No Luck with Carbs

[XSive-11]

So, I've been trying not to do too much to my bike since if I can't get the carbs broken down I have no running bike...

I've let them soak in Chem-Dip for 2 full days and nothing, the slides won't budge. I even tried heat.

And in a move of stupidity and utter frustration, I placed the carbs on the floor on a thick forgiving mat, put a screwdriver in the body and stepped on it to try and break the slide free...nothing. I think I am just going to save a couple bucks and by a new-to-me set. Anybody have any they're willing to let go? I'll offer my carbs towards the purchase maybe someone will have better luck than I? There's a guy 20 minutes from me who has 2 full racks but won't part with them. Selfish guy! lol

[Courtney]

Hmmm, can you remove the slide from it's needle? maybe the needle is siezed in the tube, and if you separate the two you might get somewhere. What about a motorycle shop discussion with a mechanic there? They might have some technique like an ultrasonic cleaner? Just throwing out ideas here.

[TopCatGr58]

I've let them soak in Chem-Dip for 2 full days and nothing, the slides won't budge. I even tried heat.

Well, if they weren't already trashed, they probably are now, since you have now melted your butterfly shaft seals with the 2 days of chemdip exposure! Dis-similar metals like to corrode and fuse together, brass slides and aluminum carb body. Ultrasound does seem like a good alternative. Also, you could try applications of a heatgun to help expand the housing and possibly help break the corrosion.

Have you taken the tops of the carbs off...are the rubber diaphragms in any kind of condition? If they are toast, you'll be replacing them as well. Aside from Chemdip, have you tried spritzing them with PB Blaster? It does sound like it's going to get even more $$ if you have to replace the diaphragms, along with the shaft seals, and will possibly need new float needles/seats, maybe even new floats? A decent quality replacement rack of carbs might be the cheaper....or at least the easier solution in the long run. Hope you can find a set nearby at a decent price!

T.C.

[XSive-11]

I was following someone's advice on letting them soak for 2 days.

I have tried alternating between spraying PB Blaster and Carb Cleaner. The diaphragms appear to be intact, no tears, no soft or see-thru spots, good sealing edge along top of carb.

I guess a next step would be to try and get the needle out from the slide. I'd like to find a pair and then get these to a shop for the ultrasonic cleaner. We'll see what happens. Like I said, the few people nearby I have come across having these don't want to get rid of them.

[DGXSER]

You can go to HF, and get a relatively cheap ultrasonic cleaner. If you break the rack apart, they will fit pretty well into the small UC from HF. Takes flipping them once to get the entire carb. Should get your slides free. If you really need a new set of carbs. Let me know. I have a set I would be willing to sell. They may need some tweaking to work correctly, but they are all here. One of the I fixed a broken post in. Not the best work of my life, but it seems to work.

[TopCatGr58]

Hey again,

Courtney, I don't think the actual slide needle is sticking to the emulsion tube, but anything's possible, but being a tapered needle, it shouldn't have much of a hold even if it is corroded/frozen.

The Slide is a very snug fit into the carb body with a much larger contact area, and so is easily frozen with just the littlest bit of corrosion between the two.

Good to hear that the diaphragms are in good shape, and that you can PULL them up away from the carb body so that you could squirt the PB Blaster down around the slide below the diaphragm.

We don't have a tech tip on replacing the butterfly shaft seals, but we need one. The screws that hold the butterflies to the shaft are peened to prevent them from coming loose and getting sucked into the engine damaging pistons/valves! SO...you'll need to gently grind/dremel the non-head end of the screws before attempting to unscrew them. Then you'll need to do the same(peen) to the NEW SCREWS when you put them back together.

Good luck.
T.C.

[CaptonZap]

If you are at the point of saying "I can't budge them", then you are at the point that somewhat unorthodox methods might be called upon.
Snap ring pliers come in two styles, inside and outside. The outside type spread the jaws when you squeeze the handle.
If you got a big pair of outside type, wrapped some tape around the tips, to protect the aluminum slide and throat area of the carb, you could insert the tips under the edge of the slide, and apply pressure up while a helper applied vibration to the outside of the body. Sharp taps with a plastic mallet or screwdriver handle.
Once you get a little motion, apply some Kroil to the inside of the throat, and drive the slide back closed, repeat till something happens. It should travel farther each time you get movement.
Another thought is that somewhere in the files is a post that shows how to make a tool to push out a broken idle bleed screw tip. It used a bolt and nut to act as a screw press. A short one might be made to work in the limited space between the slide and throat. Once you reached the limit of that bolt, if it moved the slide, a longer bolt could be installed.
There's gotta be a way!

CZ