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Cleaning pilot jets

cowboyup3371

cowboyup3371

Forum Guru
Past Site Supporter
We tell the newbies all the time how important it is to clean the carburetors correctly by dipping them for 24 hours if they've never been touched or at least a few hours if they have been recently done with the full job. Josh also supposed that his ZRX probably needed another carb cleaning due to possible junk in his pilot jets. Ed's fantastic tutorial explains the jets, especially the pilot jet, must be open. This is all known but what's not very well explained is what to do when we see an issue the cleaning won't resolve.

For instance, I'm cleaning my carbs because when I parked the bike before my accident last year, I didn't add any Stabil to the fuel. They were last fully dipped two years ago using the procedures written on the board at the time. In September, I removed the carbs and put them in the house untreated and that's where they sat until a few days ago. Now, I stripped and dipped each carb for 4 to 5 hours and see a difference in most everything. Carb spray is coming out of opposite orifices as best I can tell (still need to check the choke pickup tube) and most everything looks clear. I can poke a thin strand from a standard 18 gauge wire through the pilot, needle, and main jets without obstruction.

Or so I think. While looking through each of the pilot jets, I'm seeing a thin strand of something. I think it's gunk but not sure as I can spray the compressed air and nothing moves (using my air compressor). I intend to redip all of the pilot jets tomorrow along with the bowls but am wanting to ask for advice on what else I can do to remove any strands of anything inside of them.

Options?

THanks.
 
I pluck a few wires out of the wood handled wire brush and poke the holes and scrape around a bit down the centers..and as you do, i use plenty of carb spray and air. Common to easily use 2 cans of spray just to be sure everything is rinsed way beyond what one would consider a thorough job.
 
Dont forget that tiny hole that goesup the center of the jet as well...hold up to a bright light and take a looksy.
 
chuck hahn said:
Dont forget that tiny hole that goesup the center of the jet as well...hold up to a bright light and take a looksy.
Click to expand...

Yea that is what I was doing and where I'm noticing the thin strand of "gunk". Sticking that thin strand doesn't seem to be doing much right now so obviously it's not enough. And it's the biggest reason why they are all going back into the dip in the AM before I go to work.
 
Well after a good 24 hr soak I bet whatever your seeing will be dissolved. especially since you know the hole is open and the sauce can get to it from several surfaces
 
Doin a set of carbs off my son's 83 550es and have seen the same thing in both pilots so far and that is after a 48 hr soak. Did the coper wire thing and air, it was just a little piece of something. The other set is in the tank at this time and was no where as bad as the other.
So I guess that it is pretty comon occurance. I have a set of Acetelene wires for tips that handles the really ticklish stuff.
V
 
Unfortunately, im not entirely sure i solved my issues. I'm almost positive it's fuel/carb related however, as the stumble goes away when I add some
"choke". It goes away entirely once the bike is warm. So I am near positive it's in the pilot circuit. Having pulled the pilot jets (these Keihin carbs are similar to the later mikunis but have some differences) and blasted them, cleaned them with wire etc and found nothing inside them, I'm afraid it's in a passage in the body itself. It's much better than it was, but still there. I'm hoping the near full can of Seafoam I dumped in the tank will dissolve whatever it may be. If not, there's a nearly as good tutorial on THESE carbs on the ZRX board. They're a bit more complex because of the TPS system but not too much more. If I have to they'll get rebuilt ;)

I'd suggest a good soaking, and see what happens. It may also be possible what you're seeing is light playing through the holes and tricking your eyes into seeing a sliver of crap.
 
I believe in PIN DRILLS. Get the set of #60 to #80 on Amazon for less than $10.
http://www.amazon.com/Mini-Drill-To...PRNQ/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1331644327&sr=8-4

Always fit the shank end of the drill in the jet first to check for size. If it doesn't start in, try the next smaller drill. Then turn it over and spin the drill by hand.

Pin drills are also useful for bumping your pilot jets to the next size and saving $13 each.

And if you f-them up, you needed new ones anyway! :D
 
And I believe in an eye loupe. It leaves nothing to chance.
 
An eye loupe Rusty? WHat's that?

BTW, all four pilot jets and two of my bowls went into the dip this AM.
 
The thing jewelers wear to look at the rings and such...eyepiece with a wire loop that holds it on your head. A good handheld glass will be of great use too. thats what i have.
 
So I think Josh is correct and it's nothing but the light playing tricks on me. After soaking them for 9 hours and spraying them with both carb cleaner (full spray out all holes) and my air compressor, I still see the lines in there. Funny thing, they don't move or change as I rotate the pilot jet so it makes me thing it's not really in there.

So, I will dip the other two bowls tomorrow morning and repaint later this week.

Thanks for the help.
 
I just got one of these. You can use either magnifier or stack them for even more magnification. More than sufficient for checking jet orifices....

Joe
 
Gotta repeat it. Pin drills. If you know what you are doing, you will get the most clogged jets cleaned without even soaking them - but I soak them briefly anyway afterwards to remove any deposits. Just be careful to fit the drill shank in first to verify that you have the correct diameter drill before using the fluted end to clean out the varnish or corrosion clogging the jet. This is a much better approach than soaking and poking with a steel wire.
 
For less then $10 you can buy a small roll of guitar string in every size they make. Thats what I use to clean my pilots and the small orfices. Make sure the air jet holes are clean also, no vent no fuel flow. You didnt say or I missed it as far as what carbs we are talking about
 
For about $15.00 including shipping, you can not waste time/money playing with them and just get NEW ONES from Z1. :-\\\

Eric
 
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