How do I clean my carbs?

So I finally got my bike running, thanks to all you guys, but I need to clean my carbs.

I know nothing about how to do this. Any tutorials or good advice? Is it a better idea to have someone else do it for me?

I am a poor college student so all the help I can get would be great.

 

If you want to tackle the carb cleaning yourself, there's a couple of good tutorials by RickCoMatic:

Clean Your Own Carb's - The Whole 9 Yards - by: Rick Massey
"Clean Your Own Carbs!" Old School Method by: Rick Massey

Then you'll want to bench-synch your carbs before you reinstall them.

Of course, reinstalling the carbs can be problematic, too.

Finally, you're ready to fine tune the bike. You're going to need your manometer, colortune plug, and YICS tool for this one. You do have these, don't you?

 

Great!

And of course I have everything I need (digs through bag with 2 screwdrivers, 8 nails, and a hammer)...

This one's gonna take me a while...

 

While on this useful subject - how effective are the techniques that don't require removing the carb?

1. The stuff you pour into you gas tank - I think Yamaha actually calls it "carb cleaner".

2. The stuff you spray into the air flow.

3. The stuff that feeds directly into the fuel intake.

Nothing beats taking it apart, I know. But for maintenance, how do the above options work/compare?

 

you could try seafoam, I use it. I have taken the carbs off twice now, cleaned once, and it wasn't all that bad. Mainly though when you put the inside stuff back together you have to be careful and get the right sized jets back into the right spots.

 

I figured I'd start with the 'easy' route... Went to the shop and talked to a few guys there, they recommended "yamaha carbeurator cleaner dip". I was told to disconnect the fuel lines, drain the carbs, and pour it in and let it sit overnight. Sounded easy enough. Wouldn't have to take the carbs off...

So I disconnected the fuel lines, took off the gas tank so I could better see what I was looking at. Once I found out which ones the 'drain screws' were, noticed they were incredibly stripped....

So I started reading this http://xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=4281.html.

Do I have to take the carbs off to get the drain screws out? Should I try another method first like seafoam or carb cleaner to add to the gas tank? Any suggestions...

 

Escali.
It's not worth buggering about trying to get it done the easy way I tried that route and it did'nt happen, you'll just waste time and money. Read Rick's articles, take the carbs off and do it properly. It's not that difficult the hardest part was getting the carbs back on again.

Mick Faighaigh.

 

I agree with faighaigh, there is no substitute for a good physical cleaning.
Then for good measure you can add some seafoam or something to the tank once in a while to prevent buildup. But, at the start, get in there and do it up right.

 

Ok, so I took off my carbs, cleaned em all up right, and put them back on the bike. Now, only the starter motor spins, but nothing catches and the bike won't start. Did I do something wrong?

I am completely fed up with this bike.

 

When you look-up ... do you see a Dark Cloud hovering over your head?

The Starter Motor spinning and not Turning-over the Engine is NOT what I need to hear from somebody who just did his Carbs after reading one of my How-too's!

That's bad news.
This could mean that the Starter Clutch is bad.

I'd pull the starter and take a Shot in the Dark that its just sticking.
What the heck?
You got nothing to loose.

Look at the Yamaha Part Site and Identify the Starter Clutch.
Pull the starter.
Couple of cans of Disc Brake Kleen or straight SeaFoam.
Rubber Ear syringe.
Length of Vinyl hose.

Fill the syringe and shoot the Cleaner in through the Starter opening and douche that Starter Clutch ... GOOD.

There's maybe a chance that it's gunked-up and not making contact with the Starter Drive Gear.

Slim. I know.
But, stranger things have happened to people in here ...

Al bee summin'-up duh good Karma foe yeh.
Hopes you gots duh goot Mo-Jo woikin' fer yeh!

Give it a shot.
What the ... !

http://www.yamaha-motor.com/sport/parts/home.aspx

 

Yikes! That is more than enough to make the faint-of-heart turn tail and run! Rick has thrown you a possible fix, let us all hope it is just a case of a gummed up starter clutch. Don't give up on 'er yet Escali, these little bikes are tough. It'll be worth your while to see her through.

 

Sounds like what my bike did. It may just be a sync and/or mixture adjustment way out of whack. Did you bench sync the carbs before you put them back on?

Also to see if the starter is in fact turning the engine over pull the cover off the rotor (left side of the bike towards the bottom of the engine, round cover with 4 phillips screws if I remember correctly) when you hit the starter, you should see that thing spin. If it spins, the starter clutch is ok.

 

Escali ...

How many miles are on that bike?

 

I actually think there is a dark cloud permanantly above me and I can't get it to go away no matter how fast I run. (If I had a running motorcycle, I may be able to gain enough speed to loose it for a minute or two.)

Less than 13,000 on the bike...

I guess I'll poke around at the starter clutch...my main issue now is that I'm moving next week and have no way to get the bike to my new place...

This just completely sucks. I want something that runs, bad.

 

If there are only 13,000 Miles on the bike ... unless the bike was started 13,000 times ... I'm doubting you need a Starter Clutch.

The Starter Motor is turning ...
But, the Engine is NOT Cranking ... or, the Engine is NOT Starting?

I can understand you wanting a bike that runs, bad ... but I'd much rather have you bombing-around on one that runs -- Good!

I think you have to get the bike jump-started with a Sump full of a light oil and maybe some SeaFoam to do a no-load lube and clean of some moving parts.
Then, drain the Sump and run the oil it needs for being on the road.