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Best carb cleaner to use for ...

1K views 2 replies 3 participants last post by  BigJon 
#1 ·
soaking a carb?
My BIL bought an old 1981 Honda 400 to use for scooting around town and for a first bike for my niece. Doesn't run so today we are pulling plugs, doing a compression test, dumping the old gas, pulling the carbs for cleaning. They will need to be disassembled and cleaned so I wanted to know whats the best stuff to use for soaking the carbs?
We don't want something that will damage any parts of the carbs. He was told the bike had carb issues but I suspect it's simply from not being used for so long. I imagine they are all gunked up.
I told him to order carb kits since we are tearing 'em down ... might as well put 'em back together with new stuff in 'em.
Any input for the best carb cleaner is appreciated.
 
#2 ·
The cheep way is to take apart then put in a pan of water use a 2 quart pan use 1 quart of water and 1 quart of vinegar simmer on the stove top for an hour or 2 (low heat) then rinse and replace the water with no vinegar and simmer another hour rinse and blow out with low pressure air (30 lbs or so) I then put in the oven at low heat for around a half hour to make sure everything is dry (180-200*) even put your jets in the solution.

Or you can spend $30 or so on a gallon of carb cleaner then have it on hand for the next 20 years.
 
#3 ·
Make sure you can get the seals before you tear it apart. Guarantee it will leak fuel and/or air if you don't put new ones in. You may have a rotted main jet piston diaphragm on a carb that old. You may not be able to find the seals nor the main jet piston for it.
 
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