Home made carb synch gauge

Following the general instructions on youtube I knocked together a home made carb synch gauge (manometer perhaps - two plastic bottles with two stroke oil to less than half full, connected by plastic tubing and fitted with two vacuum lines that connect to carb vacuum ports). Are these ok to use on outboards? I've seen them used to good effect on other multiple carb engines. Thankfully for me I only have two cylinders/carbs to balance.

I found that the oil doesn't flow easily between the bottles. Is oil too "thick"? Should I use other oil or water perhaps? I'm only using 3mm I.D. tubing as that is what fits the ports on my carbs, is this too small to allow good flow?

During this process I checked the linkages between the two carbs and found that both the butterfly's and choke plates were nowhere near synchronised. Fixing this alone will make a big difference no doubt.

What are you 'balancing'? The carbs are both closed at idle, and open with the throttle.

Jeff

The vacuum through each carb at idle, the flow of air:fuel before the butterfly opens. The manual says to set each idle circuit screw at 1 1/8 turns out from lightly seated. This process is supposed to fine tune that setting, at least I thought. Am I barking up the wrong tree? Having adjusted the linkages between the two carbs for the throttle butterfly and the choke plate things are a lot better. After removing and replacing the carbs last time I just used the settings for these linkages as they were before pulling things apart, but I failed to take into account that the carbs aren't positioned with dowels and can sit closer to each other or further apart depending on how they are held in place while the mounting nuts are tightened. It only makes for a small adjustment change but I should take more care to follow instructions in the manuals I have.

Is this below linked process of no benefit to outboard carbs?
http://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&r...BKq7mVwgeskAPDLrcudHiAA&bvm=bv.96783405,d.dGc

If your are planning on using this rube goldberg device on your 55 Mariner, please tell us where you plan on tapping into the vacuum- there are no external vacuum ports on these carbs. Use your service manual, and set the carbs and linkage as per directed.

There is a vacuum port on the spacer between the reed block and the carb. On some models there is a tube connecting them but mine only has two blank rubber plugs. I have set the screws and linkages as per the manual, every now and again while the engine is idling (for quite some time) it seems to sneeze and then slowly lose revs until it stalls. Think I'm getting close now, with this side of things.

You are over thinking! Just be sure the carbs open together, and that the idle mixure is correct.

It's not one of those English sports cars!

Jeff

Thanks Jeff, I get that a lot. Most let me waste a whole bunch of time before telling me to move on. Consider me moving on.

An honest man...what a pleasure!

Jeff