Having carbs rebuilt - cost?

[J V McLure]

If I were to have my carbs rebuilt at a Honda Dealer or at an independent shop, how much should I plan to pay?  I can't do it myself - and I don't have a clue how long it should take or what the parts might cost.

Any recomendations of a good source of having this service performed in the D/FW area?

Thanks in advance for any help you can provide!

JV

[CajunRider]

I was quoted $1500 for a tune-up in Louisiana. 

I politely declined. 

[stevelp]

I was qouted $285.00 per carb. I also declined.

[R J]

Are you having a problem with the Phat Lady?

If not, leave her alone.......

Don't firk with something that isn't broke.........

[Hoser]

I have never touched the carbs in 60k + miles, runs like the proverbial striped a$$ ape.  hoser
 

[Earl in Pensacola]

My '97 Tourer (I bought it new) now has 214.5K and the carbs have never been rebuilt (!) and have been sync'd about every 50 or 60K !! I just run thru  a "cleaner" like Seafoam once or twice a year and THAT's it!  I'll add that I use only 87 octane ANY brand.

[Hoser]

My '97 Tourer (I bought it new) now has 214.5K and the carbs have never been rebuilt (!) and have been sync'd about every 50 or 60K !! I just run thru  a "cleaner" like Seafoam once or twice a year and THAT's it!  I'll add that I use only 87 octane ANY brand.

Ditto  on the 87 octane,  it's what a stock valk likes best.  hoser

[J V McLure]

This is the 97 we just picked up for Tammy with only 257 miles on it. Was in storage in Az. for the past 13 years. It starts and runs - but not near as smooth as my 98. My experience on working on stuff is that in most cases it never runs again. I just figured it needed to have its carbs rebuilt. Sounds like that might not be the case.....

[hubcapsc]

This is the 97 we just picked up for Tammy with only 257 miles on it. Was in storage in Az. for the past 13 years. It starts and runs - but not near as smooth as my 98. My experience on working on stuff is that in most cases it never runs again. I just figured it needed to have its carbs rebuilt. Sounds like that might not be the case.....

I know of someone who bought a bank of carbs from Pinwall, supposedly made their bike run like new.

Your carbs are almost certainly rebuildable, and maybe all you need to do is clean out a couple of the jets in each one,
but given your caveat about "never runs again"  , Pinwall might be an option. He has videos of all his bikes running
before he parts them out.

I got a new starter button box instead of trying to do the maintenance on mine, because whenever I take things with tiny springs
in them apart, they "never run again" 

I don't get very good gas mileage (go on reserve around 115-120) and I think my bike runs rich (people say my bike smells
"gassy") - I have a full carb rebuild kit from RedEye, and I'm itching to take my carbs apart and twiddle with the
pilot screws... but when I ride it, I usually think to myself, man this thing runs good...

-Mike

[John Schmidt]

Dump the entire thing in and fill it up with fresh gas. Then run the dog-sh** out of it for a few miles. That will surely get the Techron in the bowls. Let it sit overnight, then take it out and run it again. I've found Techron will clean out the slow jets(most likely your source of trouble) better than even the old standby Seafoam. Frankly, I agree with the others here....you probably don't need a rebuild. If you can find someone locally that will help you pull the carbs, assuming the Techron doesn't do the job, have them remove the slow jets. Then get a fire brick and gouge a small trough in it and lay all the slow jets in the trough. Fire up a torch and heat them up, don't be afraid of it, get them nice and hot and while still hot tap them firmly with a rubber mallet. It will knock the buildup loose, then just blow them out with an air hose. That's how we used to do it back "in the day" and I've watched a guy here in Orlando do it with a number of jets in his shop....came out clean as a whistle.

If I weren't 1,000 miles away I'd lend a hand in a minute.

[Bugslayer]

If I were to have my carbs rebuilt at a Honda Dealer or at an independent shop, how much should I plan to pay?  I can't do it myself - and I don't have a clue how long it should take or what the parts might cost.

Any recomendations of a good source of having this service performed in the D/FW area?

Thanks in advance for any help you can provide!

JV

If it were me, I'd start at the easiest/cheapest thing, then go from there. I'd start with a half can of Sea Foam in the fuel tank with a half a tank or so of gas... run it long enough to get it into the carb's, then let it soak. I woud then start it occassionally and warm it up. Hopefully, it will clean things up. If not, you're only out a few bucks.

*edit*
It looks like John Schmidt and I posted at the same time.  He sound's right on. Clean em out before you rebuild.