cleaner assy. I took the best pictures I could of how I do it.



Here is a picture of the breather hose. Also notice how close the synchro screws are.



Unfortunately, the bungee has to be used for clearance on both right side carbs. Pull forward for #1 carb. Pull back for #3.



In this pic, you’ll notice the bungee hook around the breather hose as I drain #3 carb.





Now that the carbs are drained, I can re-assemble the body work. I always put the panel plugs back in first.



That’s it. I’m all done. Bike is back together and ready to be put away for the winter. It only takes me around a half hour to do the whole carb draining job from start to finish.



Here is the jar full of gas showing how much will come out. I peeled off the wrapper for better visibility. I’m also happy that there’s no junk in my carbs!







~~~

Thank You again for your contribution Adam Frymoyer, STOC #949

Submitted by Jon Ransom, STOC #063

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The information below is the latest I could garner from searching the LiST.  

I've checked each site today (9/5/2014) and each has fiche unless noted:

Bike Bandit
http://www.bikebandit.com/honda-motorcycle-parts/oem-parts

Chaparral Motorsports
http://www.chaparral-racing.com

Dennis Kirk
https://www.denniskirk.com
"no fiche;
ST listed with cruisers"

Discount Honda Parts
http://www.discounthondaparts.com

Honda Direct Line (aka HDLParts.com)
http://www.hondadirectline.com

Honda OnLine Parts
redirects to Honda Direct Line

Honda Parts Direct
http://www.hondaparts-direct.com

MR Cycles
http://www.mrcycles.com

Parts Fish
http://www.partsfish.com/

Parts Pit Stop
http://www.partspitstop.com/oemparts/c/honda/parts

Partzilla
http://www.partzilla.com/

Power Sports Plus
redirects to Partzilla

Powers Sports Pro
redirects to Parts Fish

Ron Ayers
http://www.ronayers.com
missing 1991

Service Honda
http://www.servicehonda.com

Zanotti Motors
http://www.zanottimotorcycles.com/
on-line closed 12/31/2011

~~~

These are more specialized.  

None have fiche:

CBR Bearing Inc
http://www.servicehonda.com
THE BEARINGS SOURCE

David Silver Spares
https://www.davidsilverspares.com/home/

PJ Motorsports
http://pjmotorsports.com
Keihin & Mikuni carb parts

Sirius Consolidated Inc (S.C.I.)
http://www.siriusconinc.com
carb bits

~~~

Thank You again for your contribution Jon Ransom, STOC #063

PART FIVE:

Now that everything is assembled and checked over on the carb bank, I can now re-install the carbs back into the bike. It’s pretty much the same as before in doing the “reverse order” for the install. I’ve replaced the carb isolators / boots and have re-installed the black rubber heat shield.

When replacing the boots, don’t forget to install them with the raised tangs “facing out” as seen in the picture. This will aid in setting the carbs down into the boots. There are also notches at the bottom of the boots that have to be placed into the tab on the intake manifold. At this point, also rub a LIGHT film of grease, Vaseline, die electric paste, etc, around the insides of the boots, and on the outsides of the carb flange’s to also aid in installation. This must be done!



I then hold up the carbs down in the valley and hook up the float drain hoses. They push on easily. Make sure that the cut-outs in the rubber heat shield stay in their correct position.






I then let the carb bank sit inside the valley (back side tilted up) and hook up the throttle cables.









Getting the carbs into the boots is super easy. There is no need for crow-bars, broom handles, greased plexi-glass, bungee cords, ratchet straps, rubber mallets, etc. Here is the trick: Earlier, I’ve already lightly coated the insides of the boots and the outsides of the carb flanges with grease. I set the RIGHT side of the carb flanges fully down into the boots as you can see in the picture.



The LEFT side as you can see, is just sitting inside of the raised boot flanges.



I then take my right hand and put it centered on the carb intake plenum. With a GOOD FIRM push down, they will “snap” right in place, into the boots. Works every time.



I will then tighten up all of the carb clamps, install choke cable and other top end components. I am also  eliminating the auto vacuum fuel shut down valve. These are well known to fail at any given time. Leaking vacuum, or leaking fuel. I went 85,000 on my other ST without the valve, so this one gets the same treatment.



See that BRAND NEW HONDA OEM FUEL FILTER? I strongly recommend that one be used. I’ve seen lot’s of carb float bowls and jets with silt, sand, debris, rust, etc, by using universal aftermarket “screen” type filters. Not to mention debris stuck between the float needles and seats. I've just spent several day’s cleaning and setting up the carbs properly. No need to ruin the job by using a universal fly-by-night, junk fuel filter / screen. Just sayin’.....

The OEM Honda filter is $12 at my dealer and gets replaced every other year. Take pride in your work and don’t let ANYTHING get into those fresh carbs! Also consider a new air filter. Preferably the Honda OEM. The carbs are jetted to work with this air filter. Anything else may change the mixture and / or allow more grit into the intake.



Next, I always double check that everything is tight and installed. Check the linkage and cable operation for throttle and choke.






Now that everything is hooked up, I can start it up and check for leaks, etc. It runs like crap when first started. It always will. I just disturbed all of the carb linkages and synchro screws, springs, etc., when everything was apart. I shut it down and look things over. Good to go. I then hook up my carb sticks and synchronize the carb’s first. They will always be WAY out. But after adjustment, it’s now Smoooooth.... I also performed the idle drop and then re-synchronize the carb’s. So.... Sync, idle drop, re-sync is the procedure. Also remember that you’ll need to get a BIG fan or blower in front of the radiator to prevent the engine cooling fan from coming on. When the cooling fan comes on, it puts an electrical load on the alternator, which in turn lowers the idle speed. When the idle speed drops, all of the readings on the carb balancer will change quite a bit. You’ll be there for a long time trying to get the carbs balanced fighting engine cooling fan load. It’s that sensitive. Same goes for the idle drop. I set idle speed to 1000 rpm with the bigger pilots.

After that, it’s time to finish installing the rest of the top side. Air filter housing, filter, lid, etc.






I then put on the seat and take it out for a good run, up to operating temp. Everything is working fantastic, and the V-4 is running the way it was intended with those new pilot’s and the fresh tune. I can now finish assembly and put all that plastic back on. DONE !!!

Submitted by Adam Frymoyer, STOC #949

~~~


Over the years, there have been several very high mileage bikes in the ST1100 community that have had their PAIR valve diaphragms fail, causing a vacuum leak and drivability issues. When I say several have failed, I mean several. I know of only 3 guys that have had an actual failure of the PAIR valves themselves. A vast majority of the others have been from vacuum hoses getting dry rotted, cracking, disintegrating and causing loads of trouble. Some guys like them and leave them alone. Others don’t want a problem in the future and remove them as a preventative measure. A very few, have to leave them on and service them to meet local emission inspection regulations. I already had the carburetors out for overhaul and I don’t want to take them out again to fix a non-meaningful emission component. I also had coolant leaks at the elbows and the coolant hoses were mush. Another bonus to PAIR removal is a little lost weight and less complexity. With that said, mine are coming out.... And with good reason! You’ll see as you read on, that it was a great preventive step. I would have had problems in the future....

There are many articles in the ST Archive Of Wisdom (AOW) for body work removal, carb removal and different ways to block off the PAIR pipes. Have a look at them for guidance. There are many great idea’s. However, refer to your Honda service manual to properly work on your bike. Some of the pictures I posted are just for reference, to give you a general idea of where I’m at.

The first thing I do is take off most of the body work. I’ll need to also remove the fairing lowers and fairing centers to gain access to the chrome pipes.



The next thing I do, is to remove the carburetor’s and rubber heat shield. YUK... Full of mouse pooh and pee.






The PAIR system is now exposed.



The front mounted valve CANNOT be removed without cooling system being drained and the right coolant elbow removed. There is not enough clearance to get the right mounting bolt loose and out.



