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Carb cleaner

6K views 52 replies 9 participants last post by  jeeps84 
#1 ·
Is it advisable to use the spray stuff, made for cars, on a bike? Also, what about the fuel system cleaner additives?

If you can't tell, I'm a bit concerned about my fuel system getting gunked up. I added the STP Stab-IL yesterday, but I wonder if I can reverse any damage already done without physically tearing down down the carbs?
 
#6 ·
ShanMan14 said:
Is it advisable to use the spray stuff, made for cars, on a bike? Also, what about the fuel system cleaner additives?

If you can't tell, I'm a bit concerned about my fuel system getting gunked up. I added the STP Stab-IL yesterday, but I wonder if I can reverse any damage already done without physically tearing down down the carbs?
The jets on an automobile carb are much larger than the tiny jets in each carb on a bike, so they don't clog very often. Carb spray works good on the tiny air jets on my carbs, as they can clog. But mostly carb spray is used to free up the exterior choke linkage on a car, which can bind.

Pouring carb cleaner in the gas makes it too dilute to do any good. You really have to take the carbs off to do it right. I just did mine. You probably already know about cleaning the jets in the float chamber, but what about the vacuum chamber?

The piston holding the needle has to be cleaned, as well as the air bleeds under the diaphram. You have to be careful with the diaphram, as you don't want to rip it or get (too much) carb cleaner on it. I use a little Vaseline to hold the edge of the diaphram in the groove when reassembling the top cover. After cleaning, I do a carb balance and test ride. Whoo-hoo.
 
#7 ·
Go FI... jk
As far as cleaners... i dont see why not, wouldnt do it a lot, could corrode the rubber boots in the carb if u did it too much, but my 500 id use it one if i ever ride the thing again.

As for additives.. id say avoid em, ive heard htye are NOT good at all for high compression and very high outout motors like bikes run....if you want to run cleaner run shell premium and then a lil bit of VP 113 in it instead... supossed ot use higher octane fuel and not booster. it doenst take much VP to boost octane safely....just dont overuse the VP and get the octane levels too high if you dont hjave a very high compression bike... mines only 11.5:1 so i run like 2 capfuls per tank.
 
#8 ·
Good point Scott...

Worries...some good points too. I was thinking after I posted, that I would also recomend that you don't add any additives unless you know you're going to burn off that tank of gas in your riding that day or the next. Don't want to let that stuff it in your system.

Also, carb cleaner in a spray can yes, is intended for exterior use, but can be used on the interior of the carb. Use to do it all the time...remove the air filter and with motor running, spray the cleaner into the carb...all it is going to do is burn off... But I was refering to carb/FI cleaner that you pour into your tank...additive...
 
#9 ·
Spray carb cleaner is spray carb cleaner, it will remove deposits from evaporated fuel. I'm not a big fan of fuel additives but stabil is a good way to have your carbs survive the winter. The big thing to look out for in fuel additives is that they are safe for rubber components in the fuel system.

Larry
 
#10 ·
was just going through some old posts......I would not spray carb cleaner into a motorcycle carburator ever, i have seen it attack the rubber diaphram on the needle slide assy, it swelled up so big i couldnt get the cover back on......like larry said, you have to be real carefull of anything that will attack rubber in the carbs. very very bad.

if you want to clean the carbs, remove the top cover and needle slide assy and the bottome bowl and spay away..then blow it out good with compressed air, and reinstall.
 
#12 ·
twisty said:
How hard is it balance the carbs?
to sync them(balance) is easy, sometimes though the ports that u have to put the hoses from the (gauge with the 4 tubes) since i cant think of the name of it and couldnt spell it if i did..(menometor sp.) can be a pain in the kneck to get to....

basicly you want them all to be between 2"(marks) of the gauge of each other, i like to get them better...

theres 3 adjustment screws, you adjust them in banks, the left 2 and then the right 2 and then those 2 together...its really a piece of cake..

i remember on my honda i had to have a special tube that installed on the intake of the head to attatch the hoses to, but most bikes have a small port by each carb that has a rubber cover on it, thats what u attatch the hoses from the gauge to..
 
