Carburettor Cleaning, You are Doing it all Wrong, Ultrasonic Tanks are 🤬 at Cleaning Carbs.
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- Опубликовано: 6 окт 2024
- A quick rant about all the misleading information surrounding motorcycle carburettor cleaning. Ultrasonic cleaning tanks are not as good as everyone would have you believe.
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/ superbikesurgerytv
Don't beat yourself up mate. You aren't waffling, you're educating. Love your videos. Carry on as you are 👍
To be honest the first minute was just a waste of time, there's plenty of fat to trim without touching the waffle.
“Got to have a little bit of a talk about something that is really getting on my tits” 😂. Possibly the best start to a RUclips video ever. I love this channel. An absolute professional with no BS and entertaining too. Please keep up the great work and thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience.
I noticed it too purely based on what I have learned from you. Great video. I do like his channel because he loves all and any bikes
Agree, ultrasonic cleaners are used in CONJUNCTION with chemicals and airline to free internal soiling. Use of a syringe to flood the carbs while in the tank works well. Would love to know the mix that goes into Jim's carb clean fluid. My chemicals of choice are, Mentholated sprirt, white spirit, acetone to dissolve the gum left behind. any carb cleaner spayed into ALL holes followed by air then a check with liquid, most folk forget the air passages and concentrate on fuel drilling. A good way to verify those unmetred bypass holes Jim was talking about is to snug down the fuel idle screw and spray cleaner via the pilot jet hole and see if it sprays well out of those 3 holes with the butterfly open, only on Cv carbs though. Goes without saying that you need a v clean working environment to service carbs. Also use your manual for the correct settings and quality parts if you need them, we get many in that the old parts are more than serviceable and have been replaced by cheap low quality parts and make the job worse. Like the ultrasonic cleaners, just fitting a repair kit will not be the full answer. Know the basics of who they are supposed to work before you dive in, it is cheaper and quicker in the long run. looking forward to that V max running well Jim.
the syringe to get chemicals in is a good idea !
I learned that from Shane on How to Wrench "the syringe way is the only way"
Agreed, also rubber flex hose onto an air gun over those holes can get some pressure down there to dislodge any corrosion. Oh and my missus went crackers when she saw a picture of fully stripped down R6 carburettors on the kitchen table! (Has to be in a clean environment).
Would love a sonic tank.. I've long used tergo or aviation stripper.. watch for any reactions with the Ali for magnesium content.. but a 30min soak & a good water hot jet wash works really well.. acetone etc hasn't always worked for me
@@mickl8212My missus came home early and nearly caught me cleaning an intake manifold in the dishwasher. Managed to sneak it back out to the garage before she spotted it in there.
Finally a quality mechanic saying what I’ve been saying for years. Ultrasonic cleaning only cleans what the fluid gets to, even then you need to visually check and probably clean manually with chemicals.
Very fine monofiliment fishing line is your friend when cleaning those internal passages, poke away with cleaning fluid until it pops through.
Great tip! I'm going to try that!
please do a vid of you going through the process
Do my carbs the same way as you. Chemical clean, air through every passage and then ultrasonic clean all of it. For really blocked passages, not jets, I use acupuncture needles I got from my friendly neighbourhood acupuncturist! They are about 0.007” diameter and have a nice little spring on the end, like a little handle. Made of stainless they will bend and find their way through just about any shaped passage and don’t beak off. Great channel…keep up the good work. By the way I am an aircraft maintenance engineer and we been using ultrasonic cleaners for going on 40 years now. These are industrial machines and cost a small fortune,not the cheap ones off eBay…there is a difference. Use them to clean fuel nozzles from jet engines. Very small passages in those. Take care.
I have a vfr 750 that was parked 12 years. I cleaned the carbs manually ,old school. All parts out,into carb cleaner for 24 hrs, carb cleaner and toothbrush to the float bowls,every hole in every jet poked with a wire brush strand and air line every port in the carb. Built all back up,fitted,primed the fuel to the carbs at the pump relay, within ten seconds it was running like a clock so put the balanced on,set everything and sweet as ever since. Hard carbs to get back on again being V4 but a few tricks here and there ease the refitting
It’s not waffle it’s frustration we’ll said Jim brilliant channel thank you 🏍️
Oh my god,I’ve literally been saying this on forums for ages,ultrasonic tanks are not the magic bullet that people seem to think,great content by the way,
Brilliant video. I have an ultrasonic cleaner and have cleaned my carb 3 times in the tank and still have issues.
