How carbs should look

Started by hfarley, July 26, 2005, 03:08:16 PM

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hfarley

Question, I finally figured out how to remove the airbox to get at everything that is underneath it. (Incrediably simple) DOH!! Hey but I did it! Anyway, When I look into those two holes that were connected to the bottom of the box (the carbs I assume) What should they look like inside? I mean clean, dirty, oily, black, etc... I hear everyone talking about cleaning the carbs and I was just curious what some of the telltale signs for dirty ones were. When I look down those holes they are incrediabley clean looking. I do believe that they were cleaned not to long ago but when I loked down the same part on the spare bike they were incrediably clean looking also.
Thanks a million!
-Heather
Sometimes being insane in an insane world IS being sane

I don't suffer from insanity....I enjoy every minute of it!

h2olawyer

Heather -

The parts of the carbs that get dirty are the tiny passages & jets contained within the carbs.  The throats normally look very good - even in carbs that won't run.  The real tell-tale signs are how the bike performs, not how they look.  Rough running, stumbling, poor fuel economy and similar actions often indicate dirty carbs.

Once they have been cleaned, using products like BG44K, Seafoam or Gumout every two or three tank fulls will keep them pretty clean for a long time.  Also, using Sta-bil when you won't be riding for a few weeks or more keeps the fuel from evaporating & leaving the gel & gum deposits that are the major culprits in dirty carbs.  The fuel filter keeps small particles from entering the carbs - the particles can also cause poor performance when they lodge in one of the tiny passages or get stuck in a jet.

I pour a couple ounces of Seafoam in every other tank, and use BG44K about every 2500 miles.  Haven't had to clean my carbs in a long time & their performance has been great.

H2O
If you have an accident on a motorcycle, it's always your fault. Tough call, but it has to be that way. You're in the right, and dead -on a bike. The principle is not to have any accident. If you're involved in an an accident, it's because you did not anticipate. Then, by default, you failed.

Lucky

not to open a can of worms, but don't use additives (fuel system cleaners) if your tank is coated with Kreem. bare tank or POR-15 is fine, but they will desolve the Kreem coating & gum up the carbs badly.  if you can catch the coating with a fingernail (it feels like latex paint 'skin') then don't use the additive.  POR looks silvery & you can't scratch it .

--Lucky
1982/3 XZ550 Touring Vison, Gold on Black

hfarley

Well, she runs strong so I am assuming that my carbs are ok for now then. (Thank god) I a bit intimadated about cleaning the carbs myself too. But since I do have a spare bike I might just take the carbs off of that one and see if I can take it apart and put it back together. If it works then I will do the one that is on my running bike. This spare bike was one of the best acquisitions that I have ever gotten!  I call it my learning bhike. I try stuff out on it first so if I break it no big deal. I figure between the hoses, tires, and misc other parts so far I have saved myself almost $400.00.
Whoo hoo!
-Heather
Sometimes being insane in an insane world IS being sane

I don't suffer from insanity....I enjoy every minute of it!