One way to clean carbs on the bike

[NEO]

This is in no way a fix for problem carbs or a a replacement to rebuilding them. I have tried everything to get these carbs on my 80 gs550 to run right with no luck,aside from rebuilding them due to my lazy ways.

I had everything running what i thought was proper until i took a trip last week into town and the #2 carb(always the problem) starts spewing gas all over my leg.

After i got home soaked in fuel and full of rage, I turned off the petcock, cut the fuel line and let the engine run till the bowls were empty.I got out the carb cleaner,with the long nozzel,sprayed the carbs near full and let it sit for 20 minutes. I got out the air nozzel on the compressor and hit it striaight on the fuel line while cycling the throttle till the cleaner was gone. Make sure and plug the air vents on the carbs if it has them.

Well i reconnected the fuel line with an inline filter, turned the gas on and cranked and cranked.........and cranked. And BOOM it ran smooth and perfect for the first time since i had it. At first i didnt think alot about how good it ran until i noticed the choke was off. It has never ran with the choke off until it warmed up for at least 10 minutes since ive owned it.
Even dead cold i bliped the throttle and it reved like a sport bike.

Due to the 20 some degree weather i havent taken it out but i did start it this morning and to my suprise it started with the choke a third on for only 20 seconds or so. Then again perfect idle.

Dont take this as the gospel for fixing your problems but it worked for me.
And to all of those who will bash,dont waste your time. I know im lazy and cheap.

 

[salty_monk]

Wouldn't all that carb cleaner end up in the sump?

Good idea but I reckon you now need an oil & filter change to be on the safe side.

Dan

 

[davewallen]

My only concern (not bashing here,, since I'm not a wrencher) I don't know what the GS floats are made of, but I hear some are so thin walled the air pressure will actually squish the float.

 

[NEO]

Wouldn't all that carb cleaner end up in the sump?

Good idea but I reckon you now need an oil & filter change to be on the safe side.

Dan

Good call. I actually left out the part that this was a last ditch effort before storing for the winter which includes and oil change. I fully expect gas and carb cleaner in the crank case. If you use seafoam it wouldnt be as bad since some folks use that in there oil and gas.

As for the floats,Dave,have a great point. Mine faired fine but it doesnt mean everyones will. This wasnt intended as much of a how to. I was to the point of just buying a set and having them rebuilt anyway. This was it for these carbs in my book.

 

[blo]

My only concern (not bashing here,, since I'm not a wrencher) I don't know what the GS floats are made of, but I hear some are so thin walled the air pressure will actually squish the float.

Not to mention the diaphrames in the CV carbs. High pressure air is a sure way of ripping them.

Just my .02

-blo

 

[Guest]

Not to mention the diaphrames in the CV carbs. High pressure air is a sure way of ripping them.

Just my .02

-blo

Exactly. I wouldn't do this trick. Ever. I'd say you got extremely lucky by not ripping them to shreds.

 

[tkent02]

I have heard of people using the type carb cleaner that you pour into the tank in extremely high concentrations on car motors.
Like a whole bottle in a half gallon of gas or something.
The air pressure idea seems bad with CV carbs, maybe with all of them.

 

[NEO]

Lucky me then. Also this was done with regulated pressure. I wanted the carb cleaner to get where the gas normally goes without pulling them off again. I used 10lbs of pressure after i sprayed the carb cleaner. ALOT of carb cleaner.

There right dont try this. BUT if ripped boots and sunk floats run this well,ill take them over the hassle i was dealing with.

 

[Eli69]

dude i like your attitude, it's just one step short of kickin and screamin at the bike. (i usually kick mine in the tire so it leaves no permanent damage).


i'll just throw this out there cuz i'm thinking about it - i use power source diesel fuel additive (it's an injector cleaner) in my gas. whenever i would remember to i'd dump in a dollop. 1 gallon is good for 300 gallons of fuel so it doesn't take much. my carbs used to leak all over the place, now they don't and the inside looks pretty good. actually, i put the stuff in everything, cars, sleds, lawnmower. it also keeps fuel from freezing.

