Carb Cleaning

Hi,
I have a 1978 KZ1000A2. The bike has been sitting for approximately 3 years. Last year I did put fuel stabalizer in before winter. I was going to take the bike out this year and it starts fine, but when I try to use the throttle at all or even get the bike to allow me to shut off the choke is next to impossible. I was speaking with one of the Kawasaki dealers and they said that it sounds like the carbs, jets, etc are gummed up from sitting. They said they can work on it for $100 per hour. I thought auto mechanics were insane. I picked up some sea foam and put it into the tank to try and clean the carbs out. But with just idling the bike to run the stuff through it is going to take a long time. How tough it is to remove the carbs and clean them out, and reinstall them, or do you have any other suggestions on how to clean them out?

Thanks.

Wamphyri86 wrote:

...How tough it is to remove the carbs and clean them out, and reinstall them, or do you have any other suggestions on how to clean them out?

Thanks.

I can't speak to how hard working on four carbs at a time is (since I have two), but I think that most people here would reccommend you learn by doing. I certainly say that, and I think if you take the time to do it (or at least try), you astound yourself at your own abilities, and you'll have a much better understanding of how these things work.
If you find that you don't want to do it then, you could then hire somebody to do it for you - either your dealer or other people who do it for a living... we have a couple members in this forum that do that...
Enjoy!!

Take the bank0carbs out, get a comfy chair. A table with good lighting. Assemble your tools operation room style. A manual or a WG or a KZR archive website printout on how to. Get a few Brewski's, kool-aids or Sasperelli's and most importantly a cute lil' helper to cheer you on or open the brewskis. Then start with one carb at a time. Oh yeah get rebuild kits...the cutie can hand you the tools (you might have to tell her their name up front and she'll want to use cutie words like li'l curved thingie and Philips rod w/handle thingie and thats ok). By the time you're working on #4 you've either had too many brewskies and you'll need a profesional to straighten them out or you could finish this one in the dark while computing the flight time of a English Sparrow crossing the English Channel on the 28th of May. Or maybe both you and the cutie have tossed it all and gone for a skinny dip! Point is it's not that hard, take your time and if you got questions ask'em! Just remember...We're all pulling for ya...we're all in this together and if the mrs. is watchin....it wasn't me with that cutie!

ambergrismooon wrote:

Take the bank0carbs out, get a comfy chair. A table with good lighting. Assemble your tools operation room style....


Just remember...

...We're all pulling for ya...

...we're all in this together and if the mrs. is watchin....it wasn't me with that cutie!

scale of 1-10 difficulty it is an 8

try to drain the bowls first maybe it will wake up

give the seafoam a chance. like the other guy said, drain the bowls too.ride it even tho its gagging, if u can. seafoam for several tanks, and drain the bowls after each tank. i road 2k to get my zl really pulling again. the improvement takes time. imho a bike runs best when u ride it regularly, like almost daily. and the really howl when u run them near WFO all day