I've been cleaning carburetors for 30 years the old fashion way and thought I'd invest in some new technology, but sometimes, the old ways are the best.
Keep the waffle coming, my friend. Please waffle on, we're still watching and still learning 😁
The old, simple standby of sending carb cleaner through each passage to make sure it's flowing has never failed me. Now, that's not the Cleaning part, that's the final (and initial) check. Can't believe anyone charging money doesn't do that 100% of the time. Seconds of time and less than a dollar in cost to ensure everything's flowing like it should.
Perfectly explained Jim 👍🏻🍻
I used one once when we first got one in the workshop, that was the last time. In the time they were in the cleaner, I could have had them cleaned finished and back on the bike!
That was the most important thing anyone could ever hear, tanks have their place - not the be all and end all. Thanks for the vid... It gets on my nerves too. Makes my teeth hurt. Keep up the great vids ... looking forward to the next Vmax video....
Couldn’t agree more I’ve been in the trade for 17 years never needed/used an ultrasonic cleaner just used the right chemicals and the right tool and knowledge! Had many customers requesting carb clean and balance not had one bad return!
I am planning a carb cleaning session on an ST 1100 ……thanks for the tips and advice……keep it up……and it’s not waffle buddy.
I have rebuilt probably only 200 in my life but have never used for carb cleaning to clear blockages. Great for getting muck off but not clearing holes
I started on a v max I bought without exhaust, carburators stuck, could'nt even turn the throtlle, engine not stuck, compression okay, battery was empty and corroded, no coolant,little oil in the engine looking oily, no water or gasoline in engine,clutch working,brakes hardly working. So I removed the airfilter and sprayed just a tiny bit of carbcleaner into the inlets. After one hour I tried to move the throttle with a screwdriver at the carburator and it slowly came lose, I sprayed a little more carbcleaner and waited half an hour and tried the gashandle and it worked smoother by every pull. Then I bypassed the tank with a bottle of gasoline and connected my powerpack to the bikes poles and turned ignition on, switch to run, the Vboost activated and I pushed the start button........It ran immediately thanks to the adition of WD40.
So I can state that carbcleaner does the job. I pre cleaned the carbs just to find out if the engine would run.
So knowing the engine has no issues sofar I think it pays off when I fix this bike. So I will take it apart and rebuild it. The inside of the screwheads of the engine are untouched....only the clutch has been replaced.
So I will disassemble the carbs, clean them thoroughly with carbcleaner and renew all seals, jets and intake manifolds.
I use Plutoline Carbcleaner and with ultrasone I use Tickopur R33 in a stronger mix with distilled water.
I did the same with a Yamaha XS750 special from 81 and managed, with a lot of feedback from youtube, to get it running at it's first reborn cold start.
And indeed.....An ultrasonic cleaner is not a miracle machine.....it's good to use after using the carbcleaner.
Another great, no nonsense & straight to the point post. Like all tools, sonic cleaners have a place on the bench & are brilliant but like every tool, they have their limitations. Love watching & listening to Jim as he dissects each process of the job in hand, if you listen to any mechanic the best is an ex race mechanic. Be it cars, karts or motorcycles, these are thrashed from start to finish & the saying "When the flag drops the BS stops" is totally true on the track. So you keep waffling on Jim, it does make perfect sense 😉👍👌
I love these videos, so glad I found this channel ! So to be starting on my GSX-R 1100 project thats been sat in my barn for years, so a good educational video on carb clening will help me immensely. Wish me luck on the wiring loom though, as I've seen tidier birds nests 😮 (previous owner)
stumbled onto your channel recently, so far what i have seen waffle = good info/tips never too much (is there such a think as too much good info ) + whenever you say does that make sense = allways does or will eventually with new subjects
and the other is , the world is so stuck on everything has to be perfect ie no kids or noises while that is life isn't it
so love seeing videos that have that all in there, in the moment with kids it feels like you have ages but somehow time flies , so relax and enjoy the interuptions , chances are good that those watching know and and doesn't bother them at all
if they don't it will be a nice breaking of the cycle having examples that mix work/life more
so we can have a better balance again
A carb cleaning vid is a rabbit hole I wouldn't mind going down, my mate Warren says he's up for it too...