As you can see here, even with the right coolant hose removed, there still isn't enough clearance.



Now that the elbow is removed, the mounting bolt can now be taken out.



There’s no way that these elbow o-rings will re-seal. They MUST be replaced.






I then cut all of the hoses out with a pair of cutting pliers, un-bolt the valves and pull everything out. I then un-bolt the chrome tubes from the cylinder heads. The chrome pipes need to get bent, to work them around the cylinder heads and frame for removal.






Here is what it looks like with everything removed. I also take dabs of silicone and fill the thread holes. I don’t want water to sit down in there and possibly freeze during winter storage.









With everything removed, I noticed a brown fluid leaking onto the garage floor. What the heck... It’s coming out of the PAIR valves. I took them into the shop and took them apart before I throw them away.









With the covers removed, I find brown stinky slime in the housings. The rubber diaphragms are mush and starting to distort. I’m glad I took them out. As said earlier, I would have had problems in the future.






Now that the PAIR valves are out, I de-greased the valley of the engine. I also replaced all of the coolant elbow o-rings, water manifold o-ring and seal and coolant hoses going from the block to the thermostat housing. This is also a better look at the silicone down in the thread holes.



I can now remove all of the vacuum “T’s” and cap off both sides. I've also eliminated the auto vacuum fuel-cut valve.









I then scrape off all of the gasket material from the cylinder heads. As I said earlier, there are many different ways to block these ports off. I don’t want the pipes in there. Just my personal preference. I took a 1/8” NPT tap and thread the ports. I then take the extra plugs out of an air brake governor kit I've got kicking around and install them in the heads. Use your imagination and be creative to whatever you find the most attractive. I’m just a function over form guy...









During the carburetor overhaul, I’ve already replaced the rubber isolator / boots and ready to install the rubber heat shield. I first tape up the cut-outs in the shield with heat tape on both sides. These slots won’t be used anymore now that the PAIR valves are out. I don’t want any extra heat getting up to the carb float bowls. It gets really hot down in there! However, I still leave the little slot open to hook to the frame for mounting support.






Now that this is done, I can put the shield in. I strongly recommend replacing those carb boots. They get dry, brittle and leak as they age. If replacing, remember to face the raised tabs outwards as shown / circled.


