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07-24-2008, 7:44 PM bearmani Joined on 07-02-2008 a few mile east of the crossroads of mid-america Posts 71 Re: carb cleaner i haven't split them apart as yet, and i unscrewed that black platic knob till it wasn't touching anything..i shall take them off again this week-end when i get over there and re-exmine it....i did loosen up the throttle cable to give a lil slack in the grip before it starts turning the throttle plates. oh, i should add, my handsome little buddy has a set of carb synchors (4 for his goldwing) n he sez they are synched well enough at this stage of the game.cuz i had thought maybe they oversynched the right carb to compensate for the blockage. but apparently this is not the case. i also wish to thank you for that very in-depth explanation (n with pictures too.lol)....as well as all the others who posted......kinda like reading an adventure novellette with very enteretaining sidebars ta boot.......rofl....justg what i needed after my previous dealings with the "honda" store 1981 gl500 Little Wing    Report

07-28-2008, 10:55 PM LRCXed Joined on 05-15-2008 Sacramento, California Posts 365 Re: carb cleaner NEW ADDITION ON PAGE 1 DOWN IN THE VIEW OF ALL THE JET SIZE PICTURES! I FORGOT AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE IDLE CIRCUIT CLEANING AFTER THE JETS WERE PULLED OUT. Its about 3/4th a way down the page and is posted in Purple lettering. Sorry guys, it was 2:00 am when I finished it that night. If your going to do something, do it right, don't do it half as@*d. http://globalcxglvtwins.hostingdelivered.com/    Report

07-29-2008, 6:11 PM hakko808 Joined on 05-25-2008 Fargo, ND Posts 209 Re: carb cleaner May be worth noting that on my 650 carbs the jets/tubes all screw in although one of mine is stuck. Must have been a running change from press fit to threaded.    Report

07-29-2008, 7:20 PM LRCXed Joined on 05-15-2008 Sacramento, California Posts 365 Re: carb cleaner Honda must have realized they had a non serviceable issue in the first design. To bad they didn't do it from the beginning! Maybe so many of these earlier models would not have been parked at an early age! Thanks for the info! If your going to do something, do it right, don't do it half as@*d. http://globalcxglvtwins.hostingdelivered.com/    Report

07-29-2008, 8:57 PM bearmani Joined on 07-02-2008 a few mile east of the crossroads of mid-america Posts 71 Re: carb cleaner larry?..i dunno HOW ya jez KNEW it was that black plastic idle speed knob.but YOU knew....lol.i kinda feel like a loud "DUH!!!!!!" may be in order here, as it seems, er as it transpired, i was using a pair of pliers trying to turn the idle speed (as it was really too warm for me to turn it wit my fingers)knob down and, although LOOKING like it was turning and it wasn't idling down, was thinking it HADDA be sumpin else. well?....this past weekend, after firing up the motor and whilst she was still cool in there i put my 2 first fingers in there and commenced ta turnin.....LO N BEHOLD PEOPLE.......the idle went down!!!!...and i gotter down to aropuind 1100 er so (although when she's warmed up, she likes ta idle closer to 1500.i'll address that nezt weekend.lol)..after this quite happe turn of events, i put the gast tank rich sold me on and spent the rest of the day doing 135 miles trying to get to the reserve tank..i STILL haven't found it though, but i am grinnin ear to ear every mile i go in the searching of it....rofl.this is great......simply GREAT.....runnin with those "90" main jets?.....drop the hammer on her and is like prego sphetti sauce:"it's IN there"..rofl....dunno bout the gas mileage, but at this point in time?.....it doesn't matter much.jez happy "little wing" (thaz my affectionate name for her..as well as kudos to the likes of eric clapton, jimi hendrix, n stevie ray..lol.ya i likes music.....n play a guitar, but i be just a rythym player.lol.oh well.back to me tale).is a cartin me big arse all OVER the farmlands n small towns east of kankakee. ya larry.this thread you have done is PURE GOLD BUDDY..PURE GOLD!!!!!!!!..and i BETCHA there be more than 1 er 2 owners of more than 1 set of carberators for these motors are kicking themselves in thier collective buttoxes n stammering..."DAMN.......why didn't I think of that?"....... oh ya, and the timing of this here thread?....PRICELESS!!!!!!!! SO NOW?...i have since (today azza matter of factly.lol) went to the DMV and transferred the title n registered her, and whilst i was there i took the motorcycle test for a permit (got 7 correct outta 15 questions..not bad..but ya kin only miss 2....lol.the eximiner said......"did ya read the book?".i said.."what book?"...rofl..n he showed me to the table where it was.lol). i gonna have a whole lot more fun me n lil wing afores the clutch gives way (ya, when i checked the oil when i firsat gotter it felt kinda "gritty"..n since i changed oil....it still feels kinda "gritty") n i'll hafta installs a new 1. nows i needsstas knows, cuz when i first gotter into my handsome lil buddies garage and took off the side covers, i kinda broke 1 of the lil tangy tips.is still in old gas tank; just what to use to permantely re-attatches dat lil tip. but, asides from a broken weld on the right crossbar of the fairing support(up by where is near the forks as opposed to the radiator) and dat lil tangy fer da side cover, the rest of the work is on aestetics...but i dunz tinks i'll EVER get this bike looking like some of these restored gems i been a seeings in here..lol.but, i'll tries n gitter lookinz re-spectable, anyways....lol sorry if i kinda digressed a mite much, but, i jez HADDA come in on this thread and say ta larry."WE'RE NOT WORTHY!!!!!!!!...WE'RE NOT WORTHY!!!!!!!!!".............rofl i didn't take me lil camera wit me last weekend as i never thought i'd get that far.but shall be a postin a picture of her after next weekend.if i dunz fergits me camera....lol....Bear 1981 gl500 Little Wing    Report

07-31-2008, 7:43 PM LRCXed Joined on 05-15-2008 Sacramento, California Posts 365 Re: carb cleaner Bearmani, I'm glade it helped get the idle speed down. Now don't forget to reset the idle mixture screws again. Sounds like she's giving you a good time on the seat of it cruising the back roads.  That's what it's all about. Happy you got something out of this thread that Harold started. If your going to do something, do it right, don't do it half as@*d. http://globalcxglvtwins.hostingdelivered.com/    Report

08-01-2008, 10:18 AM Randall-in-Mpls Joined on 07-06-2007 Minneapolis, MN Posts 1,090 Re: carb cleaner Larry, you are a GOD among men! I was surprised to find the slow air jets to be relatively clean, though a good soaking in Seafoam while I went after the carb bodies did release a few small bits of crud.  I think clearing the pin holes under the throttle plate accounts for most of the improvement. Riding in to work this morning, I fell in love with the old Maggot all over again.  The popping and sputtering I had on deceleration are completely gone.  I imagine I could gain a little more by resynching again, but as it is, the engine is smooth and quiet through the whole range.  It's nearly perfect, and much better than I thought possible. Thanks again. R '78 CX500 - The Black Maggot My mid-life crisis has two wheels.    Report

08-01-2008, 6:01 PM bearmani Joined on 07-02-2008 a few mile east of the crossroads of mid-america Posts 71 Re: carb cleaner ya, fergot to mention even to my handsome little buddy, that after cleaning that plugged right side idle jet? ( i left the left 1 alone), all that backfiring and popping on de-celeration VANISHED!!!.....i was quite impressed not to mention elated that my carb problems, if NOT discappeared, have become now, simple tweaks....i DID screw in the idle mixture screws (lightly seating them) and turned them out 1 1/2 turns.which, as it seems, has left me if not in the correct seat, at the very least in the correct aisle and row...lol 1981 gl500 Little Wing    Report

08-01-2008, 7:34 PM LRCXed Joined on 05-15-2008 Sacramento, California Posts 365 Re: carb cleaner Randall and bearmani, I cant express how big my smile is with knowing that this worked for you. I knew it was a major problem when I found it, but I didn't realize HOW MANY BIKES would benefit from it. I'm glade its a success. Thank you for the compliments, but I am just a tinkering fool, and can't stop searching when there is an issue to resolve. Enjoy the profits guys! Larry If your going to do something, do it right, don't do it half as@*d. http://globalcxglvtwins.hostingdelivered.com/    Report