You have just described perfectly the symptoms my Kawasaki KZ1300 displays below 2500 rpm. Above those Revs she runs like a dream. Stop / Start traffic however and it's a splutter and splother Pull away. Love your videos. 5*
Pure gold info. Also, this totally explains the fluffy throttle I had on a 1996 ZX7R about 20 years ago! I sold it on as I just didn't know what the hell I was doing. Took the airbox off, poked about and replaced HT leads. Lol.
That’s what my mechanic also says. Strange that people tend to look for the easiest (cheapest) way of doing the work or letting it done. It seems to be this way nowadays. Anyway, good work doesn’t come cheap.
In automotive 4 barrel carbs the single round hole is the idle port and the one under the butterfly is normally rectangular and called a transition slot. That slot pulls idle fuel when the throttle is cracked. And it feeds idle fuel until air rushing past it creates enough vacuum for the primary circuit to flow through the main venturis. That is the transition, when switching to the main circuit, handling most of the fueling. I normally adjust the throttle blade to make the transition slot square for a carb setup start point. I was glad to hear a pro such as yourself saying that is where carburetors are normally hiding clogs and dirt. Learned that today. This was my first time watching you. I enjoyed your candor.
Good information, well presented, and I agree.
When I ultrasonically cleaned my carbs my objective was to was to clean them of external dirt. Including springs, linkages etc.
I was not trying to fix running problems, as the bike ran/runs reasonably/acceptably well.
They just had 26 years of grime on them, and I wanted them to look 26 years old and well cared for, not like they had spent 26 years in an oily swamp, unloved and forgotten.
It worked. All 4 came out clean, with a patina consistent with their age, instead of looking like lumps of oily grime - ‘there is a carb in there somewhere.’.
It was an exercise in cosmetics. With 2 plus points. I found that the choke cable was partially seized, and the throttle return cable had rusted through and snapped. 3 new genuine Suzuki cables ordered and fitted when the carbs went back on.
Yes, I want it to run right but it is 26 years old. I also want it to look good, but it is 26 years old.
I think I have spent more on cosmetics than problems, but most of my problems have been cosmetic.
You are spot on my friend and one of the few motorcycle channels I watch, having been a motorcycle mechanic for many years there are to many channels that make me think what a bodge.
I haven't watched the channel you mentioned since his video "Resurrecting A Vintage Yamaha Dirt Bike" and if anyone is interested skip to 28:39 to find out why.
Keep up the good work and I've said it before it's not waffle you are imparting valuable information.
Great video. Cheers from Portugal
I agree with you 100%, I recently had to buy another carb for a Yamaha dt175,as the original one developed crack in the body,so I started with a clean of the body,then stripped it apart,cleaned the jets in a clock cleaning solution,& that brings up brass like new,the really bad part was the fuel supply tube,& that was totally blocked,took me ages to get all the gunge out,then it went in the ultrasonic cleaner,replacement carb back on the bike & all good,thanks for the videos,all great stuff,top job mate
Love your channel, only discovered it recently and so grateful for the output.
2 small gripes
Stop apologising for waffling, it's what I want to hear .
Also,you can't lecture us about carb cleaning when you won't reveal your secret formula.
You could start selling it
Two very fair points! With regards to the carb cleaner I use. As I've mentioned, I have it made for me. The legal implications of selling an untested chemical to the public would be terrifying! No amount of money would be worth the risk. It would only take one person deciding to sue me, and that would be the end of my entire business.
@SuperbikeSurgeryTV
Fully understand that Jim.
Keep the videos coming.
I feel a sinead o connor moment coming, in the field of motorcycle maintenance, repair, diagnostics......nothing compares to u..😄
@toolzandnewideas Not controlled chemicals in their own right. The guy who is making it has been an industrial chemist for almost 40 years, and understands risks involved and recommends appropriate PPE to use etc. Getting any chemicals approved for sale is a very expensive and long winded process so it can't be sold to the public. There is nothing in the law (I've checked) that prohibits me using it privately, so long as the public aren't exposed.
@@SuperbikeSurgeryTV
Love your content Jim, I literally stop what I'm doing and watch when you post a video. Keep it up 😊
I think the internals are too complex for an ultrasonic cleaner. I think mine is starting to wear out, but I find it quite directional as well.