 

[spyug]

I've done a lot of carb cleaning and tuneing over the last 4 years and I find there is no quick way to do it other than pulling them and stripping for a full cleaning. The first time you attempt it it can be very intimidating but if you go about it in an orderly fashion it usually works out.

Once I get the carbs sorted, I've gotten into the habit of using Seafoam in the tank. It stabalises the gas and keeps the carbs clean as it runs through. I think the gas we are getting now is quicker to go off as I've seen float bowls gunked up after sitting only 3 or 4 months.

Prevention is always better than a cure.

Cheers,
spyug.

 

[NEO]

dude i like your attitude, it's just one step short of kickin and screamin at the bike. (i usually kick mine in the tire so it leaves no permanent damage).


i'll just throw this out there cuz i'm thinking about it - i use power source diesel fuel additive (it's an injector cleaner) in my gas. whenever i would remember to i'd dump in a dollop. 1 gallon is good for 300 gallons of fuel so it doesn't take much. my carbs used to leak all over the place, now they don't and the inside looks pretty good. actually, i put the stuff in everything, cars, sleds, lawnmower. it also keeps fuel from freezing.

Great idea. And as far as the kicking and screaming, this is an old rat rod chopped,stretched,and raked demon from the underworld. Im not a purist. In all honesty the only thing left stock gs550 is the engine and 1/3rd of the frame. I kick the sh%t out of it. I scream and curse at it. But i love it.

 

[Eli69]

yepper, in my little world bikes are for beating on.

Correction - the stuff i put in my gas is called power service not power source. not a replacement for a good cleaning but seems to keep carbs shinier inside. and it doesn't cost too much.

 

[zig06]

2 more cents....

The fuel inlet routes directly to the float bowl, which is then vented outside the carb (and into the head). So in my opinion, the pressure could never get high enough to crush a copper float. The newer molded ones are even tougher to crush.

And ripping the CV's shouldn't be a real concern either, because I believe that those ports are routed to the "main air chamber" right behind the butterfly valve. So there's no way for your shot of cleaner and air to even get at the CV boot. At least not directly.

Now, I pesonally wouldn't have done this, but hey ~ it worked! And "back in the day" when cars had carbs, giving a direct shot into the carb air ports when it was running was a very common mechanic trick.

So I say that this is definitely worth trying again. Just go easy on the air pressure. Or just try reconnecting the fuel line after shooting it with carb cleaner, you never know.

 

[gasmanstl]

I posted a thing like this on the Yahoo group...

I posted a thing like this on the Yahoo group...

...and practically got the s^&* kicked out of me. Just for fun, I'll repost the message here, to see how it flies, then when I'm next here, I will post "their" replies to this message. Here goes the Yahoo group message:


""""It's hard to argue with a guy telling you to do it right. I am a
waaaaay meticulous, plodding individual (which must be why it takes
me so long to get anything done??? So, Chuck, my apologies to you in
advance... but do listen, with an open mind:

I am the past owner of a Yamaha XJ-750 Maxim. Bought it new in 1983,
sold it last April. Many years elapsed with Maxine...and much to-do:
marriages, medical school, residency...so as you might imagine, she
was neglected on more than one occasion. Maybe even once or twice,
not winterized right...or at all...

And more than once, in March, when the first smells of spring in St.
Louis (and in Norfolk, where I went to school) are the smells of the
dog**** thawing from out beneath the permafrost and tundra...Maxine
didn't run quite right.

Being the lazy sort, who hates to disassemble carbs and the
like...and sporting a chemistry degree, as well, thinking most any
problems can be solved by solvent (no pun intended), I couldn't help
but do the following:

1). Run the carbs out of gas by d/c'ing the fuel line and running
engine until quits.

2). Using a can of carb cleaner, and sticking the squirty red tube
thing into the main fuel line, and administering slowly...filling the
four float bowls with carb cleaner from the spray can. Let the bike
sit for about 15 mins. after this maneuver.

