Zen & the Art of Carburetor Cleaning

Let's take a break from electrical diagnostics and dive into the lost art of CARBURETOR restoration!
This 1986 Kawasaki Vulcan 750 V-Twin has been sitting for a few years with a leaky gas petcock, and the carburetor jets are clogged up beyond belief...
I walk through the fine points of my method of restoring a motorcycle carburetor to like-new functional condition.
Have a great Labor Day weekend!
Ivan
0:00 Introduction
0:18 Zen and the Art of Carburetor Cleaning ~Labor Day Speciale
4:19 Preliminary Disassembly
8:11 Fuel Feed & Float
11:12 Meat & Potatoes
15:43 Fuel & Air Circuits Overview
17:09 Idle Fuel & Air Circuit
27:16 Main Fuel & Air Circuit
38:39 Reassembly
43:26 Bonus Footage

[@unclefranj8460]

Nice work Ivan! Vulcan 750 an all-time favorite of mine! Thanks.

[@llservice3376]

Been working on motorcycles since I was a kid, now 74 and still ride. I play the guitar and always save the last 3 strings when I replace them there great for clearing clogs in carbs

[@robertcetti6935]

I did some Zen & the Art of Carburetor Cleaning today. Funny enough I also have a Vulcan 750 and the carbs definitely needed cleaning. Thanks for the detailed video on all the various steps of this process. It was very peaceful knowing all the parts and how to get to them this time!!!

[@paultollard5006]

Thank for this video. It really helped me fix my Vulcan carburetor. Your step by step was what I needed and my bike is back on the road again. Thanks

[@jackpatteeuw9244]

One thing people who have not dealt with carburetors need to understand that the "idle" fuel circuit should be called the PRIMARY fuel circuit, because the proper amount of fuel needs to flow through it AT ALL TIMES (not just idle). If the primary fuel jet is clogged or even partially obstructed, not only will it idle poorly, but it will probably run lean at part throttle and WOT. On engines with governors (mowers, etc) this will cause the normal operating RPM to oscillate up and down. Some carburetor cleaners can cause "rubber" O-rings (like between the bowl and the carburetor body) to swell, making re-assembly difficult. If that happens, wash the O-ring in dish soap and water, rinse well, and let it air dry for a few minutes. It should shrink back to the correct size. Always shake the float to see if it has any fuel inside.

[@SmittySmithsonite]

Those days are long gone. The carb cleaner sold today can be used as eye wash it's so weak. 🤣

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

Yup. My brother tipped his 1976 Yamaha XS 500 over on our first long ride back in 2006. Would only idle on one cylinder after that. Kept riding it for 200 miles. When we got home I found a piece of debris in the idle jet, and the spark plug melted into the head!!

[@SmittySmithsonite]

@@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics - Holy CRAP! That thing got HOT! I have massive pilots in my RD. Stock was like a 15 or something. If I remember right I've got 27.5's in there now. :) Ethanol sucks!

[@wronganswer9907]

@@SmittySmithsonite What model and year of RD? I have a 76 RD400C, awesome bikes the RDs.

[@SmittySmithsonite]

Wrong Answer - 1974 RD350. Actually going over it right this minute. Getting ready to go on a good ride this weekend. She’s got a lot of work done to it suspension engine paint, everything. I’m estimating about 60hp at the rear wheel. 😁👍

[@gerometorribio2127]

Thank you for this great video-clear, well organized and good camera work. I worked with some automotive carbs back in the day, but not gunked up. Now my Kawasaki VN750 is crudded up after sitting 2 years. Dealer refused to clean the carbs when I rode it over there with a rough idle. I doubt their “technicians “ could have done as good a job as you did in the video. And yes, my gas tank needed cleaning and derusting.

[@baxrok2.]

Rebuilding carbs is very rewarding. The return on your investment of time results in an engine that starts and runs better. Well done Ivan!

[@BluntforceLlama]

I just rebuilt the carb on an 06 vulcan and this was superbly helpful. Thank you.