#13 ·
carbstix is what i have, pretty cheap gauge..mine is filled with mercury..i would beleive they use water now, but not sure....


i use to have carbs all over the garage, but i must have cleaned it up and thrown them out to show the ports the 4 hoses connects to..but u cant miss them
 
#17 ·
There is alot easier way!!! Take the carbs off the bike...put them in a trash bag and take them to Brighton Superbike and have him sync them!!!

Much much easier!

In a race bike, that is something you might want to do every year or 2. I had mine done when I had it jetted! Even dealers will do them off the bike for about $40!!
 
#18 ·
Gas Man said:
There is alot easier way!!! Take the carbs off the bike...put them in a trash bag and take them to Brighton Superbike and have him sync them!!!

Much much easier!

In a race bike, that is something you might want to do every year or 2. I had mine done when I had it jetted! Even dealers will do them off the bike for about $40!!
not easier just another way to do it if you dont have carb sticks...its much easier to just hook up the 4 hoses and check them anytime you want, and just adjust them if needed. pulling the carbs off some stock bikes can be a real pain with the stock air filter setups...I'd also rather have them adjusted on the bike that there going on ,,,,

so i wouldnt say easier, just another way you can do it

carb sticks cost around 40.00
 
#19 ·
Im with Jack, strange huh? I WILL NOT LET ANOTHER MAN PUT HIS GREASY HANDS ON MY BIKES. They make books, vids and many other tools to do it yourself to just repair or make more HP. I know my bikes inside and out and never will another person work on them.

That like letting another man sleep with you wife.
 
#20 ·
twisty said:
Im with Jack, strange huh? I WILL NOT LET ANOTHER MAN PUT HIS GREASY HANDS ON MY BIKES. They make books, vids and many other tools to do it yourself to just repair or make more HP. I know my bikes inside and out and never will another person work on them.

That like letting another man sleep with you wife.
well thats another good point, when my ass is on the line when im at speed, whether on a track or the street, i want to be the one responsible for my bike when i comes to tires, brakes etc.....though synking your carbs isnt gonna kill you i just always feel better knowing i did it than someone else...

that and try ripping the carbs off any older gsxrs with the stock airbox on... :rant: :bash:
 
#22 ·
Gas Man said:
I know but it's an option I had to point out!
i agree, it just isnt an "easier" option...in fact i never even heard of bringing your carbs in to have them synked (sp) but since ive always had a carb stick, it was never needed...

I would like to hear Larry's or speedwerks input on synking the carbs off the bike that they are going to be installed on....

there are ways to do it mechanicly, by measureing the opening of each carb with feeler gauges...i use to do that to get the carbs close to being adjusted when i had all the carbs torn apart and reassembled, but that just got them in the ballpark.
 
#24 ·
Gas Man said:
There is alot easier way!!! Take the carbs off the bike...put them in a trash bag and take them to Brighton Superbike and have him sync them!!!
Gas Man, I've taken carbs off of four different bikes. I would rather push a motorcycle up a hill than take off and put on carbs. Synking the carbs using a Carb-stix is 10 times easier than taking off the carbs. Most bikes you have to take the gas tank off and rig up a fuel line, but with my Honda I just hinge the tank, hook up the stix and turn the screws to even out the mercury. Done in 10 minutes.
 
#25 · (Edited)
That sounds pretty nice... maybe I'll have to get one...

How aften do you guys sync the carbs?

I don't do mine that often. Had mine done when the carbs were jetted! That was 2 years ago...

Also, you guys never answered Twisty... where could we get one from??
 
#26 ·
Gas Man said:
That sounds pretty nice... maybe I'll have to get one...

How aften do you guys sync the carbs?

I don't do mine that often. Had mine done when the carbs were jetted! That was 2 years ago...

Also, you guys never answered Twisty... where could we get one from??
I was always playing with my jetting and needle position, so i use to sinc them often back in the day,now i would say once a season or anytime you rejet, or anytime the bikes not running or idling right...its a quick check to make sure the carbs being out of sinc for some reason isnt the problem...then u can go from there to find the problem

just do a search for carb stick on google.....
 
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