Cleaning Carbies?????

[Shadowzone]

What do I use? A toothbrush and some kero? Compressed air? I know it's kind of sad I really have no idea as I've never done it before.

The only thing I really know about it is that the needles have t be clipped back in at exactly the same levels or it will run like shit and need to be reset.

[Redmohawk]

you can buy carb cleaner in a can at your friendly bike/car places toothbrush n air is good if you got it. Soda blast the outside if you want it to look pritty. If no carb cleaner acitone works great just dont get it on anything with rubber bits like your hoses, seals, and inlet valve (under floats) it will perish the rubber. Then was out with some clean petrol once all done.

Kerosene is you best friend. It won't hurt any o-rings or seals.

With kero and compressed air, there's no need for carby cleaner or other nasty chemicals.

Leave the carbys to soak overnight in a big dish of kero before you strip them. Then you can hit them with the toothbrush and compressed air while you're dismantling.

[RevHead]

carby cleaner is best i buy n use wurht carby cleaner,its a tad expensive but hey,if you want clean carbs,

[skoerbin]

How dirty are the carbs? I'm lazy and my carbs were a bit built up a whole back so I got some Subaru upper cylinder cleaner and sprayed it into the carbs through the airbox. It's similar to the stuff in the states called seafoam and helps get rid of any carbon build up out. It sorted my issue in half an hour and all I needed to do was open the airbox, take the filter out, spray half a can in till it stalls (let it sit for 10 mins) start back up (can be tough to start but goes eventually) then spray the rest through and rev the build up out. I'll warn you tho do it on a windy day coz it gets very smokey. YouTube it and you'll see what I mean

[skoerbin]

Oh yeah, if you do that run it for a good amount of time to get it all out otherwise you will flatten your battery trying to start it again the next day. (the warning I got from the Subaru mechanic)

[Shadowzone]

The bike was sitting for 15years so I'm guessing they're pretty gummed up.

I'll know once I've opened them up, but the bike won't run so it's pretty bad.

[skoerbin]

Yea probbably a good idea. Write down the settings of your jets, save you some time down the track! Good Luck!

Some of the carby cleaners are okay with rubber o-rings and others will eat them. That's why I recommend Kero to anyone who asks.

The Subaru spray is brilliant but not what I'd recommend for you at the moment. It's much better for engines that are already running.

You need to dismantle and clean out every orifice in the carbs. Take your time and lay components out in the order you took them apart, IE: Mixture screw, spring, washer and o-ring.