SOHC.co.uk Forums > CB500/550
Carb Cleaning Tips?
Mike_Berkshire:
Thanks for all the great info and suggestions. Most of the small brass components are now looking pretty spruce and the little spring bit in all the needles is free (much soaking).
Im left with some corrosion and pitting on the outside walls of a couple of the emulsifier tubes although the pinholes look clean and uncorroded - I am assuming this OK?
Im going to make some replacement gaskets for the top cover above the slide arms using Flexiod from Amazon. It comes in a number of thicknesses. Can anyone tell me what thickness and if Flexoid is a poor choice, please shout out. Thanks, Mike
Mike_Berkshire:
They are the cross drilled open ended ones. All mixture screws were just one turn out and the slide needles are all set to the second position from the needle tip. Needles seem high and mixture screw seems less screwed out that usual - the 2 balance each other out?
--- Quote from: deltarider on March 26, 2024, 10:09:25 AM ---Hello Mike, your bike probably is a CB550K2. The old style carbs on this model are relatively easy to clean. I've never needed an ultrasonic bath for my carbs, but my CB500 never sits for longer than 6 months and I take some precautions. Your carbs - probably numbered 087A - can be cleaned manually. Although ultrasonic is an option, there is a risk you will loose a tiny plastic part (#1 carb) in the process. I will try to find the link.
The brassware in these oldstyle hardly wears. My parts have been in there for over 140.000 km and there's still no indication of wear.
Tip: before you remove the airscrews (in the side of the carbs) turn them fully in (gently!), counting the turns. Write down the position (turns) they were in, for future reference. I'd like to know whether yours has the solid pointed airscrews or the cross drilled open ended ones.
You can find a lot of information concerning your model in the parts list here: https://www.honda4fun.com/dwnload/Part-List/CB550/CB550-K0-K1-K2-Parts-List.pdf
--- End quote ---
AshimotoK0:
--- Quote from: SteveW on March 27, 2024, 09:40:05 AM ---On one of Allen Millyard’s videos on YouTube, he put carb bodies in a bucket of water mixed with alloy wheel cleaner.
Left them in for a few minutes until the water stopped fizzing and they came out pretty good.
--- End quote ---
Hope it's not the alloy wheel cleaner that used hydrofluoric acid ... really nasty stuff that. I have 5l of it that somebody gave me but always chicken out of using it.
McCabe-Thiele (Ted):
HFl is a nasty acid easily absorbed through the skin it will leach the Calcium out of your bones - my BiL has terrible hand issues from working with it in the glass cutting etching trade at Webb Corbett in Tutbury.
magpie114:
Many years ago I used to mix relatively large quantities of HF with other acids to make a reagent for etching certain types of stainless steels. Head to foot PPE in a room with fume extraction and a shower activated in an emergency by stepping on a footplate. Highly corrosive and toxic.
I didn't realise it was used in alloy wheel cleaners, I guess (hope) its in a low concentration.
Alan
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