What to ask anyone you pay to Clean and Set-up your Carbs!!!

It is becoming very clear to me, that the first thing you should ask anyone who you will be paying to clean your carbs and set them up for going back-on your bike is the following question:

"Do you know HOW to clean Hitachi (or Mikuni) carbs and get the rack throughly cleaned, clean-tuned and set-up to go back on my bike and have the bike run?"

There is considerably more to do than remove the four Float Bowls and hose-out the lower end a little-bit and call them DONE!

Ask for an explanation off what you can expect them to do. If you don't hear them tell you precisely what to expect ... or, get what you consider is just some "Lip-service" about what they might have to do ... don't waste your time and money.

I've had some Carbs sent to me to "Check-out" because someone's bike was still having a tough time getting-going AFTER a Third-Party Cleaning and Overhauling.

What I'm seeing is people getting ripped-off by someone squirting a can of carb cleaner all over the outside ... and, hard evidence that they didn't bother doing any real worth-while cleaning ... inside!

 

Too true, if you pay someone to do the carbs it is important they do clean them!

Was told of this guy:

Carb rebuilders site.

Also has parts for XJs.

 

Re: What to ask anyone you pay to Clean and Set-up your Carb

heh heh heh, I know whats wrong with those pictures!!!

 

Wow. Rick, I would say that the first photo you posted is an indication that somebody used carb cleaner and it seeped into the crack and messed up the rubber.

My bike is running very well (eveidently the original owner took good care of it) but one day I will tackle my carbs just for the experience.

Thanks for all the good info you post.

 

Re: What to ask anyone you pay to Clean and Set-up your Carb

Looks like whoever did those carbs don't know what their doing. That first pic where the rubber looks like it's mooshed out is an alignment tab that goes into a recess in the top of the carb body to properly align the diaphram. That should be a no brainer to anyone with eyes.That is why I do my own work-you don't always get what you pay for.

 

Yep, and that tab is about 90 degrees off! The carbs were not broken down and the brass parts were not cleaned in carb dip. If they were they would a bright brass color. Atomization holes in the emulsion tubes are most likely not all clear and I bet the pilot mixture orings were not replaced. Mixture screws could not have been set to 3 turns out either. And with those not removed there is no way to know the internal carb passages are clear. I wonder if the float needles are new? I know the float height wasn't set. So that was good money burned. This is why I don't like to hear someone say they are taking their carbs to the shop to have them cleaned. And to think I would only have charged about $75 to clean them right.

 

Re: What to ask anyone you pay to Clean and Set-up your Carb

I'd take all those parts and boil them in lemon juice for 1/2 hour and go from there. That way you have the better part of the cleaning process done and it won't cost an arm and a leg. Just a thought.

 

Re: What to ask anyone you pay to Clean and Set-up your Carb

time for a reality check, bike shops are there to make money
if one was to take a set of carbs in and ask them to be cleaned and setup the right way (Rick's how to clean your own carbs ) i think you would get a "sorry buddy"
if you took the whole bike in they might do it, because now they have something of value up front, to keep when you get the bill and have a heart attack in their showroom
take a look at the sign in the shop that says labor rate multiply that by about
six if all goes well
now what if he finds cracks in some diaphragms or the float ears held on with with jb weld, maybe the mixture screws are frozen
time = money should he quit, explain the situation to you and take it from there (low buck, no results )
or keep going and say he did the best he could with what he had to work with (high buck, poor results)
or fix everything right and take the deed to your house

bottom line if you take your carbs to a shop you are not going to leave happy

 

Yeah, shops are expensive and even if it is a good shop they don't care nearly as much about your bike as you do.

 

Unfortunately, some shops want you to get in and out especially if it is peak riding season and even more so if you have "an old crappy bike" as I was once told.

They wouldn't do any work to it because "it wasn't worth their time". I took my bike and my MONEY elsewhere.

My Seca runs like a top now - more thanks to this forum than any bike shop.

 

I disagree about the time but not the shop rates or end result for the customer. Realistically with the carbs off that alone saves an hour. The carbs can be disassembled in an hour and the brass bits put in carb dip. This would leave the mechanic to do other tasks until tomorrow. Once the brass bits are clean he could spend half an hour blowing Berryman's B12 and compressed air through the passages. Then another hour to reassemble the carbs with new float seats and valves. So that's only two and a half hours. If he tries to se the fuel height that could easily take an hour. But since most won't, there isn't much time involved for someone who knows what they are doing.

 

Why can't I be one of those guys! :lol: I dread the day that I have to tear into my carbs...oh yeah, it's coming someday. I have been known in the past though, to take things apart out of curiosity and hopes of making things better than they are.

