What is Basic Carb maintenance?

[tussey]

My bike is having some real trouble running, constantly have to adjust idel screw, choke, and it stalls out at stop lights so tomorrow I'm gonna take my bike apart and try to clean out the carbs and the air filter. I'm a brand new newbie so any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

[makenzie71]

First sync them and see if it helps.  Asside that, just clean them up really well.

[tussey]

Is that pretty easy to do?

[makenzie71]

Not super easy, no.  Get a service manual and it's much easier.  There's several threads floating around about carb syncing and cleaning.

[average]

Please......get a manual before messing with the carbs. Wish i had

[GeeP]

With a minor exception or two it only goes together one way...   

Buy the Clymer's manual and follow the directions.  Replace all the o-rings, closely inspect the diaphragms for tears, check the float height, clean thoroughly with carb cleaner.  Wear safety glasses while you stick the straw down every passage and blast out the crud.  Pipe cleaners come in handy for removing built up goo.

About the only difficult part is removing the main jet emulsion tube.  I prefer to unscrew the main jet and tap on it, others have made special tools to extract it.  Either way works.

[tussey]

Please......get a manual before messing with the carbs. Wish i had

I have a Haynes Manaual. It mentions alot of pieces that need to be replaced upon taking it apart. Where can I purchase those o-rings and what not?

[Mandres]

www.partsnmore.com .  The rebuild kits are $12 ea. (you'll need two).  They also have a minimum order so you'll have to add some oil filters or tools to meet it. 

You might not need even need the kit depending on the age/condition of the o-rings and float valve.  You will almost definitely need a Haynes or Clymer manuel to follow your first time.  I've taken the damn things apart so many times now I could do it in my sleep.

-M

[mjm]

As several people here can testify your symptoms are not always the carbs.

They can be caused by valves badly out of adjustment.  When were the valves adjusted?

Floats out of adjustment can also cause your problem - but the only way floats get messed in a short time up is either by sinking (a hole in the flot results in being too rich) or by people messing with the adjustment.

Another point - is the bike new?  When my GS was new the RPM at idle varied dramatically from cold to warm to hot. Problems included the stalling you are experiencing.  I learned to leave "some" choke on for the first several minutes of a ride and to not count on the RPM at idle stabilizing until about 15 minutes into a ride.

Then I put in a one size larger pilot (20 for 2001 and later, 40 for earlier) and the problem went away. 

Subsequent efforts included a larger mid-main and main jet with stock filter- I think I went up one size for that, a K&N replacing the airbox and  137.5 main jets on my 2001, followed by a slip-on and I ended up at a 147.5 mains, one size up on mid-mains and one on pilot jet.  If you are going to take your carbs apart anyway about twenty dollars at your dealer should get you the parts.  If you know someone at the dealership, they generally have a box of jets sitting around from the bikes they have re-jetted and may be able to cut you a deal if you ask nice.