Carb cleaning and o-rings

[amontyg]

So i just got done with disassembling, dipping and reassembling my carbs. I bought the o ring kit i found on this forum and reassembled it using the new rings. When i put the carbs back on the bike it ran for a while, though not well, and then quit and could not be started again. After troubleshooting for a while I pulled the carbs off again and opened them up to have a look around and found that they were all gummed up again with what i am guessing is left over dip somewhere in the carbs. so anyway i am now cleaning them again a little more thoroughly. Any specifics to cleaning these things that i should know? also, some of the new o rings had quite a bit of the carb "gunk" built up around them. Is this something I should worry about?

[tkent02]

Dip, clean with the spray can of carb cleaner and the little red tube, get the spray to go through all the passages and come out the other end. Blow air through if you have a compressor, otherwise do more spraying. The trick is to know all the passages are clear before it goes back together.

Is your tank clean, or contributing to the gunk?

[hikermikem]

Is your tank clean, or contributing to the gunk?

That's a good point Tkent has made about checking your tank - I went through the same process once before, only to find my fuel tank was full of rust & particulate matter. It pluged up my nice clean carbs in short order. Had to re-dip & clean again. Use LOTS of spray carb cleaner, it's relatively cheap & way easier than taking them apart again!!

Put a fuel filter in-line & check to see if it's getting plugged - you might be surprised as to how much gunk didn't make it to the carb.

good luck

[ryonker]

I had to clean mine about three times. Blasted lots of carb cleaner through them and LOTS of air. I also put in a new pet-cock (that has a built in filter but larger intake tube) and an in-line filter. So don't feel bad; it takes some time and you really learn how to disassemble and reassemble those carbs!

Rick
79 GS750L

[Steve]

When you dipped the carbs, how long were they in the dip?

On the can, Berryman's directions indicate that you should dip for 15-30 minutes. Personally, I have much better success leaving them in for 15-30 hours. That's right, just like the vitamins, one a day. Yeah, it keeps you off the bike for a week, by the time you get them off the bike, dipped, put back together and back on the bike, but that will be the last time you need to do it, if you ride and maintain the bike regularly.

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[doctorgonzo]

Time factor (not wanting my bike down that long) kept me from the 24 hour dip. I dipped for about 2 hours and went through a can and a half of carb cleaner after a thorough water rise. Tonight is the real test. I didn't get the carbs back on the bike until about midnight last night, so just a 3 or 4 mile run to fill the gas tank. It ran like a champ, so hopefully I did a good enough job. If I noticed anything, there seemed to be MORE noise from my pods, a louder growl (which some of us like and some don't). I'm hoping this is a good sign.

Oh, a tech tip, in the rebuild series he makes the tool from a bit of wire and a matchstick. As a musician, i can tell you the core of a broken guitar string is PERFECT for this application.

[Steve]

Time in the dip depends a LOT on how dirty the carbs are. Apparently yours were not too bad, but in the case of unknown carbs, likely a recent acquisition, I like to go the full day each and only do it once.

Oh, a tech tip, in the rebuild series he makes the tool from a bit of wire and a matchstick. As a musician, i can tell you the core of a broken guitar string is PERFECT for this application.

Another good tool is one strand of a 12- or 14-gauge multistrand wire. The copper will not scratch the brass jets, your guitar string might, so be careful with it.

.

[amontyg]

Thanks guys the tank is clean so i think i am going to try the 24 hour method this time and see if i can get it the passages a little more clear. also i didn't realize that the berrymans could be rinsed off with water. i was under the impression that you had to spray the entire thing down with carb cleaner after. That will teach me to read the instructions on the can. Do i need to worry about the residue of berrymans that sat on the o rings inside the carb?

[SqDancerLynn1]

I use spray brake clean a lot of times for final cleaning, no residue The CV cannot be too clean, any air leak is bad. You need to go thru the complete system, starting with the intake boots, working back to the airbox

[waterman]

Thanks guys the tank is clean so i think i am going to try the 24 hour method this time and see if i can get it the passages a little more clear. also i didn't realize that the berrymans could be rinsed off with water. i was under the impression that you had to spray the entire thing down with carb cleaner after. That will teach me to read the instructions on the can. Do i need to worry about the residue of berrymans that sat on the o rings inside the carb?

The berrymans residue may not be the best for your o rings. Berrymans will soften rubber and plastic if exposed long enough.

When I clean a set of carbs, I will soak for an hour or so and then I use a small old toothbrush to brush the crud off. If it doesn't clean, I soak longer. After getting them looking good, a thorough water hose wash followed by the airgun. Then I usually double check the small passages with the toothpick and wire combination. Finally a blast of carb spray and reassemble. Sounds like you have them pretty clean now, some members use seafoam every few tanks to keep clean. How fast are you getting to put them back on bike? I am under 10 minutes now.

[Steve]

And always remember ... when working with these chemicals, always use your safety glasses.

Some of the passages are interconnected. Spraying into one will come right back at you through another.

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[tkent02]

And always remember ... when working with these chemicals, always use your safety glasses.

Some of the passages are interconnected. Spraying into one will come right back at you through another.

.

This stuff HURTS in the eyes, not as bad as battery acid but about like brake fluid, way worse than Gasoline.
Glasses are good.

[TheCafeKid]

This stuff HURTS in the eyes, not as bad as battery acid but about like brake fluid, way worse than Gasoline.
Glasses are good.

Seriously, been there done that, didnt even get a lousy Tshirt. I honestly thought my eyeball was going to MELT. And did I learn my lesson? Nope. Few days ago i was priming my master cylinder...caught some pressurized brake fluid in the eye. Honestly, on a scale from 1-10, 10 being the most painfull... Carb cleaner...10. Brake fluid...7 Carb cleaner lasted WAY longer...Brake fluid, soon as my eyes teared up good, stopped burning, but i had to flush them a while to get the residue out...On the plus side, I think it may have reformed my eyeball..my vision is actually a little better than it was before without correction...LMAO

[tkent02]

..my vision is actually a little better than it was before without correction...LMAO

I'll have to try that, cheaper than new spectacles... But seriously, try battery acid, the pain is tenfold and lasts for minutes after you get your eyeball under the faucet.

[Steve]

But seriously, try battery acid, ...

No, thank you. Been there, done that. Back in 1982 I had a battery blow up in my face as I was checking to see if the cable was tight. Scarred my corneas and could not wear my contact lenses for about 5 years. New advances in contact lens materials then allowed me to get new ones. I look better, er, I see better now.

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