Clean Your Own Carb's - The Whole 9 Yards - by: Rick Massey

I also cast a vote for you having one of the cleanest shop environments I've seen in awhile.

I can't even SEE the top of my bench, I have so many things going-on.

You could do Brain Surgery after you get those Float Heights done.

 

I bow humbly, Master, blushing with pride - but, seriously, after putting the carbs on the bike yesterday, I thought of taking a picture of my work-table, naming it "post-carb-chaos" (think I´ll do that tomorrow....

And before I take too much credit: The "Setup/levelled" pics were taken before disassembling the carbs - with a good clean-up as preperation (joked with a friend experienced in old SU-carbs that before approaching carbs a cleansing the surrondings and yourself-ritual would be appropiate, followed be placing the carbs on a clean cloth, lighting a candle and chanting a meditative "Aum" before getting to work 8)

 

is it just the picture or is your gas clear, colorless ?

 

It´s a bit yellowish..(not blue 8) (don´t know about your place but here in DK agriculture and others use non-taxed gasoline with a distinct blue colour..)

 

Re: Clean Your Own Carb's - The Whole 9 Yards - by: Rick Mas

Completed my carb cleaning project this weekend (pulled/cleaned/installed), using the wisdom gleaned from this thread. Every thing went smoothly, in fact, the hardest part was re-intalling the battery box!
After installing the carbs and a new set of NKGs, she started right up (with very little choke) and was idling free of choke after about 1 minute. This 750 Max has not been running in 2 months!
Took it for a spin under various speeds, and other than a possible high idle (feels like 1200 instead of 1100), this pike is purring!
Thanks go to Rick-o-Matic and Maxim and all who share here-

 

Believe it or not, you can still get the jets at your local yamaha shop. I replaced one of my 110 jets that way just this past week.

 

Re: Clean Your Own Carb's - The Whole 9 Yards - by: Rick Mas

Hey great info. thanks ! I am in the middle of doing battle with 3 pilot screws thats slots are stripped. screwdriver just ain't happenin' NO SIR. I'm fightin though. Just in case i lose . Would ya know whare i could get replacments ? Thanks, Rick

 

hey guys does any one have those pictures still? i have makuni carbs and those pictures would be a great thing for me to have.

 

I just finished overhauling a set of Mikuni's for a client.
I have a complete set of photographs of the cleaning, drilling-out, polishing bores and cleaning and polishing-up all the little stuff.

 

Rick are you going to post those. I would like to see if possible. Thanks

 

I can't post them.
I don't have any space left.

Plus ... It's a complete job. There must be 80 pictures.
I could Burn them to a DVD for you.

PM me you Snail Mail address and I'll work on that.
I don't have any blanks DCD's and I'm snowed in!

 

Rick, if you have those images, I'd love to build a website - guide for you, using your text on this post, plus those photos. It would do a great deal for me to go through it all and learn everything possible, and it would become that great 'show and tell' that you talked about in the first few posts.

Let me know if you are interested.
Also - how much do you charge 'clients' to overhaul carbs?

 

Anything new on this idea of a mikuni guide ?
I followed a link to "alive"'s mikuni pics from earlier in the thread at
http://www.xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=3633.html

I'm needing to do the carbs on my maxim-X soon (overdue) and a step-by-step of mikuni's would be an awesome resource

 

The only difference that's remarkable is the Pilot FUEL Jetting on Mikuni.

The Pilot FUEL Jet on Mikuni is located at the bottom of a narrow, "Tube" housing.
Its difficult to access the Fuel Jet.

Buy or fabricate a Tool that will be used to extract the Pilot FUEL Jet.
You NEED a Screwdriver with a PRECISION FIT into the Slot of the Jet to prevent the Jet's Screwdriver Slot "Wings" from deforming and causing the headache of having a Jet stuck in the Carb Body.

 

Thanks Rick,
I'm sure I won't "get" that until I've actually gotten inside my carbs and can see. Being a a TOTAL carb virgin at this point its still all greek. I've been reading every carb cleaning related thread here (OMG) and especially the ones with pictures, which are amazing. Much nicer than diagrams but missing labels and part names of course, so I'm still trying to compare the pictures with the diagrams so I can understand what each part is called, what it looks like, and what it does (ouch), THEN going back and reading over the disassembly and cleaning descriptions again till it starts to make sense. A little so far. But its fun as long as I'm learning something. But the moment of carb truth approaches. I'd love to wait for fall but i'm overdue for valve clearances (not a fun job on X I'm learning) and I'm tired of my mixture screws not doing much of anything...and well the carbs WILL be off so...it seems like "learning time". Thanks for all the great carb info all over the place here.

