Author Topic: cleaning carbs - replace or re-use brassware?  (Read 602 times)

Offline billdn

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cleaning carbs - replace or re-use brassware?
« on: May 24, 2021, 10:45:50 AM »
Having stripped the carbs ready for a clean, to my mind the brassware - jets , emulsion pipe etc look to be in good order. Is there any checks I should be  doing to make sure they're ok or just bite the bullet and replace anyway? Gaskets and seals etc I have. I just don't want to reassemble , refit and then have to take them off again!

Offline Laverda Dave

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Re: cleaning carbs - replace or re-use brassware?
« Reply #1 on: May 24, 2021, 10:56:35 AM »
If you can keep the old jets but make sure they are clean and free of varnish and old petrol residue. I found with my new Keyster kits the float valve leaked on all four of them. I replaced with the old ones and problem solved. 
There have been various threads on here about buffing the seat on the float valves with a cotton bud and solvol to ensure a good seal but it didn't appear to work on the Keyster valves I had, they just kept leaking.
Make sure the pilot jets are 100% clear, , my experiance over the weekend with the Kawasaki Z400J pilot jets is a case in point. They may look clear even after four ultrasonic baths but they were still blocked >:(
1976 Honda 400/4
1977 Rickman Honda CR750
1999 Honda VFR 800FX
1955 750 Dresda Triton
1978 Moto Morini 350 Sport
1978 Honda CB400/4 'Rat' bike
1982 Laverda 120 Jota

Offline element137

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Re: cleaning carbs - replace or re-use brassware?
« Reply #2 on: May 24, 2021, 11:45:41 AM »
I had problems with aftermarket float valves leaking too - after several attempts, many rounds of tweaking float height,  I put the original float valves back in - after ultrasonic cleaning them -  polished the ends with a bit of wire wool - no leaks after that - also - worth trying to rig the carbs up so you can test for leaks before fitting back on the bike - I suspended mine over a washing up bowl and filled the float bowls - save you a lot of time if you do get leaks -

Offline MrDavo

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Re: cleaning carbs - replace or re-use brassware?
« Reply #3 on: May 24, 2021, 02:14:05 PM »
When I did my CL450 barn find, I got nothing but grief from aftermarket carb 'repair kits', and ended up going back to cleaned up original parts where at all possible.
1969 Honda CL450 'Scrambler'
1974 Kawasaki Z1A
2005 Harley XL1200R Sportster
1985 Porsche 911 3.2 Carrera Sport
1978 VW Bay Window camper van

Offline billdn

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Re: cleaning carbs - replace or re-use brassware?
« Reply #4 on: May 25, 2021, 06:07:18 PM »
Thanks all!  :)

 

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