Yamaha FJ1200 Carbs (Mikuni BS36) Full Restoration Top Tips

I've fully stripped the Mikuni BS36 carbs for my 1991 Yamaha FJ1200,which is undergoing a full restoration. In this video, I talk you through 15 tips based on my experiences of fully stripping, restoring and rebuilding a couple of sets of FJ carbs.
Loads of parts and advice over two decades by Phil Hacker at UK FJ Owners Club - knows everything there is to know about the FJ1200 - www.fjownerscl...
Vast amount of knowledge and help available at USA based FJ Owners Club - www.fjowners.com/
Replacement bolts and o-rings kit from RPM in USA - also check out their gorgeous replacement oil cooler and fork brace and loads more - rpmracingca.com...
Soda blasting by Andy at Suttons Soda Blasting - top bloke - www.suttonsodab...
Keyster Carb kits from NRP - www.nrp-carbs.c...
Dynojet kit from Dynojet UK - dynojet.co.uk/...

[@jasonseward4044]

Splendid video, most importantly of all… it’s lit properly so we can actually see what you’re talking about, so many KZbin ‘how to’ videos get that wrong… Well done.

[@ianthepelican2709]

Excellent pointers, much appreciated.

[@martynflynn8368]

Hi, just bought an 88 FJ1200 thats been sat for 15 years so if I decide to do the work myself this will be a very useful video.

[@MichaelsFJRestorationProject]

Thanks Martyn. Yes those carbs on your FJ are definitely going to need a strip down and clean up after 15 years laid up. Good luck. Especially if you decide to do it yourself. It is fun and very rewarding to do yourself. Michael

[@michaelmclarney1994]

Great video, thanks for sharing what you have learned. I have a 1992 3xw model that I am going to put back on the road this year, God willing. I have no doubt that the carbs will need an overall, among other things and I intend to do it myself. Phil Hacker at the fj owners club is a top notch guy, knows everything and, from experience, is an honest and trustworthy bloke.

[@MichaelsFJRestorationProject]

Thanks Michael. Hope some of the little tips based on my experience of a couple of FJ carb strip and rebuilds will be of some help when you come to do yours. Good luck! And thanks for taking the time to drop in a comment. This was my very first go at putting anything like this up on KZbin! Michael

[@michaelmclarney1994]

@@MichaelsFJRestorationProject great first attempt, well done and I hope you upload more stuff. I have had mine since 1995, know my way around most of the bike and love it dearly, it's a shame life dealt some cards from the bottom of the deck for it to end up the way it has. I hope I can get it done this year and am waiting to get a table lift so I can work without grovelling on the garage floor 😀👍

[@philiprodney7884]

Fantastic video. I don’t have the patience to reassemble my Dualit toaster never mind a set of carbs with three hundred plus parts!

[@andrewonmyway8184]

Extremely serious rebuild of you FJs carbs Michael. You deserve a medal for patients and must of spent a fortune. As a present owner of a 95 FJ I've had my fair share of carb rebuilds but nothing as extreme as yours. I'm aware of the prices, it's scary. Yamaha deserves a good kicking charging a £5 er for an O-ring. Thanks for taking the time for an excellent and informative video.

[@DiamondMounter]

Google part numbers! Yamaha makes parts to share with other vehicles. I saved about 20% by buying engine top bolts for a boat engine that were exactly the same for my FJ. Also use translations. Translate what you need in to Japanese then search that. Sometimes it works out cheaper to buy from Japanese suppliers even when paying more for shipping. I live in Japan I need to translate things often.

[@davidcarter6737]

Came across your video when looking into carb rebuilds. I have an 89 FJ which I dropped some 20 years ago and rode it home and put it in the back of the garage. I never got round to repairs, new home, young family etc and now with lockdown,and have a desire to get back into riding. Unfortunately I don't believe I stored the bike correctly, old gas/petrol and the carbs were never drained. I was hoping I could drop the float bowls and soak the carbs in cleaner but after watching your video suspect they will need a complete tear down. Seeing it all laid out on the table, looks daunting. Anyway, enjoyed your video, nice clear narration, closer views of the parts would be nice and a shot of your bike. Certainly hope you make more and have subscribed just incase. Greetings from Canada.

[@MichaelsFJRestorationProject]

Hi David. Thanks for watching my video. You should definitely get your old FJ back on the road. I’m afraid you are likely to have to do a full carb rebuild. The old fuel will have gummed up the internals. I know it looks daunting with 300+ bits but as long as you take your time, photograph and video everything so you know how it fits together, and bag and tag or box all the bits as you go along you’ll be fine. And it’s a very rewarding feeling when you get them all back together. Good luck!

