Aboaut to clean the carbs any tips

I've read the material on cleaning carburetors. I have yet to open them since my mechanic is a total space case and has yet to even pull them apart, he says however if the carbs have just been sitting or haven't been messed with much at all then they should just need a good cleaning. However I am quite frightened because the last owner didn't know what the hell he was doing. As I've said in a previous post, the fuel tank was lined with some where metallic paint stuff that is chunky and causes gasoline to gunk up over time so chunks of this are floating around in the fuel tank. The previous owner said when he first got the bike the, it wouldn't run strong and needed the choke valve open in order to fully. He said he thought it was the carbs. My theory is that some of the chunks from the metallic stuff in the fuel tank that's floating around got stuck in the fuel filter and some of it passed through the fuel line and started some clogging in the carbs. After this the guy pulled the carbs soaked them but didn't clean them thoroughly he tossed them back into the back and he said it still didn't run fully well. Anyhow, eventually he pulled out the fuel filter, which I think really started to cause problems cause he said after he pulled the filter the bike ran worse. So what I'm thinking is that after he pulled the fuel filter, the carbs really got clogged. Then I'm assuming the bike just kinda sat around over time and it got to the point it couldn't start like now. The bike will start with starter fluid but won't stay started which from other posts I've seen around is a symptom of a particular jet being clogged.

With the back stories out of the way, and given I've made a few previous posts, I was just wondering a few things before I get to work on cleaning:

First off, since I haven't opened them, and you might reply before I do open them, with the given information, will I be needing to prepare for a carb rebuilding session in the future or do they just need a cleaning.

Second what do I need to do to clean these suckers if it's the second, are these easily damaged or can I get rough if I need to clear off gunk.

Thanks and wish me luck.

 

You need some Special Tooling
There BRASS "Screw slots" all over. Strip something and you need a Drill Press, a Dremel Tool and Easy-outs.

Break a Float Hinge Pivot Post and you might need Psychological Counseling.

If the Throttle ButterFly Seals are swollen from being dunked ...
you need Ebay.

You need the Patience of a Saint.

Be prepared to need Gaskets, Float valves and pin ... and a Pilot Mixture Screw or two.

 

There are two carb cleaning links in the links section under the DIY and How to's header. These will help you identify parts and how to remove them. A good cleaning will always include new parts. Mainly the float needles and seats. Gasket would be needed if the original rubber one are torn. partsnmore.com has choices on which parts to buy but they also have a $35 minimum order.
ONce you study the carb cleaning guides and decide to get started, this is the place to get help if you get stuck.

 

I am a newbie, I would make sure you read all RickCoMatics advice on carb cleaning... and follow to the letter 1 mistake I made was rushing everything because I was excited to get the bike up and running ..this cost me alot of extra time in the end.the biggest mistake was on the emulsion tubes.I only sprayed carb cleaner in them with out taking them out ..I didnt clean out those little holes..so be patient it will be worth it ..all of those brass fittings that Rick says have to come out really do have to come out

good luck,,

 

If this is your first Carb Cleaning ... do YOURSELF a favor.

Don't do the whole rack at once.
Do the Number-1 Carb and get the "Lay-of-the-land"

With just one Carb to concentrate on ... you won't be overwhelmed by a million parts and you'll do a better job.

It will also let you know what to expect when you do the next one.
You'll start "Getting your shidt together" and remember what you did on the first one.

By the time you've done 75 or 80 ... you'll be right in the groove.

 

So what should I buy in terms of parts before I start cleaning them?

 

Good advice Rick, one at a time is a very good place to start. Clean the external surfaces of the rack and then locate a nice desk somewhere safe from regular traffic (a lesson well learned, one bump is all it takes for small parts to sail off into never land). Make sure it is clean and you've put down clean rags/cloth/paper towels to work on. Read up on the intricacies as outlined by Rick and you should be golden!

 

Gaskets.

If you want to do something nice for the Carbs ...
Float Valves and Pins.

If you are a Big Guy (260+)
The next hotter set of Main Jets

If the Pilot Mixture Screws are "Chunked and chewed"
Pilot Air Screws.

If you got money to burn
Pretty new Chrome Hats for the Outboard Carbs

If you are going to do your own Tweaking and Fine-tuning
A ColorTune Plug

If you plan on doing the whole job and putting them back on-the-bike right after you do the Overhaul.
A case of Bud Lite.