3). Start the bike. NB: believe it or not, the bike will run (or at
least mine did on carb cleaner. I'm not sure how. I know that carb
cleaner is predominately benzene, which doesn't burn much. Maybe it
was the leftover gas in the bowl mixing with the benzene. I dunno.)
I didn't say it was pretty: you might have to dick with the choke and
the throttle to get it to run, and it won't idle nice. It's work.
Keep filling the floatbowls with the carb cleaner by squirting it
into the main fuel line. The bike really does run on the carb
cleaner.

4). Fuel tank of bike: leave in 1 gallon of gas, and mix in a couple
of those tall plastic bottles of @#$% that say "fuel system cleaner"
or "fuel injector cleaner". Yes, I noticed that each bottle is
supposed to treat a whole tank of gas. Never mind. Connect main fuel
line.

5). Start bike. Apply helmet to head, drive the bike like you're 16
years old (only don't fall down) for 10 or 15 minutes. Just drive
the living **** out of it.

6). Go home, run the carbs out of gas again as described above, and
repeat the old carb-cleaner-in-the-main-fuel-line trick again. Leave
the solvent in the carbs for 15 mins, and then run the bike again on
the carb cleaner, if it will run. If not, just crank the starter and
suck the cleaner through the carb as best you can, manipulating the
choke and the throttle. In my experience, the bike will run.

7). Re-connect the gastank to the carbs and run the living **** out
of your bike again. Try to just putz around a little too, so the
juice will be sucked around the jet and the needle at the most
commonly used throttle settings.

8). Leave a quart or so of this toxic mixture in your tank, fill up,
and drive bike normally.

Using this procedure, I sucessfully owned a 750 Maxim for 23 years
WITHOUT EVER HAVING TO DISASSEMBLE THE CARBS for cleaning.

This may not work for you. Your mileage may vary. I hope you have
as much success with it as I did. I just bought a 93 GSX1100g that
has a bad stumble in it at 4000 rpm, and I'm getting ready to apply
this technology to the new bike """

 

[Steve]

Interesting procedure, for sure. 8-[

It took me a couple of times to figure out what needed to be done to clean the carbs properly, but I still have yet to figure out how often. Since 2000, when I got back into motorcycling after a 17-year break, I have used Sta-Bil in the gas tank before winter storage. I usually double the dose, then go around the block to make sure it gets through all the passages in the carbs. Except for the 'around the block' part, I do this with the lawn mower, too. Never had a problem starting up in the spring. In fact, I usually don't even have to charge the battery over the winter. In the spring, I have just given it full choke, turned the key, hit the starter button, and it runs. \\/ I also do this with the snowblower in the spring. After 4 seasons, it still starts with the first pull of the rope when I test it for winter. \\/

Nothing against Sta-Bil, like I said, it has worked very well for me, but this year I am switching to SeaFoam. I have used SeaFoam occasionally throughout the summer to tidy things up, and it is supposed to work well for winter storage, too, so I am going to try it this year. I have heard that Sta-Bil has an expiration date, and this will be one less item on the shelf.


.

 

[spyug]

I'm a convert to Seafoam myself. After lots of good reviews on the XS board last year I gave it a shot and it smoothed out a bit of a rough idle ( after a meticulous cleaning and rebuild). Since then I put an ounce or so in each tank.

When I got the GS this year, I did a quick carb cleaning and again started a Seafoam regimin. I also add it to the crankcase as I'm told it is good for cleaning clogged up oil passages (the bike sat for 7 years). I checked with the manufacturer and it is petroleum based and safe for use with M/C clutches...so no worries as the OZ blokes say.

It seems that gas these days go bad quicker than before and as they say , " an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" so at an ounce or so a time Seafoam is a cheap preventative measure IMHO.

If the carbs are kept clean and the bike is run regularily I don't think they'd need to be cleaned more often than every 3rd or 4 year. Its the long term winter layups that play hell with them if untreated gas is left in.

For the last couple of years, I drained the tank and ran the carbs dry for winter storage. This year I'll keep 'em gassed up with the Seafoam in and hopefully get a short ride in every once in a while.

Carb cleaning is not really fun afterall.

Cheers all.
spyug.

