idle jet / the post formerly known as carb cleaner

General Discussion

idle jet / the post formerly known as carb cleaner

Harold 07-10-2008, 4:42 PM
I have 2 sets of carbs, the right side carb on both sets has idle passages that are plugged solid.
I tried seafom, carb medic(gunk), soaking in methyl hydrate, boiling in water, 125 lbs. of compressed air.

The passage from the air cut off chamber to the idle jet(under the rubber plug) is totally blocked. I was able to put the straw that came with the carb medic right into the passage from the air cut off and spray cleaner in it, the cleaner will come out the holes in the throat of the carb, but not the idle jet. The jet itself seems clear,, it is somewhere between it and the passage to the throat of the carb that is blocked, there is no way to get at it.

I found a piece of rubber hose that fits tightly into the stack where the rubber plug goes,(it blocks off the hole that goes into the other stack under the 78 jet) and cut it off about 3/4" longer than the stack, I then ground the rubber off of the end of a tire air valve and fit it into the 3/4" long piece of rubber hose. I have an air pig with 125 lbs of air in it and I can plug it onto the air valve and nothing moves. I even tried blowing the air through while the carbs were still very hot from being boiled. I did not use distilled water to boil them, I read that it is better, but can't think it would make that much difference.
It is hard to get air under any real pressure from the other side because there are too many holes to try and block off.

I have heard of ultra sonic cleaners but don't know anyone who has one and have my doubts that it would work anyway. I am beginning to think these carbs are toast.

I have a third set of carbs that the same passage in the right carb was plugged also, but I was able to clear it out with air, after soaking it.

If anyone knows of a miracle in a can or something else I can try, let me know.

"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

Re: carb cleaner

Shep 07-10-2008, 6:55 PM
As they may be toast try some Paint stripper in the holes.That usually eats most things.You would be renewing the o-rings anyway if you can get them unblocked.Also I take my carbs down to my local small bike shop where I get my Roadworthiness certificate done and they let me use their high pressure airline with a blower nozzle to blow through my carbs when I service any so that may help

HTH :)

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Re: carb cleaner

Harold 07-10-2008, 7:21 PM
Thanks Shep,
I have been eying a bottle of liquid draino in the bathroom, lol.
C.L.R. has been contemplated too, although it says not to use on aluminum. I may try the paint stripper, I will probably try a couple of other things first though.
I only need one set of carbs so I am open to experimentation.

Re: carb cleaner

CaTacL1sm 07-10-2008, 7:53 PM
i used stp carb cleaner in an aerosol can to clean my carbs... it had a long red focusing tube that helped a lot, after soaking in carb cleaner i hit tough spots with the canned stuff and it blasted a lot of it away, after that i used a can of compressed air. you could try using a plastic bristle to unstick the passage too

Schrödinger's cat beats your Large Hadron Collider

Re: carb cleaner

Shep 07-11-2008, 3:51 AM
Remember also the old Coke-A-Cola trick.Leave the carbs soking in some and it cleans all the Patina off the brass jets and carb inner body without recourse to,"Poking" jets with wire which I'm dead against.The brass in the jets is very soft and easily damaged.

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Re: carb cleaner

dbarale 07-11-2008, 6:59 AM
You can also try brake cleaner or gun cleaner and see if you get better results. It will ruin the o-rings though, so beware.

Re: carb cleaner

DustinPassarelli 07-15-2008, 9:05 AM
One thing that we do at work to clean things that are hard to get to involves a crock pot and antifreeze. Heat that antifreeze up and put the carbs in. Leave for a couple of hours. This has always cleaned stuff out very well for us, and we have never had a problem with it messing things up.

1978 cx500 "ODB"

Re: carb cleaner

bearmani 07-15-2008, 5:14 PM
might try some hogwash....dat chit peels paint n gnaws at yer skin if ya let it set too long....lol

1981 gl500
"Rustic-225"

Re: carb cleaner

RichNCT 07-16-2008, 10:05 AM
I think HogWash (Reg trademark?) only works on Harleys

Born to be relatively wild

Re: carb cleaner

Harold 07-16-2008, 1:21 PM
Thanks for the suggestions all.

I have one set soaking in cola right now, I will see if that worked later tonight, I am giving it 48 hours soak time.

