How to Clean Motorcycle Carburetors
by stasterisk in Workshop > Motorcycles
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How to Clean Motorcycle Carburetors
This free motorcycle was sitting in David Durlach's garage for 20 years.
David eventually tired of it, and gave it to Prank, who cleaned out the brake lines and added a new battery. Then winter happened, and it sat in Deepest Darkest Somerville for a year, until prank graduated and moved to California, and I was given care of the motorcycle. I wheeled it back to MITERS to see if I could get it to work. A new battery, some carb cleaner, and a little bit of hope, and it started up! Yum, throaty rumble!
With visions of a cross-Cambridge joyride followed by summers of long-distance road trips, we took it to the road and kicked it into gear.
But, every time the gas was added from the gas tank, the 'cycle coughed up and died. Oh well.
I emailed the MIT Motorcycle and they said "clean the carbs". With a monkey wrench and a vague idea of what I was looking for, I did all of the following. Now they sparkle!
David eventually tired of it, and gave it to Prank, who cleaned out the brake lines and added a new battery. Then winter happened, and it sat in Deepest Darkest Somerville for a year, until prank graduated and moved to California, and I was given care of the motorcycle. I wheeled it back to MITERS to see if I could get it to work. A new battery, some carb cleaner, and a little bit of hope, and it started up! Yum, throaty rumble!
With visions of a cross-Cambridge joyride followed by summers of long-distance road trips, we took it to the road and kicked it into gear.
But, every time the gas was added from the gas tank, the 'cycle coughed up and died. Oh well.
I emailed the MIT Motorcycle and they said "clean the carbs". With a monkey wrench and a vague idea of what I was looking for, I did all of the following. Now they sparkle!
Get the Float Bowl
There are some haaard to reach screws in there, man.
Get them all out, until the float bowl is in your hands.
Get them all out, until the float bowl is in your hands.
Scrub
I noticed all this brown gunk in the bottom of the float bowl. How to get it out?
I grabbed a tuft of some really fine steel wool, and used a cheap pen to rub it into the areas to small for my fingers.
When it looked shiny, I sprayed in some carburetor cleaner I picked up at the gas station across the street.
I grabbed a tuft of some really fine steel wool, and used a cheap pen to rub it into the areas to small for my fingers.
When it looked shiny, I sprayed in some carburetor cleaner I picked up at the gas station across the street.
That's It!
Screw the float bowl back on, and you're done!
Vroom vroom, enjoy!
Vroom vroom, enjoy!