Topic: How long can you/Should you soak a carb

[Burke]

I bought a gallon of carb cleaner and soaked my #1 & #2 carb while they were on the rack (took floats out & mains & air screws) and soaked them in the cleaner for about an hour.

I was re-cleaning them because #1 was back firing & sputtering. Since i cleaned them it seems to run better but its still sputtering a little. However the pipe is hot now.

So I think I am on the right track with the carb cleaning. ( I have check the timing, valves, cam chain and sync).

So how long can you soak a carb before you ruin something? Should I heat up the cleaner?

[333]

About the only thing you can hurt is the finish,  Although it would help to know which carb cleaner you are using.  Compressed air will help tremendously in clearing passageways in the carb body and jets.

[kghost]

Well ya didn't mention what bike they were off of....

However....

Before you soak them you should really pull out the emulsion tube under the main jet

Soak that tube along with the jets (main and idle) in the carb cleaner.

After you pull them out blow out all the passages....compressed air is best but at least with carb cleaner.

Make sure all the tiny orifices in the main, idle, and emulsion tubes are open and clean.

About two hrs is how long I leave them in.

[BobbyR]

It also helps if you run a strand of copper wire from lamp cord or whatever through the passages to mechanically loosen up  deposits so they can be flushed away. Some deposits would take a long time to dissolve otherwise.

[kghost]

The key being copper or brass. Its as soft or softer than the jets or holes

Don't stick something in the holes that will alter thier shape.

[Burke]

Bike 77' 750K

I am not sure on the cleaner, its not Gumout, but the other one most autoparts carry. Thats the only one I could find in the gallon size where I was at (not Chem dip).

I did have the tube pulled and in another container with the cleaner.

I did run a wire thought the holes to try to break up any deposits. I'll pull em' again and let them soak for a couple hours, (I have a new chain and spockets coming so while them carbs are soaking I will change them out).

Hopefully this will bring my #1 under control.

For some reason when I first pulled these carbs off 1 & 2 were really gummed and varnished. but 3 & 4 were damn near spotless. Like some one cleaned 3&4 and gave up.

Any way, thanks for the info.

[Klark Kent]

or it was left on the sidestand to varnish...
another source of sputter is lack of spark- assuming your plugs are good i would check plug wire to plug cap connection.  sometimes cutting off the last mm of plug wire to get to some conductive copper and screwing it back into the plug cap will return acceptable spark.  you also might have to clean the screw contact in the plug cap. 

simple green is also a good carb dip.
 

[Burke]

I am going to check the plug wire as well.
Plugs are new, and gapped.
The bike fires right up, even after sitting for days at a time. Just that one cyclinder is giving me crap.

Also, is there any was to tell if all are firing? Say you had a 4-into-1, how would you know which one was misfiring?

[333]

DO NOT RUN WIRE THROUGH THE JETS OR FLOAT VALVE.  These are soft metals and will be damaged by wire.  A single scratch in the float valve and it will never seal again.  And the jet can be enlarged.  Through the body, sure.  It's the best way to clean if you don't have compressed air.

[Gordon]

DO NOT RUN WIRE THROUGH THE JETS OR FLOAT VALVE. 

I routinely use a single strand of copper wire to clean out pilot jets and emulsion tube holes and have never once had a problem with it.  You just have to be smart about it and not force anything.

[kghost]

Find something softer than the material the jets are made of......

Nylon bristle from my floor broom has saved me many times 

[mystic_1]

I keep a package of bamboo barbecue skewers handy in my shop, they're great for cleaning many things and are impossible to damage parts with.  Great for dislodging crud at the bottoms of holes, or wrap a piece of paper towel around the end to get into small areas. 

Obviously this doesn't work for jets, but for that I have a set of jet cleaning tools like this one:



mystic_1

[Burke]

I have seen those cleaning sets before.

The Bamboo skewers are a good Idea, and i have thos on hand.
Thanks

[goon 1492]

I am going to check the plug wire as well.
Plugs are new, and gapped.
The bike fires right up, even after sitting for days at a time. Just that one cyclinder is giving me crap.

Also, is there any was to tell if all are firing? Say you had a 4-into-1, how would you know which one was misfiring?

I always use a wet rag to touch just at the beginning of the exhaust by the head, it will sizzle if its firing.

[BobbyR]

I and others have had some luck with Simple Green which does not degrade rubber or plastic. I find it much more effective than Gumout. Simple Green can be used indoors without objectionable odors.

[fastbroshi]

   I just got done cleaning my carbs, 069a's, for my 550 about a week and a half ago.  I first couple through a can of Berryman's carb dip ($19.99 at Autozone) and the other two in Simple Green.  I had to run the first two through a total of 3 times to get spotless, kept them in there for times varying from 30 min to 2 hours. 
   With the two I put in Simple Green, everything was much faster/cleaner.  Almost no dirt or grime to wipe off after I'd finished rinsing with water and blowing dry.  They were so clean after 1 45 minute dip that they rainbow like finish on the aluminum had come back in full force. 
   Side note, all the carbs were equally dirty, temp in the garage was about the same.  Bottom line:  20 bucks versus 7.  This was a pretty large container, I want to say it was a comparable amount that's in the Berryman's gallon can. You don't get the handy little basket to dunk all your stuff in, but heck the Simple Green isn't even toxic.  Don't give it to your dog though.  And the wife can water down whatever you don't use for cleaning the house!

[Burke]

Im going dipped my carbs again last night for over two hours in the carb dip again. I may just dump the hole rack in simple green just to make sure.

Also I was lubing some of the moving parts with WD40 and wiping down the out side of the carbs and WD40 took not only gunk off but also made short work of the varish stains on the out side of the carbs. I wiped down the entire rack and they looked pretty good.

[Klark Kent]

On slow days at work last summer I would take the Wd-40 and shop rags off the truck and clean everything on my bike with WD-40.  rode it every day in all sorts of weather and I am pretty sure it was that protective coating of WD over everything that kept her looking sweet.