 

Haha only if I was 21 I would get a case of bud lite. However I don't have much time to spare need to get the thing running in the next 2 weeks or I'm just gonna have to sell the thing. So I'm just wondering is it possible to just clean the carbs without replacing anything and the bike still runs?

 

Most probably yes, provided the parts inside are in good condition. i've done my carbs 3 times on different occasions without installing a single part or seal but that's due to the parts being in a reusable state. unfortunately the only way to discover is to dig in & see 1st hand.

 

I wish my mechanic wasn't so lazy, I'm really nervous about doing cleaning them for, one I feel I'm going to have to replace something, and parts tend to take forever to ship since you usually you have to buy this stuff online, and as well I don't even know if it'll run once the carbs are clean, just kinda on a nervous point with this bike, guess I just need to get my nerve up and just do it.

 

Dive right in, the water is fine. You'll have an answer to most of your questions by the first fuel bowl (usually). Have courage, it isn't as bad as it seems (also usually).
Flushing your fuel system is in order as well. You want to remove as much of the "metallic stuff" as possible. You may also consider pulling and cleaning your fuel petcock and attached filter assembly. From the sounds of things, you probably have the internal fuel filters clogged (on top of the float needle seat if they are still there).

 

The first day I pulled the fuel petcock, the filter wasn't there to begin with which is what caused these problems I think. I'm gonna pick the carburetors up from the guy's house tomorrow and work on em in my basement overnight. I really don't want to soak them, and I think the bike is operable with just cleaning the carbs and not replacing anything. The bike will start and run indefinitely with starter fluid, the engine won't run strong, however it will run for awhile longer than a minute. This is with the choke valve all the way open by the way. I'll try to flush the tank but I'm gonna need a bunch of solvents and such to flush it in it's current condition. As well with this main problem, the bike's front caliper froze, so that needs to be rebuilt which is underway, the clutch cable is very very stiff where you basically doing forearm workouts to pull the clutch in, (I think the cable just needs to be lubed). I need to bleed the front breaks and put the caliper back on, and I need to do an oil change just to be safe. I don't think the bike is a lost cause however, I do feel at the moment with the bike in the hands of the guy it's in now it will be a lost cause for several years (he's slower than molasses though he has a full amass of bike mechanic knowledge just he procrastinates and is slow). I'm gonna pick up the carb rack tomorrow and start cleaning out number one. I'll post more when I get to it. Wish me luck!

 

Here's the BEST advice I can give you!

Good Luck.

If the tool doesn't perfectly fit Jet Screw Slots ... you are BEGGING for trouble.

This little Post of mine might help:

http://xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=2 ... carbs.html

 

I picked up the carbs today they're mikunis. SO Rick help what do I do with Mikunis.

Thanks

 

I just cleaned my Mikunis... It was not totally disassembled, but from what Rick posted and from what my manual suggests for cleaning carbs, its about the same. Look here for help on removing the needle seat. Otherwise, its about the same. One thing, though, if your engine is the 550, you will have to remove the heat shield off the bottom of it to get to the float bowls, and I had to use an impact driver to help get those screws off (if they are really tight)...

 

Opened the carbs today, well one. A lot of the screws are stuck which pisses me off so I could only open one. But with what I saw on the first one, was that it was fine, the pilot jet was really gooky sprayed carb cleaner on it and threw it into a tin can and filled it with cleaner their soaking their right now as I speak. Um it didn't seem like there was too much wrong. Nothing needs to be replaced, just the jets seemed to be clogged like I figured. Well any ideas on getting out stripped screws?

 

I'd never heard of an impact screwdriver before reading these forums.

Best tool I own! It's amazing what it will break loose.

Get one.

 

We have a pneumatic one in the garage, heavy duty shit. And yea I have screws that look like they need an allen wrench now. We sprayed some "Break Free" lube on them to soak overnight. Not really worried since I'll just try to dremel the screw to extract it with a flat head, if that don't work I'll just drill in and extract the d**n thing out. Everything I think is fine, did air tests through my tubings, and good new is they can create a vacuum, bad news is I won't know if there are anymore unknowns to the bike not starting until I try and start the bike.