Carb Removal

[jinkside]

With all the more complicated stuff yet ahead of me in a carb rebuild, I feel silly having to ask this, but in the vein of saving myself a lot of headache...

How do you remove the carbs from a GS450? I stared at it for a while and it looks like I've got to remove the airbox (which in turn has the the electronics attached to it), but I wanted to be sure. I'm sure I could get the carbs out if I just started unbolting everything I can find, but that seems like... not the best of ideas.

[terrylee]

You will have to try to get the airbox back as far as possible, may have remove battery and battery holder. Then turn twist and push it back, will be tough but they will come out. terrylee

[jinkside]

Late-ish last night, I found the section in the service manual that tells you how to remove the carbs, but I thought it seemed overzealous in terms of parts removal. Guess that's not the case and I'll get started unbolting things.

Thanks!

[spyug]

Welcome.

As already mentioned, remove as much as you can to allow access to them. Leave the throttle and choke cables connected until the carbs are out. To remove them, loosen off the clamps and push the back of the carbs downward. They will come out, then move them out to the right side and take off the cables.

When putting them back in more or less reverse the procedure. Attach cables and insert from the right side. If the carb boots are originial , they will be stiff. To make them soft again use an electric paint strip gun ( like a hairdrier on steroids) to heat them up. Get them hot but not smoking. Spray some WD40 or silicone spray in the mouths of the boots and insert the carbs from about a 45% angle down then up and forward.

Sometimes a bit of brute force and ignorance are needed to pop them in so use a pry bar or piece of wood as a lever against the back rail of the carbs to push them in. Another handy method is to use a ratchet strap around the front of the head and around the back of the carbs. Tightening it up will force them in. For this method an extra set of hands is helpful to hold the carbs as you tighten the strap.

Once you do it you'll develope the methods that work best for you and from then on it will be easy and you'll have them off and on in minutes.

The carb cleaning is not difficult either so don't psyche yourself out. Follow the tutorial along and you will do fine. The big thing is to make sure you dip the carb bodies and jets for at least 24 hours. It is also very important to change out the o-rings. Don't skip that no matter how good the existing ones look or you will likely be chassing problems once they are back together and on the bike.

Good luck with it.
Spyug

[jinkside]

Well, I got a job soon after my original post and only just now made some time to work on the bike, but got a little too excited to get my hands (very!) dirty and didn't read this closely enough:

"To remove them, loosen off the clamps and push the back of the carbs downward."

I tried to turn them the other way. An hour an a half of tugging, wrenching, and generally struggling, I came back and read your post again. Five minutes later, they came off.

Thanks, spyug!

And let that be a lesson to any other noobs. RTFM! Or RTF post, in this case.

[surviverguy]

I got pretty fed up trying to remove the carbs on my 450. I cut my airbox into 4 pieces with a sawzall. Once that airbox is gone- they come right out. I bought KandN pod filters and will re-jet as needed. This proceedure is not recomended...good luck.