[LowLife1220]

while i was priming my frame i pulled off my intake runners to paint them as well. i was looking at my carbs and realized it wasn't as clean as i was telling myself. so i disconnected them and took them out for a cleaning. the big problem i see is that the "spring" as i'll call it that keeps the chokes operating the same has sprung. do i have to replace it or can it be repaired and if so whats the spec and where do they connect? i'm going to strip the carbs to their casings and boil them out for a deep clean. i heard on another forum that some people use lemon juice to do this. i'll give it a try and hope that i don't melt the carbs. if it doesnt go well expect to see a wtb post in the for sale forum

 

[nolavox]

I would not use an acid of any type to clean carbs. Many solvent based products work fine and I'd stick to something non corrosive like gunk carb cleaner.

 

[LRCXed]

Good point nolavox, I have a few carb cores here that were boiled in vinegar etc, that had parts dissolved off them. They were boiled for WAY too long though.



Lowlife, does the spring still have the hooks at each end? If so just take it back around 1 time and reconnect it.

 

[LowLife1220]

still has the hooks. where does it reconnect to? please show picture if possible

 

[LRCXed]

Here is what it should hook to after one revolution. If you go to my photobucket link here you will see all 5 pictures of how to wind it around. Follow the numbers in the titles though. The uploaded out of order.

 

[LowLife1220]

i'll have to look when i get home. work filter blocks photobucket. thanks, i still have to clean the hell out of them and come up with some kind of holder for the rear side of the carbs. i removed the original one because the choke cable was being blocked by it. i don't think i threw it away so maybe i can modify it to clear.

 

[LRCXed]

Are you talking about the cross brace that goes between the two carbs? If so, it really needs to be there. Otherwise the carbs can twist and cause them to loose the balance between them.

 

[LowLife1220]

yeah thats the one i am talking about. there are 2 and i took one off. i'll put it back on after i clean it all up

 

[LRCXed]

You should re balance them too. As the carbs twist and change position the two throttle plates move too. Now that you're going to stabilize them they will stay in balance better.

Good luck with it.

 

[LowLife1220]

thanks, i have a feeling i'll need some luck.

 

[LowLife1220]

got the spring put in the correct position. it was way off. turns out i did throw away the rear stay. i got a piece of angle aluminum that I'll make a new one to keep them together. thanks for the pictures and advice. i hope after some polishing and painting this will be the end of my carb woes. but somehow i doubt it.

 

[CXPHREAK]

I wouldn't have the afrontery to contradict anything that Larry has to say on the subject of carbs but here in Oz where ultrasonic cleaners cost $1000+ and carb dip seems only to be sold by the 20 litre drum for workshops I have used white vinegar for the soaking of the stripped carb bodies with success.

Coupling this with aerosol carb cleaner, an airline and Larrys manual cleaning method seems to work quite well.



I would tend to think that boiling the carb bodies may possibly lead to some distortion although I too have come across this boiling in lemon juice method on another forum where it was said to give good results. In fact, I nearly did it myself but judging by how clean the low speed jets etc appeared when pulled after the carb bodies had marinated in the vinegar for a few days it didn't seem neccessary.

 

[LRCXed]

If you want a stock one, email me your address and I'll send you one if you cover the shipping.

 

[LRCXed]

CXPREAK, I had no idea sonic cleaners were so expensive there. Wow!

I should have gone farther in my description of the boiled carbs I have. One set was put in a pressure cooker with vinegar and water,then left for the day while he went to work. They came out with metal parts missing that were there when he put them in.



I have no doubt that lemon juice or vinegar soaking will help clean out a set of carbs don't get me wrong. I'm sure it works just fine. But all I can share with anyone is what has been successful for me. Someday maybe I'll try it. I did use the pine-sol once to see how it worked. I wasn't impressed with it at all. They ended up in the sonic and simple green after the test.

Heating up any cleaning method will enhance and help the cleaning process. But boiling in my opinion is way too hot and asking for problems. Just my opinion though.



The main thing in my opinion, is getting the passages and jets cleaned and back to the oem specs. How anyone gets to that is up to them for sure. What ever works, works. Just so long as we keep these bikes on the road and running factory sweet, were all happy.

Thanks for the input. It's how we all learn.

 

[philbrewer]

Although Larry isn't too fond of the pine sol, I swear by that stuff. All I ever use.

 

[ramprat06]

Geeze, maybe we outta set up a group buy for the Harbor Freight sonic cleaners and ship a C.A.R.E. package to the big, really big island of OZ and let them feast on the spoils of the Luau.

Can't imagine shipping and customs adding THAT much on to the price. WOW indeed.

 

[CXPHREAK]

Yes, unfortunately H.F. don't appear to ship outside of the U.S. but I have my eye on a 2.5 litre one with a company in the U.K which will probably cost me about $350 inc. shipping.

 

[LowLife1220]

I made a keep bracket out of a small section of angle aluminum. did'nt paint it or anything, painted the towers of the carbs flat black. will degrease the carb body so it looks better. want to install it on sunday now the spring for the choke is back where it belongs.

 

[bearman1]

I remember when I was younger working on the Illinois river, there was this cook onboard that used STRAIGHT Pine-Sol on EVERYTHING, the floors, the counters, the walls.......It was truely an AROMATIC expierience! I was SO glad when she shifted off and not so glad when she came back on.



Sorry fellas, I just couldn't help my pine-ing away......Lol



It seems to work although, I'll never use it.



Anyways, back to reading the mail...........

 

[ramprat06]

Yes, unfortunately H.F. don't appear to ship outside of the U.S. but I have my eye on a 2.5 litre one with a company in the U.K which will probably cost me about $350 inc. shipping.

That they don't ship there was why I said a kind of group buy thing, and send them ourselves from here. Nothing wrong with that, in my mind anyway. Round up those fellas over there that want one, fund it on this side via paypal or something like that, then the kingpin gets them from HB and ships them out from here. Heck, I'd even go for that myself. Wouldn't take too much and I'd not ask for any real profit margin. I can use the company discount I have at work easy enough to get the best rate possible. PM me your address, CXP, and I could see what the shipping would be from Portland Or.



Joel in the Couve