The Ultimate Off-Road Bonanza Gambler 100 Project
- Thread starter Bonanza Bryan
- Start date
boot setup wouldn't be a bad ideal,but then you might need a small extra brace. if indeed that carb is really bouncing around or it may slip off?
bryan whats going on with the catch can. don't you what a return line for the can. that's if it ever did get oil in it. kind of like draining some of the oil out of your engine and having nowhere to go back?
bryan whats going on with the catch can. don't you what a return line for the can. that's if it ever did get oil in it. kind of like draining some of the oil out of your engine and having nowhere to go back?
I'm thinking fluke. A lot of these are running on minibikes and carts with no suspension and this is the first time I've seen this. Could something have hit the carb before or during the ride that may have cracked it? (then vibration caused it to break completely) The more I look at how it broke, the more I wonder if the flange faces (carb and manifold) were flat; if either of them had a high spot (likely at the bottom considering how it broke), it would have stressed the carb casting when the nuts were tightened. Another thing I notice is how low the exposed portion of the o-ring is hanging, makes me wonder how it could have been in the groove; if it wasn't, and was pinched between the flanges instead, that could have caused it (same as a high spot), although I'd think that would have caused a vacuum leak and a resultant running problem. Just thinking...
I would carefully examine the untouched fracture surfaces with my optivisors and a 10x hand lens.
Looking for distinct differences in the surfaces. Maybe a casting flaw, doubt it’s an issue of over torquing, maybe irregular mating surfaces. I kind of like the boot mount with a brace idea. Could prove to be really rugged.
Looking for distinct differences in the surfaces. Maybe a casting flaw, doubt it’s an issue of over torquing, maybe irregular mating surfaces. I kind of like the boot mount with a brace idea. Could prove to be really rugged.
I think the most likely cause was excessive pressure on the bottom part of the flange due to an irregular surface (not flat) on one of the flanges or a foreign object (something that doesn't belong) between the flanges. I've seen pictures of these carbs with the flange surfaced and with the flange as cast. An as cast flange might not be flat (castings often distort as they cool) and/or have flash/flashing protruding. If you replace the carburetor with the same type, check the manifold and carb flange surfaces for flatness using a straightedge with a light source behind it. The manifold flange is probably machined; if it's a one piece machined from billet manifold (looks like), it's probably flat; if it's a weldment (flanges welded to tube), it may have distorted/warped from welding. Anyway, I think something caused excessive pressure on the bottom section of the carb flange. I realize this is somewhat repetitious of my previous post, just trying to think it out a bit further. I may buy one of these, I'd like to understand what happened to yours before I do. 
Throw something on it and get it running, you've done too much work to let this make you miss the Gambler!
Throw something on it and get it running, you've done too much work to let this make you miss the Gambler!
It was a random problem. Too many successful installations by ham-fisted grease monkeys for it not to have been. Since you're going to be out there on a Central Oregon course blowing the doors off of everyone, why not support that carburetor? If you don't want to run a strut from the bottom of the bowl to the engine slot, maybe just some twisted .032 or .040 safety wire around the carb and back up to the engine somewhere. Just in case there is a cosmic confluence occurring near your intake manifold. That shit happens. Ask anyone.
I come from an aviation background. Everything is safety wired. If you do buy that expensive roll of .032, you might want to go all over that frame looking for things that could get loose during spirited riding. Also, the bolt on crowd gets all weepy and emotional when they see stuff safety wired. They'll hold back from you on the start line, thinking you're sponsored by Bonanza, or have actual ties to the Ponderosa, and the Cartwright family. Get into their heads with safety wire man.
Got a genuine mikuni today been playing with jetting and just can’t get it right. Top end is pretty good running a 125 jet. However the bottom end is horrible tried everything from a 12.5 all the way to a 30 and no luck! Seems to run the best with the 22.5 but bogs from idle to WOT if feathered into WOT it works better but no ideal. Very frustrated. And to top it off just blew another side cover gasket. So looks like I will be sitting this race it out. I’m out of time and extremely frustrated. Probably going to park this for awhile before I get back to it