[@davidclapham1066]

I'm sure Mr Pirsig would love your excellent videos. Thank you they are fascinating :-)

[@rhkips]

When I worked in a small equipment service center, we used welder tip cleaners to clean out clogged carb jets. Love your copper wire method, too! I might recommend getting some small steel wire too, as it's a bit more ridgid than copper, and won't bend quite as easily with harder, crustier deposits. :D

[@jackpatteeuw9244]

For very small jets, a single wire from a wire brush works well.

[@SmittySmithsonite]

Yeah, those work great. I have a modified set made by K&L - they're ribbed to grind all the crap out, and they're all the correct sizes for most pilot and main jets. I've had it for 20 years. The smallest one many years back got yanked out of its brass holder and disappeared, so I use guitar wire for real small pilots instead.

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

@@SmittySmithsonite guitar wire... Genius!

[@SmittySmithsonite]

@@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics - Thanks! I think the last one I had was .010". Worked great for the tiny pilot jets in some outdoor power equipment, or kids dirt bikes.

[@davidheinzmann4403]

Use guitar wires to clean the air regulated passages on our cnc s !

[@THEDRAGONBOOSTER8]

I enjoy watching these type of videos .Nice change..

[@DangerousSportsForSeniors]

Just what I’ve been waiting for. Thanks Ivan

[@chewwanchoon6109]

Very clear explanation and in detail n expertly done. Learn a lot . Tq

[@bobdelaplage690]

Great work of art mate, grts Bob Belgium, Europe🏁

[@jamesbruno5896]

Awesome job & have a good long weekend!

[@VWWRENCHIE]

KAWASAKI..let the good times roll ,baby!!..one sweet ride.

[@arielcopioli8733]

Congrats Ivan, that`s a piece of jewlery!

[@daviddelle774]

Brings back memories. I had one exactly like that.

[@MechanicTechnicianRepair]

Excellent job. Amigo. Bueno

[@KC-vp7wn]

I have an identical 86 Vulcan 750 . Still rides nice but I need to clean the carbs. I’m betting I have green crud in my cabs too. Thanks for going through this !

[@RideCamVids]

An ultrasonic cleaner is your best friend for such situations. Every o-ring and gasket should also be replaced once its disturbed. Fuel and vent lines should also e replaced if they are over five years of age or feel hard.

[@1mariomarm]

thanks for sharing, it was very helpful

[@kinglangren]

Thanks learned a lot. I think I’ll tackle the motorcycle I inherited that was in the house I bought.

[@lonewolfrob6782]

Torch tip cleaners are ideal for cleaning the jet passages.

[@CubasAutomotive]

That's exactly what I use. Perfect 👌

[@jaysonstoy3645]

Just be careful, the torch cleaners are miniature files. I wrote this for the first time cleaners not you Lonewolf

[@alexandertemnykh9745]

Высший класс. Молодец!

[@tompeterson3210]

Very impressive. Next Ivan will do watch repair!😄

[@chrisosiecki8050]

Nice change of pace. Not a motorcycle guy, but neat to see carb cleaning issues. Always learn stuff watching your videos. Enjoy the Labor Day weekend.

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

Thanks for the comment Chris, have a great Labor Day weekend 👍

[@HouseCallAutoRepair]

Why did I think you were doing something new to you... Clearly you're quite experienced with these. Impressive skills and detailed knowledge!

[@spinb]

We didn't appreciate how great these Japanese-built motosickles were when we were kids.

[@bigdaddymak1439]

Let me think Ivan has fixed an eye glass machine, laptop mouse pad, construction equipment, garbage disposal, carbs , vehicles and I'm sure I'm forgetting something great job man!!

[@tonyrome3119]

I’ve used pine sol to clean carbs. You can dilute it with water, and soak parts. I’ve used wire strands from a wire brush to clean the various orifices.

[@crisprtalk6963]

14:29. That's exactly what the Dr. said when he saw my liver.

[@zx8401ztv]

Loverly job ivan :-D You were determined to make every passage and jet clean , the engine sounded great :-D I imagine your customer was happier than a dog with three trees to pee up lol. I was watching carefully when you removed the metal cap over the vacuume diaphragms, i saw no splits or holes. I've never had a jet as bad as the ones you cleaned, i've often used one strand of copper wire to clean out the jets and the typical emulsion tube found in small carbs. I tend to use metholated spirit to wash the passages out, it's just what i have handy most of the time lol.

[@jackpatteeuw9244]

They make special carburetor screwdrivers that have a slightly wider tip and do NOT flair out like a typical screwdriver. (that 1/4" hex bit looked perfect !) Air fuel "mixing tube" is called an emulsion tube !

[@SmittySmithsonite]

I forgot to mention that to him in my comment. I've heard it called a "needle jet" before, too. You have the needle jet, and jet needle. Used to confuse newbies in the day. 😁

[@2nickles647]

Get a gun screw drivers set. They have wider tips. Plus you can get an inch/# screw driver for delicate work

[@throttlebottle5906]

@@2nickles647 or just grind one out of dinosaur junk broken off drivers...

[@hpelisr]

Nice job on that Bike.

[@TheDisgruntledMechanic]

Couldn't have timed it better. Have to do the carb on my dad's old Massey Harris tractor! Of course not as complex as this carb but still pretty sure it has problems due to sitting for years with gas in it..

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

It's a very rewarding feeling to hear an engine run perfectly with a clean carburetor 😉👌

[@brianw8963]

Nice diversion from the pixie trail Ivan! I keep an assortment of my used guitar strings for this purpose, works good too.

[@michaelferik8060]

Part of the Zen process on those carbs is playing period correct cassettes which I noticed you had some laying around. Also thought your knuckles were not skinned up or bleeding which is normally part of the experience too.

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

Haha getting those things off the bike may have resulted in a scraped knuckle or two

[@paulkirkland1535]

@@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics ivan; Nice work. You definitely have an incredible amount of knowledge. These carbs work on what's called the "CONSTANT DEPRESSION" principle. UK engines are equipped with these carbs. They can be tricky to setup,but once they are done, the results speak for themselves. I've tuned and set up quite a few of these. Have a gr8 g God bless day.

[@arthurfricchione8119]

Ivan, good thing you have a video too reassemble it. I personally would take it and run it through my ultrasonic cleaner and then get a small brass/ nylon brush and clean it throughly again. The hook has a good chance of scoring the bores if your not gentle. Anyway nice to see you working on a carburetor. Very rare in today’s world except on small 2/4 stroke engines. Stay safe and well and thanks for sharing Artie. Ivan yes they do sell very small brass brushes to do the job 👍👍👍 Ethanol will destroy engines seals and hoses. Today’s gas will go stale over time and collect moisture do to ethanol. To be on the safe side drain the gas. Ivan thanks for mentioning ethanol at the end of. Your video. I would definitely drain the system if it sets through winter. The repair specialist you tube channel has great videos on two and four stroke carburetors and detailed animations of how they work. I highly recommend the channel.

[@ScottPuopolo]

28:20 that's why you have drain screws to remove the fuel that will be left in the bowls.

[@SmittySmithsonite]

I have yet to see any of my customers use them ... 😁

[@spelunkerd]

That's an excellent point about checking the petcock. As you say, a leaking petcock will produce a dripping stream of fuel, followed by continuous evaporation from the bowl during storage. With no flow from a running engine to wash stuff away, you get varnish and deposits inside the carb bowl. I've been in the habit of cracking the drain screw for the bowl when storing over winter. If you get a puddle under the bike you know the petcock is leaking. Just gotta remember to tighten it up before that first start, ha ha.

[@spinb]

When you started it, I could swear I could smell the exhaust fumes!

[@shawntiaquino4714]

Great video I use the copper wires to I had a small tool box I go to for rebuilding carburetor and in the are different thickness of copper wires and some wire drill bit for stubborn and most gummed up jets

[@MoraFermi]

You might want to invest in a ultrasonic cleaner. They make cleaning off recalcitrant gunk off fine parts so much easier. Just don't use them on very thin aluminium, it'll tear it apart.

[@rj.parker]

He said around time 35 that the gunk in the jets was so thick that an ultrasonic would not work

[@michaelkrenzer3296]

I may us an ultrasonic cleaner AFTER removing the deposits that older AL carbs mixed with year old enthanol gas have made (not an enemy of ethanol but aluminum oxide plus corn-squeezings plus evaporation is white crusty mess) but to since 1992 I have never had a really crusty motorcycle carb come clean without running torch tip cleaners through the jets...not 100% sure how many racks of carbs I have done but it used to be a side gig in college so at least 60-70...ranging from single carbs to racks of 4.

[@paulstaf]

Yeah, with all those expensive diagnostic tools, I was surprised he didn't have even a cheap HF ultrasonic cleaner......

[@paulstaf]

I work on bikes all the time, done hundreds of carbs... ultrasonic cleans just about anything.... ultrasonic, wire the jets, then ultrasonic again. And I think carb cleaner cleans better than wd40.

[@HUBBABUBBADOOPYDOOP]

AWESOME

[@ScottPuopolo]

18:45 there is also an o-ring after the washer. It usually falls out when you are not looking. It is critical for proper idle metering.

[@SmittySmithsonite]

Yep, you definitely want those out of there before hitting the circuit with compressed air, LOL! Those o-rings usually end up in another dimension. Been a couple decades since I've made that mistake. 😁

[@ScottPuopolo]

@@SmittySmithsonite too funny!

[@HouseCallAutoRepair]

Black smoke.... Carbon fouling at idle... Yep. Took me weeks of repeat teardowns to figure it out. By pure miracle, it fell out while in the "parts box". Needed the expanded view to get it's placement correct.

[@captainmorgan6035]

www.partzilla.com/product/kawasaki/92055-1245?ref=400769966151a7a5f0cf82adc4dae4895ec4de26 yep thats what he is gonna need. Rebuilt quite a few kehein and mikuni carbs. Hate those cv carbs but if you own a bike with them gonna be workin on them alot with the ethanol crap they use now. Fj600 and intruder 1400 six total carbs to clean for me 😩. And yea dont forget those pilot screw orings

[@throttlebottle5906]

@@SmittySmithsonite launched into outer space lol

[@throttlebottle5906]

uh-oh, Ivan does carburetor work....... this ought to be interesting =p

[@jay7264]

I work on small engines professionally and I found the best way to clean the brass jets. I just torch them till they are glowing red then cool and then clean. The intense heat just turns the varnish to ash

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

Hmmm great tip! Might have to try this. How do you hold the jets to prevent deformation?

[@jay7264]

@@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics I just leave them on the steel bench. I have yet to see one get deformed. It's just a propane torch so it doesn't get super hot

[@williamwhite9767]

I also use a weld tip cleaner to unplug the jets and emulsion tubes. It has an array of different size wires and is really cheap to purchase. I use spray carb cleaner on the metal parts. Adding a generous dose of seafoam or my favorite, Gumout fuel injector cleaner for high mileage engines with PEA will help keep the carbs clean. I have dumped a whole bottle of gumout in one tank and it has not damaged the carbs on my bikes. I also mix Gumout in the gas for all my lawn tools and it helps keep the carbs clean. It also cleared up a miss in my 99 Yamaha 150hp 2 stroke fuel injected boat motor. I'm a believer in fuel injector cleaners. Always alcohol free gas in my bikes, lawn tools and boat.

[@jamesfenton7338]

Gas leaves varnish not ethanol, ethanol just eats unprotected aluminum if the anodized layer is damaged. I know this cause I grew up around alcohol motors. Sprint cars at Ascot raceway in the 1970's taught me allot, and the builders gave me beer and instruction after each race night. These guys built their cars from scratch, chalk lines on the floor of the shop and little else. They gas welded them, and annealed the frames, that was the state of the art back then. There is nothing on this planet like a sprinter, they were the original Indy car, and they didn't rely on wings, wings are for those that don't know how to drive a real race car on dirt. Take the wings off an outlaw car, and they wouldn't last ten minutes. These days I run two stroke nitro motors in R/C aircraft, nothing like the smell of methanol to bring back ground pounding memories of Saturday night at Ascot.

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

Thanks for the comment James! I always wondered what causes the deposits. Is gas varnish that sticky brown stuff? But the chunky green crusties must be due to additives or ethanol?

[@jamesfenton7338]

@@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics We know water collects at the bottom of the bowl, and it will work on the jets themselves as it's the last material to evaporate. Ethanol won't leave any residue, fuel leaves varnish, water leaves corrosion byproducts at the lowest point in the carb, right at the drain valve area. Ethanol does help isolate water in a fuel system, it combines and eliminates water while you drive, it's drawn up with the fuel and burned. Once the vehicle is parked, the fuel and the ethanol will evaporate, leaving the water behind along with the varnish and things go sour pretty quick. People don't like ethanol, I don't understand their reasoning. Fuel tanks always accumulate water from the air as fuel is used, and when the fuel sloshes around that water sinks and cannot evaporate, without ethanol it will remain in the system forever. Few realize the specific gravity of these liquids, water being the heaviest followed by gas, and then ethanol. Besides, ethanol is denatured, and in my mind that makes it methanol, ethanol is basically a marketing term, it invokes an "Ecological Friendly" alternative to gasoline or methanol. It will destroy unprotected aluminum, but it is really useful in all other respects, ie water removal, and octane rating. People would do well if they drained the fuel before storing a vehicle long term, but they don't. They put a drain valve there for a reason, but nobody uses it.

[@jamesmcgraw9570]

You need to replace every fuel line. The alcohol in gasoline today eats all pre 2000 (rubber) fuel line from the inside out. I rebuilt my ‘95 FXDWG carb 4 years ago. Rubber fuel line was in every passage and jet.

[@jackpatteeuw9244]

While I agree that all "rubber" fuel lines (real rubber has not been used in fuel lines since the 1950s; it is typically neoprene) over 10 years old should be replaced, ethanol is not a "evil" as most people think. No carbureted engine should be stored with ANY type of fuel in the float bowl. (I would try to replace that vacuum operated petcock just so I could run the float bowls empty before storage.)

[@jamesmcgraw9570]

Jack Patteeuw I agree that rubber has not been used in years, the higher the alcohol content the faster the pre 2000 fuel lines disintegrate. I had to replace mine due to failure from the inside.

[@PecanPie1102]

James Mcgraw adding or changing all to PTFE or New Gates submersible gas lines after 35 years should be a big help.and tank

[@jamesmcgraw9570]

Pecan pie that is exactly what I have done ✅

[@SmittySmithsonite]

He did replace them - that's one of the first things he mentioned at the beginning of the video.

[@kellyspeppers]

Set of 4 Carburetor Carbon Dirt Jet Remove Cleaner 26 Cleaning Wires Set + 20 Cleaning Needles + 10 Nylon Brushes Tool Kit for Motorcycle ATV Moped Welder Carb Chainsaw Spray Guns Torch Tips. This is a very nice cleaning kit found on Amazon for around $10.

[@justincase3880]

I read the book decades ago, and remember it like yesterday .. The “Gumption Trap” is a very real thing we deal with daily ...

[@anthonygrove4012]

I had a Kawasaki 275 dirt bike back in the late 70s. It was kinda big for me but it was fun. The thing smoked like no tomorrow though.

[@jimbe01]

Ivan, there are sets of (very) small brush sets that are available which are used in/for airbrush cleaning. They (brushes) may be of some use for cleaning small passages and parts. Just a suggestion.

[@tpach89]

Ivan, I have the same bike!

[@SmittySmithsonite]

