How do you clean your carbs?

[woody1981]

I have decided that I might try my CB450 Carbs on my 350. I started dissembling them tonight... they really aren't that bad.

What I am wondering is does anyone have any special techniques to clean the carbs? I have removed the jets, needle, all the small bits. Can I just soak the small parts in a little bowl of carb cleaner? Should I not soak them? Should I clean them with pipe cleaners? Tips? Tricks?

Also, can I just soak the bodies? What is the best way to clean the outsides? Simple green and a brush? Soaking overnight submerged in carb cleaner or solvent?

I know Noel, Tim, Chris... some of you guys have to have some sweet tricks here.

Also, does anyone have any insight into what I might want to start out with for settings and or jets if I am going to use them on my 350? I have read several instances where people suggest running 450 carbs on the 350... mostly regarding vintage racing... but I have not been able to find anything regarding setup.

Also, I am now running the open CL headers, so that is a consideration for jets... it has the stock K5 setup in it now, a 145 and a 38.

Thanks for your tips!!!

- Woody

 

[Smoking Star]

I havent tried this but I read somewhere to boil the core part of the carb in LEmon Juice concentrate. In theory it would work seeing how the acidity would help eat away at all the grime and grease. It also said to soak the thing in WD-40 after to fight against flash rusting. Good luck! I spent 3 hrs with a box of cue tips a bottle of carb cleaner, bottle of spray sea foam and a tooth brush cleaning up mine. Im happy with the insides but I might be trying the concentrate method here soon.

 

[zixxerboy]

guitar E string or whittled down bamboo skewers work good for cleaning very small orifices

if you soak ( which is a good way) remove all rubber and plastic bits

 

[mysta2]

Q tips are good because there's no metal. Caution should be excercized when using pipecleaners with wire centers. That being said, a gun cleaning kit is a great source of all sorts of small bottle brushes, and they're easy to find. If you realy want to get serious you can get an ultrasonic pot cleaner off ebay. These are really tempting to me, I can't vouch for how well they work but have heard great things.

 

[chrisf]

Sorry I'm late on this. Yeah, just strip off all the bits and make sure there is NO RUBBER or PLASTIC on the carb, then just soak it overnight in some carb cleaner. I'm always really careful around the needle jets because some have a rubber coating. If you needle jets are all metal, throw them in there too.

I like to soak individual carbs and their bits individually. It makes reassembly easier as well. As for the external, blowing them off with air should be enough after they soaked.

Good luck and keep us posted as to the results.

--Chris

 

[tobiism]

I used the lemon juice/water method in a big pot on the stove. Boiled the carbs for about 30 minutes. It worked amazingly well. Unfortunately the seals around the throttle shafts were already ruined in carb cleaner some time ago, so i'll have to go through McMaster Carr to get some new ones.
I didn't use a very strong solution either, about one half of those lemon shaped squeeze bottles to one big roasting pot.
It doesn't even smell bad, so the wife won't mind you doing it inside!

 

[matt365]

I used the lemon juice/water method in a big pot on the stove. Boiled the carbs for about 30 minutes. It worked amazingly well. Unfortunately the seals around the throttle shafts were already ruined in carb cleaner some time ago, so i'll have to go through McMaster Carr to get some new ones.
I didn't use a very strong solution either, about one half of those lemon shaped squeeze bottles to one big roasting pot.
It doesn't even smell bad, so the wife won't mind you doing it inside!

I've used that method for getting lime scale & calcium deposits out of a kettle, but didn't consider something like that for a set of carbs. I might have to give that a try 8)

 

[RexXar]

I like to absorb alone carbs and their $.25 individually. It makes reassembly easier as well. As for the external, alarming them off with air should be abundant after wards they soaked.




_________________
Aprilaire

 

[overdraft]

I like to absorb alone carbs and their $.25 individually. It makes reassembly easier as well. As for the external, alarming them off with air should be abundant after wards they soaked.

gotta love google translator! or was it 'Jack Daniels' translator....

 

[go!]

an excellent first post is what that was

 

[Herm21]

I just got home from dinner, had Sushi and a few Sapporo’s, I actually read that back a few times thinking it was the Sapporo! Whew!