08-01-2008, 8:08 PM bearmani Joined on 07-02-2008 a few mile east of the crossroads of mid-america Posts 71 Re: carb cleaner i could tell ye was "tinkerer", cuz i am as well.lol.......and i WOULDA (ya..sure i woulda......rofl) got there EVENTUALLY, but you just saved this ol bear from having to take them frigging carbs off at LEAST 1 more time.not that i wouldn't uh......but NOW i kin learn to ride a bike as opposed to seeking and hopefully finding and NOT riding.ya, ya saved me a whole lot of building frustration....and rich added to me a bunchz extra miles. 1981 gl500 Little Wing    Report

08-04-2008, 11:43 AM Harold Joined on 12-27-2006 Beside Washademoak Lake, N.B. Canada Posts 350 Re: carb cleaner Just an update,, the idle jet in the other set of carbs I had soaking in vinegar is now clear, I left them for about a week while I was away and it cleared on the first try. "People are more violently opposed to fur than leather because it's safer to harass rich women than biker gangs." 1978 CX500 1980 CX500 Custom 1981 CX500 Custom 1982 GL500 Silverwing 1975 XL-100 http://www.myspace.com/downwiththebutterfly    Report

08-04-2008, 6:40 PM LRCXed Joined on 05-15-2008 Sacramento, California Posts 365 Re: carb cleaner Thanks for the update Harold, it really does work doesn't it! I left a carb in the vinegar and forgot about it for 3 weeks, boy are they clear now! Even ate all the rust off the metal parts. I think if we can be patient, we can do this cleaning process with Shep's Idea of the vinegar soak. Thanks Shep. If your going to do something, do it right, don't do it half as@*d. http://globalcxglvtwins.hostingdelivered.com/    Report

08-05-2008, 7:32 AM Shep Joined on 01-30-2007 Hull.East Yorkshire.England Posts 1,899 Re: carb cleaner  LRCXed wrote: Thanks for the update Harold, it really does work doesn't it! I left a carb in the vinegar and forgot about it for 3 weeks, boy are they clear now! Even ate all the rust off the metal parts. I think if we can be patient, we can do this cleaning process with Shep's Idea of the vinegar soak. Thanks Shep. If you want to speed up the effect of the vinegar you can put it in a pan and simmer off some of the water content.This will increase the PH/Acidity and make it stronger.Do NOT inhale the vapours if you have any lung problems.Although Vinegar is basically an Acetic acid with absorbed water and is usually safe once it's temperature is raised it will still give off molecules in the vapour that can irritate chest/eyes and throat so make sure the cooker is well ventilated. Note as well that warmed up the molecules in the Vinegar will clean faster as they become,"Excited". HTH :) New Global CX/GL Forum, http://globalcxglvtwins.hostingdelivered.com/    Report

08-05-2008, 7:52 AM bearmani Joined on 07-02-2008 a few mile east of the crossroads of mid-america Posts 71 Re: carb cleaner agreed shep. as i remember mom n dad's solution to cleaning thier plugged "mr. coffee" was to put a whole lotta vinegar where ya put the water. they did this in thier kitchen and lemme tells ya. it was pretty hard to breathe those fumes. quite akin to breathing nitro-methane fumes at the drag-strip........lol 1981 gl500 Little Wing    Report

08-05-2008, 12:58 PM Shep Joined on 01-30-2007 Hull.East Yorkshire.England Posts 1,899 Re: carb cleaner  bearmani wrote: agreed shep. as i remember mom n dad's solution to cleaning thier plugged "mr. coffee" was to put a whole lotta vinegar where ya put the water. they did this in thier kitchen and lemme tells ya. it was pretty hard to breathe those fumes. quite akin to breathing nitro-methane fumes at the drag-strip........lol It's one of the old cheap ways of clearing calcium out of kettles.I still use it in my electric kettle sometimes and kill 2 birfs with one stone.Pour some vinegar in the kettle.Boil up.then use the hot vinegar poured onto whatever bike bit I want cleaning :) You do have to boil fresh water in the kettle a couple of times after though otherwise one's cup-of-tea tastes less than palatible :) PS.LRCXed has put together a full post of his carb cleaning and other things here, Carbs Also I think you mentioned you play guitar? Check out some of my stuff if you like, http://www.reverbnation.com/pauldouglas New Global CX/GL Forum, http://globalcxglvtwins.hostingdelivered.com/    Report

