Carb Cleaning Tips?

[CrustyOreo]

So my VFR has been laid up since 2010. I pulled thank off and it's clear that no one has been in there before. It all looks factory fresh. I just wish it ran.

I'm gonna pull the carbs next week.

Any hints to make it go smoother? Should I jet them? I say this because most bikes run lean due to emissions and such.

[gll429]

hiya!

i will start with i am a honda tech..and i have had lots of VFRs since my 16th bday.. :)
step one..DOWNLOAD THE MANUAL

if you bike has been sitting with gas in the carbs..
YOU'RE GOING SHOPPING NOW!!!
30 bucks.. a one gallon can of GUNK CARB DIP.. this is NOT spray. gunk is the brand.
DO NOT GET BERRYMAN DIP!!
it SUCKS SUCKS SUCKS!!!!!!!!
did i mention berryman brand sucks??

$4 a spray bottle of silicone lube.
$4 a spray can of carb cleaner..
if you have an air compresser.. that would be great.

$15 get 2 cheap pry bars about footlong and a big rubber mallet.

$1 each get several aluminium foil baking pans 1x1 or about that.
$1 plastic pan the size of a kittylitter tray.
$1 a small flat blade screw driver that will be used to get out the pilot jets.. which i can promise you are clogged up. the same size as the pocket drivers the snap-on guts give out. and you should already have a 6 , 7, 8,10 12, 13, 14, 17 18, 19 sockets.. you will only need the 7mm here.

$7 a cheap impact driver.. the floatbowl screws may be 'screwed" if others screwed them up.
$5 a hammer.


first up.. you all ready have the tank off.. and the air box.. leave the 4 carbs connected!!there is no reason to separate them from the plenum .

next.. unscrew the 2 screws holding the throttle cable clamp in place to the carb... and you remove the cable in 30 seconds.

since you have the airbox off.. you can how the choke cable come off.. use your finger to slide the choke.. and pull the slack cable out .and remove if from the carb.
loosen the front top clamps on the intake boots..and REMOVE the rear 2

place the 2 pry bars under the rear carbs. right where they meet the rear head.. and gently pry them up both at the same time. bet they pop up in 5 seconds. if they dont.. make sure you loosened the clamps.. once removed..

now that the carbs are out..
remove the float bowls. and the jets..
remove the carb tops and the springs and slides..

place the cabs in the foil bottom side down. and shape the foil to get a good fit.. place in another foil pan.. just incase the 1st will leak.. and repeat..
you will now place this in the kitty litter plastic tray.
pour the gunk carb dip into the foil and let the carbs soak.. drop your jets in there too.. and in a few hours go check them.. if the brass looks like new..and you can see through all of the jet holes. you're ready to rinse it all off.
you MUST rinse it with water until the run off stops turning white.!!!!
let dry.. or blow it off.
blow out all the holes in the carb with air compresser.. or carb spray.


reinstall the jets and floats and float bowls, ditto for the slides and tops.
lube all pivots with silicone spray..lube all choke slides ect etc..
lube the intake boots..
install the front 2 carbs FIRST! they will pop right in. next..
lower the rear 2 and then place the pry bar tips just inside the lip.. press down on the carbs.. the prybars will act like a shoe horn and presto! your in! ! if not..you may need the rubber mallot to drive the carbs down. install the top clamps and all the other stuff.

honestly.. i can never understand why people complain about installing and removing the carbs. my 1st try took 5 min off and 5 min on. that was 25 years ago.. my god i am getting old!

[mk2davis]

That's . . . thorough. The only recommendation I can add to that is possibly buy new jets, main and pilot, They are available at Sudco.com, and I'm sure a lot of other places. While cleaning them is great, new jets for me always seem to just be better.

If things still aren't running right, you KNOW the jets aren't the problem. It beats taking everything apart and cleaning them again, just to do it again. And again.

A carb scync (once things are running) also does wonders.

[CrustyOreo]

I've been through 25+ bikes in 2 years. I'm extremely proficient at cleaning carbs lol .

Just wanted to see if there anything VFR specific, first V4 I've had.

This is the general DIY I follow

http://www.zx6e.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=16518

Do you think the chemical you mentioned is stronger/more effective than the Johnson/Evinrude stuff mentioned in the above thread?

The reason I inquired about jets is because on my '93 ZX7 with Keihin CVKs, OEM mains are HUGE. 210 or so. So you put a 180/190 in and the bike runs much cleaner.

[NakedViffer]

Stock jetting is decent until you get modding stuff a bit. Make sure you get a thin piece of wire or wire brush bristle to run through all the low speed circuit holes and the fluting on the emulsion tubes. Also, on those float-bowl screws, its really hard to hit them at the right angle with a screw driver, I use a 10mm wrench to break them free and tighten them. Most of them end up buggered because nobody takes the time to do this and just attack the screws from a 45* angle. They have hex heads for a reason.

[timmythecop]

I have always had success with upping the pilot jet a tad. It wont affect performance, but it will start and idle nicely. (as you prolly know, they are all notoriously lean from the factory)