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Carb cleaner - safe for GS carbs?

  • Thread starter Thread starter shawzygs850
  • Start date Start date
S

shawzygs850

Guest
Greetings all

New to the forum, what a fantastic resource I can't peel myself away since discovering it. \\:D/

Need some help on carbs: about to attempt a poor-mans carb cleaning with the "spray into intake with engine running" cleaner and I want to know if there are any components in the carbs that don't take to this method kindly.

I fried some seat needles on a '83 Gold Wing using carb spray cleaner as the needles were neoprene tipped and MELTED as a result. A nice $300 lesson for me I don't want to repeat.

Many of you I know will respond with "do the strip and dip" method which I may dive into but thought to try spray cleaner first.

Thanks

------------------
'83 GS850G
 
Trust me...save yourself a lot of heartache, swearing, and just being generally p!ssed off....get the o-rings from Robert Barr, look up the re-build series and re-build the carbs. Will only take you 3 hours....
 
I don't think there is anything that will be hurt by the "spray in the intake" method. However, that will only clean one side of the slide and needle. If you want to do any good at all, you have already guessed it, you're going to have to do the "strip and dip". Speedzter says it only takes 3 hours, I tend to disagree. I will strip the first carb and put it in the dip. Directions say for 15-30 minutes. I prefer 15-30 hours. That's right, just like the vitamins, One a Day.

While you have the carbs off, check the condition of the intake tubes. If they are hard and maybe brittle, you should order new ones. They are not cheap, but the bike will run SO much better. Whether you need the tubes or not, you will need the o-rings that seal them to the head. Under $2 each. Get the o-ring kit for the carbs from Robert Barr. He is a member of this forum and can set you up with all that you need. \\:D/


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Steve said:
Directions say for 15-30 minutes. I prefer 15-30 hours. That's right, just like the vitamins, One a Day.
Click to expand...

I agree with the full rebuild method. Just a guess here but I'd say that about 2/3 of the people don't go far enough during their first carb rebuild and have to do it again.

Regarding how long to dip the carbs, if you leave them in too long the aluminum will turn dark. Ask me how I know...
 
I figured as much.

Thanks for the replies, looks like I have a carb bath to draw. I'll be back on the board I'm sure for bail-outs during the adventure so stay tuned ;)

Cheers
 
Due to my lack of experience can anyone please describe the symptoms of dirty carbs? Starting, idle, driveability - anything helps.

Only reason I ask is that after bringing my gs850 out of storage engine performance now feels like a VESPA 150cc scooter, idle is not possible - dies unless I hold throttle open, choke has little impact on running.

When parked 9 months ago she ran wonderfully (although regulator was faulty, new one now in the mail).

Must be Ignition or carbs.

Which one to tackle first?
 
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shawzygs850 said:
Due to my lack of experience can anyone please describe the symptoms of dirty carbs? Starting, idle, driveability - anything helps.

Only reason I ask is that after bringing my gs850 out of storage engine performance now feels like a VESPA 150cc scooter, idle is not possible - dies unless I hold throttle open, choke has little impact on running.

When parked 9 months ago she ran wonderfully (although regulator was faulty, new one now in the mail).

Must be Ignition or carbs.

Which one to tackle first?
Click to expand...

Let me give you a hint...ignore the ignition. 8-[

Why are you asking for the symtoms of dirty carbs? Sounds like you are already experiencing them all. :shock:
Any time you are going to let the bike sit for more than a couple of weeks, plan on putting some fuel stabilizer in and running it long enough to make sure the mixture gets into the carbs. It does not take much, a spirited trip around a city block is enough. Many people use Sta-Bil, a product found in any auto parts store, Wal-Mart, and I even saw it in Lowe's yesterday. I have started using SeaFoam. It is more of a cleaner, but it also has good stabilizer properties, so it kills two birds with one stone. \\:D/


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Nessism said:
Regarding how long to dip the carbs, if you leave them in too long the aluminum will turn dark. Ask me how I know...
Click to expand...


I have done several sets of carbs in the last couple of years and have had NO discoloration with a 23-hour dip time. I decided to go with a longer dip time when 30 minutes did not clean the carbs, so I tried 2 hours. Still not enough, so I just did one every evening when I go home from work. 8-[


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In that case Steve I will goto the carbs pronto.

Much appreciated!

I always wonder if ignition troubles are similar in nature to carb troubles from a symptoms perspective.
 
In the bikes I've owned over the years (78 Honda CB550, 78 GS550, 79 GS1000/last 12 years) I've put a bottle of fuel-injector cleaner in the fuel tank each spring in order to break down gum in the carbs with no adverse effects. In a couple of cases I had cold enrichment or idle problems that went away after doing this. Sold under a variety of labels, it's typically around a 300mL bottle and is called fuel injector cleaner. The spray-in-the-carb chemical was intended for down-draft type carbs (automotive) which would build fuel "muck" from evaporated fuel vapor over time in the venturi and vertical air bleeds and on linkages (oil muck).....it doubled as combustion chamber cleaner and was more used for that purpose. It won't hurt your bike but may do little to help it as bikes generally run hot, high rpm and the style of side-draft carbs aren't as prone to this problem.
 
Question on carb re-assembly: Not sure if I should seat the Air Screw fully or back it off a few threads.

When removing it wasn't tight.
 
Are you talking about the one that is in the intake throat? All the jets should be rather snug in their seats. The only one that needs adjustment is the mixture screw which is on the top of the outlet of the carb, just before the rubber intake tube that is attached to the cylinder head. Depending on which bike you have, whether it has pods and/or pipes, other jetting concerns, start with the mixture screws 1 1/2 to 2 turns out from lightly seated.


.
 
Yep that's the idle mixture screw. It's labeled air screw in that pic but it fine tunes idle fuel supply on the CV carbs (1980 and later bikes).
 
If this is IDLE mixture screw how does one alter A/F ratio above idle?

My GS appears to run rich above idle - on acceleration I typically have a nice plume of black smoke out the exhaust and plugs are nicely carbon fouled, not to mention mileage isn't so hot. I assumed the previous owner had her tuned rich for performance reasons, or does this point to another problem? I would like to eliminate the rich running above idle. I don't think jets have been changed but then again no idea how to tell.

I would think that poor ignition could also make things "appear" rich when they are not, if for example mixture doesn't burn completely due to weak spark. Just guessing here...
 
SUCCESSSS!!!!!

Just want to report my troubles are over thanks to a carb overhaul. She started up sooo nicely it was great to here that engine scream again - gave me tingles. Aside from a bit of popping when on choke she is right as rain. Going to adjust air screws should take care of it.

Thanks all could not have done it without the help from this board.

Cheers

----
EDIT: Need to verify but I still may have the slight rich running condition - but after reading through threads and how carbs work in general I have some ideas on how to lean her out through the 3 ranges (idle = air screw, mid = needle jet, above 3/4 throttle = main jet)
 
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