Carb Rebuilding for Idiots

[ResidentWarui]

On week from today I want to have my new (used) carbs rebuilt, installed, and synched. In order for that to happen I am going to need a long series of kicks in the butt from you guys service manual only goes so far after all.

Yesterday I pickued up my monometer and my genuine suzuki carb attatchments for the vacuum line, as well as a 1 gallon bucket of carb/parts cleaner, to give the carb bodies a good bath before I use install the Keyster kits I have coming in the mail.

If I need anything else please tell me so I can get it before my friend comes down nextweekend...I want to get the whole job done.

Please also post any suggestions for someones first carburetor rebuild
Should I remove the only completely messed carbs first to see how they work before I play with the set coming in the mail? Anything I should know when removing/installing/dissassembling/reassembling them?

Post all of your knowledge here
Lets get my bike running again, together, as a forum

THANKS IN ADVANCE!

[rkubik]

ruefully I advise...

making sure the bowl vents are vented to the atmosphere, not connected together.

Also get an O-ring kit, it's needed and quite inexpensive, contact info is somewhere on this site, I forgot where.

[bwringer]

PLEASE don't install any of the crap in the Keyster kit. Those kits are garbage, and they have caused more heartbreak than cheap hotels.

Well, you can use the bowl gasket. But not much else. You can get the bowl gaskets by themselves here: http://crc2onlinecatalog.com/

The o-rings in the kit? Don't fit. Incomplete. See http://www.cycleorings.com for the full story and replacements.

Needles and seats? Crap -- the springs in the Krapster needles are too soft, making it impossible to set the float height correctly.

Pilot and main jets? Often the wrong size -- carefully clean the old ones and use those. I've also seen main jets in Keyster kits where the hole is visibly a different size than a clean OEM, even though they were marked the same. Pure ultra-crap.

Same with all the other bits and pieces -- you'll be far better off carefully cleaning the original bits and buying OEM when absolutely needed.

I don't know if other brands of kits are better. But send that Keyster junk back before it gets on your bike! Don't learn the hard way, like me...

[LW_Icarus]

I would definitely disassemble the busted up carbs first, and get a feel for how everything works inside em. remove a float pivot pin, that sorta thing, but then make sure to put that stuff away before you get the new ones. that way ya don't have extra parts laying around to get confused with.

the O ring kits are a good idea.the rebuild kits dont have all of em in it. I would like to know what all you get in the keister kits, I know alot of em have all the jets in em too.

your carbs CVs? if so be very careful when handling the vacuum diaphragms in the top. very expensive critters to replace. course youd have some spares...

have patience, don't let yourself get in a hurry, and it should go easy.

[mark]

Get a big white sheet of butcher paper and lay out your carb and pieces on it as you disassemble. I even take a pencil and draw around the pieces and label them to make sure I know whats going on, if its the first time I've done that carb. Keep the pieces of each carb together, try not to mix floats, needles, etc. I put parts in zip lock bags and mark them etc. so I don't lose stuff or get otherwise screwed up. Maybe its over kill, but it keeps you on top of the project.

Compressed air is also very helpful in blowing out passages etc.

[ResidentWarui]

Thanks for the replies

Can anyone else vouch for the truth of the "Keyster kits are garbage" statement? I feel obligated to buy something else after spending about $60 on the Keyster kits.... If so I will need to buy the other stuff quick or else the rebuild will be delayed for a very long time... What do you guys think?

I ordered the O-rings because they are cheap, but I don't know what to do about the rest of the stuff....

[arveejay]

Thanks for the replies

Can anyone else vouch for the truth of the "Keyster kits are garbage" statement? I feel obligated to buy something else after spending about $60 on the Keyster kits.... If so I will need to buy the other stuff quick or else the rebuild will be delayed for a very long time... What do you guys think?

I ordered the O-rings because they are cheap, but I don't know what to do about the rest of the stuff....

Reuse original parts except O Rings.

[Anonymous]

- Make sure that you have screwdrivers of CORRECT size for the jets. Don't feel bad about using a grinder on the sides of your flat screwdriver to make it fit properly down the pilot jet, you will be rewarded with a clean extraction.