Sweeeeet! Finally something I understand completely, HAHAHA! Nice work, Ivan! I saw that in the background of some of your other vids - I was way off! Swore it was an inline 4 back there, and it looked like a Yamaha Maxim. I always hated doing carb cleans on those bikes (any v-twin, but the Vulcan was a bitch!), especially as they aged. Getting those carbs in and out of those hardened rubber intake boots is a royal PITA! Used to use alot of carb clean and many choice words to stuff them back in. Some inline 4's are even worse, like the Suzuki GS. Gotta get yourself a set of carb stix now to dial those things together in perfect harmony. I used to have an old school set that took 4 oz of mercury. Starting about 14 years ago, I couldn't find replacement mercury for them, so I had to toss them and grab a set from Great Britain that had steel inserts that floated inside. I forget the name - I still use them. They actually look like mercury columns. Work pretty well, but not as precise as mercury was. Used to have to be careful not to rev the bike to the moon and slam the throttle shut, or you'd suck mercury into the engine! As you know, mercury doesn't compress, LOL! Damage central. Thankfully I was one that never did that! WD-40 is an interesting choice of cleaner. I never thought of using that. I started out using carb cleaner that would take paint off in the old days. Get it in your eye, and you were down for several hours until vision came back! These days I use brake clean, since even the best carb cleaner won't touch any deposits like what you had there. It's more of just a flushing agent than an actual cleaner. I think WD might dissolve that crap better than brake clean - I'm gonna have to try that out some time. I have no use for WD otherwise - I've got a few cans that have been laying around here for 15 years - might as well use them. Looked like someone has been in those carbs before, since there were no limiter caps over the fuel screws. Used to have to drill a small hole in them and yank them out with a sheet metal screw. No surprise, since the thing is 34 years old now. I always put them back in at least 1/4 turn out from stock, since the fuel today sucks so bad. Anyway, great vid as usual, Ivan! Did everything the same way I do. I graduated from MMI Phoenix in December of 2000. 👍🍻 I'll be taking the '74 Yamaha RD 350 2-stroke out for a ride this weekend with a bunch of buddies. Should be a blast. I've only put 140 miles on the thing this year. I gotta get out of the shop more, lol!

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

Great comment Smitty! The other bike that you saw in the background was my 1982 Yamaha Seca 750. Love that bike... Great sports tourer. Haven't touched those carbs in over 10 years, runs perfectly 😁

[@SmittySmithsonite]

​@@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics - AHH, so I wasn't going blind and crazy! 😂 Yeah, you won't have any carb problems because you understand how it all happens! I don't use any stabilizer either, aside from some Amsoil Quickshot in my paramotor and in the RD, just in case. Keep the carbs dry, and you'll never have a problem. I forgot all about the Seca! I haven't seen one of those in decades. SWEET!! Hang on to that one, Ivan! They don't build stuff like that anymore. 👍👍😎

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

@@SmittySmithsonite the RD 350 sounds like a blast too!

[@SmittySmithsonite]

@@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics - It is! I've got ALOT of work done on that one. 11 years ago I yanked the engine and did a full restoration to the bike - only thing that didn't get paint was the frame - figured I'd keep that original. Has Progressive rear shocks, Race Tech emulators up front in the forks, new fork inners, new seals, bushings, etc.. Tapered rollers in the steering stem, and needle bearings in the swingarm. The engine has Banshee pistons, shaved heads for perfect .040" squish, mild cylinder porting, Yamaha "34x" connecting rods (better oiling at the bottom end), lightened and balanced crankshaft (by Falicon in FL), then I got some YZ125 reed valves and clipped one petal off so they'd fit - works like Boyesen, except for a fraction of the cost, reed spacers, manifold crossover tube, and both carbs have the "Dave F. mod", and have been painstakingly jetted to perfection. I finished it off with a set of DG pipes & a K&N filter. Stock jets were 140 mains - I've got 220's in it now, and it's very happy. This thing RIPS!! I've had it to 110 with my wife on the back - she was punching me in my ribs, or I could've gone faster HAHAHA! 😂🤣😂 Going to bring the GoPro with me on the ride this weekend. Also might shoot some vid today of getting it ready. Oh, and I'm still running the dual points ignition system, too. 😎 Only electronics this thing has is a modern combined regulator / rectifier for the charging system. New brushes in the alternator, too.

[@richardcranium5839]

@@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics those seca's were great bikes very similar to the virago's but made to race. carb floats were extremely tricky to get right as the levels were different for each cylinder

[@markjenkins2736]

The screws on Japanese motorcycles are JIS screws, very similar to Philips head and usually have a dot on the head of them, using a Phillips head screwdriver will cam out of the screw a lot of the time and round the slots off (especially if they’re tight), i wish I would’ve bought a set years ago, fffed many a JIS screw ☹️☹️

[@SmittySmithsonite]

Those damned things! I hated those. I rounded out many as a teenager trying to replace clutches on mine, & friend's bikes. Never realized they were different until I went to MMI many years later.