 

A technique that I have found helpful for someone who is about to Clean the Carbs for the first time is:

Do 1 at a time!
Take your time doing the Number-1 Carb.
Taking-down just 1 Carb at a time makes it seem less of a daunting task.
Plus: You won't get distracted by a complication distracting you from the procedure.

The one thing I want to stress for a first timer is this:
Be Careful.
DON'T Break a Float Hinge Pillar.

 

Re: Clean Your Own Carb's - The Whole 9 Yards - by: Rick Mas

Hello and thanks for the abundance of information given.
I am working on the carbs of a 1982 Maxim. Cylinder 2 and 4 (mostly 4) were burning black powder rich and would fowl a plug very quickly. I have been reading about the pilot jets with great interest and have a question. Do all XJ650 Pilot screws have the Oring and copper seat in them?? I pulled mine apart and found none. It didn’t feel like it had very good spring pressure against the screw to keep it from vibrating out of adjustment either. I went to a parts catalog and found the pilot screw but didn’t see a seat or Oring listed either. If missing where Can I get some?
I am waiting for some great advice.

Everready_Tom
8O

 

Hey Tom, I've got all the Hitachi carb rebuild parts you could ever want (and then some!), you can see them over at:

http://www.xjbikes.com/Forums/viewforum/f=23.html


or just drop me a PM.

 

Re: Clean Your Own Carb's - The Whole 9 Yards - by: Rick Mas

With the exception of extremely varnished diaphram assembly slide pistons, I don't like to use abrasives if I can avoid it. If I do have to resort to abrasives, I usually use those that are liquid based. What seems to work best for me is using Turtle Wax brand Chrome Polish & Cleaner with a rag to get off the heavy varnish/crud build up, followed by good old Brasso brand brass cleaner/polish using a rag. It generally takes me less than five minutes (total) per slide. I've posted an attachment of a photo showing four slide pistons from Hitachi carbs (off a 1985 Yamaha XJ700N) and you'll notice the piston on the far right has been cleaned using the above method/products. It took me about fifteen minutes total to complete all four.

 

Re: Clean Your Own Carb's - The Whole 9 Yards - by: Rick Mas

I just cleaned my MIKUNIs on Maxim X 750 1985, below is the link for some of its pictures...
http://picasaweb.google.ca/yamahalowrid ... ectMaximX#

 

I hope you took-out those Main FUEL Jets and pushed-out the Emulsion Tubes and cleaned the Main AIR Passage and AIR Metering Ports drilled in to the Emulsion Tubes.

That's the Key to Mid-Range and Wide-Open Performance.

Also ... scrub the Bores for the Pistons.

 

Re: Clean Your Own Carb's - The Whole 9 Yards - by: Rick Mas

Hi Ricomatic, Yes i did them all with carb cleaner spray and compressed air. There were some tiny holes on venturi walls near butterfly valves..cleand them too. I did not take lots of pictures of the job hopefully next time around will do it.

 

Good stuff!!!! educational and timely

 

Check out additional link:
www.factorypro.com/tech_tuning_procedur ... gines.html
may be the extra mile you need

 

Re: Clean Your Own Carb's - The Whole 9 Yards - by: Rick Mas

This article is great. Thanks Rick.

Being a complete n(b)oob who plans on trying to rebuild my carbs over the winter, can anyone give me a complete list of what I will need (Parts and tools) before I start this endeavour? I don't want to have to run to the store once I get started.

And I realise this lis tmight change as I take things apart and find/make problems.

 

Re: Clean Your Own Carb's - The Whole 9 Yards - by: Rick Mas

TOOLS NEEDED:

* time.
* patience.
* paper, pen, and a notebook.
* ZIP-LOCK BAGGIES OF VARIOUS SIZES.
* a clean, semi-uncluttered, well-lit and well-ventilated area to work in.
* a strong flashlight.
* a magnifying glass.
* a digital-cam would be a huge bonus.
* haynes or clymer workshop manual.
* yamaha service manual.
* xjbikes.com threads already bookmarked.
* paper towels and shop rags.
* access to ultrasonic cleaner.
* access to tumbler or glass-bead blaster.


* Flat & phillips head screwdrivers, various sizes. JIS phillips-drive screwdrivers should be used.
* wire tube brushes, various sizes, for cleaning internal passages.
* brass & steel wire toothbrushes, for cleaning the outside surfaces.
* mini, mini-plus, or man-sized passage cleaning wires set.
* Engraving pen or punch to mark carb bodies, bowls, throttle shafts, etc. Ink won't do, even "sharpie" style permanent ink markers, since carb dip and spray cleaners will remove them.
* Hammer.
* METRIC open-end wrench and socket assortment
* pry bar or soft mallet.
* channel locks, vise grips, pliers---needlenose and otherwise.
* dental picks.
* mini drill bit for carb bowl starter jet cleaning.
* e-z outs and/or LH drill bits.
* small pencil torch or a heat gun.
* vise.
* drill & drill bits.
* float height ruler or gauge.
* fuel level sight tube.
* a 6" or 12" bubble level.
* a carb rack Alignment Plate, necessary as you re-assemble the individual carbs together and tighten the upper and lower rack bar screws. The four carbs must be placed on a perfectly flat surface as the screws are tightened or mis-alignment will occur, and life gets really un-fun if that occurs.........


