i have worked on bikes for over 25years. this is my first goldwing.the bike has 38,000 miles and has been in a barn 9 years. the body is now off for painting, i am trying to work out the bugs in the engine. i pulled the carbs and cleaned one at a time, replaced and started and fuel was pooling in the center box that connects them. i pulled them again and adj all 4 floats to the book spec(21mm) and now it runs(no fuel in box) but pops and hesitates when trying to rev. with choke about half on the bike will rev smoother but smells rich, the round black pump on the top of the carbs seems to be good, i have new carb ell to head o-rings, it will idle but wont rev worth a darn,(without the choke) what is up? all this testing has been done with the air filter completly off, for easy acces to the carbs. any help . thanks newbee:)

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I don't know aboutr GW carbs in particular, but I do know about carbs and engines. What you have is a lean condition. It could be from the float level being too low, (not real likely unless it is low enough to prevent the accelerator pump well from filling, (if it has an accelerator well!), did you change the metering rod height?
Without knowing these carbs well, and without b eing able to examine your bike, I can only speak of possibilities. If I had to guess what was "Most likely" the problem, I would guess accelerator pump. hope this helps.
Tom.

thanks all. i know it is lean, when i first started the bike, fuel was collecting in the center box below the air filter, i adj the float(gas stoped pooling) and went to lean, i read somewhere that float level off by +,-,1/2mm, would make trouble.(should be 21mm if my book is correct) this weekend i hope to recheck my float level and get it right(+,-,1/2mm) my acc pump looks new ,and seal looks good also. would running with the filter off make much difference???i now have no filter, i have a k-n on the way.

running w/o an air filter wouldn't or shouldn't cause a prblem at low rpms but you do need one for the correct back pressure through the carbs

thanks all. ... would running with the filter off make much difference???i now have no filter, i have a k-n on the way.

The K&N filter is good, but will make you a little lean. Lean enough to require rejetting??? Maybe, maybe not. You can go a little lean, and be OK, but not too much. The air filter is like a choke. The K&N filter is like less choke. If the metering rods are adjustable, I would move them up one notch richer. That would make you a little richer from off idle to 3/4 throttle. (assuming the carbs work like my CB750). To make the motor richer from 3/4 to WOT, you would need to go with a larger main jet. I would recomend against that at first, run with the new filter, read the plugs, (remember, you need to do a hard cut to read plugs, don't let the motor idle), and decide if you need a bigger jet.
Tom

some bikes have trouble with a k&n filter tom and others don't. another friend of mine has an '84 1200 wing just like mine and it ran too lean with the k&n filter but my 1200 has never had a problem with a k&n filter

over the past weekend i had a chance to install my new k-n, set the float level 21mm, and did the washer under the needle trick.
wow, this thing runs well now (at least on the center stand),i still have no mufflers(i have 12" shortys ordered), but after warm it idles well and accelerates well with no poping or missing(i also set the points, and adj the valves. thanks for the help you-all...
ps anyone know how to clean the little sight glass oil check window??? i have changed the oil and it has been warm 3-4 times now, but still cant c the wiper cleaning the window...

try cleaning or better yet replacing the ign contact points. this will make it run better. they are located on the left rear side of the left cyl head behind a small cover with 2 screws. the gap should be .014. good luck

ok now after 6-7 warm and cool cycles, the sight glass has sorta of cleaned itself. i can now c the oil level now. hope to have a pic up in a couple days. thanks for the help..