Now let's not talk about the acetone covered cloth I left on top of some indicators 😖
Best plastic welding I have ever done 😂
Thanks Jim such great info, tried sorting my carbs couple of times and still not right, didn’t know about those holes 🙄 but almost certainly that’s what it is as exactly how you describe, guess they are coming off again 🤣
I'm glad the information was useful, that's why I do it. We are all here for the love of motorbikes!
@toolzandnewideas Because it took a lot of time experimenting and money to develop. I'm running a business, not a charity! It constantly amazing to me that people expect everything for free. I'm already giving away all my hard earned knowledge willingly. Apparently that's not enough, and I have to give up the few trade secrets I have left 😂. Thanks for your comments. I think! 🤔
It's all a lack of verification. I'm guilty of having trusted an Ultrasonic bath but I always check passages with an airline or air canister afterwards and yes have found blockages.
The biggest mistake is the marketing illusion of shortcuts and saving time, etc...
Bearded mechanic is entertaining education for me.
Your channel for me is something I sit down and watch properly with no distractions because there will be a wealth of information on each video.
Ultrasonic cleaning for me is a tool is maybe make a start on something but manual cleaning is the gold standard.
Thanks for the comment 👍
You're exactly like me, I don't watch too many electronics repair channels either because I also just get annoyed. There is so much nonsense out there and just a little really good stuff. This channel is a good'un!
Excellent channel ! An absolute treasure trove of information ! Thank you !
Lost count of how many carbs I’ve stripped and cleaned over the years (mostly cars I admit) … never used an ultra sonic cleaner … Jim you are on the money yet again . 👍
Cheers your a star. I purchased an ultrasonic cleaner due to woolly transition from idle to main jets (just like you described). Its a ZX9R B1 with just 24k on the clock and has been sat in the garage too long. The ultrasonic helped but its still not right. I will get the carbs off the bike again and clean those little holes. Thanks again.
I don't have any interest in bikes as such..... nor do I work on engines or vehicles of any type..... I almost never comment on video's either.
My youtube subscriptions cover a broad church of interests. But most of the channels I subscribe to have one thing in common, the passion of the "youtuber" shines through.
Your passion for bikes and doing it "right" is dazzling. I subscribed because of your passion and presenting style a few weeks ago
Vacuum balancing isn't the be-all-of-end-all either. If the throttle plates are even a tiny bit out of shape, or the compression from cylinder to cylinder isn't close enough, vacuum balancing won't give you good results. I always start with that but then further tune the sync just by running the bike at a fast idle and one at a time killing each cylinder in turn and noting how far the idle drops for each. And finally I'll go back and forth between syncing and adjusting idle mixtures. I this way I can get a carbureted bike idling better than those that are fuel injected.
great video lad not waffling at all keep up the great work
My bike was off the road for seven years, five of which were under a cover outside so it needed a lot of work to recommission it. I was told that the carbs were ultrasonically cleaned set up and balanced, I don't know if any further cleaning was done but I have had zero issues in over three years, maybe I just got lucky.
Learned the hard way to soak in (rubber/plastic safe) carb cleaner, spray all passages with aerosol carb cleaner after disassembly, blow through with compressed air and then use ultrasonic tank. Oh yeah, replace any questionable rubber bits. Eventually got the Honda Gl 1000 carbs right. Whew. Am enjoying your videos!
Thanks Jim your brilliant mate keep what your doing love watching your videos 😁👌
What is the best chemical cleaner for Carbs?
I take them to bits, that means splitting the rack completely. Ultrasonic each one then verify passages each body with brake clean or carb clean, compressed air, put a check mark and do the next and next. On multi carb racks I have aluminum tags with numbers I mechanic wire to the carbs. Then reassemble the rack with new fuel joint o-rings and other new bits. Carbs are a precision fuel metering instrument and I treat them as such. I also make new fuel joints and tees out of aluminum and often replace plastic junk. Cheers.
Love this channel
Because he talks a lot of sense
Good video, with pertinent information. I have seen " The Bearded Mechanic" and he is a good mechanic, especially compared to the average guy walking down the street. But, one important point should be made : Most channels with people working on their bikes, are NOT in your league of expertise , period, end of story.
Hey Jim. You've just described my scenario almost down to a T.
