Online Carb rebuilder? What do you think...

It is a guy on eBay that says he will completely rebuild carbs for $150 (with core exchange) is it worth it? is it a scam to get missing parts? Would or has anyone used him before? It seems like a good deal if they are tuned and all that other stuff that needs to be done (you can tell I have NO CLUE )rebuild with exchange

 

If it was signed 'Rick', I'd say go for it.

Hopefully someone will chime in that knows the work

 

The listing states his name is James, and that he has been doing rebuild's over 20 years. I sent him a question if it was returned calibrated and tuned and I haven't received a response yet (it has only been a couple of hours)
If there are some other important questions I should ask, please let me know

 

If by "calibrated" you mean "balanced" - that can only be done properly when the carbs are on the bike and it's running.

Otherwise, it may not be too bad a deal - especially if you aren't confident to pull the carbs down by yourself.

 

Calibrated should mean the proper jets for the bike in stock form and a bench sync IMO. There is not an accurate way to tune the mixture and final sinc without them being on the bike. They should allow the bike to start when recieved tho.

 

$150 minimum (it's an auction) $15 to ship say another $15 to ship your core back and your looking at $180 minimum.

For <$100 you can get the parts and do it yourself. Then you know exactly the condition and you know exactly how the whole assembly works.

That said a couple hundred for rebuilt carbs is not a bad deal since I have seen used ones sell for $150 or so. I would rather do it myself but that's just my opinion.

 

I think after you send-in the Carbs you'll probably get "Upped-in-price"!

I do Carbs for Members charging $225.00 and that sometimes doesn't cover the Labor that has to go into doing a real thorough Cleaning and setting-up the Floats.

Even if the Cleaning goes smoothly, without one stuck screw to struggle with or a Pilot Screw that needs drilling-out, I spend 6 -to- 8 hours doing the Rack.

Add-in the need for Gaskets, Jets and Kits and I don't see a way to get a Rack of Carbs cleaned for that kind of money.

I have gotten Carbs form people who bought eBay Carbs that look like somebody sprayed them with with a strong de-greaser and just hosed-off the outside to make them look good for the picture.

More than once I've had Carbs come-in here that look great on the outside and upon pulling the Float Bowls found them to be hopeless cases.
I wouldn't want to send my Carbs off to a place that does Exchange.
You might have the basis for a better set than the ones you get in Exchange.

One stripped Sync screw or Diaphragm Rubbers close to breaking down in the ones you get back will mean you'll be shelling-out more dough to get the ones you get back repaired.

Anybody I authorize to send me their Carbs, first has to Call me and give me a complete Play-by-play of the condition they are in before I get involved with them.
I don't end the transaction after they are Cleaned and sent-back, either.

I'm on the phone making sure they get put-on right and tuned-up properly too.

 

I only saw one comment where someone got a carb rebuild, and he paid 99 cents for it, but he was happy. the rest of the customers were getting parts for bikes it seems

 

Thanks Rick, it seems as I should do them myself, just thought that I should ask people who know, because it sounded like a "good deal" and I know what that usually means

 

...And of course, the difference in having Rick do them (which I almost did, before deciding to try it for myself) is that you know that the dude hacking on your carbs is the guy who wrote the book on the subject...

Who knows how good "some guy on Ebay" is?

 

The thing that bothers me about it ... is the "Exchange" Part.
There's something fishy about that, in my opinion.

I wouldn't want someone sending-in a Set of Carbs off their Bike that are almost Mint and get-back a set that "Are Clean" ... but, not quite as "Nice" as the ones sent-in.

I think you should use the "Ask Seller a Question" Feature and ask the guy if:
The Emulsion Tubes were pulled and all AIR Metering Ports inspected.
All Fuel and Air Passages Flushed
Will they pass a Clunk Test?

If the guy doesn't give you a straight answer and guarantee those three important steps ...

Don't send him YOUR Carbs!
He's probably just fishing for a few suckers to pay him for collecting a few Carbs until he gets enough nice parts to build himself a good set and them go out of business.

The low price is going to get him enough action to have a bunch of people
send him their Carbs.

I don't know of ONE reputable Tech who will evaluate and clean a set of Hitachi or Mikuni Carbs for a buck-fifty.

I think it's a set-up for "Bait and Switch"!
Beware!

 

Not only is there no "accurate way" to do it, there is NO way to do it, because you don't "synch the CARBS", you SYNCH AN ENGINE via the adjustment of the carb throttle opening screws..........

 

http://www.wgcarbs.com/index.php?option ... e&Itemid=1
he kind of leans toward kawasaki's but ya cant hold that against him

 

Yeah, I figured it was something like that as I read it and it said that they had to be "complete" sets, if you knew that everything was complete and "fully serviceable" I would do it myself

 

I saw that auction,

I'm not so sure he has bad intentions. And if he does shoddy work
the news will travel fast on ebay. Perhaps he should do his self a favor and get involved in some tech forums to display his talents to people who in return might come to trust him. OR LOL, it's just not worth the risk.

At the very least he should be willing to give access for a person to make a decision, an informed decision. That auction also stated you could have the option to get "your" carbs back but to contact him and make arrangements.

Still in all, could be risky and this forum is more to my liking and I get to learn sooo much about my XJ :lol: