Differences in carb cleaners

[Longlivedixie]

You may have read where my carbs have gotten clogged up (to a degree). I am trying different tricks in hoping I can avoid a carb re-build.

First thing I done was try some strong does of different carb cleaners and just going on some rides. Did not work.

Next thing is I drained the carbs, and filled them up with the 'Mechanic in a Bottle' and let it sit a couple days. When I drained that stuff out of them I was very glad to smell a strong scent of old gas. That had to have been some gum and varnish that the treatment had melted.

Well........I just got her back together and she still has carb issues. The treatment/cleaner helped the carbs out some, but not all the way as needed.

Probably won't make any difference, but I am gonna take her on a ride with another strong dose of carb cleaner.

I don't mind going way up on the dosage with the oily type cleaners......like Lucas and Mechanic in a Bottle........and then letting it soak a while with that stuff.

I would like to try a strong dose of the chemical type cleaners though; like Berrymans, Sea Foam, or Techron.......but I am leery of those not being too healthy on the rubber diaphragm in the carbs when left to soak with it in the gas a day or two.

Do you think those cleaners could affect the diaphragms employing them in strong mixtures with gas??

Do you have a particular carb cleaner that came though for you on a tough job, or when other cleaners would not do the job??

I have already tried Berrymans, Lucus, and Mechanic in a Bottle.

Thanks for your input!

RON

[rug_burn]

Yes, I'm with you on the concern for the diaphragms- and they're not cheap...
In my case, I had to pull off the carb carrier with all carbs, and rebuild them.  The idle jets are what were clogged real bad in mine.  After trying Techron, Gumout, Lucas products and more for about a year, it still wasn't running good, although it seemed to get a little better each time, the more I rode it.   
Good luck-

[WintrSol]

SeaFoam is a mixture of a very light oil and an alcohol; I've never heard of it damaging any carb components, even the diaphragms. You can search for the MSDS for the others, if you know anything about chemistry. Techron is made for in-tank pumps and fuel injection, and may not damage the soft parts, but I'm not sure I'd put in more than the recommended dosage, just to make sure. I have run it when I ran out of SeaFoam, but it didn't sit long in the carbs.

[Longlivedixie]

Yes, I'm with you on the concern for the diaphragms- and they're not cheap...
In my case, I had to pull off the carb carrier with all carbs, and rebuild them.  The idle jets are what were clogged real bad in mine.  After trying Techron, Gumout, Lucas products and more for about a year, it still wasn't running good, although it seemed to get a little better each time, the more I rode it.   
Good luck-

Thanks for you help!

[Longlivedixie]

SeaFoam is a mixture of a very light oil and an alcohol; I've never heard of it damaging any carb components, even the diaphragms. You can search for the MSDS for the others, if you know anything about chemistry. Techron is made for in-tank pumps and fuel injection, and may not damage the soft parts, but I'm not sure I'd put in more than the recommended dosage, just to make sure. I have run it when I ran out of SeaFoam, but it didn't sit long in the carbs.

Oh OK. I am mistaken in thinking Sea Foam is a chemical astringent type then.

No, I unfortunately know very little of chemistry.

Yes, I would not hesitate to use any of them at the 'normal' dosage rate.......but being I want to triple or quadruple it, I may have some problems there in regards to the rubber parts.

Thanks!!

[Jess from VA]

Ron, what I used to do was heavily overdose a quarter tank, and then go out immediately and blow through all of it.  I don't think I hurt anything.  I used Seafoam, Techron and Berryman's; sometimes in combination.  I've also heard of guys using small amounts of fine oil or transmission fluid, though I never did.

I've never had carb troubles in either of my 20yo Valks, but that's from regular riding in winter (when I can), using Marine Stabil, non-corn gas, and full to top tanks when sitting. 

This is of necessity, since there's as much chance of me successfully removing, rebuilding, and reinstalling a bank of six carbs, as there is of me flying to the moon or growing hair on my head again.

[h13man]

1/2 can of Seafoam to 5 gal. of fresh fuel  3 mi. later the Dragon awoke.  that was 30,000 mi. ago and synched only once.

