Restoring Carbs

Buckaroo · Posted: Wed Dec 26, 2007 4:39 pm Post subject: Restoring Carbs

I am cleaning up a 1968 Honda CL350 I want to clean up the bike as much as possible. I do not intend to every show the bike so I am not worring about losing points in judging. But while I am cleaning up the bike I do want to do it right.

My first step is to clean the carbs inside and out. From a vintage point of view what is considered legal to do to the outside of the carbs. I know sand blast is a no no, can you use a steel or brass brush ? How do you make them as beautiful as possible again ?

Thanks

BlueThunder · Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2008 5:28 pm Post subject:

Boil the carbs in distilled water on an outdoor grill. Don't take them apart. The felt washers and o-rings are NLA from Honda and very difficult to come by. The boiling water will not ruin them whereas using carb cleaner or ultrasound cleaning in solvent will.

If you want to refinish the bodies, mask what you don't want, and spay paint aluminum or silver.

Steve_Zodiak · Posted: Sat Apr 19, 2008 11:14 am Post subject:

My experience is to take everything apart. Be very careful removing gaskets you can use them as patterns to cut new ones or if your lucky can use them again with a VERY thin, carefully applied sealer. Put all the metal parts in a can of Carb cleaner (the big can with a basket inside - careful though it's nasty stuff) and leave them in there for a day. Wash them off,blow compressed air through ALL the holes you see and make sure you can feel where the air comes out the other side - all the holes lead somewhere. I've never had trouble fiinding O rings etc, you have to look at other sources other than bike dealerships. I've tried boiling items with different soaps etc like I've read elsewhere and my stuff always ends up a dark gray colour and look bad - other people though have had success with it. If you don't know about the condition of the inside of the carbs you have to go through them - a blocked jet brings nothing but grief. Check the float heights when your in there. Check that the floats "float" too. You know they do when you have to weight them down in the carb cleaner! Check the little springy plunger on the end of the float plunger (I know- wrong terminology). Hope this helps or at least gives another idea on what you can do. I've done this with dozens of carbs and find it solves a lot of problems. The outside look like new when your done

gimgim · Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2008 8:33 pm Post subject:

> my stuff always ends up a dark gray colour and look bad

I had the same experience once. It was explained to me that the issue was the aluminum pot I've used (instead of a stainless steel one).
The remedy for the gray oxidation is sanding with baking soda so that you can wash the carbs and disolve the residual dust. Never tried it though.

KirkN · Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2008 6:54 am Post subject:

Instead of soaking them in carb cleaner, use a cleaning product available at Home Depot, WalMart etc called Simple Green.

I read this tip on another board, and have used it on half a dozen carbs since - WOW what a difference this makes! It is primarily a degreaser, but it made the carbs look absolutely OEM!! Even the goldish-colored (I forget what that treatment is called) bits like choke levers and choke plates came out looking like new!

I used it 100% straight-up and it didn't harm plastic or rubber O-rings. Soak it for 2 hours or so.

It doesn't do a great job on hardened varnish that you sometimes get in bowls and passages and jets, but man, what a treatment on the carb bodies!

Here's a shot of one carb from a '78 CB750K. Not bad internally, but greasy and aged on the outside. All four were pretty much the same, as was all the linkage.

And here's a look at the bank of completed carbs.

Good luck with it.

Kirk

DGFISCHER · Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2008 7:19 am Post subject:

I like my ultrasonic cleaner and it gets the carbs squeaky clean inside and out. The carbs also get their original irradesence (sp?) colors back (see pic). I havent had any problems with the ultrasonic damaging any rubber or felt seals (unless the rubber seals were falling apart to start with). Float needles can be damaged if not removed as they vibrate back and forth causing wear.
Its amazing what water with a little soap and sound waves can do.
DG

DGFISCHER · Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2008 7:27 am Post subject:

Kawasaki KZ 650 VM 22 carbs before

DGFISCHER · Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2008 7:28 am Post subject:

Another before pic

DGFISCHER · Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2008 7:29 am Post subject:

After ultrasonic cleaning

DGFISCHER · Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2008 7:30 am Post subject:

Another after pic

KirkN · Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2008 7:44 am Post subject:

Hey, DG,

Those pix really do tell a tale. Where did you get your ultrasonic cleaner? How much does something like this cost?

Thanks,

Kirk

nick52 · Posted: Sun Apr 27, 2008 2:25 pm Post subject:

Why not pull them apart and do a gaskets set?
Also Semichrome will polish them like new.
In the 70's and 80's we used it to make bikes
look new. Then again I worked in a shop and
we always kept them gleaming,LOL

BlueThunder · Posted: Sun Apr 27, 2008 4:33 pm Post subject:

nick52 · Posted: Sun Apr 27, 2008 8:53 pm Post subject:

What about these
http://tinyurl.com/3v43rc ??

BlueThunder · Posted: Wed Apr 30, 2008 7:50 pm Post subject:

Those are for rebuilding individual carbs. The o-rings and felt washers are between the carb banks. Those you cannot buy in aftermarket rebuild kits.