Should I soak these parts?

[Guest]

The carb parts below (click for a bigger image) all have plastic or rubber in them. The rebuild PDF says not to put anything with plastic in dip. Yet they look dirty and might benefit from cleaning. Should I put them in carb dip anyway? Thanks.

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[storm 64]

Maybe just clean them with WD-40 and a rag by hand....

(Just giving you a bump to the top)

[steveb922]

You can dismantle the enrichener (choke) plunger, and just dip the metal parts. Likewise the float needle valve. You'll be wanting to replace the O-rings on those two assemblies anyway. As for the idle speed adjuster - dip or not as you choose. It's easy enough to remove the plastic collar.

[Steve]

Be careful dipping the "metal parts" of the "choke" plunger. There is an o-ring in the end of the plunger that can not be replaced.

For that, just spray some carb cleaner on a rag and wipe it down. Same with the slides on the diaphragms (not shown), just spray them and wipe them off.

The fuel inlet can be dipped, but you should remove the filter and the o-ring first. You are going to replace the o-ring anyway, but there is no need to melt this one.

The idle speed screw just slides out of its holder. You can dip it or you can spray and wipe, your choice.

.

[chuck hahn]

Carbs spray and some 000 steel wool will clean up the choke plungers. Steve is correct on th rubber ends that seat at the bottom of the holes...you dont want that eaten up in the dip. The float seats can be dipped but the filter screens must be gently pryed off so as to not break the plastic snap ring. the idle adjustment can be ran on a wire wheel to clean that up.

[Josh Riemann]

Thanks, both steves. I'll do that.

[geol]

The rubber pad on the end of the enrichener probably isn't going to be in great shape after a carb dip bath. Carb dip these days is so weak, it might not hurt but it doesn't really do much good to find out. The pads CAN be replaced if you buy a leather punch set. You can pry the old pad out with a dental pick. Sometimes you can just flip it over and the side that was underneath will be in decent shape but often they break as they are no longer pliable. One of the punches will be slightly larger than the one you want to replace... punch out a piece of rubber; don't use an old inner tube but use a sheet of nitrile rubber. Then punch a very small hole in the middle and insert in place of the pad that is bad. Pads do harden and go bad at times and if they do, your idle will race as they won't seal well. When you stop your bike, the idle will drift upwards and if you jiggle the choke arm or cable pull it will come back down as they will try and reseal again. It is easier to do this using the VM carb than with BS.

You can soak the float seats but the oring should be replaced anyway. The little domed screen needs to be carefully pried off with a dental pick. It won't hurt to soak the idle screw or its bracket.