* 100% silicone grease. Any petroleum-based grease will attack rubber.
* anti-seize fluid.
* semi-permanent (purple) thread locker fluid.
* brake or carb cleaner (and lots of it).
* carb dip or access to it.
* Fine sandpaper, automotive paint grade, 400-, 600-, 800-, 1000+ grit.
* restoration paints and coatings, if you are so inclined to do such detailing.


* synch sticks.
* YICS block-off tool, if your bike is has a YICS passage.
* YICS port passage cleaning tool, if your bike is has a YICS passage.
* gun brushes or similar.
* gun cleaner or similar.
* colortune plug.




PARTS NEEDED:

Carb rebuild:

* throttle shaft seals (if you split the carbs from the rack).
* fuel supply tube o-rings (if you split the carbs from the rack).
* float needle seat rebuild kit (seat, needle, clip, seat washer).
* bowl gaskets.
* idle mixture washers & o-rings, screws if damaged.
* jets, if damaged or incorrectly sized.
* carb bowl fuel drain screws.
* new replacement carb hardware (screws, etc.)---now is the time to upgrade to stainless steel and/or allen-head fasteners if so desired!




http://www.xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=14692.html

 

Awesome! Thanks.

 

chacal, you forgot the two ton bottle jack, 5 gallon bucket with lid, impact gun, bikini clad helper and 2 cases of beer, white gloves and a lab coat, eye protection and a hard hat, lets do this right

 

and the fairy feathers !!!

 

they're in the mail, go ahead and get started, they'll arrive soon

 

that dang fairy shoulda got here already,she has wings ya know.....

 

Thanks guys!

Polock, you're right, and just make sure you don't get the beer or the bikini helpers at Harbor Freight.......

 

If they have a deeper voice than you do, RUN.

 

Good, solid advice there Schmuck!

 

As if the idea of pulling off cleaning, syncing, etc and reinstalling the carbs and praying the bike starts wasn't scary enough for someone who's never touched a carb...

The necessary parts/tools list is even scarier if on a near zero budget.

How necessary are:
* access to ultrasonic cleaner.
* access to tumbler or glass-bead blaster.

Would one of those $50 ultra sonic JEWELERY cleaners count and/or be big enough?

 

You don't need Ultrasound or a Tumbler.

You can get the job done with a minimum amount of tools and accessories.

Having Screwdrivers that fit the Pilot Mixture Jets and Fuel Jets is imperative.

A Bin with a rack to suspend the Carbs is also a luxury.
But, it helps to have the Rack suspended so that particulate getting sprayed-off ... drops-away and does not recontaminate the cleaning process.

 

Also, I'm not sold on the alignment jig... how much improvement do you get over a two (relatively beefy) rails that orient and fix the carbs in the two most critical planes? Does anyone swear by the alignment jig?

 

I saw a nice sized metal "drip pan" at Walmart Today that would cover most of my bench in the shed. I'd just need the "toaster over" type rack to lift the parts while cleaning draining.

So much to possibly do this summer

 

Hooray.....

Wish I'd though of reading this a while ago.. Just put my carbs back on after spending hours cleaning them just to find that the bike wouldn't start..

After trawling my way through this lot, I've realised I'VE PUT THE FLOATS ON UPSIDE DOWN!!!!

What a great thing the search tool is..

Thanks for all the photos etc.. Really helpful.

 

I have a question about the Pilot Air Jet cover that comes screwed in on some carbs.
I just delved into the business of cleaning my carbs two days ago and yesterday was time to look at the diaphrams.
I'm doing one carb at a time, so I can use the others as reference should I forget anything.
After taking off the diaphram, I noticed that my carbs were of the type that came WITH the jet cover, but NOT screwed in. Rather, it was glued in with some sort of resin. Have any of you guys seen this before? Do I need the cover at all?

 

Mine didn't have a cover.. Personally I think it's irrelevant.

 

Those Covers aren't needed.

If yours are glued-in ... I'd say to remove them and run without them.

 

Thanks, I'll have to go through a rebuild+tuning process first before deciding to strip off the covers.
However, as I got further into the carbs yesterday, I noticed that not all pilot screw components are present. In fact, only 1 of 4 carbs had the complete setup.
Can you tell me the consequences of this?

I bet Chacal has the parts needed...

 

Look carefully.
Prove down-in the hole.

The washer is over the O-ring.
A toothpick wiggle will free-up anything sticking.