Danger's Ongoing Carb Thread

I've had so many issues with the carbs now, I'm just going to create this one thread instead of posting a million of them every time I have an issue.

Here's the skinny.

I first removed my carbs from my kz440-a2, which had been sitting for 18 years. (Since mid to late 95)After cleaning thoroughly, and rebuilding with carb kits, (new needles, o-rings, etc) I put them back on the bike and got it to run for 30 or-so minutes.There were some small issues with the rpms refusing to lower after reving, but nothing too dramatic. A bit of an overflow issue was rectified with advice from Ed, and the next day, I went to start it. Under half choke, it started ajd reved to about 5k. I let it run for about 5 minutes or so, and took the choke off. That's when it bogged, died, and refused to start again.In my excited haste, I had forgotten to install an inline fuel filter, and noticed massive asstons of junk in my float bowls and determined that the jets must have been clogged again. Also, after inspection and draining, I found rust in my gas. I just recleaned the carbs yesterday, and am planning on putting them back on the bike (with a fuel filter) very soon.

I will keep posted on the matter.

As always, thank you for any and all advice in advance!!!

Rust in your gas? I would fix that first. A filter is of course a remedy, but eventually it will be like trying to drink rocky road ice cream through a straw. The peacock is a great place for rust and dirt to hide too, recommend a rebuild while you're addressing the tank.

Alan

+1

You need to get the tank cleaned up first, then rebuild the petcock (since it's letting all that rust through, the filter on the petcock is probably shot).

There are lots of ways to clean a tank, including vinegar, CLR, and Oxalic Acid. I'm a fan of a handful of drywall screws, shaken vigorously for a couple of minutes, followed by the acidic agent of your choice. I'm agnostic on which you use, but one of these for 24 hours will usually do the trick (after you knock the 'chunky' rust loose with the screws). When you are done, you can go straight to gas, or use one of the many tank lining systems. My favorite is Caswell Plating's system. It will even fix pin holes (like the ones you are likely to create by doing something crazy like filling your tank with drywall screws )

Once the tank is clean, just keep following gravity until you get done cleaning the overflow tubes.

Thanks for the advice, guys!

The only thing preventing me from attempting a self clean on the tank, is the overwhelming amount of overapray on the inside. Seems whoever painted this thing didn't wanna cover the top cap. I haven't even looked at the petcock.

How much (round-about) do professional cleanings and sealings run?

Is preservation of the existing paint finish on the tank exterior a consideration?
If not, many radiator shops offer a boil-out acid clean and internal seal, after which the tank will need to be re-painted.

Where preserving the existing finish is desired, there are several methods to clean the interior without damaging the exterior finish.

Good Fortune!

Yes, sir, it is. The tank and battery covers were painted a custom pearl white by the PO's brother... Who passed about 10 years ago...

As a side note. I checked the spark plugs, and they were just a little bit white. I have the idol mix screws turned out 2-1/4 turs, as stated in my manuel. Should I turn them out just a smidge more? It isn't very much build-up at all, considering I had it running for half an hour...

I also neglected to mention that I've been doing all of this without the filter and housing. (Didn't have one)

Clean the gas tank and re-clean your carbs they are still clogged.

The carbs are cleaned and assembled. My float bowl o-rings needed a trip to the freezer after heating up and stretching, but gave me little problems. I still need to clean the tank and aquire sealant for it.

My question now, is this; With no air filter or houaing, the bike (with stock jets amd needles) is running just very slightly lean. Woupd throwing pods on the carbs richen it up at all? It's gotta be better than nothing, I assume.

Yes, properly oiled and cleaned pods will increase the vacuum in the throat of the carb, bringing mixture marginally richer.

Thank you sir!

Any suggested brands? Ed says that emego pods block the intake to the diaphragms...

If you're going to go with pods, K&N would be where I'd start. There are other filters that looks the same, but don't get as close to the original airbox as the K&Ns do. Note that if you change to a high-performance exhaust and pods, you WILL need to rejet your carbs. If you just change one or the other, you probably won't, but keep in mind that the carbs for these bike are particular.