 

[Bizcocho]

Congrats, NEO, on a very creative solution. I too think it isn't likely to hurt the floats, and I don't think the pressure can get to the diagphrams either. If there's a risk, it may be that you could force dirt into an orifice; but you wouldn't be much worse off. Great out-of-the-box thinking!:-D

 

[NEO]

...and practically got the s^&* kicked out of me. Just for fun, I'll repost the message here, to see how it flies, then when I'm next here, I will post "their" replies to this message. Here goes the Yahoo group message:


""""It's hard to argue with a guy telling you to do it right. I am a
waaaaay meticulous, plodding individual (which must be why it takes
me so long to get anything done??? So, Chuck, my apologies to you in
advance... but do listen, with an open mind:

I am the past owner of a Yamaha XJ-750 Maxim. Bought it new in 1983,
sold it last April. Many years elapsed with Maxine...and much to-do:
marriages, medical school, residency...so as you might imagine, she
was neglected on more than one occasion. Maybe even once or twice,
not winterized right...or at all...

And more than once, in March, when the first smells of spring in St.
Louis (and in Norfolk, where I went to school) are the smells of the
dog**** thawing from out beneath the permafrost and tundra...Maxine
didn't run quite right.

Being the lazy sort, who hates to disassemble carbs and the
like...and sporting a chemistry degree, as well, thinking most any
problems can be solved by solvent (no pun intended), I couldn't help
but do the following:

1). Run the carbs out of gas by d/c'ing the fuel line and running
engine until quits.

2). Using a can of carb cleaner, and sticking the squirty red tube
thing into the main fuel line, and administering slowly...filling the
four float bowls with carb cleaner from the spray can. Let the bike
sit for about 15 mins. after this maneuver.

3). Start the bike. NB: believe it or not, the bike will run (or at
least mine did on carb cleaner. I'm not sure how. I know that carb
cleaner is predominately benzene, which doesn't burn much. Maybe it
was the leftover gas in the bowl mixing with the benzene. I dunno.)
I didn't say it was pretty: you might have to dick with the choke and
the throttle to get it to run, and it won't idle nice. It's work.
Keep filling the floatbowls with the carb cleaner by squirting it
into the main fuel line. The bike really does run on the carb
cleaner.

4). Fuel tank of bike: leave in 1 gallon of gas, and mix in a couple
of those tall plastic bottles of @#$% that say "fuel system cleaner"
or "fuel injector cleaner". Yes, I noticed that each bottle is
supposed to treat a whole tank of gas. Never mind. Connect main fuel
line.

5). Start bike. Apply helmet to head, drive the bike like you're 16
years old (only don't fall down) for 10 or 15 minutes. Just drive
the living **** out of it.

6). Go home, run the carbs out of gas again as described above, and
repeat the old carb-cleaner-in-the-main-fuel-line trick again. Leave
the solvent in the carbs for 15 mins, and then run the bike again on
the carb cleaner, if it will run. If not, just crank the starter and
suck the cleaner through the carb as best you can, manipulating the
choke and the throttle. In my experience, the bike will run.

7). Re-connect the gastank to the carbs and run the living **** out
of your bike again. Try to just putz around a little too, so the
juice will be sucked around the jet and the needle at the most
commonly used throttle settings.

8). Leave a quart or so of this toxic mixture in your tank, fill up,
and drive bike normally.

Using this procedure, I sucessfully owned a 750 Maxim for 23 years
WITHOUT EVER HAVING TO DISASSEMBLE THE CARBS for cleaning.

This may not work for you. Your mileage may vary. I hope you have
as much success with it as I did. I just bought a 93 GSX1100g that
has a bad stumble in it at 4000 rpm, and I'm getting ready to apply
this technology to the new bike """

You got me curious so i tried while the bike was running,the main fuel line dis-connected and spraying the cleaner through the line. The bike ran,and ran,and ran. It gained rpm's a little then all of a sudden shot up so i turned the idle down and it ran for 5 minutes on constant spray of 2 cans of carb cleaner. BUT after i shut it off it would not restart on cleaner alone. I let it sit in the bowls about 30 minutes then blew it out again. I really didnt think it would run on cleaner only but it does.

 

[Headphase]

price of petrol keeps goin up here it might be cheaper just to fill my tank up with carb cleaner then.
\\/