That’s it for a PAIR removal. I can now re-install the carbs, accessories and body work.

~~~

Thank You again for your contribution Adam Frymoyer, STOC #949

PART FOUR:

Assembling the carbs is pretty straight forward. Pretty much just “reverse order” of taking them apart. The first thing I do, is put the plenum / tube assembly back on the top. This gives me the rigidity needed for final assembly. I loosen the pivot screws just a little and the 4 bottom bracket screws that join’s everything together. This will give me a little “wiggle room” for alignment.






Setting the plenum down on top and getting the dowels to align can be a challenge. I always get one side of the dowels “just” started on one side, then PATIENTLY wiggle the other side down in. Bending and flexing the carb bank back and forth until all the dowels are in. It will take multiple times to get it set! Do not use the big plenum screws to draw it down, or a hammer. This will only bend, ruin and destroy the threads and dowels. Once the dowels are started on all 4 carbs, carefully put in the big plenum screws and only start them several threads. Check and make sure all of the rubber intake tubes are aligned properly with their prospective vent holes and vent tubes! Do this before tightening down the plenum. Once everything is aligned, the plenum will push right down into place. Then lightly snug the big plenum screws. I then tighten the pivot screws and bottom bracket. Then go back and final torque the big plenum screws and bend the tabs back over the screw heads.



I then MAKE SURE that the choke and throttle linkages operate smoothly and everything is aligned and secured.






Because I removed the PAIR system, I glued on a plastic cap to the breather nipple.






Flipping the carbs back over, I install the float seats. Because I’m re-using the needles and seats, I’m going to make sure I have no problems after assembly. I use Q-tips in a cordless drill with a little dab of metal polish on the Q-tip. This polishes the seating surface for the needle, making it like new. Remember that I cleaned the needle tips earlier.









Next, I will be installing all of the jets, etc. It’s pretty straight forward. Just remember NOT to over torque anything. Brass jets going into aluminum threads.... I start off with the pilots. I’m showing some differences between the Honda OEM #38 pilots, verses the #40 Keihin jets. Big difference.

REASONS to change the PILOT and MAIN jets:
To meet strict emission laws, the factory really has to run the mixtures lean. This is done at idle and at low rpm. The bike is on its kickstand or centerstand. An exhaust analyzer goes up the tail pipe for testing at low rpm. To meet these regulations, the factory sets up the carbs to pass Federal EPA standards.

Some states such as California, have even stricter regulations. For Honda or any other manufacture, the idle mixture and pilot circuits at set very lean to meet these regulations. Example all ST1100 49 State bikes have #38 sized pilots and #128 main jets, while the California and ABS bikes have a #38 pilot and #125 main jets. All US bikes got PAIR valves. If you look in the service manual, you'll see that non-emission countries (at that time) receive #40 pilot jets and #128 mains with a different idle mixture screw count AND no PAIR valves. After some experimenting and goofing around with different jets and settings, I've found that the pre-emission Canadian specs are the OVERALL best tune for the ST1100. Overall meaning, the best fuel economy, with the best power output and smoothest running. It's always a compromise with carburetion, that's why technology has brought us fuel injection(fuel injection not absolutely perfect either). This is the reasoning behind me changing the pilots to a bigger size and tuning the idle mixture screws to match their fuel rate.

The ST1100 responds VERY well to the upgrade, pulling much harder down low (off idle) and fantastic mid-range power. The main jets do not get changed because it carburets perfectly with the #128.  California and ABS bikes respond very well to all of the changes, including changing the mains from #125 to #128.







Emulsion tubes, main jet’s, etc, get put back in. The Idle mixture screw settings have been somewhat of a controversial topic in the ST community over the years. If in doubt, refer to your manual. Some guys count the screw turn’s from lightly seated during dis-assembly, then put them back in the original factory settings when putting them back in. Some guys take the average of the screw turns and set them ALL at that average. The most common being around 2 - 2 1/2 turns out. Another thing is that hardly anyone has the special tool to do the idle drop procedure. None of them are wrong, BUT all of them are not right either. Many have just “set-it and forget-it” and have successfully run many thousands of miles and all end up with a fairly good running bike(not a great or perfect running bike). To each his own, and I will just leave this topic as another man’s opinion. I’m starting from scratch with the new pilots, so I set mine all at a default of 1 7/8 turns (Canadian spec.). I’ll be doing the idle drop procedure later to finalize the tune.