[@markjenkins2736]

Smitty Smithsonite a Phillips head screwdriver never felt quite right in them, but it took me many rounded ones to realise something wasn’t right, with the right screwdriver though they’re are a breeze and much more torque can be applied to the screw with this design

[@SmittySmithsonite]

mark jenkins - Yeah, I remember! Still haven’t bought a JIS bit in all these years though, lol. They’re few and far between these days, thankfully. 😂

[@adotintheshark4848]

This is a rather unusual setup. Two carburetors sharing one float bowl/needle seat assembly. If that needle seat rubber has any ridge or groove in it, it must be replaced or the carb(s) will flood intermittently. Some of that residue looks like fuel line rot.

[@williegillie5712]

That’s the way I clean them jets also Ivan. I get nervous using anything but copper wire or brass. I’ve seen some guys use toothpicks to open them also

[@josephwash109]

The part you called an anti-backfire valve is likely a power valve. It's purpose is to open an extra fuel passage for more fuel flow when manifold vacuum is low (at wide open throttle). That provides a rich mixture for maximum power output. Holley carburetors use a similar system. The valves were associated with backfires because, if the engine backfired through the intake, it would sometimes rupture the power valve diaphragm, rendering it inoperative. Rich mixtures are not preferred during deceleration because they cause backfiring through the exhaust as the mixture is still burning as it leaves the exhaust port.

[@throttlebottle5906]

that is an "air control valve", exactly as honda and others called it. I believe it cuts off some air to the idle jet emulsion tube and enriches the mixture when throttle is full closed with high manifold vacuum, which makes it able to burn the fuel instead of not loading the exhaust up and spitting ducks.... been years since I worked on any of those carbs though. vehicles have done the opposite for years, intentionally opening air bypass valves and majorly leaning out, of course the cat converter happily chews up the unburnt gas, but when there's a leak ahead of the cat or someone hacks it out, lookout, you'll have one hell of a duck spitting machines poppity pop pop.... lol

[@robmut1357]

Nice video. I sure don’t miss carbs. One thing though, I think they are enrichener circuits, not chokes.

[@ebuzek3648]

Torch tip cleaner for the jets! Berrymans chem dip for soaking parts.

[@kinglangren]

As a guitar player, I’ve found out that used strings work great as you halve multiple sizes to work with , and the high E string is very small.

[@dongone1]

Try a torch tip cleaning kit. It is made of various size cleaning rods and it is cheap.

[@KhaiMahase]

hey, do you know how to connect the petcock for the gas, or a diagram, there is this long tube my dad and i think are for vaccume, we cant just figure out where it goes to as well as hooking up the petcock, our bike is a 1989 kawsaki vulcan 750

[@davide.s.9880]

If you are looking for a piece of garage gear. Look into getting an ultrasonic parts cleaner carburetor. You can clean other things I would imaging.

[@neilmurphy845]

Was there a filter there before you installed one's

[@rickilee961]

Pipe cleaners would be good to use to clear some of those passages you can get them I believe in different sizes

[@throttlebottle5906]

the holes in bottom of carburetor plate throat are "progression ports" ;)

[@richfjr1300]

wow, loud exhaust! is that straight pipes?

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

Yup lol

[@loveoflabor3780]

Hey how did you do the ear shave

[@jovenlagda1229]

Try investing on ultrasonic cleaner their good on those small parts

[@daviddelle774]

My thoughts on the black crude...... it's rubber from the deteriorating rubber hoses that is attracted to the brass somehow.

[@billziegmond4943]

Jack of all trades. Hey Ivan Volt drove Astra put 40 miles on it no light. I am going over today give it once over. I'll email you let you know what I find.

[@rlbatch5193]

Wondering why you don’t use a soaking dip basket carb cleaner like Gunk carb cleaner?

[@graymodeler]

Some guys use that duster spray as a substitute for the old r12 AC system refrigerant. It is R152a and has pressures similar to r12. It must be used in a clean system, no mineral oil, with ester as the lubricant. Some say it is too volatile but isn't all refrigerant? They will check your ID when you buy more than one can since kids sniff it for a high.

[@flyvertigo]

Did you sync the carburetors?