I stripped and cleaned my carbs from my ZX7R P6, ultrasonic cleaned the bodies etc.... But I did (think I'd) clean the jets and squitered carb cleaner through the arteries of the carb bodies but when I put them all back together, balanced them as best as I could given the scenario, I still have a miss fire from idle upto 4-5000rpm, same as previous. If I put the choke on so far, it runs like a dream. Do I need to recheck my pilot circuit? Cheers Jim. Great videos 👍
100%, it definitely sounds like something is going on with the idle circuit. That's for the comment, and good luck 🙏👍
@@SuperbikeSurgeryTV thanks for the reply Jim. I'll get them removed and have another bash at them 👍
Thank you. I've got a gs450 to strip down, I've not got an ultrasonic cleaner - won't get one now, I'll do it the traditional way.
I have actually been thinking of this recently given the volume of videos using ultrasonic baths and calling it done. Like you say, it might work for some but for the majority it needs proper chemical as well as physical cleaning. Great video, important point.
Wish I would have watched this before I cleaned mine I missed the air holes but thank you for this vid
Chemical and prodding the holes is a must then chemical bath is how I clean carbs
I've never used an ultrasonic cleaner, but what you described sounds very similar to the problem you get when you make moulds. There are places where you have air holes and you really need to get rid of them. The technique used is to put the liquid under pressure which forces the air out. Maybe that should be the next step with ultrasonic cleaners, put them under pressure so the air gets pulled out and the liquid can flow?
They are great at cleaning carbs. But they don't manage to get packed passages clear. Not always anyway. Ive put 12 carbs through with mixed results.
Good info. Thanks mate.
Very useful information, thankyou
New Sub here (because your videos and 'waffles' are full of great info)👍
And, my comments below are only meant to hopefully *help your viewers*
(I only work on friend's bikes and I only tune EFI [including Holley, MaxECU and Fuel Tech])...
BEFORE cleaning carbs, the first thing I do (after removing and inspecting the bowls, jets, and other parts) is blow air (with a rubber tip that seals in the jet tube castings) to 1: See (hear) if anything sounds restricted or is completely blocked and
2: Hear if the same orifice "sounds/flows" the same on every carb (because that's a good indication of if and where your problem is).
Next,
I figured out decades ago to taper the end of a small vacuum hose so it makes a good seal when pushed into the orifices (like the main and idle jet tube castings),
then attach that hose to the little Carb Spray tube (usually by putting shrink tubing over the spray tube) so the hose fits/seals tight and then basically do the same tests to SEE how each orifice flows (adding that), when testing the Main Jet orifices you need to hold your finger over the emulsion tube hole inside the intake bore (to see if the air jet passages at the rear of carbs are restricted or blocked) and then do the same thing with the Idle passages (holding your finger over the idle richness adjuster hole) and watch to see if all of the idle and bi-pass holes (tiny holes that the butterflies pass over when opened) all flow properly (and the same on all carbs).
My opinion on ultra sonic cleaners is, I've never seen anything (available to average consumer) that cleans brass parts better BUT, in the worst cases I've had to "manually clean" jets that are completely blocked (with small steel wires that I pull out of wire brushes). I have also used jet drills but I don't recommend it unless your VERY careful to not the damage or enlarge the holes = use bits that you *KNOW* are smaller than the jet-holes and NEVER spin them with any tools...
No waffling mate, well put. Cheers
I had a problem once with a triumph sprint 900. It had sat for a while before I got it. I couldn't get it running properly. One garage said that the carbs need to be ultrasonically cleaned. I have them the carbs. When I got them back, I guess them & still didn't sound right. I got frustrated searching for the problem. Took it to another place & then found out that the carbs had been assembled incorrectly. The number 2 carb was in the number 1 position. So the jets were wrong😏
They also messed up the valve adjustment. They had to remove the cams to do the adjustment & when I got the bike back, the timing was off by one tooth🤬
Brilliant. Thank You, love your presentation style and passion. As always learnt loads😀👍
It makes perfect sense the carb journals will air lock you live and your learn cheers mate
I’ve cleaned a lot of carbs with an ultrasonic and simple green. Everything from decades old corroded vehicle carbs to varnished up and corroded motorcycle carbs. NEVER had an issue. But I’ve yet to see a completely blocked port either. I always remove everything that will come off and when it comes out blow out all the ports and channels with compressed air with spray carb cleaner used mostly as a drying agent and to visually verify the ports flow properly when blowing the air through.
I can watch your waffling for hours Jim no problem.
