I hear you about the aftermarket parts but the old ones were not in great shape. Is there NOTHING from the new kit you'd use then? O-rings, gaskets float needle...nothing?
I assume the O-rings and gaskets will be OK to use. The point is that the brassware inside the carbs hardly wears if at all. No wonder; not that much gas passes when there are 4 carbs for just a 550cc engine. Maybe the jets are OK to use, but I've read complaints here about the needles.
Inspect the little O-rings on the main jets. It's a
must they seal well.
I wrote something on getting the needle jets out for cleaning, the easy way. The search function here is down so give me some time.
Ah, here it is.
For who is interested, below you'll find the directions for a complete inspection.
1. Unscrew the 4 floatbowl screws (later to be replaced by same size allen screws)
2. Pull floatbowl carefully downwards in a straight line. If you number the floatbowls 1,2,3 and 4, you can use them as containers for all the brass parts of that particular carb.
3. Remove springleaf
4. remove float by carefully(!) extracting it's swingpin. Do not exercise force. Some manage to break their whatever it is called (towers?). If the swingpin is hard to extract, spray some WD-40. Caution: whilst removing the float, have your free hand cupped under it to collect the tiny floatneedle that will fall down. Don't loose it! They are expensive.
5. Pull the main jet using your thumb and finger. Some wiggling does it.
6. After removing the main jets twist the throttle wide open in order to raise the slides and with them the needles. Now with your free hand insert from below a match or wooden toothpick into the needle jets (aka emulsion tubes). When that is snug in the needle jet, cant or turn the wooden toothpick a mm or so and you can wiggle the emulsion tube out easily. Some WD-40 at forehand can help. Essential in this procedure is that you open the throttle to have the needles raised. BTW, sometimes the needle jets just drop by themselves after the main jet is removed, so start with your hand cupped under it.
7. Use a small screwdriver 'slid in sideways (horizontally)' to unscrew the slow jet. Think first and make sure you turn it in the right direction. Gently!
8. All parts go in 1,2,3,4, numbered floatbowls or little containers
9. Now all parts can be inspected and cleaned. Don't forget to carefully inspect the tiny O-rings that seal the main jets.
10. The airscrews (in the sides of the carbs) can be removed at all times. Caution: do not loose the little spring under them. On these carbs they don't have tiny O-rings.
11. Back to the carbbodies. Use a can carbcleaner with a straw and spray from below the carbbodies upwards in all it's orifices. Don't forget the openings where the airscrews sat.
12. Install in reverse order. Do not overtighten the slow jets!
13. Install floatbowl using new little allen screws instead of the old dreadful crosshead screws. Much easier for future removals.
You need to be at ease and well concentrated. Don't hurry. On a CB500 carb #1 and #2 are a bit harder due to the presence of the clutchcable. Make it a Zen exercise (that's how Soichiro designed motorcycles, with Zen). I can do it blindfolded and after the first time so can you.
This method can be exercised with 022A, 069A, 087A, 627B, 649A carbs
