Topic: 1976 Honda 550F Carbs rebuild kit recommendation

[redbaron]

069A Keihin stock carbs. What rebuild kit did you use? from where?

[Deltarider]

You only need the rubber O-rings. Stick to the original jets, needles etc. They hardly wear. Aftermarket products have often been criticised here. They do more harm than good.

[redbaron]

Yeah the needles and jets look good, everything just needs cleaning. Where can I get the carb o-rings? What do you clean carbs with? Can I soak the whole carb bank?

[Deltarider]

In over 43 years of use mine never needed anything else than a little caburettor cleaner and a strand of copper wire (see pic) which is softer than brass. Although a friend has a professional ultrasonic cleaner, I never needed it.
Lots of folks - especially across the pond - overdo it. They ride out with all kinds of chemicals, tools, not needed separation carbs from the rack, often to find out the routing of the fuellines was the problem or the carb problem was electrical after all. The carbs you have are very, very simple. Over winter I prefer to have mine - the same design - in a natural state, which is wet. I drain the bowls say every two months. Then I - with the bowls empty - crank the engine a couple of times, to have it do the blow job, by sucking air through the jets. After this I let the bowls refill again for another two months. Done. For many years now I never needed extra cleaning, so this method works. None of my brassware (in there for 140.000 km) shows wear. I've replaced some rubber parts: the little O-rings around the main jets and some around the drain screws. The rest, including the 8 in the fuel supply rail are still the ones the carbs got when assembled mid 70s.
Another thing: I never needed to adjust the floats on any CB500/550.
Oh... and do abstain from inline filters!
 

[newday777]

In over 43 years of use mine never needed anything else than a little caburettor cleaner and a strand of copper wire (see pic) which is softer than brass. Although a friend has a professional ultrasonic cleaner, I never needed it.
Lots of folks - especially across the pond - overdo it. They ride out with all kinds of chemicals, tools, not needed separation carbs from the rack, often to find out the routing of the fuellines was the problem or the carb problem was electrical after all. The carbs you have are very, very simple. Over winter I prefer to have mine - the same design - in a natural state, which is wet. I drain the bowls say every two months. Then I - with the bowls empty - crank the engine a couple of times, to have it do the blow job, by sucking air through the jets. After this I let the bowls refill again for another two months. Done. For many years now I never needed extra cleaning, so this method works. None of my brassware (in there for 140.000 km) shows wear. I've replaced some rubber parts: the little O-rings around the main jets and some around the drain screws. The rest, including the 8 in the fuel supply rail are still the ones the carbs got when assembled mid 70s.
Another thing: I never needed to adjust the floats on any CB500/550.
Oh... and do abstain from inline filters!

That's all fine and well as long as the bike has been kept running every year on a regular basis. That's great that you have kept your bike running properly.
But..... many of the carb questions on here are regarding bikes that have been abused and left neglected for years, left with old hardened gas in them, many of which have corrosion in the bowlsand jetting ports that squirting carb cleaner won't clear out.....even the soak cans of today won't touch the hardened gunk and corrosion. Today's fuel mix is not friendly to being left unused by the multitudes of unknowing general public that go by, it ran great when I parked it 30 years ago.

[Deltarider]

Newday, good you corrected me. Too often I assume bikes were and are used on a regular basis. Maximum period of inactivity my bike has seenis 7 months. Adding a fuel system cleaner or fuel stabilizer can help. The later PD carbs like on the CB550K3/K4 may benefit from a socalled maintenance dose at every tankfill. 15cc on 15 liters will do. But start with a higher dosis first.