Help with carbs

[H.B.]

I am in the Little Rock-Bryant, Arkansas area and need some help with my carbs. Due to some recent health issues I have not been able to ride this year and now the carbs are clogged. My local dealer, who I used to work for years and years ago, said they do not work on the first Valks due to lack of parts now. I am somewhat mechanically minded but would welcome some guidance if there is anyone in this area. Thanks in advance. H.B. Moran

[Dale_K]

I'm not too far away from you in Hot Springs Village but I've never done any carb work on my current or past Valkyries.  Send me a PM if you want to talk about it.

[9Ball]

There are no lack of parts to rebuild the carbs, or anything else mechanical for our Valkyries.  Bodywork, bling, and maybe final drives are not readily available, but the excuse about parts is BS.  Any dealer that can’t do basic work on our bikes isn’t worth a damn...besides they would probably want a kidney for payment.

There are enough YouTube videos available to do most any maintenance.  Carburetor rebuild kits are available from redeyetech on eBay and also All Balls Racing.

If you’re going to do the work or have someone help you be sure to order all the parts, including hoses, tubing, and o rings.  Replace the float valves and jets...don’t waste time trying to clean the jets as many times it results in pulling the carbs again if they aren’t perfectly clean and undamaged.

There is plenty of help here and if you need info feel free to pm me...I’ve done quite a few of these rebuilds...did mine again this summer.

[gordonv]

Does the bike start and run, no matter how badly? If so, try the following.

Replace the old fuel with 1-2 gal fresh clean Chevron w/ Techron. Add 1/4 - 1/2 can of Berrymans B12 fuel/carb additive, available at US Walmarts for less than $4. Run the bike for maybe 15 min. Let sit, 8 - 24 hrs. Again.

Is the bike driveable/insured? Variable RPMs are best, 1500 - 3000. 1500 for the idle, 3000 for the main jets. 1/2 hr driving is fine, letting it sit overnight to soak. Repeat. It's not the fastest way, but it is the easiest way, driving.

I always recommend the above as the 1st thing you do with any carb/fuel issue. It will either make improvements or not. If it improves, repeat, try different carb fuel cleaners with each fresh tank of fuel, Techron, even Seafoam (my last choice). If it doesn't improve, there is another method, where you spray the cleaner directly into the carb bowl so it can work there, search should find it.

[Willow]

If you can wait, check with Attic Rat.  He may let you ship him the carbs so he can work them and ship them back.

[luna negra]

There are no lack of parts to rebuild the carbs, or anything else mechanical for our Valkyries.  Bodywork, bling, and maybe final drives are not readily available, but the excuse about parts is BS.  Any dealer that can’t do basic work on our bikes isn’t worth a damn...besides they would probably want a kidney for payment.

There are enough YouTube videos available to do most any maintenance.  Carburetor rebuild kits are available from redeyetech on eBay and also All Balls Racing.

If you’re going to do the work or have someone help you be sure to order all the parts, including hoses, tubing, and o rings.  Replace the float valves and jets...don’t waste time trying to clean the jets as many times it results in pulling the carbs again if they aren’t perfectly clean and undamaged.

Amen on these 3 points but especially the last one.  Buy all new parts, including all hoses even though they may look good.  Don't cheap out like I tried to do by cleaning everything and skipping other things.  Have done this four times in a row now and had to chase down different issues that could have been fixed the first time had I slowed down and done it right.  It's not a hard job, just a bit tedious at times.  Take your time, be methodical, but walk away if you start cussing.

I'm a newbie here but folks here are incredibly knowledgeable and willing to help if you ask.  My $0.02, Jon

[MnM Valk 97]

D Ray Smith has a great series on YouTube.

[indybobm]

D-Rays Video link

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDLTpQCTBsc&feature=relmfu

5 Part video on cleaning the carbs.

[H.B.]

Thanks for the replies and the good info. It does run but starts seriously bogging down when I try to accelerate so cannot even get it out of my neighborhood which leads me to believe one of more of the carbs are gummed up from sitting even though I use a fuel stabilizer when I know I'm not going to ride it for awhile. I have a friend who is the service manager of the local Honda shop who has also given me some good advice. So I will be going forward with his suggestions as well as what you have provided. Thanks again. H.B.

[Ricky-D]

You'll get a lot of bad advice on here and what I will tell you is to leave the carbs alone until you have exhausted everything you can do short of removing the carburetors.