[Jims99]

The Berryman works best imo. It shouldn’t hurt the rubber at all. If you decide to pull carbs and want to soak them without taking everything apart, use the Yamaha brand cleaner. That’s the best I’ve found that doesn’t affect the rubber.

[Longlivedixie]

Ron, what I used to do was heavily overdose a quarter tank, and then go out immediately and blow through all of it.  I don't think I hurt anything.  I used Seafoam, Techron and Berryman's; sometimes in combination.  I've also heard of guys using small amounts of fine oil or transmission fluid, though I never did.

I've never had carb troubles in either of my 20yo Valks, but that's from regular riding in winter (when I can), using Marine Stabil, non-corn gas, and full to top tanks when sitting. 

This is of necessity, since there's as much chance of me successfully removing, rebuilding, and reinstalling a bank of six carbs, as there is of me flying to the moon or growing hair on my head again.

Thanks Jess. I had always managed all these years to keep my carbs clear while overseas, but somehow the last time they clogged up.

I tried something different last thing. I drained the tank, and put in one whole can Sea Foam and two cans of gasoline. Surprised me but it run. It ran smoky, but it ran.

I set up a big fan to cool the engine. I ran it at the low rpms where it burbles and flutters the most (using my throttle stop). I would occasionally raise it to higher RPMs, and let it settle back down to the lower RPMS (about 1200 to 1500 is the worse, with it still not hitting right until 4500 RPM). Goosing it very hard and it seemed to be fine. It is the steady state where it falls apart to a degree.

Well.......I ran it dry and it was still doing the same thing. So, I put in a whole can of Berrymans and only one can of gas. I started and ran fine, with less smoke. I done the same thing with that fuel combo.......let it run in the range where it is fluttering the most. I ran the tank dry again. STILL bad.

The bike pulls itself just fine on the road, except taking off the low RPMS have a very significant weakness and slight coughing. Gotta kinda race it on take off. Then it will get on down the road fluttering along a bit, according to the RPM's. Above 4500 RPM it takes off per normal. Full throttle it runs out very well.

It is just maddening. I am so disgusted I did not goof with it today.

Thanks for the advice!

[Longlivedixie]

1/2 can of Seafoam to 5 gal. of fresh fuel  3 mi. later the Dragon awoke.  that was 30,000 mi. ago and synched only once.

I sure wish that would fix my ol' girl.

[Longlivedixie]

The Berryman works best imo. It shouldn’t hurt the rubber at all. If you decide to pull carbs and want to soak them without taking everything apart, use the Yamaha brand cleaner. That’s the best I’ve found that doesn’t affect the rubber.

Thanks Jim. I will keep that in mind should I pull them. But, I would tear them way down if I did pull them.
I may had already done it if I had a place to do it. I just don't have a place to do the work and have all those parts spread out over a half acre.

I feel I could do it with the help from that guy in Arkansas that made the 6 or 8 part series on You Tube on how to do it.

Anybody wanna buy a red & black IS loaded with accessories but has carb issues?? Problem is, nobody would wanna give nothing like a fair price for it.

[Paladin528]

Get a can of this stuff.
I used 3 different sized hoses to adapt from the can to the fuel line.
Remove the nozzle from the can and attach a small line to the top of the can.  Then fit the small line into a larger line and then a larger one until it fits snugly into the fuel line from the tank to the carbs.

Drain the carb bowls.

Now depress the hose attached to the can and allow the cleaner to flow through the fule lines and into the carb bowls.  do it in short bursts as it foams up in the carb.  you will be at this for a while. 
eventually it will start flowing out the carb overflow tubes.   

you can stop now.

Let that sit for about 12 hours.  It shouldnt be harming anything but the gunk in your carbs.

Now the fun part......

Drain the carbs.  Careful because this stuff will eat the paint off your engine.

Make sure the carbs are well drained.  Reattach the fuel line to the tank.  Make sure you have fuel.

Now try and start the bike.  This will take some time and you may drain your battery so be prepared.