08-06-2008, 5:37 AM mildhog Joined on 11-21-2007 Chesapeake, VA Posts 428 Re: carb cleaner <BLOCKQUOTE><table width="85%"><tr><td class="txt4"><img src="/cs/Themes/default/images/icon-quote.gif">&nbsp;<strong>LRCXed wrote:</strong></td></tr><tr><td class="quoteTable"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="100%" valign="top" class="txt4">Thanks for the update Harold, it really does work doesn't it! <br>I left a carb in the vinegar and forgot about it for 3 weeks, boy are they clear now! <img src="/cs/emoticons/emotion-1.gif" /> Even ate all the rust off the metal parts. I think if we can be patient, we can do this cleaning process with Shep's Idea of the vinegar soak. Thanks Shep.<br></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></BLOCKQUOTE> I've got my entire carb sitting in vinegar. The vinegar soak doesn't take the place of dismantlement and cleaning the parts individually does it? Arnie in VA 1982 GL500I Silverwing 1983 GL650    Report

08-06-2008, 7:11 AM PeteCT Joined on 08-02-2008 Posts 13 Re: carb cleaner I didn't read all the posts  in this thread, someone may have posted about ultrasonic cleaners . I took my Cx500 carbs completely disassembled  to a local machine shop who had a small ultrasonic cleaner, we put everything in the cleaner for  a few hours, it works. The ultrasonic did a great job, brought them back passed different thickness guitar strings thru jets and passages and cleaned with compressed air. It worked better than all the diluted cleaners available now (I am for saving the enviroment but sometimes u need chemicals that are no longer available). One additional thing I would do next time is wash all the parts maybe in wd-40 before assembly, after I assembled the carbs and put them aside for a week oxidation formed on some of the parts, it could have been from the ultrasonic solution. The local  Honda shop had a ultrasonic cleaner also but were not keen on just cleaning the parts for me.        Report

08-06-2008, 7:28 AM Shep Joined on 01-30-2007 Hull.East Yorkshire.England Posts 1,899 Re: carb cleaner You can get Ultrasonic cleaners cheap off Ebay.Few of the local guys have tried them.They said the larger ones off Ebay aren't much good but the smaller ones for small prarts are OK. Although soaking is a may clear some carbs it will never be as good as a full strip and service like LCXed as chronicled especially as I've said before some of these carbs this may well be the 1st time they have properly been opened up in over a quarter of a century which is actually a testement to their quality that with a little work they can be brought back to as good if not better than the day they left the factory If you have ever had to deal with old,"Brit-Irons" and Amal carbs you will now what I mean. New Global CX/GL Forum, http://globalcxglvtwins.hostingdelivered.com/    Report

08-06-2008, 8:56 AM Anonymous Re: carb cleaner "The vinegar soak doesn't take the place of dismantlement and cleaning the parts individually does it?" I took all the parts out that I could, except the idle jet. I don't know if just soaking would be as effective as cleaning the jets and tubes, if you take them out you are can be sure they are all clean. I would take the idle jet out if I did not need to use an easy out in the jet, I'm not sure but I think that the area where the easy out leaves marks on the jet may be an integral part of the jet design, it is like a tiny funnel that aids fuel flow, and the marks may, at some level, effect the flow. If they did it would be very minimal and may not even be noticeable, it may even help, who knows. It would be like scratching the inside of a fuel passage while cleaning it with a wire, it may make a difference, but you may not notice it. If you haven't taken the parts out yet, you could try soaking and high pressure air first, then take out the jets and tubes that do come out to see how clean they are. I would try this but I already took all the carbs I have apart.

08-06-2008, 8:59 AM Harold Joined on 12-27-2006 Beside Washademoak Lake, N.B. Canada Posts 350 Re: carb cleaner That was me not  signed in. "People are more violently opposed to fur than leather because it's safer to harass rich women than biker gangs." 1978 CX500 1980 CX500 Custom 1981 CX500 Custom 1982 GL500 Silverwing 1975 XL-100 http://www.myspace.com/downwiththebutterfly    Report

08-06-2008, 9:48 AM RichNCT Joined on 03-02-2006 Posts 2,139 Re: carb cleaner