I had a carb problem on my Honda CB450 K5, left cylinder worked fine, right cylinder was a bitch. the engine ran rich and I couldn't get it leaner. Both carbs cleaned and set up the same but difficult to start when cold, after that starting and running no problems all day but still running rich. Anyway the bike was recently sold but I would love to know what the problem was, didn't know about Superbike Surgery last summer's riding season when I'd run out of ideas and just put up with it.
I watch that channel also, and totally agree with you.
Why wouldn't you want to remove the mixture screw, clean it 100 % as you should then balance carbs, why cut corners.
Sorry don't comment much, but feel the need on this one. Great video
Love it Jim, this should be a segment on a Friday "it's really getting on my tits" as always great advice bloody great channel long may it last , have a good weekend 🍻 don't forget to use the ultrasonic "carb cleaner"😂😂
Great tip that Jim.
I have the same problem, having a larger tank can help reduce it by being able to rotate the carbs until the bubbles stop
So what will dissolve the blockage..? What product… trade secret i guess but some chemist should know
Until I’m told otherwise there’s RUclips and all its pitfalls.Snake oil Salesman saying this works , buy this 💰.
I would like to know which product is good for chemical cleaning too and I'm not a big fan of "trade secrets", for the following reasons:
1) what does a trade secret mean? If only a few people know it, then they get the all the job and get paid, while the rest mechanics lose clients? I doubt that. Occasionally, the second class gets paid more in the long run. In many cases, they luckily succeed in having results on a bike.
It is in the details, that the first mechanics win over the second mechanics and customers most of the times don't notice or don't care for those details.
2) I always thought that knowledgea should be a shared thing among us. That's how we all came that far, someone else shared his knowledge with us, so that we can stand here and talk about trade secrets. No one was born with a set of knowledge about anything.
3) I know that some people are ungrateful and will never appreciate your help, but many others will appreciate your help. I always remember those who helped me and this is how I like to be remembered.
I don't want to sound offensive here, just expressing my opinion.
I spent hours and hours cleaning out idle jets in 3 Amal carbs on my old T160 with various chemicals. It was a real pain, but when they finally came clean, what a difference! I would still use this method today…
Always great content and extremely useful and valuable information !!
Thank you kindly
It's like spraying your van with some magic potion and then using the Gerni to wash it off ,or get a broom or brush, a bucket of warm soapy water and scrub the van ,then rinse off with the Gerni if you want, I know which removes dirt better. Sometimes all the best Carb cleaners won't shift it, so out come the number drills, or something fine and stiff and a bit of air pressure. Anyway thanks for the good videos mate Cheers
Thank You for taking the time to share information and Your knowledge!
I really appreciate it and have learned a lot from Your videos. The spray copper grease for brakes will be with me forever.
I don't really like carbs, as I don't fully understand them. I understand the basic theory, but as I haven't worked on many, they are a bit mysterous to me. Also - where do You get parts to rebuild them? My CBR1000F would need a going over, but I'm sure I would need new seals. Can You recommend a high-quality brand?
I am really afraid of poor quality aftermarket parts.
As you've just mentioned, poor quality aftermarket parts are everywhere. Whenever possible, and if funds allow, use genuine parts. Obviously, it's not always possible. A good sorce fir aftermarket stuff is nrp-carbs.co.uk/
Thanks for the comment 👍
What he did to that CX was atrocious. He's as rough as guts. BUT, he does get bikes running and does have some good advice.
The Mikuni BS36 carbs are so sensitive to clean idle circuits. I found a set with 3 of the 4 bodies were cracked. Epoxied the housings and the problem disappeared. Ultrasonic will never fix that.
its the balancing the carbs at 3000 rpms that gets me lol , overheating the bike exploding cooling pipes .
😂😂 Completely agree. He really did have a Delboy moment!
Brilliant! It seems the facts are still the facts.
I watched the same video and thought there's no way those are properly clean.
Those transition holes are a real pain to get at, I've found a bristle pulled from a nylon brush usually works if you can get it in there.
I got offered a carb cleaning service, when I explained I didn't have the equipment to re balance the carbs after fitting them, they tried to assure me that because they werent going to take them off the bar they wouldn't need to be re balanced, I just walked away quickly.
i would gladly pay someone to service and repair any carbs i had replacing anything they needed to get a set of carbs that i could rely on being as good as new, for piece of mind that they were not the problem. i have cleaned, repaired carbs sometimes with good sometimes bad results but never sure i have gotten it right
That had more than a touch of "I'm not angry, just disappointed".