- If you don't already have an impact screwdriver, GET ONE!. Harbour freight $3.99 works fine, or spend a few more $$ and buy one at any tool shop (sears etc). You need this and will hate life if you don't.

last one: not by experience, but by suggestion, someone said the Honda carb cleaner (spray) was the strongest ( & $$ ) you could buy w/o a perscription should you NOT want to ungang the carbs and dip...

mike

[ResidentWarui]

Thanks for the replies

Can anyone else vouch for the truth of the "Keyster kits are garbage" statement? I feel obligated to buy something else after spending about $60 on the Keyster kits.... If so I will need to buy the other stuff quick or else the rebuild will be delayed for a very long time... What do you guys think?

I ordered the O-rings because they are cheap, but I don't know what to do about the rest of the stuff....

Reuse original parts except O Rings.

How about the gaskets? I will need to order today if they are necessary.

What size screwdrivers do I need?

Thankssssss.

[ResidentWarui]

I just gave in and ordered the gaskets as well. This way I can resell my Keyster kits on eBay...

Anyone know how good K&L kits are? They are made in Japan so they are probably better than the Keyster ones...hahaha..seriously though.

I was thinking of buying them, but it would have cost a bundle and the consensus is that I don't need to replace the jets as long as I clean them.

So please continue posting the stuff I will need so my friend can bring it down from the city.

If someone could specify what size screwdrivers mike on bike is talking about I'd appreciate it.

I plan on pulling the old carbs off tommorow. Anything I need to know, or any parts I need for doing this? what's the simplest procedure?

Thanks for all the help guys off to calc midterm

[Anonymous]

I didn't mean to let you wander off thinking there was some special screwdriver set. Considering that most fella's have multiple screwdrivers laying around, you can grab something like a medium (#2 ??) flat and grind the hips off the blade so that the blade has the same width as the rest of the shaft (does that make sense?) . The bottom line is if the tip of the screwdriver doesn't fit well and full, you may indeed strip out some of that soft brass, and the pilot jet is recessed in a small tube and known to be a little tricky.

But, do get an impact screwdriver if you don't have one.

mike

[ResidentWarui]

I do have an impact screwdriver, that I love very dearly, in my work tool box which I left at home, maybe I can convince my friend to grab it for me.

What is that used for by the way?

My brain is totally fried from that calc midterm...by far the most vile test I have ever had to slog through... I can understand no calculators, but no identities notes?! common gimme a break. Gonna take a nap and let my head cool down then I will start thinking about that screwdriver business again. Keep in mind that I have only seen one carburetor apart a while ago, so although I understand the general concepts the specifics are still a little above my head. I will try to get them open tommorow.

-Simon

[braindead0]

I used the K&L kits because they come with the float valve/seat (why not swap while in there) and gaskets for less than just those parts would cost. The jets that came in the kit all appeared to be OEM quality and the float springs seemed as good as the originals as well. The gaskets fit fine.

I also ordered the o-rings from cycleorings because the kit doesn't come with everything you should replace while in there. You'll need to un-gang the carbs to install the fuel transfer tube o-rings, and it's really not that difficult to do. If on the other hand you don't feel comfortable doing that, then by all means leave 'em together... unless their is leakage from the transfer tubes of course.

[pntrdave]

I'm surprised no one told you to check this out. http://www.thegsresources.com/gs_carbrebuild.htm
on home page under carb cleanup series
amazing detail in the pics

[ResidentWarui]

Perhaps I should have shelled out for the K&L kits....oh well, if I need to I will rebuild them again.

I agree with you Dave that that guide is excellent, unfortunately it covers a different series of carbs, so I am more or less in the dark... I posted something about whether or not there was a resource like this for the 77-79 carbs and someone claimed to be working on one, and said it would be done last weekend, but I never heard back.

Thanks for all the input everyone, keep it coming

Edit:

Just tried to start the bike to move it from the lot where it broke down to the lot closer to my room, and it wasn't turning. Just dumping gas out the overflows on the carbs again Arg can't the weekend come!