When it eventually starts running it will run like CRAP and smoke like a chimney.  This will take about 20 minutes to clear up.

Once it is running smooth again you are good to go.  the inside of your carbs should be clean enough to eat off of.

[Jersey]

Here's what  I do with great results.  Also, I ride everyday. The girl rarely has more than two days in row to rest.

- Seafoam with every fillup.
- Berryman's once a month.
- MMMO once a month.  (Magic marvel Mystery Oil)
The last two are offset 2 weeks.

Hope that helps.

[Ricky-D]

Well, here is my view on the subject, like it or leave it.

I think most all of the problem lies in the low speed galleries being clogged up with organic material.
That organic material being fungus and algae, because the ethanol enriched gasoline you use will support the organic crap growing inside your carburetors.

That being said, most all the petroleum based cleaners will not affect the organic material.
What does have an effect?

Soap and water.

Also those organic cleaners will clean the organic stuff out. Cleaners like "Purple Power" or "Citrus Magic", but you have to be careful because those cleaners, that have phosphoric acid in their contents, will definitely react with the metal the carburetors are made of if you let them soak in the liquid.

Note that blowing in the jet inlet usually has the result of clogging up the galleries.
So if you want to blow them out, you should get an "L" shaped blow wand that will blow into the apertures and blow the crud out of the low speed jet stem.

If you don't know where the apertures are located, just look inside the throat of the carburetor in the bottom area and you'll find 4 small holes  located near the butterfly and "farther in" the throat. That's them. They are the exit points for gasoline from the low speed jet and have everything to do with the idle and low throttle setting, running.

***

[98valk]

I use stabil and TC-W3 every tank. keeps everything clean and gives back some mpg.

http://www.ls1.com/forums/f48/been-testing-oil-91206/
 At the first of the year some of us "lubrication physcho's" (mainly from the aircraft industry) discussed the crap quality of gasoline and the absolute advantages of running a fuel additive with lubrication capabilities and I think the testing is now complete and the results are very good. Biggest problem we had was the proper amount but we are now satisfied this works very well and you will have a smoother running engine/more power/better MPG....so here it is.....
What we are trying to accomplish ( The deliverables)
We need to lubricate the fuel pump/seals/injectors.
We need to clean the fuel system and scavenge water that ethanol attracts.
We need a film of protection in our fuel system to stop corrosion.
We need a cleaner for our spark plugs/valves/combustion chambers.
We need to clean the ring packs
We need to leave a film on the cylinder walls to eliminate cold start metal wear.
This was my groups short list of deliverables. Of course we knew if we accomplished this list the car should A) Run Smoother B) Run more efficiently C) Parts will last longer i.e. fuel pumps/injectors etc. D) We should see more RWHP and MPG
We did it. For pennies.
2 Stroke oil. Not just any two stroke oil But we needed the detergents etc. and found the perfect oil/add packs/viscosity in a marine 2 stroke oil approved NMMA TC-W3 oil.

Use 1oz of the two stroke oil per 5 gallons of gas ( 1oz-5gallons/ 2ozs - 10 gallons etc. and that is the perfect ratio. Too much and it will make your engine run worse....too little and it wont do anything.....use the proper amount.....get a little bottle and keep it in your car.....We have seen a maximum of 5% better MPG down to a minimum of 2% better MPG. All of our test mules reported much smoother idles and cruising. No smoking or ill effects. No residue on plugs our pistons....actually the opposite....we saw "cleaning"

[Longlivedixie]

Get a can of this stuff.
I used 3 different sized hoses to adapt from the can to the fuel line.
Remove the nozzle from the can and attach a small line to the top of the can.  Then fit the small line into a larger line and then a larger one until it fits snugly into the fuel line from the tank to the carbs.

Drain the carb bowls.

Now depress the hose attached to the can and allow the cleaner to flow through the fule lines and into the carb bowls.  do it in short bursts as it foams up in the carb.  you will be at this for a while. 
eventually it will start flowing out the carb overflow tubes.   

you can stop now.

Let that sit for about 12 hours.  It shouldnt be harming anything but the gunk in your carbs.