I wish Dan would wind his neck in a bit, Craig is quite entertaining, though.
Having watched this though, I have been guilty of thinking my ultrasonic cleaner fixes everything.
Comment for the algorithm.
Thanks Jim...
In my search for an effective carburetor cleaner now that the EPA over here has hobbled us, I ran across all of this business about ultrasonic tanks and was about to go to Harbor Freight to pick one up when the exact point you made in your video came to my mind. How, indeed, does the cleaning fluid not get air locked in the passages? Fortunately, I stumbled on to your channel, and even before this video, I realized that ultrasonic wasn't going to do the job. You have mentioned in a couple of your videos that you have a "secret sauce" that you have mixed for you to clean these passages. My question is: what are my chances of getting my carb passages clean without the "secret sauce"? I have just orded a quart of MEK from Amazon which I am sure I can put into a glass jar to soak mixture needles, jets, etc. in, but I have no hope that the MEK won't evaporate before disolving varnish in the carburetor passages. I am considering mixing the MEK with transmission fluid to retard the evaporation rate, but not sure if it will retard the strength of the MEK and at $30 a quart, experiments can get expensive quickly. Guidance would be appreciated. I am a subscriber and have also become a Patreon Superbike Surgery TV member. Thanks, Herbert
Got set of old blocked pilot jets not used i bought new ones,thinking ive got access to some industrial anti scale was thinking of soaking them an leaving them as an experiment. 😊😊
Great video and information but you should seriously consider doing a step by step carb clean using the ultrasonic cleaner. You have no idea how many people you would help. By the way I'm convinced that you are my go to guy if ever anything goes wrong with my bandit 1200.
Makes perfect sense to me.
I believe this ultrasonic myth was started many years ago by contributors to the classic bike mags. They all raved about the wonderful job an ultrasonic clean had done. They were believable because of the standard of restored machines they produced. Whether they actually ran properly is not clear.
On a personal front, I glad you have started ranting about this because a set of my carbs could do with a bit of fettling, so you have saved me from sourcing a Place to send them to be cleaned. Keep up the waffle!👍
Nice one, cheers.
Brilliant info.. thank you. One question please, is that the same info regarding throttlebodies (r1200gs) tia
Makes perfect sense.
Very useful!
Great that we have been re -educated but Hilarious to see many comments inferring prior knowledge re turning carbs and the real probability of solutions not able to perform for the reason Jim suggests.Ultrasonics are used in Hospitals and it’s essential that the advice given is followed.
Finally it's so nice to see someone saying about ultrasonic cleaners,I'm the same as you I've done bikes for over 25 years same as you i tend to do a couple of sets a week,I did a review on a sonic cleaner last year for classic racer mag and said the same in the review the carbs look pretty but as you said they are not clean where it's needed and I ain't got hours to boil them and then clean them anyway I have and will always do them by hand it's as bad as people saying triumphs are manufactured in UK,ha,they are assembled here,manufactured in Indonesia,they don't believe me,anyway waffling,thanks for Ur vid and all your vids i feel ur pain somedays cheers
hahaa 35? years as a motorcycle engineer ... my daily driver is an old Royal Enfield this morning it decided not to start first kick Carb off airline carb on 5 min max Sorry but you can keep your high tech Ive yet to use a ultra sonic tank
i like when you thinking loud....carb fear!..
Great jim 100% correct 😊😊😊
Having cleaned multiple sets of carbs over the years using an ultrasonic tank, providing the carbs are completely stripped and the correct chemicals are used and the tank is heated then I seldom find an issue.
I use a syringe to ensure the fluid is in the galleries, and if the plug in the gallery ends need removing then that gets done, and new plugs installed.
I soak the jets etc in acetone for a couple of days prior to going in the tank and I use a wire basket for the smaller parts.
Afterwards the galleries are blown through with a solvent aerosol before blown through with an airline and then a dewatering agent and blown through again with air.
Often the carbs will require multiple sessions in the tank especially if they have been sat for years with fuel degrading
So far I have not been defeated by a set although occasionally a pilot jet has to be replaced on smaller four cylinder carbs.
However this all takes time and time costs and most people don't want to spend a couple of hundred quid on cleaning and new parts, the usual whinge is that they can get a set on ebay for a hundred quid.