Honda CX500 & GL500 Forum

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07-10-2008, 4:42 PM Harold Joined on 12-27-2006 Beside Washademoak Lake, N.B. Canada Posts 350 idle jet / the post formerly known as carb cleaner 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    Report

07-10-2008, 6:55 PM Shep Joined on 01-30-2007 Hull.East Yorkshire.England Posts 1,929 Re: carb cleaner 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 :) New Global CX/GL Forum, http://globalcxglvtwins.hostingdelivered.com/    Report

07-10-2008, 7:21 PM Harold Joined on 12-27-2006 Beside Washademoak Lake, N.B. Canada Posts 350 Re: carb cleaner 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. "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

07-10-2008, 7:53 PM CaTacL1sm Joined on 05-02-2008 Rhode Island Posts 238 Re: carb cleaner 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    Report

07-11-2008, 3:51 AM Shep Joined on 01-30-2007 Hull.East Yorkshire.England Posts 1,929 Re: carb cleaner 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. New Global CX/GL Forum, http://globalcxglvtwins.hostingdelivered.com/    Report

07-11-2008, 6:59 AM dbarale Joined on 06-10-2008 Asheville, NC Posts 167 Re: carb cleaner 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.    Report

07-15-2008, 9:05 AM DustinPassarelli Joined on 06-26-2008 Cedar Crest, NM Posts 15 Re: carb cleaner 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"    Report

07-15-2008, 5:14 PM bearmani Joined on 07-02-2008 a few mile east of the crossroads of mid-america Posts 73 Re: carb cleaner 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"    Report

07-16-2008, 10:05 AM RichNCT Joined on 03-02-2006 Posts 2,148 Re: carb cleaner I think HogWash (Reg trademark?) only works on Harleys Born to be relatively wild    Report

07-16-2008, 1:21 PM Harold Joined on 12-27-2006 Beside Washademoak Lake, N.B. Canada Posts 350 Re: carb cleaner 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. "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

07-17-2008, 6:16 PM the cheese Joined on 11-23-2007 Baldwin,GA Posts 189 Re: carb cleaner 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!    Report

07-17-2008, 8:05 PM Anonymous Re: carb cleaner 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

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

07-17-2008, 8:26 PM bfknova Joined on 03-15-2008 Nova Scotia Posts 480 Re: carb cleaner 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 !!    Report

07-17-2008, 8:40 PM bfknova Joined on 03-15-2008 Nova Scotia Posts 480 Re: carb cleaner 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 !!    Report

07-17-2008, 8:46 PM bfknova Joined on 03-15-2008 Nova Scotia Posts 480 Re: carb cleaner 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 !!    Report

07-18-2008, 6:40 PM bearmani Joined on 07-02-2008 a few mile east of the crossroads of mid-america Posts 73 Re: carb cleaner ya, thaz the actual name on the can "Hog-wash" with the picture of a clean pig on the front 1981 gl500 "Rustic-225"    Report

07-18-2008, 7:27 PM Harold Joined on 12-27-2006 Beside Washademoak Lake, N.B. Canada Posts 350 Re: carb cleaner 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 "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

07-18-2008, 7:45 PM bfknova Joined on 03-15-2008 Nova Scotia Posts 480 Re: carb cleaner 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 !!    Report

07-18-2008, 8:12 PM CosmikDebris7 Joined on 06-13-2008 Illinois Posts 18 Re: carb cleaner 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.    Report

07-18-2008, 9:04 PM LRCXed Joined on 05-15-2008 Sacramento, California Posts 373 Re: carb cleaner 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. http://globalcxglvtwins.hostingdelivered.com/    Report

07-18-2008, 9:47 PM Harold Joined on 12-27-2006 Beside Washademoak Lake, N.B. Canada Posts 350 Re: carb cleaner