Now the fun part......

Drain the carbs.  Careful because this stuff will eat the paint off your engine.

Make sure the carbs are well drained.  Reattach the fuel line to the tank.  Make sure you have fuel.

Now try and start the bike.  This will take some time and you may drain your battery so be prepared.

When it eventually starts running it will run like CRAP and smoke like a chimney.  This will take about 20 minutes to clear up.

Once it is running smooth again you are good to go.  the inside of your carbs should be clean enough to eat off of.

That sounds like sure worth a try. I am going to Fort Smith tomorrow so I can stop by the dealer and get some. may take a while to be able to try it since we have many days of heavy rain predicted. That is the very last thing we need here in the Arkansas River valley. I will holler back with the results once I do it.......assuming we don't get swept away via a broken levee.

Thanks much for the advice!

https://www.suzuki.ca/en/carb-combustion-chamber-cleaner-385g-aerosol-can-500
 

[Longlivedixie]

Here's what  I do with great results.  Also, I ride everyday. The girl rarely has more than two days in row to rest.

- Seafoam with every fillup.
- Berryman's once a month.
- MMMO once a month.  (Magic marvel Mystery Oil)
The last two are offset 2 weeks.

Hope that helps.

Sounds like a very good maintenance regime.
Of course mine went south under storage conditions. She had been stored many times using the normal precautions and had no problem.......but something went wrong this last time.

Thanks!

[Longlivedixie]

Well, here is my view on the subject, like it or leave it.

I think most all of the problem lies in the low speed galleries being clogged up with organic material.
That organic material being fungus and algae, because the ethanol enriched gasoline you use will support the organic crap growing inside your carburetors.

That being said, most all the petroleum based cleaners will not affect the organic material.
What does have an effect?

Soap and water.

Also those organic cleaners will clean the organic stuff out. Cleaners like "Purple Power" or "Citrus Magic", but you have to be careful because those cleaners, that have phosphoric acid in their contents, will definitely react with the metal the carburetors are made of if you let them soak in the liquid.

Note that blowing in the jet inlet usually has the result of clogging up the galleries.
So if you want to blow them out, you should get an "L" shaped blow wand that will blow into the apertures and blow the crud out of the low speed jet stem.

If you don't know where the apertures are located, just look inside the throat of the carburetor in the bottom area and you'll find 4 small holes  located near the butterfly and "farther in" the throat. That's them. They are the exit points for gasoline from the low speed jet and have everything to do with the idle and low throttle setting, running.

***

Makes sense to me. I always stored the bike with non-ethanol. I get the distinct feeling the gas station had ethanol in the supposedly non-ethanol tanks.

These low-speed jet apertures you speak of.......I am not clear as to where they are exactly. Are you speaking about down the throat while the carbs are mounted (in the slide/throat area), or when the carbs are removed and torn down??

Thanks!!

[Longlivedixie]

I use stabil and TC-W3 every tank. keeps everything clean and gives back some mpg.

http://www.ls1.com/forums/f48/been-testing-oil-91206/
 At the first of the year some of us "lubrication physcho's" (mainly from the aircraft industry) discussed the poop quality of gasoline and the absolute advantages of running a fuel additive with lubrication capabilities and I think the testing is now complete and the results are very good. Biggest problem we had was the proper amount but we are now satisfied this works very well and you will have a smoother running engine/more power/better MPG....so here it is.....
What we are trying to accomplish ( The deliverables)
We need to lubricate the fuel pump/seals/injectors.
We need to clean the fuel system and scavenge water that ethanol attracts.
We need a film of protection in our fuel system to stop corrosion.
We need a cleaner for our spark plugs/valves/combustion chambers.
We need to clean the ring packs
We need to leave a film on the cylinder walls to eliminate cold start metal wear.
This was my groups short list of deliverables. Of course we knew if we accomplished this list the car should A) Run Smoother B) Run more efficiently C) Parts will last longer i.e. fuel pumps/injectors etc. D) We should see more RWHP and MPG
We did it. For pennies.
2 Stroke oil. Not just any two stroke oil But we needed the detergents etc. and found the perfect oil/add packs/viscosity in a marine 2 stroke oil approved NMMA TC-W3 oil.