[@fabzrustrider9838]

This is absolutely great thank you for this video. I never done this, I too have a Yamaha fj1200 I never had any trouble but I will keep you very close. Thank you again great video 💯

[@MichaelsFJRestorationProject]

Thanks for your kind words. I wish you many more happy miles of FJ12 riding. Cheers. Michael

[@DiamondMounter]

This is very helpful thank you!

[@Sleepeatfilm]

Great video. now i'm sure i'm going to sell my fj1200. Way toooooo much hassle for me

[@1965dbc]

91 fj1200 here Michael

[@mikelaradesigns]

Good video micheal. I'm currently diagnosing a running problem on my fj1200. It's running on 3 but I think it's spark because it's kicking un burnt fuel out the pipe. I'll investigate and probly reference thus video so thanks for a good informative video

[@MichaelsFJRestorationProject]

Hi Mike. Hope you’ve managed to resolve your problem. The easy way to check if it’s an HT lead/suppressor cap problem of course is to swap plug leads. One coil fires cylinders 1&4. The other fires 2&3. So if problem is on cylinder 1 then swap leads 1&4 and see if that fixes it on 1 but makes 4 the problem. But I’m sure you already knew that! Anyway, hope it’s sorted now. M

[@mitchblakney7083]

Great video! Great tips! Picked up an '88 FJ this fall for cheap. Starts and idles on choke, dies when you turn choke off. Gave the carbs a "basic" cleaning with no change, but after this video I'm thinking its time for a complete teardown. Would be great if you could make a video of installation/tuning/syncing. Keep up the great work!

[@MichaelsFJRestorationProject]

Thanks Mitch. Re your carb problem - sounds to me then like it’s not getting fuel as it should at idle - and that’s the pilot circuit. Reading lots of posts on the FJ Owners website the problem commonly occurs if the bike has been left sitting for a while with fuel in the flap bowls. It goes off and gums up the jets and passageways. So perhaps worth concentrating your cleaning efforts on the pilot jet and pilot circuit passageways. Lots of good info on the FJ Owners website. Good luck! Michael

[@patrickbusche5665]

Very good and informative, thank you very much .. I bought the keysterkit .. wondered , Whats that small black o-ring ist good for .. the mixture screw ..👍 still worried about the how to set up the main needle ..?

[@patrickbusche5665]

The snap ring in the third position from above and that little white plastic ring under it or above ? And is that all ?

[@MichaelsFJRestorationProject]

@@patrickbusche5665 sorry I missed your comment and am slow to reply. So clip on needle yes in third groove from top. The white plastic washer sits under that. With the little peg on it pointing downwards. That little peg locates in a hole on the throttle slide. On top of the needle clip you have a washer then the spring and then the plate goes on top of that and is secured to the slide with two screws. If your bike has a Dynojet kit fitted then there may be two washers on top of the needle clip instead of one. Hope that helps although you may already have worked all this out. The thing to be careful of (I cocked this up first time round) is that the little peg on the bottom of the plastic washer that sits below the clip locates properly in the hole for it to sit in on the slide. If you’ve don’t locate it then the needle will be sitting high and the bike will run rich at idle. Cheers. Michael

[@patrickbusche5665]

@@MichaelsFJRestorationProject Thank you, for the helpful information. The washer on top of the needle Clip was missing at all my needles. But I do think, that doesnt play any role. The spring on top of the needleclip pushes the whole needle into its position downwarts. Another important thing was, how to set up the mixture screw. I bought the big keysterkit, and was wondering about the small black o- Ring might be usefull for . Although a motorcycle master repaired the whole carburator one year ago, those o-ring where missing at all my mixture screws. According to some images on the Yamaha parts side and your video, I noticed that mistake and corrected it. Mixture screw + spring + washer + o-ring. According to a Yamaha repairguide, three whole turns screwed out is, the right mixture tuning .. I found it quiet easy the repair the carbs. But getting them out of the mashine, is quiet a pain in ...!#&#!. But all is finished now, did Start the Motor, sounded nice ...

[@MichaelsFJRestorationProject]

@@patrickbusche5665 well done sorting it all out Patrick. It feels satisfying when you work out what was wrong as sort it all out yourself.

[@Amberley1]

Hi what main jet sizes did you use for your FJ. Cheers.

[@bobthebarsteward]

So, if you add up the cost of all the spares and refurb services, how does it compare with the cost of a set of new carbs?