Bad word, bad word, BAD WORD...

Started to open up my carburetors, and damnit, the plate on the bottom side isn't going to unscrew for ANYTHING. I am not stripping the screws, but I have literally hurt my hands trying to unscrew them (bad blood blisters on both hands). I have WD40'd them all in the hopes it will creep into the cracks and help lube it, but to no avail. I am at a total loss on this bike at this point. I can't get it to start up, can't get into it to fix it, and seem to be chasing a problem around this bike like its a ghost. Someone help me here, or else, my next move is to part the thing out on ebay....

 

I am not sure you need to pull apart the carb rack. I rebuilt mine with it intact. However, you might try a manual impact screwdriver.

 

or try PB Blaster and not WD-40. WD-40 is not a penetrating oil like PB Blaster is. You can get PB at Autozone or any other automotive store.

 

On mine, four of the screws came off easy, and the other four (already pretty chewed up) held on like grim death. I used needle nose vice grips and lots of obscenities.

 

Like Tony said, Impact screwdriver might help. If not, use a dremel tool or hacksaw to cut a straight slot across the screw head and use a large flat screwdriver to turn.

 

Kish:

You DON'T separate the Carb Bodies from the Rack.
You clean the Four Carbs ... all connected together ... ON the Rack.

BEFORE you jump-in to the deep-end of the pool ... make SURE you are doing the right thing.

The LAST thing we want the Members of THIS Forum to do is: Make a costly mistake attempting to do something that will do Damage to Parts which are difficult to replace.

YOUR OWN Bike's Carbs ~~> Are NOT the set you should be using to
learn how to Clean Carbs.

A cheap set of second-hand Carbs that you don't have to worry about is what you should be practicing on.

I'd like to have the cooperation of everyone attempting to assist Kishkumen to be detailed and VERY specific with your information and instructions.

Use the POST REPLY link and include drawings or photographs to be ABSOLUTELY Certain that everybody's on the SAME page!

 

I am following what my manual says, and the plate on the bottom is supposed to be removed (not the metal across the top of it). Regardless, I found a local autoshop that was willing to help loosen those screws w/an impact driver. I am following my manual line for line to get to these parts and clean them properly. Even the manual stipulates I should not separate the carbs themselves, but to remove the bottom plate allows me to get to the underside and whatnot... We will see..

 

Update:

Okay, so I got my #1 carb opened up, and I don't find what I thought I would find. Its very dry to the touch, and (what appears to be) dirt on the bottom there (see pics). It looks relatively clean, honestly. But the lack of any moisture at all leads me to believe that I was not getting any gas into this float bowl whatsoever. I will open up the other three and see what I find there as well, but pics:

Housing:


Float Bowl (this image turned out very dark. The dirt you see is very light coating, and very dry to the touch):


16 month old son wanting to help:

 

This is how they were after you've been running it some? I dare say that the screens on your float valves are clogged solid.

And yes, folks, on the 550, you do have to remove the heat shield plate to get to the float bowls.

 

I misunderstood the Post.

Whatever that stuff is crippled my bike shortly after getting gas at an Interstate Rest Stop.

What angered me about having to yank the rack was -- I HAD AN INLINE FRAM FILTER IN PLACE ... and that stuff STILL made it to the Fuel Bowls!

See:

http://xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=4 ... d+gas.html

So, we know one thing for sure ... well, maybe two things.

It was the Carbs.
We all need to be running a High-quality filter!

 

Holy crap, Rick! Your pics look dead up like what I got going on! Like, the fuel filter looks all brown, and that stuff in the carbs (looks brown, and all)... Same thing. And how your bike died, same thing for me. Like either I was running of gas or something.

How do I get to my screens, how do I clean them, and should I go on and buy a new fuel filter?

 

The screens are like little Beenie's on the Float Valves. If you can Spray through the Valve and clean it off ... it will pop-off if you use a small jewelers screwdriver.

They DO "Pop" off. So, be careful it doesn't go flying away.

Sure. Get a new filter.
But, Robert suggests that the paper-style, budget filters aren't fine enough to filter-out this kind of stuff.

 

What can I clean the screens with? Also, what am I looking at for a fuel filter?

2nd question: what's an oil filter cost for a bike? What kinda oil and how much? It looks like 2 qts drained out of my bike when I drained the oil this morning...

 

You can clean the screens with Spray Carb Cleaner.

Oil Filter's run 5-8 Buck (see if you can find one with O-rings included)

How much oil is stamped right on the case next to the Oil Fill Cap.

...........

I hope you have noticed that the Carb Cleaning piece I wrote pertains to Hitachi Carbs on Maxim 650/750.

 

No, I hadn't noticed that. I have been so flustered w/this bike for the last week, I've been lucky to find any info recently. You guys have help to keep my head on strait. Thanks a lot.

 

whoa, that's nasty... but I think you definitely found your problem! :-D

You can get an inline fuel filter for just a few bucks at autozone/oreilly's/napa stores... they keep them for lawnmowers. who da thunk they'd work on a motorbike...

You might also do a more thorough inspection of your gas tank, since that's where the brown crap is coming from. if you have a dirty/rusty tank, you'll keep fouling the filters and the carbs.

If you want to "future-proof" your tank, get a bike liner kit like POR-15 ($40 or so). This stuff is (IMHO) better than Kreem or any other latex liners, because it's impervious to gasoline, even with ethanol. It takes a long time to cure (48 hours), but once it's dry, it's there forever... so don't get any on the paint job!

 

Hey, Rick. I am looking at autozone.com and cannot find the autozone brand carb cleaner on there. Is it safe for our carbs to use? Can you find a link to the name or a pic for me before I go tonight, please?

 

Heh! The little guy's a cutie. I've got three of 'em from 4 to 10 and they all want to "help"; I now make sure to do all such work in the garage. "Daddy's little helpers" have a bad habit of misplacing important bits and pieces at the worst possible times. :lol:

 

I don't know what to suggest ... because I only use the AutoZone Brand.

I'll have to run by Some other AutoParts store and see what they have in stock.

Maybe someone else has a suggestion for you.

 

I used Advance Auto Parts brand Before until I wnt to my local bike shop and found filters with the "stone" filter for about the same price.