Use 1oz of the two stroke oil per 5 gallons of gas ( 1oz-5gallons/ 2ozs - 10 gallons etc. and that is the perfect ratio. Too much and it will make your engine run worse....too little and it wont do anything.....use the proper amount.....get a little bottle and keep it in your car.....We have seen a maximum of 5% better MPG down to a minimum of 2% better MPG. All of our test mules reported much smoother idles and cruising. No smoking or ill effects. No residue on plugs our pistons....actually the opposite....we saw "cleaning"

That sounds very valid!! I will start in with that ratio with my other bikes, and with the Valk if/when I get her running. But, I will be trying to sell her right away.

I have always like to use Marvel Mystery oil in a small ratio for that kind of lube property. Your idea is probably the same thing, only mo beddah!!

THANKS!!

[Paladin528]

if you want your carbs to stay clean.  ride the bike.  Seafoam, berrymans, st al are just mineral oil and alcoholnad in the B12 case some Naptha.  Very weak concentrations.

Accumulations only occur when the gas starts to go bad.  I only use additives when I store for the winter and the first tank of the season.

The cleaning regime I posed above will clean every bit of gunk and varnish from your carbs,  When I had mine off the bike and pulled the bowls for a look they were spotlessly clean.

No point overthinking it.   If you complain about the price of gas and then add $5 worth of additives, you lose the right to complain.


Note on Water in the tank.  if your bike sits for any amount of time (a day or more), switch to reserve when starting it.  This will draw any water into the carbs first.  It may stutter and cough if there is water but will soon smooth out.  Switch back to ON when you depart.

[98valk]

if you want your carbs to stay clean.  ride the bike.  Seafoam, berrymans, st al are just mineral oil and alcoholnad in the B12 case some Naptha.  Very weak concentrations.

Accumulations only occur when the gas starts to go bad.  I only use additives when I store for the winter and the first tank of the season.

The cleaning regime I posed above will clean every bit of gunk and varnish from your carbs,  When I had mine off the bike and pulled the bowls for a look they were spotlessly clean.

No point overthinking it.   If you complain about the price of gas and then add $5 worth of additives, you lose the right to complain.


Note on Water in the tank.  if your bike sits for any amount of time (a day or more), switch to reserve when starting it.  This will draw any water into the carbs first.  It may stutter and cough if there is water but will soon smooth out.  Switch back to ON when you depart.

u don't state what the "stuff" is. anyway, letting it sit for 12 hrs does nothing for the jets since all are above the float needle and seat level. is your stuff harming the floats and/or needle seat?

best thing with today's fuels is using an additive/s with every tank of fuel fillup. The new stabil emits fumes that protect areas of the tank and carbs which are not submerged in fuel.
and the TC-W3 works very very well. I use both every tank. winter time the bike will sit for 2-3 months. when I can finally ride, she always starts right up and runs like she was running the day before.  I brought her new in '00 and same events all this yrs after winter. Have never ever had clogged jets or poor running.
enjoy. 

[Longlivedixie]

if you want your carbs to stay clean.  ride the bike.  Seafoam, berrymans, st al are just mineral oil and alcoholnad in the B12 case some Naptha.  Very weak concentrations.

Accumulations only occur when the gas starts to go bad.  I only use additives when I store for the winter and the first tank of the season.

The cleaning regime I posed above will clean every bit of gunk and varnish from your carbs,  When I had mine off the bike and pulled the bowls for a look they were spotlessly clean.

No point overthinking it.   If you complain about the price of gas and then add $5 worth of additives, you lose the right to complain.


Note on Water in the tank.  if your bike sits for any amount of time (a day or more), switch to reserve when starting it.  This will draw any water into the carbs first.  It may stutter and cough if there is water but will soon smooth out.  Switch back to ON when you depart.

Kinda difficult to ride my bike when I am often on the other side of the planet for months at a time.

