Topic: how many times does it take to clean your carbs so you can ride?

[dave500]

should be a poll but no one really responds to them,,,how many times do you have to remove and clean your friggen carbs???fark!!!cant you all do it once and be done??it only takes once.,,do it once ,,do it well.,,,,oh hang on,,i might have missed a bit of crud,,,oh???i didnt pull the slow jets,,,hey whats this long tube with holes along its length?is it some kind off emulsifier?i dropped the bowls and they looked clean etc.,,i dont want no excuses.

edit on purpose,,the points were dirty or some other #$%*.
 i had it on reserve as i knew it was low on fuel.

my fuel line was kinked.

i had a bad condesor it turns out

whos pulled carbs here over and again to find its something else??come on now,,own up!!!

[chewbacca5000]

Hey Dave,

Gotta say I am guilty of trying the carb spray clean while on the bike underestimating the effect 40 years can have on a set of carbs.  Most carbs upon detailed inspection will have some level of corrosion even if it is just the t connector.  I don't like separating the racks as I have to readjust the choke linkage, but going forward it's complete disassemble for me.

[lrutt]

No short cut on carbs. If you have a lot of experience you get to the point that it's just a one time thing. They can never be too clean. Air and carb cleaner are your friends as are very very small probes to clean those small openings without damaging the jets etc. Rarely do I have to buy new parts, just clean old ones.

[70CB750]

I kept pulling them and cleaning but what made a difference was:

- rebuild kits to replace worn parts
- finding and cleaning the passage to idle jet

After that she was eager to run and it was just matter of tweaking.

But it took me many tries to get there.

[jstfkndi]

Working on mine for real for the first time. Hoping to keep them ON the rack for this, but have a rebuild kit and I don't mind taking off the carbs....it's the freaking air box I hate trying to get on and off!! Is there some trick I'm missing or is it just bend and squeeze that thing in any way you can? Not going to get ahead of myself with the rebuild, but I am being meticulous as I don't want to do this again.

[samIam]

Pulled mine twice.  First time, I didnt clean the slow jets good enough and idle was bad.  Second time, got it right.  Live and learn. 

[DJ_AX]

"how many times does it take to clean your carbs so you can ride?"

"the world may never know"

[Lostboy Steve]

lol perfect topic I'm on my 3rd complete rebuild in 2 months. I guess I missed something.

[bollingball]

Pulled mine twice.  First time, I didnt clean the slow jets good enough and idle was bad.  Second time, got it right.  Live and learn.

Same here. But read the manual (Honda) it says the slow jets are non removable.  !978 750K. So do I get a pass. or go to carb rebuild jail

Ken

[Really?]

In short, until you get it ALL right.  I pulled my carbs off a few times to clean.  They would get dirty right after each cleaning.  Eh you say?  Yup, dirty right after being cleaned.  It took me a while to figure out that the PO's tank liner was melting and flowing with the gas right back into the carbs.  After all that was fixed, then I noticed the fuel lines were deteriorating from the inside, little black dots holding the float pins open.  All fixed now, clean and no leaking carbs.

[750K]

Once if you do it right.

[grachman]

Hahaha!  I learned from hearing my old man cursing after removing carbs multiple times.  After the 3rd or 4th time, he would usually drop them on my lap and tell me to do it.  His eyes weren't so good.  I learned pretty early to be thorough with carbs.

[Duanob]

Three times with the carbs completely off the bike and once by taking off the float bowls and clearing out the pilot jets after sitting all winter. Runs like a champ now.

[Duanob]

Once if you do it right.

You're just a special kinda guy 

[harisuluv]

Just one time now but when I first started there were redos.  Now I just go all the away apart and soda blasted and the whole deal. If they are for myself or I am just trying to get a bike running I don't always polish them so it can be done a little quicker. When it comes to carbs I think of "Aliens" when Ripley says "...nuke the entire site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure.."

