Carb Cleaning

I have a '79 KZ 650 C that I want to clean the carbs on. I haven't really used it in about 3 years and it does run but the last time the carbs were off was in 1986. I bought a rebuild kit but am not going to disassemble the carbs from the mounting block so I want to clean them as a whole assembly. I also bought a wire kit made to clean the orifices and have compress air in the garage. My question is.......what would be the best cleaner to use and how would you do it? Can I just use an automotive cleaner? Any tips and suggestions are welcome.

Thanks, Scott

The way you want to clean the carburetors isn't particularly effective. I would avoid using the wire cleaners as they are serrated and using them to remove crud will have you removing jet material and enlarging the holes in your jets.

In any case, use spray carb cleaner wearing rubber gloves and eye protection. Spray it into all holes and make sure it comes out where it should. Even the strongest spray cleaner won't be effective if something is blocked. When done, blow the holes out with compressed air. I think Berryman's spray is about as strong as any.

It is more effective to totally disassemble and soak the carbs and then blow them out...

wiredgeorge..........yes, I agree with you completely that this is not the most effective way to clean the carbs but it runs pretty good with good gas so I am going to give it a shot.........I have new main and pilot jets which I am going to install anyway and they don't leak which are the main reasons I don't want to disassemble everything. If I have problems with the carbs and think they need a complete overhaul I would probably just send them to you to do..... I know you are an expert in this area and it would be worth it to me to have them done by someone that really knows what they are doing. I appreciate your response and suggestion for a cleaner.

Thanks, Scott

Scott, If your carbs are running decently, then spraying the holes with carb cleaner won't hurt a bit... Most of the time, when I get carburetors in that are sick, the passageways are clogged with dried gas or the white powder of death (gas/water corrosion). This stuff MUST be soaked out / blown out plus I have come up with special tools for roto-rooting the passageways. If the carbs are basically clear, this probably won't be necessary. Again, keep those wires out of the jets. They will QUICKLY enlarge the jets because of the serrations on the sides of the wires.

Wiredgeorge.

I wonder about my carbs ..They were soaked and cleaned during my bikes "purchase tune-up". But after sitting a couple of days it takes an effort to start the bike which then warms it's self up to accept all the gas you can give it (hopefuly this sounds familiar and ai am not highjacking the thread).. What a bout a quarter bottle of Carb/Fuel Injector cleaner in the gas... Does it healp clean the veins, arteries, abd cappilariels? or am I making some chemical company:evil: with great advertising rich:huh:

I doubt the carb cleaner will work. If your bike is hard to start, the stuff that really needed attention when doing the cleaning was not cleaned as well as it should be... the choke system and pilot circuit. You can try pouring in some carb cleaner but be certain it will not cut oil as in the oil on the sides of your cylinder walls... Anything that will disolve dried gas or corrosion deposits will certainly disolve oil as well. Most additives, such as Sea Foam / Seabreeze which are fairly decent at removing CARBON deposits and are supposed to clean carburetors won't disolve dried gas or corrosion but the products are pretty safe as they are petroleum distillates and you don't even have to change oil after using them.

I know that my carbs were soaked and sprayed extensively, but propably not rotor-rootered....which seems like the solution to the bike sitting an extened period of time before rescue.