Topic: CB350F: best source for carb rebuild

[Vfrman]

About to take apart the carbs on my 73 CB350F. I searched the archives & couldnt find a simple answer for the best carb kit (orings & gaskets particularly) and where to buy it. TIA

[Stev-o]

About to take apart the carbs on my 73 CB350F. I searched the archives & couldnt find a simple answer for the best carb kit (orings & gaskets particularly) and where to buy it. TIA

Be very cautious about aftermarket carb kits, this is not the place to save a buck.  Determine what brand of brass parts you have, if they are OEM, just clean and reuse.  Aftermarket gaskets are generally ok to use.

[grcamna2]

Vfrman,I like to use stock Honda rubber carb. 'kits',which contain all the rubber o-rings/gaskets;one for each carb.
The aftermarket kits are mostly made in China and will make your bike run worse,if using their jets.

[Vfrman]

Thank you both. The Honda dealer in Tulsa can get em for $21/carb, gaskets & o-rings only. Online prices for the part # 160101344305 were not cheaper. Guess I buy local.

I’ve been told its best to break the carbs apart / take em off the rack. I dont understand why tho

[grcamna2]

Thank you both. The Honda dealer in Tulsa can get em for $21/carb, gaskets & o-rings only. Online prices for the part # 160101344305 were not cheaper. Guess I buy local.

I’ve been told its best to break the carbs apart / take em off the rack. I dont understand why tho

I personally choose to leave the carbs bolted together and work on them individually,makes it simple;many others remove them from the rack of 4 

[denward17]

Thank you both. The Honda dealer in Tulsa can get em for $21/carb, gaskets & o-rings only. Online prices for the part # 160101344305 were not cheaper. Guess I buy local.

I’ve been told its best to break the carbs apart / take em off the rack. I dont understand why tho

Mainly to replace the orings between the carbs for fuel feed.  Not to mention if using an ultrasonic cleaner, it depends on size whether or not the whole rack will fit.

[Nurse Julie]

I sell Viton O ring kits for the 350/4, but I'm in UK. I send them (and the 400/500/550F) to USA regularly, £16.49 for all 4 carbs and the post is usually about £6.00

[carnivorous chicken]

I’ve been told its best to break the carbs apart / take em off the rack. I dont understand why tho

I usually leave them on their rack, although I have separated all four to replace the o-rings that link the fuel passages. If they're not leaking, no need to pull 'em apart.

[Vfrman]

Thank you both. The Honda dealer in Tulsa can get em for $21/carb, gaskets & o-rings only. Online prices for the part # 160101344305  :-[were not cheaper. Guess I buy local.

I’ve been told its best to break the carbs apart / take em off the rack. I dont understand why tho

Mainly to replace the orings between the carbs for fuel feed.  Not to mention if using an ultrasonic cleaner, it depends on size whether or not the whole rack will fit.

I just bought a big enuf (I thought) ultrasonic cleaner to put them in on the rack. I guess I can run it once, flip it & run it again. I would LOVE to not de-rack em….but I’d hate to take em off again cause they leaked in the middle

[Vfrman]

I sell Viton O ring kits for the 350/4, but I'm in UK. I send them (and the 400/500/550F) to USA regularly, £16.49 for all 4 carbs and the post is usually about £6.00

All 4 carbs for about $25US is a killer deal: $80 from Honda here. But it looks like you dont include the rectangular gasket thats under the top cover of ea carb: to get those I think I have to buy the $80-worth of stuff from Honda anyway I think

[carnivorous chicken]

I sell Viton O ring kits for the 350/4, but I'm in UK. I send them (and the 400/500/550F) to USA regularly, £16.49 for all 4 carbs and the post is usually about £6.00

All 4 carbs for about $25US is a killer deal: $80 from Honda here. But it looks like you dont include the rectangular gasket thats under the top cover of ea carb: to get those I think I have to buy the $80-worth of stuff from Honda anyway I think

It is a great deal. and honestly I don't always change those top gaskets -- they don't hold gas. If they're in good shape you could get by without changing them.

[Vfrman]

I sell Viton O ring kits for the 350/4, but I'm in UK. I send them (and the 400/500/550F) to USA regularly, £16.49 for all 4 carbs and the post is usually about £6.00

All 4 carbs for about $25US is a killer deal: $80 from Honda here. But it looks like you dont include the rectangular gasket thats under the top cover of ea carb: to get those I think I have to buy the $80-worth of stuff from Honda anyway I think

It is a great deal. and honestly I don't always change those top gaskets -- they don't hold gas. If they're in good shape you could get by without changing them.