[@daviddelle774]

Main jet screws into the Emulsion Tube.

[@malikaziz4678]

How i usually clean the idle and main jet: Ultrasonic cleaner ❌ Picking it with thin wire ❌ Soak both idle and main jet with engine conditioner and blow em directly with 150 psi air compressor ✅ 😂😂😂

[@randy1ization]

Ive boiled them in water before with good results.. just put small grate in the bottom of the pot so it can sit up off the bottom of the pot..

[@throttlebottle5906]

hillbilly ultrasonic cleaner

[@MrJrjunky]

Best thing I have used to clean orifices are guitar strings

[@stevefleck5892]

Very tedious process Ivan and great job. My question is, did you come to grips with the sword of Damocles or just rationalize that no parts would be required...

[@joe521]

What level do I set the floats

[@throttletherapy9998]

I'm glad I waited till after the video because I was thinking about an ultrasonic cleaner if it would work good enough for this situation. I'm seeing in some of the comments that they say the ultrasonic cleaner would do the job. I haven't had any experience with a unit like that, I would be curious though. That was definitely a clean motorcycle! I remember when those bikes were new and I wanted one so bad, the Japanese bike were and still are so reliable compared to harley. I currently own a 2000 kawasaki Vulcan classic 1500 that I bought in 2004 it now has over 104,000 miles on it, still runs and looks great. I also have a 2005 ultra classic. Great video I like the variety on your channel!

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

Thank you for the kind words and feedback 🙂

[@8953147]

How about soaking parts in Sea Foam? Cleans deposits very well!!

[@roxanneabbott8424]

What about trying the original floss for your teeth, tiny little brushes, I used that on a tiny little hole in my electric scooter. Worked great!

[@bustedknuckle3808]

how did you synchronize the carbs?

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

Eyeball 😉

[@JVerschueren]

Indicator blinking a little fast there... bulb out at the rear?

[@HouseCallAutoRepair]

You noticed that too...lol

[@aleskyfinis1025]

Yeah buddy

[@carlbrandon8040]

emulsion tube is the technical name

[@repairitdontreplaceit]

ethanol is a killer :(

[@bigdaddymak1439]

I recommend anybody with a small engine or a engine with a carb always use an additive to deal with ethanol! Fuel injection can handle the ethanol carbs can't

[@jamesdecarlo6829]

Berryman B 12 chemtool,Run it every 4 tanks people and this will help.

[@rlbatch5193]

Maybe Gunk Hydro seal or similar is no longer available?

[@williamwhite9767]

Don't you need to sync the carbs? I never synced the carbs on my 85 Kawa ZN700 because when I cleaned the carbs the butterflies appeared to be operating together exactly. But, recently it started missing at idle on the #1 cyl. I bought a gauge set and synced them. #1 was almost close off evidently. Now it throbs at idle on all four like it should.

[@rlbatch5193]

I found Berryman Chem-Dip carb parts cleaner on Amazon

[@MitzvosGolem1]

Laquer thinner cleans varnish in jets internal passages best then use quickly no soak then gumout Hydra seal then ultrasound cleaner with Dawn dishwasher soap if really dirty. Been doing carbs since 1976 on bikes cars boats etc. Japanese carbs have tiny internal passages . Try doing a cbx Honda 6 cylinder.. lol 🤣

[@SmittySmithsonite]

6 hours labor, or better! 😉

[@ScottPuopolo]

32:40 we put the brass parts in a strong carb clean solution.

[@NoWr2Run]

I agree, not WD.

[@SmittySmithsonite]

Where do you get anything strong today? I haven't found anything since before '06. The EPA sure did a number on carb cleaners ...

[@ScottPuopolo]

@@SmittySmithsonite trying to remember what the can label is, it's a gallon can with a mesh basket in it for dipping parts. Gunk maybe, I'll have to look, maybe NAPA?

[@SmittySmithsonite]

@@ScottPuopolo - I was curious if it was the same Berryman brand that I have. I haven't used it in years. Takes a long time to dissolve stuff - it's faster for me to use brake clean and a jet cleaning wire set.

[@richleyden6839]

I wanted to see Ivam on a test drive.