 

Don't dread! Do your homework; have a clean and organized work area; have the right tools, and it'll be fine.

 

Well you can be one of those guys because I wasn't at one time. I learned from guys who had done it on their bikes and they got me through some tough times while working on mine. It is difficult the first time. That's why I always stress to study the carb cleaning guides and buy the XJCD. The pics are worth a thousand words each. Knowing where the parts are, how they come out and where you can bang and not bang on something to loosen it is invaluable info. Knowing the cost and time investment up front is good info too.

Cleaning the carbs I don't believe should be undertaken with out investing in at least a colortune plug. I prefer a colortune and a YICS tool. The sync can wait for a carb clinic. The colortune is an invaluable tool to check not only mixture but spark too. When trouble shooting a rough running engine the first problem is that "fuel mimics fire". Meaning that a missing plug and a plugged carb exhibit the same symptoms. Looking into the colortune shows the spark and the burn.

So knowing what is ahead and that you have the tools to finish the job is how you build success in a carb cleaning. Having the backup from these great guys is how you build success through problems that arise and are depressing to say the least. I wish I could make a living traveling the country teaching guys how to do it. I would love it!

 

I'd love to host your vist! Now I just have to get this house sold so I can buy the house I want without a bloody HOA!

 

Re: What to ask anyone you pay to Clean and Set-up your Carb

My best advice, to all of you who have read my article and are nervously contemplating that moment when you'll take a deep breath and loosen that first screw to YOUR Carb Fuel Bowls ...

Don't do YOUR Carbs FIRST !!!

See if someone has a set of absolutely ruined carbs they'll send you to practice on. Or, just buy a set and instead of being under the pressure to get it right ... or else; you can do a little bit at a time.

Pretty soon ... IF you really clean the "Learning set" ... you'll suddenly come to realize: "Holy Crap ... I ought to have THESE on the bike!

Spend a month on them if you have too ... just be sure you attend to every detail. The difference between Clean Carbs and CleanTuned is in the attention to details.

Perfect is rewarded with the Highest Performance that can be achieved.
When you wrist wide-open, a set of Carbs that are Perfectly CLEANED, CLEAN TUNED and then, FINE TUNED ...

YOU ... are ... "That Guy" ... on ... "That Bike" ... that turns heads and has everybody muttering .... "Sweet" ... when you ride by!

 

Probably not a bad idea to get some practice. I started on my own...didn't do my homework...made several mistakes....got a used set of carbs...did my homework on xjbikes...swapped a few parts...runs like a top.

Take Rick's advice. The real important bits aren't carb specific...e.g., get the right tools, etc.

 

Wow! Look at the difference in the pic above between #3 and #4 bores!!!

Color me impressed!

 

Re: What to ask anyone you pay to Clean and Set-up your Carb

Great read everyone...wonderful thread! I do believe I have been persuaded to get all my tools, part kits and information together this summer for a winter session with my carbs. I like the idea of getting a spare rack of carbs to practice on...and who knows, they could turn out good and then I have a complete assembly ready to go for a quick swap out-----------------> back on the road with little delay from carb issues and necessary maintenance time to repair the problem. Even better yet to some degree, there may be a slim chance to possibly persuade BlueMaxim to do it for 75 bucks via UPS. :lol:

 

Re: What to ask anyone you pay to Clean and Set-up your Carb

My first reply is this:
What tools do I need to put my carbs back together?

I am buying an '81 XJ550 tomorrow afternoon. I will tell you one day how much, but it needs the carbs either put back together or a new rack as I dont even know where to get a rebuild kit.

I will post pics tomorrow or sunday of the carbs.

I just need an idea of where to get the gaskets, diaphram and anything else I may need.

 

Carb kits are available at several online sites. partsnmore.com motorcyclecarbs.com oldbikebarn.com and http://www.crc2onlinecatalog.com.

Tools needed are a good #2 or #3 phillips head screwdriver, three flathead screwdrivers one regular size, one amall and one large. The large one needs to be flat and even at the end since it is used to seat jets if they have been removed. The tip needs to be wide so it fits the slot in the jet without slipping. I actually ground mine down so it would fit well. This fit is essential to avoid damaging the soft brass jets. The small one is for the pilot mixture screw. I use a jewelers set. If the choke plungers have been removed you will need a long socket and ratchet wrench. The Hitachi's use a 10mm, I don't know what size the Mikuni's use. That's about it. Just simple yet specific tools and the rest is done by hand. The float pins if stuck will need a small nail or punch to push them out but most slip out by hand. So placing them and the floats usually don't require tools.
Go to the links section and under the DIY header you will find some links to carb cleaning guides. I would study those so you know what to expect and how to identify the parts.