Ahh!  Great to know!  Hope mine are reusable

[Oddjob]

Isn’t 16010-344-305 for the CB350K model not the CB350F model? I’d have thought it was 16010-333-315 for the four cylinder 350.

[Flyin900]

Just a suggestion on testing the carbs after cleaning regardless of the breakdown method used. Set up a gas bottle and test them for leaks at the fuel rails and overflow from the bowls, or the respective float bowl gaskets.
It saves lots of extra work afterwards in not having to remove them again from the bike if you discover leaks. If their not leaking now once you Ultrasonic them if your not planning to derack them test for leaks too. The fuel rail O rings are possibly original and cleaning them may cause leaks. The good thing about those fuel rails is they use a double O ring on each rail, so they are less prone to leaking from cleaning.

Make sure you remove all the brass parts and fuel valves from the carbs before Ultrasonic cleaning if your not familiar with the process. Blow the passages with compressed air afterwards to ensure that they are clear and clean.

[Little_Phil]

I sell Viton O ring kits for the 350/4, but I'm in UK. I send them (and the 400/500/550F) to USA regularly, £16.49 for all 4 carbs and the post is usually about £6.00

All 4 carbs for about $25US is a killer deal: $80 from Honda here. But it looks like you dont include the rectangular gasket thats under the top cover of ea carb: to get those I think I have to buy the $80-worth of stuff from Honda anyway I think

I've never replaced the top gasket. They come off in one piece usually, often stuck firmly to one side.

Oddjob is right the part you have mentioned with the 344 in the middle is for CB250K/CB350K, not the F.

[Tim2005]

I usually leave them on their rack, although I have separated all four to replace the o-rings that link the fuel passages. If they're not leaking, no need to pull 'em apart.

Agreed, best avoided if possible, to eliminate the chance of stripping threads or causing other damage unnecessarily. That goes for all carb work really, just do the minimum necessary and keep as much genuine Honda stuff in there as possible

[Vfrman]

I sell Viton O ring kits for the 350/4, but I'm in UK. I send them (and the 400/500/550F) to USA regularly, £16.49 for all 4 carbs and the post is usually about £6.00

Are the large rings for the float bowls?
Is there a trick to getting that 6 GBP shipping? -eBay is gonna charge me 22.13GBP.  -and do you know about how long it takes to get to me in Oklahoma, zip code 74330?

[Nurse Julie]

I sell Viton O ring kits for the 350/4, but I'm in UK. I send them (and the 400/500/550F) to USA regularly, £16.49 for all 4 carbs and the post is usually about £6.00

Are the large rings for the float bowls?
Is there a trick to getting that 6 GBP shipping? -eBay is gonna charge me 22.13GBP.  -and do you know about how long it takes to get to me in Oklahoma, zip code 74330?

The £6 shipping is due to you buying from me direct and not via my ebay page which is the screenshot I posted. Any parts sold via my Ebay page to overseas buyers, goes through Ebay global shipping programme, which I have not control over their shipping charges. Everyone on this forum, that buys parts from me buy from me direct to save the Ebay add ons. Yes, the big round O rings are for the float bowls. International standard post, not tracked 7-10 days on average

[Vfrman]

I sell Viton O ring kits for the 350/4, but I'm in UK. I send them (and the 400/500/550F) to USA regularly, £16.49 for all 4 carbs and the post is usually about £6.00

Are the large rings for the float bowls?
Is there a trick to getting that 6 GBP shipping? -eBay is gonna charge me 22.13GBP.  -and do you know about how long it takes to get to me in Oklahoma, zip code 74330?

The £6 shipping is due to you buying from me direct and not via my ebay page which is the screenshot I posted. Any parts sold via my Ebay page to overseas buyers, goes through Ebay global shipping programme, which I have not control over their shipping charges. Everyone on this forum, that buys parts from me buy from me direct to save the Ebay add ons. Yes, the big round O rings are for the float bowls. International standard post, not tracked 7-10 days on average

Fantastic, let me know next steps how to pay you, etc.

[Nurse Julie]

I sell Viton O ring kits for the 350/4, but I'm in UK. I send them (and the 400/500/550F) to USA regularly, £16.49 for all 4 carbs and the post is usually about £6.00

Are the large rings for the float bowls?
Is there a trick to getting that 6 GBP shipping? -eBay is gonna charge me 22.13GBP.  -and do you know about how long it takes to get to me in Oklahoma, zip code 74330?

The £6 shipping is due to you buying from me direct and not via my ebay page which is the screenshot I posted. Any parts sold via my Ebay page to overseas buyers, goes through Ebay global shipping programme, which I have not control over their shipping charges. Everyone on this forum, that buys parts from me buy from me direct to save the Ebay add ons. Yes, the big round O rings are for the float bowls. International standard post, not tracked 7-10 days on average

Fantastic, let me know next steps how to pay you, etc.

I'll send you a PM. Many thanks.

[Oddjob]

I don’t get this reluctance to dismantle the carbs expressed in this thread. Talk of stripping threads for instance, there are 8 screws holding the carbs onto the bracket, the threads have probably never been touched since the carbs were assembled by the manufacturer, little to no chance of stripping those threads. The ones that do have some risk of stripping are the float bowl ones and you’re going to need to take those out whatever way you decide to go.

Dismantling the carbs gives you a chance to clean and inspect areas you can’t really get to when they are assembled, it also allows you to access the fuel banjos, something you’re going to need to do in order to change the orings, or were you planning to change all the others but not those? If so were you really comfortable with changing all the rings to viton but leaving them as nearly 50 year old Nitrile rings?

Taking them apart can seem daunting, I get that, but it’s easier than you think and gives you a better understanding of how they work. Do it logically, keep all parts of one carb separate from the others, use numbered boxes for instance, use another box for the parts for the bracket and the throttle mechanism, if worried do 2 carbs at a time, say 3&4 so you can check 1&2 to see how they go back together. Without taking them apart you can’t check parts like the felt washers, 7 of those on the choke mechanism and 4 more on the throttle lifters, you can fix problems like rust forming on some of the mechanisms.

I’ve done loads of these types of carbs, I’ve done so many I don’t need to check where parts go, be meticulous and pay attention to how parts work before pulling them apart, if need be take pics or follow a good online video, if stuck ask. Reassemble using lubricants and you’ll find them easier to operate afterwards.

Putting them intact in an ultrasonic bath is asking for problems, you can literally shake stuff like the felt washers apart doing that, they ain’t the most robust things in the world to start with. Besides causing the steel parts to rust afterwards. There are plenty of steel springs hiding in the internal mechanisms which will suffer if not removed before you put the carb in the ultrasonic bath.

If you find you need new felt washers drop me a PM, I make both the choke and throttle lifter ones for a very cheap price.

[grcamna2]

I don’t get this reluctance to dismantle the carbs expressed in this thread. Talk of stripping threads for instance, there are 8 screws holding the carbs onto the bracket, the threads have probably never been touched since the carbs were assembled by the manufacturer, little to no chance of stripping those threads. The ones that do have some risk of stripping are the float bowl ones and you’re going to need to take those out whatever way you decide to go.

Dismantling the carbs gives you a chance to clean and inspect areas you can’t really get to when they are assembled, it also allows you to access the fuel banjos, something you’re going to need to do in order to change the orings, or were you planning to change all the others but not those? If so were you really comfortable with changing all the rings to viton but leaving them as nearly 50 year old Nitrile rings?

Taking them apart can seem daunting, I get that, but it’s easier than you think and gives you a better understanding of how they work. Do it logically, keep all parts of one carb separate from the others, use numbered boxes for instance, use another box for the parts for the bracket and the throttle mechanism, if worried do 2 carbs at a time, say 3&4 so you can check 1&2 to see how they go back together. Without taking them apart you can’t check parts like the felt washers, 7 of those on the choke mechanism and 4 more on the throttle lifters, you can fix problems like rust forming on some of the mechanisms.

I’ve done loads of these types of carbs, I’ve done so many I don’t need to check where parts go, be meticulous and pay attention to how parts work before pulling them apart, if need be take pics or follow a good online video, if stuck ask. Reassemble using lubricants and you’ll find them easier to operate afterwards.

Putting them intact in an ultrasonic bath is asking for problems, you can literally shake stuff like the felt washers apart doing that, they ain’t the most robust things in the world to start with. Besides causing the steel parts to rust afterwards. There are plenty of steel springs hiding in the internal mechanisms which will suffer if not removed before you put the carb in the ultrasonic bath.

If you find you need new felt washers drop me a PM, I make both the choke and throttle lifter ones for a very cheap price.

Good way to do it;either way.

