1st carb cleaning, wish me luck

[ambidextrous]

well, im having some carb issues

leaking gas near the pod filter, and from what ive been reading, and know about bikes, ive got a stuck float

ive had the bike for a few years, and i havent cleaned the carbs, who knows when the PO did

so im gonna go for it

gonna go get supplies tomorrow

some tupperware, carb cleaner, misc cleaning tools, and of course, some beers

i guess my question is, if i should have some replacement parts on hand just in case

maybe some float bowl gaskets, floats, float needle

should i order those parts, or see what mine look like first?

ive read so many threads, tips, walkthroughs and videos that i feel im as ready as im gonna be

im pretty handy and mechanically inclined, so i think this is something i can do

cant ride it with gas leaking all over, so its worth a shot!

[bikerphil]

If you're careful, the bowl gaskets can be usually saved. Don't forget to soak your pilot jets first with PB Blaster, they can be difficult to remove. Also, make a screwdriver to fit them (pilot jets) exactly by grinding a bit off the sides. By all means you don't want to strip the soft brass head slots or you'll be in for some drilling. Use some heat if necessary. Remove the float pins with extra care as the posts are very fragile. You'll probably need some new O rings for the fuel seat. Hard to tell exactly what you'll need until you get in there. Don't immerse the entire carb bodies in caustic cleaner, the butterfly shaft seals will become damaged. Good luck!

[ambidextrous]

good idea with that 'custom' screwdriver

buy a cheap one and grind it down, i like that idea a lot, thanks

im gonna go slow, take pics, and use the awesome pics and walkthrough in the 'carb cleaning 101' thread in the forum

that looks so helpful

i was very very afraid about this job, but thanks to those pics, it seems less scary

still scary, just less scary

[XSokieSPECIAL]

1st cleaning?.............2 more to go.......LOL........

[ambidextrous]

ha ha ha

i was thinking kind of the same thing

that ill be getting really good at taking these carbs apart on the 3rd or 4th time

i guess i could always bring them in to a 'professional' and pay some unknown guy to do it and hope its right, but i really dont want to do that

id rather try it myself first and get my hands dirty

[DGXSER]

The unfortunate reality is that 99% of the pros out there have not been around long enough to know what they are dealing with on these bikes including the carbs. Add to that, 90% of the people selling the parts and kits know even less about what goes in these things. Also, there are a number of parts including the jets that will screw in and seem to fit but be completely wrong.

So, I strongly recommend you do what I did and read the tech tips on this site, dig in, and when you get stuck come here and ask questions of the guys here that either learned like I did with help from others here, or the ones here that were factory trained to work on them when they were made.

[79XS11F]

In my opinion if your going to go to the trouble of pulling the carbs and going through them you should change out as many of the parts as you can find except for perhaps the air and fuel jets that do not have moving parts that contact them. Main and needle jets can wear over time. Gaskets and float valves are always a good thing to change out.
I look at it like this. If I were to have to pay someone to do this sort of work it would cost 100s of dollars. I can invest some of my savings into doing a good job that involves some new parts.

Rob

[ambidextrous]

thats my exact plan DG

rob, i was thinking that, but im just too excited to get it running

i think ill try a cleaning first, and see if that gets it done

then ill order some stuff up, but i cant wait

and its good practice anyway i guess

[WMarshy]

If your interested, do a little search for Pine-Sol. You should be able to find a tip about soaking/cleaning carbs with it and there is not harm to the seals... So if your looking to get the entire carb body clean and dont have an ultrasonic cleaner then you can try soaking them in some Pine-Sol. Others had great results.

[cheezy]

make sure you don't loose the ball bearing and springs for the enrichment rod. i did that the first time. also, be careful with the a/f mixture screws so you don't break off the tips inside, and loose the washers and o-rings!

[XSive Okie]

Bought my '79 from my father-in-law, who just had carbs gone through and re-synched last year. Hopefully won't have to mess with 'em for awhile!

[fredintoon]

Bought my '79 from my father-in-law, who just had carbs gone through and re-synched last year. Hopefully won't have to mess with 'em for awhile!

Hi Okie,
depends who did it, don't it?
If the carbs were worked on by an expert you'll be fine for quite a while.
If not, not.

[XSive Okie]

Fredintoon, the guy that did it is the most knowledgable in NW Oklahoma, and did an excellent job. Haven't had any trouble with start-up, idle, or the way she runs out down the road.

[fredintoon]

Fredintoon, the guy that did it is the most knowledgable in NW Oklahoma, and did an excellent job. Haven't had any trouble with start-up, idle, or the way she runs out down the road.

Hi Okie,
lucky you that the father in law found such a guy, they are getting scarce.
Taking a 30 year old bike to the average repair shop has the teenage mechanic bewilderedly looking for a plug-in for his diagnostic electronics.

[cywelchjr]

Hi Okie,
lucky you that the father in law found such a guy, they are getting scarce.
Taking a 30 year old bike to the average repair shop has the teenage mechanic bewilderedly looking for a plug-in for his diagnostic electronics.

Which is why I frequent the shop I do. While the guy is not perfect, he was working on them when these were new, and understands most of if. Not the specifics of this bike, but of bikes this age, and the shop actually specializes in 70's and 80 machines as well as Goldwings (although the owner sold his GW for a Hayabusa).