Do you use straight anti freeze? Do you boil it or is it just heated in the crock pot?

I found the hogwash cleaner on the web, I may give it a try later.

Re: carb cleaner

the cheese 07-17-2008, 6:16 PM

I used B-12 CHEM-TOOL card cleaner on mine. I'm sure it will get it clean. It will eat rubber. Hell, it even stripped the paint off my trunk. The exp. sticker off my tag. Even the latex gloves I was wearing. Now I reccomend the thick yellow rubber gloves in the kitchen. Also I have a can off some kind of freeze off. It freezes the bolt to free it up. Don't remember the name but it works. You could try that.

Michael

1981 CX500 Custom
Just say no to skin graphs, wear your gear!

Re: carb cleaner

Anonymous 07-17-2008, 8:05 PM
I use Chem-clean it comes in a one gallon can (looks like a paint can) it has a fine mesh strainer with a handle one it to dip the parts in. Yes it will disolve all rubber and gaskets. It also has a secondary seal on the lid to prevent evaporation, it last quite a long while, it stinks to high heaven, it was invented in 1918 so you know it has to work, and it does.
Cheers, 50gary

Re: carb cleaner

Anonymous 07-17-2008, 8:08 PM
..oh yeah, every Jewelry store that does service work will have an UltraSonic machine. Many high end Gunsmiths will also use them. Cheers, 50gary

Re: carb cleaner

bfknova 07-17-2008, 8:26 PM

Aye Harold - I am still a massive fan of "Seafoam" - let your carbs soak in it - along with jets, n' pistons, n' valves, n' anything else that isn't painted, as it will strip it quickly ....... then once you get the motor running - add 100 or so ml to every fill up to keep them clean ...... a can (950 ml) costs about $12. here - so $1.25 Cdn. a fill up, yet I also bought two cans to clean my engine - with the following results ....

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~ked1/CX500-1.html

impressive isn't it !!!!!!!

Cheers, n' Happy Trails,

Bryan

Keep the rubber side down and alway shake a bro's hand when passing or standing still - EH !!

Re: carb cleaner

bfknova 07-17-2008, 8:40 PM

Hence: how long did you let the "Seafoam" soak in ????? On one set of carbs (that weren't too bad, I left it overnight) - on another (I let it soak 3 days, n' then added some heat) - both came out totally clean n' It won't affect any rubber parts .... again, just wonderin' - as what works for me usually works for others .....

Cheers,

Bryan

Keep the rubber side down and alway shake a bro's hand when passing or standing still - EH !!

Re: carb cleaner

bfknova 07-17-2008, 8:46 PM

In re-re-re reading - methinks you may have something blocking the passage - (rubber, metal, ????) - so probably fried ....... yet, still curious and unrealistic that you have more than one carb in similar situation ???? Usually can take from one or two and make a real goodun' ....

Cheers,

Bryan

Keep the rubber side down and alway shake a bro's hand when passing or standing still - EH !!

Re: carb cleaner

bearmani 07-18-2008, 6:40 PM
ya, thaz the actual name on the can "Hog-wash" with the picture of a clean pig on the front

1981 gl500
"Rustic-225"

Re: carb cleaner

Harold 07-18-2008, 7:27 PM
I ended up letting the carbs soak for four days in cola,, no joy

I did not soak the whole carb in seafoam but kept seafoam in the stack of the inverted carb body that has the idle jet for approx a week.

It is hard to belive that 3 sets of carbs all had the same passage of the right side carb plugged,makes me wonder how many of the problems people report on here may be caused by blocked idle passages.
The thing that really surprised me is that the set that I was able to get cleared was the oldest (off a 78), cruddiest looking set of the 3 ,and came off a bike that had sat the longest, outdoors with no gas line on them, the other 2 sets came off bikes that did not sit as long and were stored inside.

I am toying with the idea of trying to drill out the idle jet from one set to see if I can get it out without damaging the stack, to see if I can get at the obstruction, if I can get it clear, I may try cutting the stacks from the other set to try and get the idle jet out undamaged to press into the other set. This of course, would be a last resort

Re: carb cleaner

bfknova 07-18-2008, 7:45 PM

Aye Harold - ol' '78's were the beginning and in my opinion the best .... not only cause that's what I got, but have been replacing later model parts - turning out not half as good - so going back to original year only from now on ....... otherwise, did you add heat to "Seafoam" ??? Aye, it's 100 % petroleum so won't hurt heating it up first ...... yet not with open flame <grin> ...... you know what I mean ..... actually, have you tried any carbs on your bike since beginning - as once you even get any fire - you can possibly clean out hidden crap with again "Seafoam" in the gas ..... Aye, "I want to buy shares in the company!" - <LOL> ....... as it's done me well !!!!! Anyway, no harm in lettering the whole carb soak in "Seafoam" as it won't hurt rubber or anything else - unless you were foolish enough to paint your carbs as I did <jerk> ..... whereas a gallon of paint stripper may have also helped clean mine ..... but still voting for "Seafoam" .....

Cheers,

Bryan

Keep the rubber side down and alway shake a bro's hand when passing or standing still - EH !!

Re: carb cleaner

CosmikDebris7 07-18-2008, 8:12 PM
my carbs sat outside for 15 years. I took them apart. cleaned what I could with a toothbrush, compressed air and a can of spray carb cleaner.

For the jets, I used a thread needle and it worked like a charm, frowned upon on this forum but it worked like a charm for me and my carbs.

Re: carb cleaner

LRCXed 07-18-2008, 9:04 PM
OK Harold, I got it figured out. I too have a few sets of junk carbs and am dealing with one of the same issues as you are. SOOO, I decided to try to pull out the jet from a bad carb.
What I came up with is an easy out that you tap in lightly to set it, and then I turned it in reverse and popped it loose. It has a tapered section on the jet as you can see by the shinny ring where it was pressed in to the carb body. The pictures show what I used, and also, that there is NO WAY you will EVER get this jet clean with a wire poked through it while it is still installed. It's just like the emulsifying tube under the main jet. In the one picture, you can see that one of the jets is plugged with white calcium from what is probably water deposits that got it the carb. It has 8 holes in it as well as one in the tip. This would explain why NO carb cleaner would work for any of the really bad clogged ones. That idea you had of useing CLR might have worked!!!!
When I cleaned it, it took quit a bit of doing with a small wire brush to break the surface and then a small wire from the same brush to break through the hole. Maybe CLR over night would have done it, but this is a junk carb and I didn't care.
I tapped it back into the body with a flat ended punch and a hammer. When it was in, I got out my air chisel and hammered on the body to see if I could shake it loose. Nope, didn't move. I had to re install the easy out to get it to pop out again.
Hope this helps in solving the Normal 0 mystery that has been haunting us for years.
Larry

If your going to do something, do it right, don't do it half as@*d.
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Re: carb cleaner

Harold 07-18-2008, 9:47 PM
Thank you Larry!

Next time you're in N.B. I'll buy you a beer

The set of carbs that I did get clean are still not working perfectly

(they work well, but not like the set on my 81),,now I see why.
And you think the jet is still in good enough condition to be used? not damaged by the easy out?

Re: carb cleaner

LRCXed 07-18-2008, 11:16 PM
No Harold, they are not damaged. All I ended up with was a 5 point star shape in the end of it. If you look down inside where it sits, you will see that it has a small space around it. When you tap the easy out in there, make sure it is seated well. It will not expand it to a point that it changes anything. As you turn it counter clockwise with a small wrench, pull on it at the same time. It will pop out.
On further inspection of the jet, I found that there IS a small hole through the center of the jet that is down into the center of it. The large hole in the end does not effect the small orifice in the center when you tap the easy out into it. I have a small drill set made for jetting and such, and the drill bit that fit thought the hole is only 0.018" in diameter. I had to use surgical type clamping hemostat's just to get it out of the holder it's so small. This is another point that proves why we could not seem to get these jets cleaned out when they are clogged up with corrosion. The tinny drill bit is only about 1 1/4 inch long. Before I put the small drill into it, I sprayed it with carb cleaner to see if it would clean up any. The first drill bit I used that would fit was only 0.016", but I could tell it was gummed up still because it was really smooth feeling. That's when I used the 0.018" in it, (backwards, not the fluted end) and pushed out the stuff lining the inside of the jet.
It cleaned up really well. I used some scotch bright pad (green) to clean up the body of the jet a little and it's ready to be reinstalled.
When the jet is out, you can see right through the holes from the air cut off passage to see if it's all clear. I think this is going to work great and I can't wait to get my carbs back on tomorrow and see.
Larry

OH BTW; you can email me the beer....

If your going to do something, do it right, don't do it half as@*d.
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Re: carb cleaner

Shep 07-19-2008, 5:56 AM
Thank you for the time and effort you have put in.Even I've not tried to remove one of these and it could answer some questions on some spare carbs I have.I wonder if a,"Sonic" cleaner with some type of fluid might have been able to break down the crud?

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Re: carb cleaner

WisconsinCX 07-19-2008, 6:02 AM
LRCXed...at what point did the BUD LIGHT get used in this carb project?

83 650 Silverwing Interstate Phoenix
81 Deluxe
80 Custom
78 Maggot
83 CB1100F yeah baby!!

Re: carb cleaner

bobisslack 07-19-2008, 6:51 AM
Are you Kidding?? That's an integral tool when working on these things. Most important tool in the toolbox, IMHO.

'80 cx500c

Gotta keep my knees in the breeze.

Re: carb cleaner

LRCXed 07-19-2008, 9:18 AM
Your welcome! I figure it's an even trade for all the info that everyone else puts in here.
As for the BUD LIGHT...

something had to get soaked! It might be what got me thinking.....hmmm
The stuff has been making folks make stupid decisions for years... this one just happened to work out!

If your going to do something, do it right, don't do it half as@*d.
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Re: carb cleaner

Harold 07-19-2008, 3:26 PM
LRCXed, did you get the carbs installed on your bike? I will have to wait till Monday
to get a small enough easy-out.

Do you still have a jet that is clogged? It would be nice to find something that would dissolve the calcium yet not hurt the carb body or the jet. Not sure why the CLR says no use on aluminum.I would try it on the spare set I have but there is nothing wrong with it other than the blocked jet.

I wonder how many times you can remove one of these jets before it will not seat properly, and would caution against anyone doing it until they are certain that it is the problem.

I think this jet being plugged or partially plugged may be why so many people have
issues at idle or low rpm, starting on one cyl, etc.etc. It may effect fuel mileage too.

edit;
found this on wikipedia

"Calcium is a base. Vinegar is an acid. An acid naturally reacts with a base by usually dissolving it."

also found that vinegar will not hurt aluminum.

Re: carb cleaner

bfknova 07-19-2008, 3:55 PM

Your a good man Larry - n' agree ol' carbs are prone to calcium n' overal gung deposits through the tiny jets n' lines - so a flaw in the design - albeit CLR should work with a very good soaking - along with air pressure ???? Hence: I'll be interested to hear if it does - I have two carbs (both workin') so not my calling right now ..... otherwise, speaking of fuel mileage ..... there are many reports higher - but I just filled up again - and before my engine rebuild I was getting about 35 mpg in city - whereas now I'm over 45 mpg in city - actually closer to 50 mpg ....... so no complaints here, other than the cost of gas ($1.45 / litre) ....

Cheers, n' Happy Trails, raisin' a glass to Larry !

Bryan

Keep the rubber side down and alway shake a bro's hand when passing or standing still - EH !!

Re: carb cleaner

LRCXed 07-19-2008, 4:10 PM
Harold, I have been working on my carbs for 2 days now and am finding all kinds of things that can be done to clean out certain passages that were partially plugged on my set. I have completely cannibalized and destroyed one old carb to see what was going on inside passages. I am taking pictures as I go, and I think I will do a post on what I have found when I am done. I'll let you know when I have finished.

I will tell you that a very small set of jetting drill bits has helped out a lot. My set is from .0135 to .039 thousandths. The easy out set I got from Mac tools years ago. Make sure you get a good set so the don't break. I even went to a jewelry supply store today and found a tapered little rubberized polishing bullet that I used to clean the seat in the body for the needle and seat assembly. I was amazed at how much it cleaned it up to let the needle seat better.

You wont need to remove that jet again after you clean it, and the passages out. I would not worry about having to do it more than once.

I pulled out 3 of those jets from bad carbs and all of them had build up or cloggs in them. If I go out somewhere I will try to get some CLR and see what it does, but if you do it, let me know what it looks like when your done. I am working non stop on these right now and don't want to go anywhere. I will add my results to the post as well. I think that if it does not hurt aluminum, that maybe, with that and an ultrasonic cleaner, we might be able to shake some of, if not all, of the old build up out of these carbs. I do not have an ultrasonic cleaner, nor can I afford one right now. So if the CLR works, maybe someone can try it and see how it does.

I'm trying to get this all done by tonight so I can do the update post tomorrow. I'm trying hard not to miss anything that could be done. I will have all the steps outlined when I'm done OK!
Larry

If your going to do something, do it right, don't do it half as@*d.
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Re: carb cleaner

LRCXed 07-19-2008, 4:22 PM
Wow, I was going to go take a nap, but I guess I better go get the CLR and get back to work! Seems this has brought a little attention with the name change and all. Thanks guys, and I hope I don't disappoint you!
Should I just post the results here tomorrow?

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Re: carb cleaner

bfknova 07-19-2008, 4:25 PM

After reading Harold's post - just maybe a good strong solution of vinegar may be a better answer than CLR ????? It's biodegradable and won't hurt aluminum - in fact that's probably the ingredient in CLR that helps clean up calcium build-up <grin> ...... I've polished aluminum with vinegar so know it works ..... hence: along with "Seafoam" - my vote is for pure vinegar !!!!!

Cheers, n' Happy Trails,

Bryan

Keep the rubber side down and alway shake a bro's hand when passing or standing still - EH !!

Re: carb cleaner

LRCXed 07-19-2008, 4:56 PM
I have carb body sitting in vinegar for a few days now. 50/50 mix though! It's a pretty badly corroded carb. We will see what it does later, but I just got back from getting the CLR. Let you know what it does in a while!

If your going to do something, do it right, don't do it half as@*d.
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Re: carb cleaner

Harold 07-19-2008, 5:01 PM
I just put a set in pure vinegar, I will give it a couple of days then see if air will
blow it out.

Re: carb cleaner

Shep 07-19-2008, 5:20 PM
I have some strong toilet cleaner that dissolves calcium.I'll try that on a spare pair if kaput carbs I've got.Well one side of the crabs is no good as the float needle valve was stuck in it's hole so the valve needle inner skirt is no good.Can't even be re-polished with metal polish on a float valave.

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Re: carb cleaner

bfknova 07-19-2008, 5:56 PM

You guys are awesome - as surely gonna get a paten on the best solution <LOL> ..... at present I'm workin' on "Molson Canadian Lager" ..... n' cleaning my jets <?> ..... probably more likely claugin' my arteries ..... but it's good to follow your progression whilst I sit back n' listen to my music n' drink my beer !!!!! Heck, someone has to be a boss hog <LOL> ......

Anyway, keep up the good work and let us know the results - as I pour another for ya all !!!

Bryan

Keep the rubber side down and alway shake a bro's hand when passing or standing still - EH !!

Re: carb cleaner

LRCXed 07-19-2008, 6:47 PM
Hay guys, this is really getting intense on my end. I am logging the orifice sizes of all the emulsion tubes and all the passages too. One thing I will tell you is that "THE CLR WORKS IN ABOUT 15 MINUTES" Yes, it does. I have my daughter coming over right now to check and change a battery in her car, so life has thrown me a curve as usual. Get back to you soon.
Larry

If your going to do something, do it right, don't do it half as@*d.
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Re: carb cleaner

Shep 07-19-2008, 7:29 PM

LRCXed wrote:
Hay guys, this is really getting intense on my end. I am logging the orifice sizes of all the emulsion tubes and all the passages too. One thing I will tell you is that "THE CLR WORKS IN ABOUT 15 MINUTES" Yes, it does. I have my daughter coming over right now to check and change a battery in her car, so life has thrown me a curve as usual. Get back to you soon.
Larry

Just to re=cap for me as I missed it,What is,"CLR"?

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Re: carb cleaner

Harold 07-19-2008, 7:44 PM
C.L.R.
Calcium,Lime,Rust Remover. for removing hard water and rust stains,,it is used for cleaning many things from toilets to coffee pots, and clearing clogged coffee makers.
Maybe you don't get it in the U.K.

Re: carb cleaner

LRCXed 07-20-2008, 11:15 AM
OK guys, I'm going to go ahead and post the findings right here since now one voted to do other wise!

I'm going to start by telling you I just put a new oil & cam chain and mechanical seal in my motor and doing some maintenance after it sat for almost 3 years while I rebuilt my house from an electrical fire. I wanted to update the carbs to the style with the accelerator pump so I could eliminate the stumble on my 78 CX500 Standard during take off. After 4 bad sets of carbs fished out of the Bay, I finally bought a good enough set to rebuild. I did the normal dismantlement and soaked them it the 5 gallons of Chem Dip carb cleaner, rinsed and sprayed them out with carb spray and 120 PSI air hose. I put the motor in and found the left cylinder was running lean at idle and low end even though I didn't even take it out on the road. The pipe was starting to turn a deep gold in about an hour or more of tweaking with the motor and the carb synchronizing. The idle mixture screws did not act evenly when I started to adjust them. The right one almost turned in all the way and made the motor run better. It turns out though, that is probably because of the over filling float bowls. I'll find out after they are installed and re started once again. I think I found a way to seal the needle and seat again like new!

I am going to start doing this post now, as I am tired and do not want to reinstall the carbs tonight. I know your waiting to find out what happens, but the discovery of what I have done needs to be posted first in my opinion.

As you have seen up in the top of this, I found a way to remove the idle mixture jet from the body to inspect and clean the idle system and it's passages. One of the questions was, what would clean them out if it was NOT removed! I found that because the idle jet is so high in the carb body, that any water that got into the system over the years, tended to collect on the small holes in the idle jets emulsifying tube and cause calcium to form and block the jets holes. I ripped apart 3 sets of carbs and they all had similar deposits plugging at least a few holes and had deposits formed around the space between the jet and the body. That would explain why the idle circuits would not perform evenly.

As you have read, I went out and got some CLR! Calcium Lime Rust remover to see if it would eat away the deposits left by the water in the idle jets. One of the concerns was would it attack aluminum? Yes it will, but not as fast as it attacks the calcium deposits. I placed these parts in a full strength solution of CLR, and it cleaned VERY quickly. The deposits were dissolved in about 10 to 15 minutes. While the CLR worked, I noticed that the end of a broken throttle shaft that I put in, the metal end, was bubbling and the end of the idle adjusting screw that had the aluminum limiter was bubbling a little also. The aluminum throttle plate did not react. After rinsing with water, what you see is the end result. NO CALCIUM DEPOSITS!!!!!

Each air or fuel orifice was checked with a very accurate precision jet drill index to ensure the holes were clean and set to their proper size. I did this by starting with smaller than accurate sizes of each hole, and could feel the gummy build up inside each one. When I got to the right size jet drill, I could no longer feel the smoothness of the build up in the passage, and I knew I was at the right size for each orifice. None of the holes were drilled larger.

The following is pictures with title bars describing what was done in each picture! ( I hope this comes out right ) It should be in order of what I did. It's late, and I have been at this for almost 2 full days none stop and right now it's 2:00 a.m. So please forgive me if there are things I need to edit later.

Lets see how this goes with the pictures! Wish me luck......wait, time to find that BUD LIGHT....

oh there it is...aaaah!

First is the sacrifice of carb bodies and equipment used!

Then there is the parts I soaked in CLR for about 10 to 15 minutes. All types of metals were represented here!
Notice the CALCIUM build up of white on the idle jet!

I hope this picture comes out! It did not show in the preview! It shows the start of the chemical reaction on the metal end and the aluminum in the CLR!

Cool, it showed up!
Now you will see there is no more calcium deposit after the CLR soaking, and it did not eat any of the aluminum since I only dipped it for a short time.

After cleaning, I found each orifice size in each hole of the different emulsion tubes. As described above, the following should be self explanatory!

New additions;
I forgot these 2 items and pictures, SORRY

This picture is the air passage from the air cutoff valve into the idle system passage just under the idle jet that came out. Clean this out before you put the jet back in with the .085 size drill as in the picture.

Now comes the BIGGY!

In the original post I forgot to add this!
Included it the idle circuit cleaning, there is 3 holes inside by the throttle plate. ALL are directly connected and are ALL a part of the idle circuit. The holes in mine were plugged in various degrees. In order to be able to clean and knock loose the deposits in and under them, I used a welding tip cleaner. It's soft metal and was easy to bend and get in the holes. When you open the throttle plate, you will see 2 more. Clean them out as well, and then spray carb cleaner through them from the same side you entered the tip cleaner. This will spray the dirt and deposits out through the larger holes in the circuit. Blast every thing each way, and all ways possible before you blow it out with the high pressure air blower. This is my worst possible goof up in this post. It is so important to clean these out. These are the idle and off idle system holes that effect the throttle just as you start to add the gas. When these are plugged the transition of the throttle could be a little uneven. Sorry I missed it guys, but it's here now!

Now it's time to reset the idle jet back into the body! Remember, Use a very thin coat of lock tight to ensure it's sealed and tight just at the base where the jet presses into the body! Don't use so much that it will drain down into the holes and plug them up again. Tap it in securely so it sets tight!

These are the air jets in the top of the body under the piston. I found a couple of these were really gummed up, even after I soaked and cleaned them with carb cleaner and blew them out with 120 PSI air hose. It took the jet drills to clean them out thoroughly. And then sprayed them out with the carb cleaner again and blew them out wit the air hose.

As I said earlier, I went to a jewelry supply store and got a rubberized fine polishing bullet shaped polisher that had the angled tip to clean the seat for the needle and seat assembly. I put it on my reverse easy out and twisted it about 4 times while pressing in on the seat to clean and polish it. It should seal very nicely now with no old build up to get in the way to make it leak. The narrow one under it is a brass wire brush that I used to clean out the entire seat assembly. I got that at the jewelry store too. Sorry for the photo quality, cheap camera!

After all this cleaning and re cleaning, these carbs should perform like new. I will find out hopefully by tomorrow if all goes well, and life does not throw me another dead battery curve.
Make sure that after all the drilling and cleaning you spray the carbs out well. There will be a lot of deposits that you are going to be knocking loose and will need to get out of there. If you can, use a high pressure air hose and a good quality carb spray that does not evaporate quickly, it will eat more out the longer it stays moist.

I will post the results of how my set of carbs do when I get them done. But I have all the confidence that they will be fine, and give me great service now! Especially at the idle circuit.
HOLY CRAP, THE SITE IS DOWN AND I CAN'T GET THESE PAST FEW HOURS OF WORK TO POST, AND IT'S 2:40 AM!!!
Larry

If your going to do something, do it right, don't do it half as@*d.
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Re: carb cleaner

LRCXed 07-20-2008, 11:20 AM
WoooHooo, it's back up and I got it in! I left the page up all night just to see if it would post eventually.
Now I can go assemble the carbs and let you know how they do!

If your going to do something, do it right, don't do it half as@*d.
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Re: carb cleaner

Shep 07-20-2008, 11:54 AM

Harold wrote:
C.L.R.
Calcium,Lime,Rust Remover. for removing hard water and rust stains,,it is used for cleaning many things from toilets to coffee pots, and clearing clogged coffee makers.
Maybe you don't get it in the U.K.

Same stuff as over here then

New Global CX/GL Forum,
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Re: carb cleaner

LRCXed 07-20-2008, 12:39 PM
Oh and by the way, Shep's idea of the white vinegar worked great on that old carb. I used it at the full strength thou. It was several years old, and I think it had lost some of it's power. it didn't take off some of the calcium in the top of it though. But all the dark corrosion marks are gone and it's looking really good!
Thanks for the tip Shep!

If your going to do something, do it right, don't do it half as@*d.
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Re: carb cleaner

LRCXed 07-20-2008, 4:42 PM
OK Harold, the carbs are done and installed. I have to tell you, I have NEVER had my bike respond to the throttle so rapidly as it does now! It idles so smooth and evenly after syncing the carbs, that I was able to lower the idle speed way down to about 5 or 6 hundred RPM for a minute, just to see if it would. I only have to hit the starter button for a split second too. Both idle screws are at 1 1/2 turns for now, and responded the same to any adjustment. I held the RPM at 4000 and it runs smoother than it ever has before. No vibration at all. I am so ready to go test it out on the road I can't stand it, but I wanted to let you know where I was with this project. It was well worth the time it took to do this. I know it's a bit of work, but I would recommend it for anyone's set of carbs.
Good luck on yours, and let me know if you have any questions.
Now maybe I'll get better MPG.
BTW; I did all the tuning with my garage door shut and I did not smell any over rich fumes as I did before the rebuilding of the jets!
Larry

If your going to do something, do it right, don't do it half as@*d.
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Re: carb cleaner

Harold 07-20-2008, 5:23 PM
Your bike should run as nice as it looks now

, good job, Sounds like the way my 81 runs.

This morning I tried to blow some air through my carb after soaking overnight in vinegar but it seemed as though it would have to soak longer as no air was moving, but after I kept the pressure on it for a minute or so, I thought I heard air moving, sure enough, it started to blow air out the through the air-cut off, very little air, but it was coming through. That has never happened before. I stopped as it seemed it was starting to clog up again and put it in to soak again.
It seems that given time the vinegar would work. I will get it so I can blow air through it and then dip it in CLR for 10 min or so, then rinse and repeat if needed.
The problem with doing it with the jet in place is that I will not be sure it is completely clean. I blew air through the clear jet on the left carb with a small electric compressor and it showed 90 lbs. backpressure on the line gauge while the air was blowing through the jet. I will check the clear jet on the other set of carbs tomorrow to check the flow on it. If it is 90 lbs. I will use this as a target for the plugged jets.

Re: carb cleaner

Harold 07-20-2008, 8:38 PM
Larry, Did you pull the silver disc out of the cut up carb? I call it a welch plug

, I have seen it referred to as a puck too.

Re: carb cleaner

LRCXed 07-20-2008, 10:10 PM
No Harold, I tried but it would not come out. I drilled a hole in it and tried to pry it out but it did not budge. I was able to see that the 2 off idle holes under the throttle plate were drilled in though there though. All 3 of the idle system holes inside the venture are connected to the same feed hole in the body. If you look at the end of the carb by the idle screw, you will see a small brass pin that is pressed into the body and peened over to seal it in. That is the passage that was drilled to connect all 3 of the idle circuit holes. They are fed by the fuel feed inside that the idle screw controls. I sprayed the heck out of all 3 holes, and, in from the idle screw passage to make sure that I got all I could out of it, and then sprayed it out with air.

One thing that I did find, is that the after market idle replacement screws were not consistent with the factory ones. I put the stock ones back in mine and got a much better response to them during adjustments. The after market ones would not even show the tip inside the carb when they were screwed all the way in. One of them would and one of them would not! Stay with the stock ones. I filed off the aluminum tab so the were easier to adjust.

If your going to do something, do it right, don't do it half as@*d.
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Re: carb cleaner

Blindstitch2002 07-20-2008, 11:08 PM
You guys are making me wish I had a set of carbs lying around in need of being cleaned. I am sure something is up with mine but I'm not goning to tackle it till the riding season is over unless I find a spare pair of carbs on the bay for cheap.

1978 Honda Cx500 Maggot
1979 Honda Cx500 Custom
1980 Honda Cx500 Deluxe Couch Project Bike

CX500 Factory Service Manual
Courtesy of Randall-in-Mpls

Re: carb cleaner

Harold 07-21-2008, 9:41 AM
I would have been scared to buy a set off ebay for fear of them being plugged too,
but knowing that the idle jet can be removed and reinstalled if all else fails, makes
the odds of getting a useable body a lot better.

If you just have minor issues soaking for a couple of days is vinegar in the off season should be an easy fix.

It remains to be seen if I can get the one I am soaking completly clear without removal. I am going to see how clear I can get it using just the vinegar, then
the CLR if needed. Then I will try pulling it to see how well it worked.

p.s. Larry, I think you got Bryan and Shep confused re the cleaning tip

Re: carb cleaner

bfknova 07-21-2008, 10:13 AM

Not hard to get me confused - I just took down and put away my Christmas Cards and Lights ...... so cross that project off my long to-do list <grin> - otherwise, believe we're still in between CLR for 15 minutes and pure vinegar for much longer ...... albeit it does clean without fear of major damage ..... as does "Seafoam" ...... as I said, my two sets of carbs are both in good shape (all lines clear) after a good cleaning in "Seafoam" - albeit, probably will replace the diaphrams for next year ...... and continue to add a little "Seafoam" to the gastank ....... yet also find this thread very interesting to follow ....... so keep up the great work !!!

Cheers,

Bryan

Keep the rubber side down and alway shake a bro's hand when passing or standing still - EH !!

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