The stupid Suzuki dealer at Fort Smith had none of that Suzuki-branded carb cleaner. I will try and find it on-line.

I have never complained about the price of gas or additives. Ya lost me there.

Thanks for your input!

[Longlivedixie]

Get a can of this stuff.
I used 3 different sized hoses to adapt from the can to the fuel line.
Remove the nozzle from the can and attach a small line to the top of the can.  Then fit the small line into a larger line and then a larger one until it fits snugly into the fuel line from the tank to the carbs.

Drain the carb bowls.

Now depress the hose attached to the can and allow the cleaner to flow through the fule lines and into the carb bowls.  do it in short bursts as it foams up in the carb.  you will be at this for a while. 
eventually it will start flowing out the carb overflow tubes.   

you can stop now.

Let that sit for about 12 hours.  It shouldnt be harming anything but the gunk in your carbs.

Now the fun part......

Drain the carbs.  Careful because this stuff will eat the paint off your engine.

Make sure the carbs are well drained.  Reattach the fuel line to the tank.  Make sure you have fuel.

Now try and start the bike.  This will take some time and you may drain your battery so be prepared.

When it eventually starts running it will run like CRAP and smoke like a chimney.  This will take about 20 minutes to clear up.

Once it is running smooth again you are good to go.  the inside of your carbs should be clean enough to eat off of.

Well heck. I am having no luck so far finding that Suzuki carb cleaner. That web-site is Suzuki of Canada and it will not let me sign up......directing me to Suzuki of the USA. But Suzuki/USA does not carry that product. Nor have I been able to find it on Amazon or any of the usual bike supply houses, or via a Google search for a supplier.

[Forge]

Get a can of this stuff.
I used 3 different sized hoses to adapt from the can to the fuel line.
Remove the nozzle from the can and attach a small line to the top of the can.  Then fit the small line into a larger line and then a larger one until it fits snugly into the fuel line from the tank to the carbs.

Drain the carb bowls.

Now depress the hose attached to the can and allow the cleaner to flow through the fule lines and into the carb bowls.  do it in short bursts as it foams up in the carb.  you will be at this for a while. 
eventually it will start flowing out the carb overflow tubes.   

you can stop now.

Let that sit for about 12 hours.  It shouldnt be harming anything but the gunk in your carbs.

Now the fun part......

Drain the carbs.  Careful because this stuff will eat the paint off your engine.

Make sure the carbs are well drained.  Reattach the fuel line to the tank.  Make sure you have fuel.

Now try and start the bike.  This will take some time and you may drain your battery so be prepared.

When it eventually starts running it will run like CRAP and smoke like a chimney.  This will take about 20 minutes to clear up.

Once it is running smooth again you are good to go.  the inside of your carbs should be clean enough to eat off of.

Well heck. I am having no luck so far finding that Suzuki carb cleaner. That web-site is Suzuki of Canada and it will not let me sign up......directing me to Suzuki of the USA. But Suzuki/USA does not carry that product. Nor have I been able to find it on Amazon or any of the usual bike supply houses, or via a Google search for a supplier.

I wasn’t able to find the Suzuki carb cleaner in the US. Same with the Yamaha brand. Those who use them rave about them. The only thing I can think of is that they are not allowed in the US because of EPA restrictions. They must be bad ass cleaners.

[Longlivedixie]

Get a can of this stuff.
I used 3 different sized hoses to adapt from the can to the fuel line.
Remove the nozzle from the can and attach a small line to the top of the can.  Then fit the small line into a larger line and then a larger one until it fits snugly into the fuel line from the tank to the carbs.

Drain the carb bowls.

Now depress the hose attached to the can and allow the cleaner to flow through the fule lines and into the carb bowls.  do it in short bursts as it foams up in the carb.  you will be at this for a while.  
eventually it will start flowing out the carb overflow tubes.  

you can stop now.

Let that sit for about 12 hours.  It shouldnt be harming anything but the gunk in your carbs.

Now the fun part......

Drain the carbs.  Careful because this stuff will eat the paint off your engine.

Make sure the carbs are well drained.  Reattach the fuel line to the tank.  Make sure you have fuel.