[fmctm1sw]

It depends on how dirty your gas tank is.

[Scott S]

 Clean them, then clean them again. When you think they're REALLY clean, clean 'em again.

 So, to answer your question: Somewhere between 3 and 737 times.

[Duke McDukiedook]

Took me two times on my CB, I learned my lesson and the VFR carbs only took the first try.

[lucky]

Once if you do it right.

BINGO!!!! We have a winner!!!

[seanbarney41]

...Dave, it's probably 'cuz everybody on here keeps trying to use all this weird stuff that wasn't designed for carb cleaning to clean their carbs, like simple green(an excellent degreaser, haven't seen too many carbs full of grease), pinesol(that stuff barely does anything to my kitchen sink), lemon juice?...etc.  yeah, maybe that stuff will work, but if you go to an auto parts store, they have this stuff called "CARBURETOR CLEANER"...

[ekpent]

...Dave, it's probably 'cuz everybody on here keeps trying to use all this weird stuff that wasn't designed for carb cleaning to clean their carbs, like simple green(an excellent degreaser, haven't seen too many carbs full of grease), pinesol(that stuff barely does anything to my kitchen sink), lemon juice?...etc.  yeah, maybe that stuff will work, but if you go to an auto parts store, they have this stuff called "CARBURETOR CLEANER"...

Yep   

[TwoTired]

Upon scrutiny, the question is flawed.

If the carbs are clean, you are done.

If you go though a substandard or cursory cleaning process, many cleaning cycles can still result in problems.

...Dave, it's probably 'cuz everybody on here keeps trying to use all this weird stuff that wasn't designed for carb cleaning to clean their carbs, like simple green(an excellent degreaser, haven't seen too many carbs full of grease), pinesol(that stuff barely does anything to my kitchen sink), lemon juice?...etc.  yeah, maybe that stuff will work, but if you go to an auto parts store, they have this stuff called "CARBURETOR CLEANER"...

You got that right.  But, it must be fun to reinvent the wheel, or cheat one chemical manufacturer to pay another.

I expect these same people have divots all over their wrenches from using it as a hammer.   

The right tool (and a bit of knowledge) can make all the difference.

Cheers,

[Bailgang]

At least 4+ times but but the first 2 tries were a must. When I first started the carbs were so gummed up with varnish I had to boil them in hot water to loosen the slides enough to get them out as well as the float pins because the floats were froze too but that's just the half of it. It was the countless jet changes, needle jet changes, needle jet height adjustments in an effort to figure out why it seemed to run lean. That turned out to be carb boot clamps that weren't tight enough and I swear I had checked for vacuum leaks before. Once I figured that out and replaced the manifold "O" rings, that's when the carbs started responding like they should.

[CoachDoc]

Once for me, but I was extremely thorough and ridiculously meticulous. 38 year old 550 runs like new, so the effort was well worth it.

[chase2034]

How many times does it take to clean the carbs? Zero for me . I use sea foam with every tank.

[trueblue]

...Dave, it's probably 'cuz everybody on here keeps trying to use all this weird stuff that wasn't designed for carb cleaning to clean their carbs, like simple green(an excellent degreaser, haven't seen too many carbs full of grease), pinesol(that stuff barely does anything to my kitchen sink), lemon juice?...etc.  yeah, maybe that stuff will work, but if you go to an auto parts store, they have this stuff called "CARBURETOR CLEANER"...

I don't use carb cleaner, I use acetone, it breaks down the varnish in nothing flat, IMO it is better than carb cleaner.  The only benefit of carb cleaner over acetone is it comes in a nice little aerosol can.

[TwoTired]

How many times does it take to clean the carbs? Zero for me . I use sea foam with every tank.

I used seafoam after cleaning the carbs, and the carbs gummed up anyway. Ethanol gas.

[Bailgang]

How many times does it take to clean the carbs? Zero for me . I use sea foam with every tank.