Use the strongest doses of additive of the most powerful one's available.

Once you've got it thoroughly mixed in the tank, then drain the existing (remaining) gas from each carburetor fuel bowl and let each bowl sit with the fresh mixture for a while, like a week or so.

That will help and if it didn't, do it again with another brand. Pour the gas in you tank into your car and then start over.

If it ran good some time ago, there is absolutely no reason to expect differently after treatment, so persist until it does. Leave the carburetors alone.

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[H.B.]

Ricky-D I am definitely in step with your advice of trying everything first before even considering taking the carbs off. I don't want to do anything to it I don't have to. I have gone through this a time or two while living in the KC, Mo. area since owning the bike but it's never been this bad before. It would clear up after running it with Sea Foam in it but I will try the Chevron Techron fuel cleaner next after doing some research. My service manager buddy suggested using it and putting it full strength into the bowls via the individual fuel lines to let it soak the jets which means I get to take the tank off. Yay!  Thanks again. I've been a member of this board for awhile but have just lurked in the background gathering knowledge over the years. H.B.

[Forge]

H.B.
I used to live in Bryant for about a year with my wife. It was my first experience with tornado alarms. It's beautiful there. I was bikeless the, or I would have loved to ride up Northwest. I miss Bryant, except for when the Pine trees pollinated. I remember the thick, green, hazy air. I don't miss that part. Nor do I miss living so close to the Mother in Law in Sherwood...

I went through this with my carbs. I tried heavy additives and even pulled the carbs three times. The first two times, I blew canned Berryman's  through all of the openings. My jets themselves were never plugged. My problem was in the tiny internal pilot passages. After pulling, blowing them with Carb cleaner and compressed air the first couple of times, thinking that I got them clear, the carbs still weren't right. I even synced them, which they weren't off at all.

The third time, I used a harbor freight ultrasonic cleaner and then blew through the passages multiple times with carb cleaner followed by compressed air. I didn't stop until I saw cleaner spraying, not dribbling, into the carb throats. They work great now and the bike is smoother than I have ever had her.

Agreed, try the heavy doses of cleaners. If they don't work, then at least you exhausted that route. I hope all works out for you. Good luck.

[Willow]

Bogs when you try to accelerate?  It's a long shot but be sure something didn't nest up at the airbox to cut down the air supply.

[Ricky-D]

H.B.
I used to live in Bryant for about a year with my wife. It was my first experience with tornado alarms. It's beautiful there. I was bikeless the, or I would have loved to ride up Northwest. I miss Bryant, except for when the Pine trees pollinated. I remember the thick, green, hazy air. I don't miss that part. Nor do I miss living so close to the Mother in Law in Sherwood...

I went through this with my carbs. I tried heavy additives and even pulled the carbs three times. The first two times, I blew canned Berryman's  through all of the openings. My jets themselves were never plugged. My problem was in the tiny internal pilot passages. After pulling, blowing them with Carb cleaner and compressed air the first couple of times, thinking that I got them clear, the carbs still weren't right. I even synced them, which they weren't off at all.

The third time, I used a harbor freight ultrasonic cleaner and then blew through the passages multiple times with carb cleaner followed by compressed air. I didn't stop until I saw cleaner spraying, not dribbling, into the carb throats. They work great now and the bike is smoother than I have ever had her.

Agreed, try the heavy doses of cleaners. If they don't work, then at least you exhausted that route. I hope all works out for you. Good luck.

I realize that many riders blow out the jets in the carburetors without realizing that the process may just blow the crud into the gallery passages within the carburetor body itself. Doing this can really present a problem insurmountable with the only recourse being to remove the carburetors and detail disassemble each carburetor.

If you remove the intake riser you can observe the butterfly valve and the slide within the venturi area of the carburetor throat.

A good way to clean out the passages is to blow them out, I agree. But put the air at the right place. If you look at the bottom of the carburetor throat and you will see several small holes. These are the places you want to blow with the air.

So what to do? Remove the idle jet, the slow jet or what ever you want to call it. Remove it first.

Then modify the air spray tube by bending it at the end to have a right angle turn down. This little modification will allow you to blow air into each small aperture that's in the carburetor throat causing any crud to exit  from where you removed the idle jet.

Exactly what you want to do to clean out the gallery passages built within the carburetor.

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