Now try and start the bike.  This will take some time and you may drain your battery so be prepared.

When it eventually starts running it will run like CRAP and smoke like a chimney.  This will take about 20 minutes to clear up.

Once it is running smooth again you are good to go.  the inside of your carbs should be clean enough to eat off of.

Well heck. I am having no luck so far finding that Suzuki carb cleaner. That web-site is Suzuki of Canada and it will not let me sign up......directing me to Suzuki of the USA. But Suzuki/USA does not carry that product. Nor have I been able to find it on Amazon or any of the usual bike supply houses, or via a Google search for a supplier.

I wasn’t able to find the Suzuki carb cleaner in the US. Same with the Yamaha brand. Those who use them rave about them. The only thing I can think of is that they are not allowed in the US because of EPA restrictions. They must be bad ass cleaners.

Well livin' hell. That makes sense. What a deal.

THANKS!

[Paladin528]

Funny.  we cannot get Berrymans B-12 up here.  I grab some every time I go to the states.

As for letting it sit not doing anything, I beg to differ.  if you read the post you would see that the carbs are filled to overflow.  The pressure from the can overcomes the floats and forces the stuff where it needs to be.   It works wonders.

Running mineral oil and alcohol through your carbs in a tank of gas is just money for nothing as far as I am concerned.  I use the Berrymans  (because it has the Naptha) about twice a year just to flush out any tank contaminants (ie Water)

[98valk]

Get a can of this stuff.
I used 3 different sized hoses to adapt from the can to the fuel line.
Remove the nozzle from the can and attach a small line to the top of the can.  Then fit the small line into a larger line and then a larger one until it fits snugly into the fuel line from the tank to the carbs.

Drain the carb bowls.

Now depress the hose attached to the can and allow the cleaner to flow through the fule lines and into the carb bowls.  do it in short bursts as it foams up in the carb.  you will be at this for a while. 
eventually it will start flowing out the carb overflow tubes.   

you can stop now.

Let that sit for about 12 hours.  It shouldnt be harming anything but the gunk in your carbs.

Now the fun part......

Drain the carbs.  Careful because this stuff will eat the paint off your engine.

Make sure the carbs are well drained.  Reattach the fuel line to the tank.  Make sure you have fuel.

Now try and start the bike.  This will take some time and you may drain your battery so be prepared.

When it eventually starts running it will run like CRAP and smoke like a chimney.  This will take about 20 minutes to clear up.

Once it is running smooth again you are good to go.  the inside of your carbs should be clean enough to eat off of.

Well heck. I am having no luck so far finding that Suzuki carb cleaner. That web-site is Suzuki of Canada and it will not let me sign up......directing me to Suzuki of the USA. But Suzuki/USA does not carry that product. Nor have I been able to find it on Amazon or any of the usual bike supply houses, or via a Google search for a supplier.

I wasn’t able to find the Suzuki carb cleaner in the US. Same with the Yamaha brand. Those who use them rave about them. The only thing I can think of is that they are not allowed in the US because of EPA restrictions. They must be bad ass cleaners.

Well livin' hell. That makes sense. What a deal.

I am thinking about simply spraying the high-solvent typical spray carb cleaner down the the fuel line into the emptied carbs. But I do worry about hurting the big rubber diaphragms. I see they are now at $85 and up!!

THANKS!

the spray cleaner will only go through the needle and seat . none of the jets will see the blast.

nice cut-away here where u can see the jet really are not submerged in fuel.
https://mechanics.stackexchange.com/questions/16512/lost-torque-on-my-yamaha-xvs650/16581

[98valk]

Funny.  we cannot get Berrymans B-12 up here.  I grab some every time I go to the states.

As for letting it sit not doing anything, I beg to differ.  if you read the post you would see that the carbs are filled to overflow.  The pressure from the can overcomes the floats and forces the stuff where it needs to be.   It works wonders.

