Carburetors----should or shouldn't I?

[Poot]

Relating to this post,

I want to take apart and clean my carbs this winter....

I don't really have much mechanical experience, since this is my first bike.

The only things I have really "done" , was to dissasemble the rear of the bike to install new swingarm bearings, as well as cleaning/regreasing etc., and to put in a new valve-cover gasket.

Now carbs are a lot more complex and difficult to work with, and to keep track of all of the little parts. I have started reading my manual more, and looking at the series on the site here, but I still wonder what equipment/supplies i will/should need (I.E. new gaskets, needles to buy in advance?) I have access to all of the tools that would be required in the operation.



Do you guys think I can do this? :? I would really like to learn, but if there is no realistic shot of me being able to do this without screwing something up (badly;-) , then I suppose I would have to take it to a mechanic.....which is something I do NOT like doing.

advice would be great.


poot

[gspaul]

It looks hard at first , but dont be put off , It's not.
Change the intake O ring's , allway's good to do.
As for carby internals you may not need any thing, but you need to tell us if there have been any mods , non standard exaust,air filter, etc, then we can help with any jet, needle changes.
Really there are not many parts in these carby's.
I don't mind helping you, and I know our American freinds certainly will.
Go for it!!

[Dink]

they arent hard to do , it just looks complicated, get four ice-cream containers one for each carb, that way what comes out of a carb goes back in the same carb.
Dink

[ZacharyB]

8O I did my carbs but I am afraind to touch anything on the chassis. For me, carbs are easy compared to that stuff. Just be sure to work in a well lit area with a clean floor so you can find anything if you drop it. Get a carb kit or two to replace gaskets you might accidentally tear or screws you might break. Remove everything (all rubber) then dunk the body in some kind of carb cleaner for an hour or two. Then blast the cleaner out of the passages using compressed air (I used brake cleaner (dries quickly) because I didn't have an air compressor). Reassemble

NOTE it helps to make little drawings of ALL the adjustment screws' positions. I did this and none of them needed adjustment after I put the carbs back together; everything was pretty close to where it was prior to stripping.

Click on my profile button and search my recent posts for the nasty surprise I had to deal with in my #4 carb... just in case you run into the same thing. It's a worst-case scenario

[Jethro]

If you had the skill to remove and install swingarm bearings yourself, you have the skill to work on carbs.

[marcovandevelde]

Hi Poot,
If you want to be real easy, you can only take the floatbowls off, clean this out for particles, and after reassembly run something like Forte fuel-system cleaner in your fuel to clean it. In many cases I've seen this helps just as well (or better because of damage by manual cleaning) as taking them apart.

Good luck, Marco.

[Poot]

thanks a lot guys! I'll be getting 1 or 2 carb kits , and basically preparing as much as possible before the actual operation.
i'll alo be using a digital camera to help me reassemble things...
thank god for the GSR!

[first timer]

do a search for cleaning carbs there are a bunch of posts offering tons of good tips and tricks to doing them.

-ryan

[QuaiChangKane]

For carbs and other small assemblies - I use a shallow baking pan, about 1-1/2 inches deep, 12" x 18" or so.

After you separate the carbs, disassemble them inside the pan on a well-lit work surface to catch anything that you may drop. Beats the hell out of scouring the floor because you dropped a spring or a jet....

Download the carb series, and just go slowly - one at a time. Aside from any chem-dip time you may or may not need, the first one will take you about 2 hours, and the subsequent carbs will become quicker and quicker. Make sure you put each carb back together before you tear the next apart - this way, you'll have an assembled carb to look at if you get confused while putting the next one back together...


-Q!

[KEITH KRAUSE]

they arent hard to do , it just looks complicated, get four ice-cream containers one for each carb, that way what comes out of a carb goes back in the same carb.
Dink

And you get to stuff yourself with ice cream!

[Anonymous]

Hi Poot,
If you want to be real easy, you can only take the floatbowls off, clean this out for particles, and after reassembly run something like Forte fuel-system cleaner in your fuel to clean it. In many cases I've seen this helps just as well (or better because of damage by manual cleaning) as taking them apart.

Good luck, Marco.

What is this fuel system cleaner? where canone buy it? I would like to try this to my dirty carbs and save me a headache

[marcovandevelde]

It's at

http://www.camskill.co.uk/products.php?plid=m1b0s26p0

I don't know about a dealer in the US, but I'm sure there are similar products for sale.

Greetz, Marco.

[Mr. Jiggles]

Berryman's Chem-Dip also works very well for carb cleaning. I wouldn't take all of them apart at one time, especially if this is your first experience with carbs. Always have one carb that is assembled for reference in case you get confused.

The most difficult part is probably going to be dealing with frozen screws and the occasional stuck float pin. Just be prepared - have a fresh hardened drill bit on hand for drilling out the heads and replacement screws (allen head). Don't forget - you'll need to synch the carbs after you put them back on the bike.