After reading almost every available post on this topic I thought I'd share my recent insight regarding carb cleaning (continuing saga from my last post). I got back from Iraq months ago and had dirty carbs since I didn't have a chance to drain them before I left. So I cleaned them but the fix didn't last a week. I used carb cleaner but focused on the bowl and low speed pickup tube. Apparently gunk on the other parts released and they clogged again.
Round 2: Took the carbs off again with the intent of thoroughly clean them with tips learned from this forum. I soaked everything (leaf spring, bowls, drain screws, floats, etc.) in Simple Green this time- the difference was amazing. The bowls and all look brand new! After reassembly 3 out of 4 carbs leaked from the overflow tubes. Tapping the side of the carbs fixed 2 of them but the last drips intermittently - but the bike runs like a scalded dog.
Lessons learned: I'm speculating on some of this so parental discretion is advised. 1) Do the job once and do it right. 2) Read ALL posts concerning your topic before attempting the task. Some might seem like they don't apply but may come into play later; i.e. by thoroughly cleaning the overflow tube I might have cleaned off old deposits that sealed cracks in them like others have found. I didn't read about that problem until today but the relevance quickly dawned on me. I'm hoping the Simple Green worked so well it dried out the needle valve seat and just needs a good soak, but I wish I at least looked for the cracks. Another post had me wishing I would have cleaned the seats better, at least I did use a pipe cleaner. I also would have put a little 3-in-1 oil on the moving parts like the float hinge and needle valve. The good news is I'm getting efficient at removing the carbs! Hope this helps someone, LP.