Running mineral oil and alcohol through your carbs in a tank of gas is just money for nothing as far as I am concerned.  I use the Berrymans  (because it has the Naptha) about twice a year just to flush out any tank contaminants (ie Water)

I do not think its a good idea to force high pressure flow past the high tolerance needle and seat. too much of a chance damaging that tolerance which will lead to a leaky needle and seat which can lead to poor performance and hydro-lock. IMHO.

[gordonv]

Get a can of this stuff.

What is it you are referring to? All I get is a broken link/pic.

Now posting your quote, there was a description, which got me to here.

https://www.suzuki.ca/en/carb-combustion-chamber-cleaner-385g-aerosol-can-500

[sssportsmfg]

I use stabil and TC-W3 every tank. keeps everything clean and gives back some mpg.

http://www.ls1.com/forums/f48/been-testing-oil-91206/
 At the first of the year some of us "lubrication physcho's" (mainly from the aircraft industry) discussed the poop quality of gasoline and the absolute advantages of running a fuel additive with lubrication capabilities and I think the testing is now complete and the results are very good. Biggest problem we had was the proper amount but we are now satisfied this works very well and you will have a smoother running engine/more power/better MPG....so here it is.....
What we are trying to accomplish ( The deliverables)
We need to lubricate the fuel pump/seals/injectors.
We need to clean the fuel system and scavenge water that ethanol attracts.

I always wondered if using a small amount of 2 cycle oil would help.  I was always leery of doing it, not wanting to look like a smoking outboard going down the road.   I have a whole gallon of the stuff from when I owned a boat, and yes it is the "good stuff"    Gonna try that, these wonderful machines just suck on fuel mileage lol.   My 1800cc Suzuki gets better mileage than this 1500cc engine, but oh is she smooth!
We need a film of protection in our fuel system to stop corrosion.
We need a cleaner for our spark plugs/valves/combustion chambers.
We need to clean the ring packs
We need to leave a film on the cylinder walls to eliminate cold start metal wear.
This was my groups short list of deliverables. Of course we knew if we accomplished this list the car should A) Run Smoother B) Run more efficiently C) Parts will last longer i.e. fuel pumps/injectors etc. D) We should see more RWHP and MPG
We did it. For pennies.
2 Stroke oil. Not just any two stroke oil But we needed the detergents etc. and found the perfect oil/add packs/viscosity in a marine 2 stroke oil approved NMMA TC-W3 oil.

Use 1oz of the two stroke oil per 5 gallons of gas ( 1oz-5gallons/ 2ozs - 10 gallons etc. and that is the perfect ratio. Too much and it will make your engine run worse....too little and it wont do anything.....use the proper amount.....get a little bottle and keep it in your car.....We have seen a maximum of 5% better MPG down to a minimum of 2% better MPG. All of our test mules reported much smoother idles and cruising. No smoking or ill effects. No residue on plugs our pistons....actually the opposite....we saw "cleaning"

[Paladin528]

Funny.  we cannot get Berrymans B-12 up here.  I grab some every time I go to the states.

As for letting it sit not doing anything, I beg to differ.  if you read the post you would see that the carbs are filled to overflow.  The pressure from the can overcomes the floats and forces the stuff where it needs to be.   It works wonders.

Running mineral oil and alcohol through your carbs in a tank of gas is just money for nothing as far as I am concerned.  I use the Berrymans  (because it has the Naptha) about twice a year just to flush out any tank contaminants (ie Water)

I do not think its a good idea to force high pressure flow past the high tolerance needle and seat. too much of a chance damaging that tolerance which will lead to a leaky needle and seat which can lead to poor performance and hydro-lock. IMHO.

Again Read the process.
It does touch the jets as all of the jets originate in the float bowl.  Spraying the aerosol into the fule intake allows it to foam up and into the carbs.  The "high tolerance" needle and seat are just a needle and seat.  no different from any other.  it doesn't not take much to unseat them with an empty float bowl.  it only takes about 5 psi to unseat the needle anyway  probably closer to 3. 
This has worked on dozens if not many more bikes over the years and was taught to be by one of the best motorcycle and ATV guys I know.  He's had his own shop for decades.  I was skeptical at first but it worked wonders on a neglected carb set.