I used seafoam after cleaning the carbs, and the carbs gummed up anyway. Ethanol gas.

My carbs had sat for 25+ years before I got my hands on them and I just don't see how seafoam would've made a bit of diff even if the PO had used a whole can of it in the tank before parking the bike for that length of time.

[bjatwood]

My bike sat for 28 years before I bought it. The PO had the bike running with a carb "clean" but I didn't like the way it was running. So I tore them apart to find out
a float was heavy with fuel. So, I guess it would be 2 times of cleaning.

[madmtnmotors]

Exactly three...








and then one stick of dynamite!     

[CB500_k2]

If you take your time and blow out all the little ports with compressed air and take everything apart then one cleaning should be enough.  Since I was new to CBs when I started it took me a couple of times to get the job done.  The trick is just cleaning everything and taking the carbs completely apart.

[ekpent]

The stuff in aerosol cans is not really carb cleaner if you know what I mean , but it is good for blowing out passages,cleaning other parts and souping up a bonfire  Lacquer thinner is great on varnish and oil etc also,save the pop for the cocktails though I have read some threads about that. The carb dunk we get now though in the large dip cans is nothing like it was back in the day either but we have to be friendly to the earth     The good stuff back then would make you feel the pain if you went barehanded or melt your stuff if you forgot about it in the tank for a few days. 

[BeSeeingYou]

This carb cleaning fetish always seems like a bit of self inflicted S & M to me.  With my 79 XS650 I have never removed and dismantled the carbs in 32 years .  Taken the bowls in place off a few times for cleaning.  I will do it this summer for the first time as I plan on replacing the mounting boots.   The CB 750F I have never removed and dismantled the carbs.  Took the bowls off once to clean them and check the jets.   Found one idle jet plugged.  Have not touched them since.  My 75 XS650 I did remove and dismantle the carbs but only because I had dismantled the entire bike.  It ran fine.  I am I blessed by the carb fairies?  Not sure what I am doing right.

[ekpent]

Think you have been Lucky Srust. Most old neglected machines I get its just automatic to pull the carbs,clean and check them out along with the oil change and other major tune-up procedures before I hit the start button and bring them back to life again. Been lucky a couple times though and actually bought a good runner I could just ride.    Once you own them for awhile you know them though.

[harisuluv]

Srust you have been blessed by the carb fairies indeed.  I think a lot of people get bikes that were inoperable without a cleaning, or were missing the carbs in the first place and needed to buy a set second hand. 

If you look at my thread in my sig you will see some horrific carbs that were never ever going to be functional ever again unless they were thoroughly rebuilt.  We're talking about floats that are stuck, laquer in every passageway.  Lacquer in the bowls, different stages of lacquer, corrosion, stuck slides, spider webs, you name it.

If you get a running bike and can just maintain the carbs that's ideal but since these bikes are 40 + years old that's not always possible. 

[750K]

Once if you do it right.

You're just a special kinda guy 

That's what my mom used to tell me, haha.

I had the joy of cleaning my wife's cb400t carbs, the friend I bought the bike from let it sit outside with half a tank of gas and the petcock on for almost two years. They were a #$%*ing mess to say the least, after getting them off the bike I was determined to only do it once. I soaked the rack in carb cleaner for a day or two, rotating them and blowing them out each day in the solution. The jets and needles etc were in my ultra sonic in a cup of simple green then carb cleaner, new gaskets and o rings as well as excelerator pump diaphragm . Put it back on and it ran like a champ, only had to clean it once. Be thorough and do it right and you only have to do it one time.

[brewsky]

When I bought my new 1967 Superhawk, it would not start at the Honda dealer.

The owner was the only one there and after a couple minutes if cussing etc.. he removed the bowls and jets, sprayed some cleaner and compressed air thru, and it fired right up.

He said he thought they drug the crates across the ocean behind the ships with a rope!

Not this bad though: