How to physically remove carbs from bike - gs650gl

[WilliamGLX81]

Hey everyone. I need to clean my carbs, and I'm all ready to dig into it, and I'd love to start on it, but... How do I get them off the bike?

It looks somewhat like they installed the airbox, then carbs, then engine, but... that's insane. I've seen the rebuild series and I have the service manual from basscliff, but it seems like everyone else knows how to get the carbs off. I've searched the site, but just gotten swamped, since everyone talks about carbs.

I'd really appreciate some step-by-step instructions that a moron could follow.
I'm thinking maybe loosen both clamps, slide the rack of carbs one way or the other into the boots, and then.... uh... ?

Thanks
William

 

[Don-lo]

Loosen the air-filter holder box, loosen the battery box, loosen the clamp on the big oval tube, loosen the front and rear air boot clamps, and pull/tilt/wiggle the carbs back until the carbs come out of the front boots. The plenum (airbox collector) should hit the frame. The carbs then come forward out of the rear boots and exit to the right. Remove the choke and throttle cables when the carbs are halfway out.

 

[WilliamGLX81]

Thank you! That's exactly what I needed.

William

 

[jbs80106]

What Don-lo said...

What Don-lo said...

but I've only ever had to loosen hose clamps on both sides of the carbs. Use a stick and a small block of wood sometimes to get leverage. Haven't messed w/big hose on airbox as its a PITA to get back on with the old rubber on my bike...patience, leverage and some cussing usually does the trick for me!

LOL@!

 

[ddaniels]

I discovered just the other day that it's way way waaaay easier to get the carbs out if I take the airbox loose from the frame, leave it attached to the carbs, and pull the carbs and airbox out the side together. Then seperate the carbs from the airbox. Install in the reverse.

 

[WilliamGLX81]

Hah! Man.... This is not going to be like working on a car... The handlebars kept hitting me in the head while I whaled on the carbs. It took about as much effort as when I break suspension bolts loose - about 75 ft-lbs I'd guess. Amazing, or ridiculous, I'm not sure which just yet.

As for pulling out the airbox attached to the carbs... There's a big ol' piece of 3/4" (1"?) frame tubing in my way. It surrounds the airbox to carbs connection.

I loosened all carb clamps, pulled the gas tank off, pulled the fuel lines etc, disconnected the choke and throttle cables and brackets, and then tilted the carbs up from behind and slid out to the left. It seemed the rubber was really fresh on the backs of the carbs, not sure about the boots that really matter yet lol.

By the way, as the bike warms, should the choke slowly slide back in, or is that vibrations pulling on the cable?

I'm so close, I can taste it!