Carb Cleaning

[jayz]

1980 GS550E, purchased last week.

I guess I'm just looking for reassurance. I've never removed carbs before, and these need a good going over.

I've read the excellent John Bloemer carb page. I'm going to order the o-ring set from www.cycleorings.com, and I'm going to order float gaskets from Bike Bandit. Other than some carb cleaner, is there anything else I should have on hand before I yank the carbs off the bike?

[Thomas Kenny]

Its pretty straigtforward Jayz. Keep the rubber and plastic parts separated and out of the carb cleaner. It would be good if you have compressed air to clean the orifices out after the bath. Protect your hands and face from the carb cleaner. You might consider doing one carb at a time to keep the parts together. Take you time and learn. Have your service manual handy with pictures or get an exploded view of you carbs off of a parts fische. I did take some pictures of my carbs before I tore them down to reinforce where everything should be when I was finished. :-) Regards,

Ta Ta, Gizmo

[mark]

I always go get a big sheet of white butcher paper and lay out the parts in an orderly fashion on a table with plenty of room. Keeping track of everything is my biggest challenge (I'm administratively challenged). As above post says, keep the parts that come out of each carb with that carb.

Good screw drivers of the proper size are very important. Note how many turns out your airscrews are.

[chef1366]

You already did your homework. Now all you need to to is get to it. :-D

[jayz]

Thanks for the tips. You see those diagrams with all those teeny-tiny parts and just worry about forgeting something. As soon as my parts come, I'll jump in. This site is a good reason to own a GS, plenty of help if you get in trouble! Thanks!

[fgh]

I like the soak cleaners much better than the spray type. Turn the large parts every 10 minutes or so. Air can get trapped and keep the cleaner out of some passages. Get mine at NAPA. LOL

[DimitriT]

The idle jets on the 550 have really tiny holes. I use a strand of copper wire (from some braided wiring) to clean the smallest hole. Someone already mentioned a good screwdriver. Try to find one with a snug fit for taking out the idle jet in particular. You don't want to use one that too thin as it can strip the soft brass. Don't rush the job. If you find you don't have the right tools at hand, don't try to force it.

[chuckycheese]

Dip

If you happen to live in California, get your carb dip in another state.

[chef1366]

If you happen to live in California, get your carb dip in another state.

Why? You can't buy Berrymans anymore???

[chuckycheese]

Yeah??

Why? You can't buy Berrymans anymore???

Yeah, Mr. Awesome cooking dude, (I wish you could help me cook better because I love to cook), but a guy at the auto parts store told me that none of the Berryman's stuff is any good in California because of all the hippie laws. I live within easy reach of Reno and my mom lives in Oregon so he said "don't buy it here, get it there".

California is a mess...if you don't believe it, check out the fact that our governor can't even pronounce the name of our state....We're the land of opportunity..for Mexico and and former residents of the middle east.

[matt_gs450]

rinse in water after dip???

Hello All,

I'm rebuilding my carbs at the moment. The instructions on the berryman's dip asks that the parts be rinsed in water after dipping. Is this necessary? I'm worried about exposing the parts to water before reassembly. If the rinse is necessary, can I use plain tap water or do I need to use distilled water?

Thanks,
Matt

[chef1366]

Don't worry about the water. Aluminum doesn't rust. Berrrymans just wants you to knock off the large pieces of dirt and such so it doesn't contaminate their product and it lasts longer..
After I dip the carbs I have fun spraying the carb bodies and small pieces in the dip basket. You have to rinse them anyways to rid them of the harsh chemicals.