Next, I’ll install the float needles and floats. In the picture you’ll see the two hoops on the retainer. They get positioned facing the center “V” of the carb bank /and or / float pivot pin. This allows the retainer to sit deeper in the float tab for a more secure fitment. There is a special way these are positioned. If you get it wrong the retainer just barely contacts the end of the float tab. In my opinion, there is a chance for it to fall out.



Next, I’m going to set the float level. As with anything else, the float level is very important. All of mine measured different from the factory. Factory spec is 7mm. 3 of mine were at 8mm and one was at 9mm. Very lean emission settings. I set them all to 7mm. Equivalent to .275” if using a dial caliper.



As seen in my pictures, the measurement gets taken from the side flat of the carb body to the outer top  seam of the float. This is how the factory does it, and so do I. If adjustment is needed, I use a pick, and either bend the float tab up, or down, to get the correct measurement. I also have the carb bank tilted up, so the floats won’t depress the springs in the float needles. The needles are lightly seated to get an accurate measurement.












Next, I’ll install the float bowls. The bottom side is completely done!



Onto the top side, I’m going to check and see if my carbs have needle shims installed. Some ST’s do, some don’t. Depends upon the emission origin of the bike. After taking the needle’s out, mine have them. However, they are thinner and don’t measure consistently. I’m replacing with .020” Keihin aftermarket shim’s. This will allow the carb’s to get on the main circuit quicker in the mid-range rpm.

A #1 Phillips fit’s down in the needle retainer. This does not get un-screwed. It is a cam design. Turn the screw driver one click counterclockwise (about 45 degrees). The needle retainer will pop up and can be removed. If equipped with a shim, it will stick down in there. A longer pick, or a piece of wire will get the shim out. Reverse order for assembly.















Now that the needles are all set, I can finish assembling the top side. All of the slides / diaphragms, springs and covers go back in. I always have a good look around and see if I missed anything. If it all looks good, DONE !

PART THREE:

Now that the carbs are completely stripped and safe to clean, I prefer to do them outside for ventilation. I’m going to start with the topsides of the carbs. Spraying into every hole I see and blowing out with compressed air. All 3 of these vent holes go to something and serve a purpose. Make sure they’re free and clear.



Next, I move onto the diaphragm chamber area. Same goes here. All of these holes serve a purpose and need to be cleaned out with carb cleaner and compressed air. Vents for floats, choke, pilot and air-cut circuits.


















Next, I’ll move onto cleaning the air-cut valve passageways and plungers. Remember that this is also a part of the pilot / slow speed circuit and it controls the pilot mixture during deceleration.






This last picture is the air-cut plunger. I spray cleaner at it and move it in and out gently with a pick to make sure it’s not sticky. I also go easy with the compressed air.



All passageways and components are very important, and all of them work together. However, this is the most important part. The slow speed / pilot and transitional circuits are the first to get clogged and the hardest to clean, being so small in design by Keihin. These are the “first to go”. Keep in mind that the pilot circuit also supplies the idle mixture. If one goes, everything down line suffers.

Back flush / spray out the idle mixture hole in the mouth of the carb. Then spray into the mixture screw hole. VERIFY that carb cleaner is coming out the other side and at a good stream. Blow them out with compressed air and continue to verify that passages are clear and a full stream of cleaner is coming out! It may be necessary to do multiple times.



This next step is also critical. Get something to hold the throttle linkage wide open. Now I’m moving into the pilot circuit. I spray carb cleaner up into the pilot jet screw hole multiple times and look for it to come out of the idle mixture and the 3 little transitional slow speed / pilot holes at the throttle plate. VERIFY THAT CLEANER IS COMING OUT OF ALL 3 OF THOSE HOLES! Con pilot ports!



Next, I’ll flip the carb bodies over and spray out the choke / enriching supply(hold the choke open), pilot (again), main circuit, fuel bowl supply and upper half of bowl chamber. Verifying cleaner coming out the other ends with compressed air.  












The carb bodies are now done and I’ll be moving onto the bowls, jets, etc. I always try to be creative when cleaning out these little jets, and pieces. Some may think it’s un-orthodox, but it’s quick, easy and gets the job done without ruining anything. Very small vinyl pipe cleaner set, Q-tips, small strands of copper wire, etc. I won’t be cleaning out the pilot jets, because I’m replacing with new ones (bigger #40 sized). Later I’ll be tuning the bike to pre-emission Canadian spec’s.

I always make sure all the little holes in the emulsion tubes are free and clear using cleaner and compressed air. The rest is pretty much self explanatory.








At this point, EVERYTHING has been cleaned and verified. I can now start assembling the carbs.

PART TWO:

Now that the carbs are out, I always drain the float bowls into a clean container to see what, or if, anything comes out. I used the tailgate of the truck as a work bench to drain OUTSIDE in a well ventilated area. As you can see in my pic’s, the bowls are full of debris. Trouble....












The outsides of the carb bodies are filthy and need a good cleaning. Now is the time to do it. I used a whole can of carb cleaner and a blow gun / air compressor to clean them up. See the difference? Always start off with clean outsides so none of the junk gets into your cleaned carbs. Cleaning them will also help with the linkages, etc.






Now that the carbs are drained and cleaned, I can take them inside to the shop and start dis-assembly. First thing I’m going to do is mark EVERYTHING with it’s prospective cylinder #. Some thing’s I’m going to replace. Most of it will be returned to it’s original carb body, keeping all of the original factory mating surfaces the same. You’ll see I've also marked everything up top on the plenum and the intake snorkels. The top side is also coming off. Some guys don’t, but you’ll see why later-on that it’s best to remove it.












I started with taking off all of the float bowls. YUK! I’ve done countless carb rebuilds, but have never seen anything like this. Funny thing is, that the bike ran great, right up to the point to where it wouldn't.












After the bowls are off, I removed all of the floats and checked to see if there was any leakage. Shaking them to see if there was any gas on the insides. All checked OK. I cleaned them and set them aside. I also took a real good look at the float needles. Many times the rubber tip gets worn and grooved. LOOK THEM OVER GOOD. If grooved, throw them away and get new needles and seats! Surprisingly, mine were OK and cleaned up well. I take a shop cloth and spray carb cleaner on the towel, then gently twist the tip of the needle in the cloth. Cleans them up well.






Next, I remove ALL of the jets. Float seats, idle mixture, slow speed / pilots, main jet and emulsion tube’s. Check the screens on the Float needle seats. Clean as needed. I have both a homemade idle mixture screw tool and a Honda factory tool. Homemade one gets used on the bench. I counted the screw turns from lightly seated. All were between 2 and 2 ½ turns from the factory. It doesn't matter to me what they are, because I will be doing a jet change and the idle drop procedure when done.





















Now that all of the bottom side is disassembled, I’ll move to the top and take all of the upper components out. I start removing the diaphragm’s / slide’s and inspect the slides for wear. Also looking at the rubber diaphragm’s to see if they are in good shape, not torn, or dry and brittle. Mine checked out OK, but had some weird white stains on them. Probably from sitting for a long time. Most of it cleaned up. Also have a look at the needles to see if they are worn / scuffed from possibly rubbing.









As you can see here, it is important to check and replace the secondary air breather filter regularly, just in front of the air cleaner assy. The breather filter on this bike disintegrated and filled the upper diaphragm chamber’s with foam filter material. Which also means particles went down into the carb vent, air-cut valve assy., choke vent and slow speed vent.






I now have a nice pile of carburetor parts. All numbered and placed separately with each corresponding cylinder number.



As mentioned earlier, some guys don’t take the upper plenum / tube assy. off when cleaning their carbs. It is relatively easy to remove it, but a pain to re-install. My opinion is that it must come off, or damage to the air-cut valve diaphragms, sooner or later, WILL happen. I've worked on quite a few bikes that were having fuel economy, idle speed, drivability and “running rich” conditions. All do to the “Shade Tree mechanic” destroying the air â€"cut valve diaphragms with carburetor cleaner, by NOT removing them. To get the air-cut valves out, the upper plenum must be removed.

Also take note that the plenum mounting screws are #3 Phillips. Using a #2 may work, but more than likely they will strip out. The screws are tight from the factory.






You’ll notice here that there are centering dowels on the bottom of the plenum. The screws go down through the center of them. Sometimes they fall out and get lost. Use caution when lifting up the plenum.



There are 8 dowels. I circled the locations in the carb bodies the best I could.



Now that the plenum is off, I can remove the air-cut valves. Sort of a challenging task, but can be done without breaking the carbs totally apart (major pain). I’ve taken the ST carbs totally apart once and vowed to never do it again! Linkages, springs, tubes, alignments, o-rings, etc.

There are two valves facing on the outer bodies of the carb’s. I take them off first. Then move onto the inner ones.



The inner valves upper screw can be removed with a #1 Phillips at an angle. Lots of inward pressure is needed so the screw doesn't strip, but breaks loose easily. For the lower screw, I use a 90 degree Phillips. Trust me, it can be done. I have to hold the throttle linkage out of the way for access. I used an old license plate wrench to hold the linkages open.










Check the diaphragms for dry rot, cracks, condition, etc... There are o-rings that will stick to the inner body of the carb. Don’t loose them...


I now have totally stripped carbs and ready for cleaning.