[Flyin900]

I don’t get this reluctance to dismantle the carbs expressed in this thread. Talk of stripping threads for instance, there are 8 screws holding the carbs onto the bracket, the threads have probably never been touched since the carbs were assembled by the manufacturer, little to no chance of stripping those threads. The ones that do have some risk of stripping are the float bowl ones and you’re going to need to take those out whatever way you decide to go.

Dismantling the carbs gives you a chance to clean and inspect areas you can’t really get to when they are assembled, it also allows you to access the fuel banjos, something you’re going to need to do in order to change the orings, or were you planning to change all the others but not those? If so were you really comfortable with changing all the rings to viton but leaving them as nearly 50 year old Nitrile rings?

Taking them apart can seem daunting, I get that, but it’s easier than you think and gives you a better understanding of how they work. Do it logically, keep all parts of one carb separate from the others, use numbered boxes for instance, use another box for the parts for the bracket and the throttle mechanism, if worried do 2 carbs at a time, say 3&4 so you can check 1&2 to see how they go back together. Without taking them apart you can’t check parts like the felt washers, 7 of those on the choke mechanism and 4 more on the throttle lifters, you can fix problems like rust forming on some of the mechanisms.

I’ve done loads of these types of carbs, I’ve done so many I don’t need to check where parts go, be meticulous and pay attention to how parts work before pulling them apart, if need be take pics or follow a good online video, if stuck ask. Reassemble using lubricants and you’ll find them easier to operate afterwards.

Putting them intact in an ultrasonic bath is asking for problems, you can literally shake stuff like the felt washers apart doing that, they ain’t the most robust things in the world to start with. Besides causing the steel parts to rust afterwards. There are plenty of steel springs hiding in the internal mechanisms which will suffer if not removed before you put the carb in the ultrasonic bath.

If you find you need new felt washers drop me a PM, I make both the choke and throttle lifter ones for a very cheap price.

I agree with this assessment 100% and looking at the posters pic with the assembly in the Ultrasonic in the assembled positon as shown is asking for trouble. As an old time carb rebuilder, it is easy to make these comments from experience. I appreciate many haven't done this work on a regular basis. it is pretty straight forward if you have a video that your comfortable with using and take your time in doing the work.

No comment on my previous post about testing the carbs for leaks and correct functions before remounting. This is a rookie mistake that you will only make once.

[Vfrman]

I don’t get this reluctance to dismantle the carbs expressed in this thread. Talk of stripping threads for instance, there are 8 screws holding the carbs onto the bracket, the threads have probably never been touched since the carbs were assembled by the manufacturer, little to no chance of stripping those threads. The ones that do have some risk of stripping are the float bowl ones and you’re going to need to take those out whatever way you decide to go.

Dismantling the carbs gives you a chance to clean and inspect areas you can’t really get to when they are assembled, it also allows you to access the fuel banjos, something you’re going to need to do in order to change the orings, or were you planning to change all the others but not those? If so were you really comfortable with changing all the rings to viton but leaving them as nearly 50 year old Nitrile rings?

Taking them apart can seem daunting, I get that, but it’s easier than you think and gives you a better understanding of how they work. Do it logically, keep all parts of one carb separate from the others, use numbered boxes for instance, use another box for the parts for the bracket and the throttle mechanism, if worried do 2 carbs at a time, say 3&4 so you can check 1&2 to see how they go back together. Without taking them apart you can’t check parts like the felt washers, 7 of those on the choke mechanism and 4 more on the throttle lifters, you can fix problems like rust forming on some of the mechanisms.

I’ve done loads of these types of carbs, I’ve done so many I don’t need to check where parts go, be meticulous and pay attention to how parts work before pulling them apart, if need be take pics or follow a good online video, if stuck ask. Reassemble using lubricants and you’ll find them easier to operate afterwards.

Putting them intact in an ultrasonic bath is asking for problems, you can literally shake stuff like the felt washers apart doing that, they ain’t the most robust things in the world to start with. Besides causing the steel parts to rust afterwards. There are plenty of steel springs hiding in the internal mechanisms which will suffer if not removed before you put the carb in the ultrasonic bath.

If you find you need new felt washers drop me a PM, I make both the choke and throttle lifter ones for a very cheap price.

Great advice, thanks, and I will PM u for those felt washers: I am breaking them all the way down off the rack and might as well replace them.

[Oddjob]

I have made the felt washers today, it's a holiday in the UK today so not able to get a postage price until tomorrow.