Carb Cleaning

[Tarkus]

Hey all, newbie here.

Have a couple of tech questions.  Have a 98 standard in need of a thorough carb cleaning.  I'm looking at the carb rack on my workbench and I'm wondering what's the best way to remove the caps covering the pilot jets.  I'm thinking drill, but not sure what size drill bit or how much clearance before hitting the pilot screw.  Advice please.

Also, the bike came with the Cobra six into six pipes.  The carbs look like they still the factory jets.  Are the stock jets right match for these, or do these pipes call for rejetting? 

Thanks in advance

Michael

[John U.]

Put the drill away. The only cap covering the jets is the float bowl. Remove that and the jets are at your disposal.
You may want to replace the stock float bowl screws with stainless hex screws as most of us do.
I run stock pipes so I'll leave the rejetting issue to others.

[Pete]

That d shaped cover is NOT a cover it is the screw for pilot adjustment. Requires a special tool.

[Tarkus]

Hey, John. Thanks for the quick response. The main jet and slow jet are accessible by removing the bowl.  But, the pilot jet needle is outside, and is covered by a cap.  I need to clean the pilot jet.  But first have to remove the needle.  Before I can do that the cap has to go. 

[Pete]

Hey, John. Thanks for the quick response. The main jet and slow jet are accessible by removing the bowl.  But, the pilot jet needle is outside, and is covered by a cap.  I need to clean the pilot jet.  But first have to remove the needle.  Before I can do that the cap has to go. 

Most of the time it is the Slow Jet that is clogged. Not the Pilot. See above post about Pilot.

[John U.]

That is true. Motion pro has a 1/4" D fiting to remove the pilot screw. Be careful not to lose the small pieces.
Many of us replace the slow jet (35) with a 38 to eliminate the "flat spot" and to somewhat reduce the tendency to clog. Sudco or Chaparral have the 38 slows.
Good luck

[John U.]

Tarkus,
Having just reread your recent post, I think I should add that there is no Pilot jet. When you remove the D screw you will have a needle, or metering rod an O-ring a small washer and a spring as I recall. A squirt of carb cleaner is all you can do with all that out. If the O-rings are in bad shape check out Redeye, he sells carb O-rings. Sometimes they hang up and need some assistance to come out.
You will need to set the pilots  to 2 1/2 turns out from lightly seated for OEM slows, 1 3/4 turns for 38s.
I had major problem cleaning the slow jets, wound up replacing them.

[Tarkus]

Tarkus,
Having just reread your recent post, I think I should add that there is no Pilot jet. When you remove the D screw you will have a needle, or metering rod an O-ring a small washer and a spring as I recall. A squirt of carb cleaner is all you can do with all that out. If the O-rings are in bad shape check out Redeye, he sells carb O-rings. Sometimes they hang up and need some assistance to come out.
You will need to set the pilots  to 2 1/2 turns out from lightly seated for OEM slows, 1 3/4 turns for 38s.
I had major problem cleaning the slow jets, wound up replacing them.

Wow!   After taking another look, you're right.  It does have a D shape.  I'm glad I asked before I started drilling.  My only other experience doing this is with a V65 Magna.  It had caps over the pilot jets that needed to be removed.  I assumed that's what I was dealing with here. 

Can't find the D fitting on Motion Pro you referred to.  Meanwhile, found a pilot tool online at Redeye.  They have two separate tools, one for "On Bike" and and another for "On Bench" adjustments.  As luck would have it they're out of the "bench" tool.   

[Ricky-D]

Michael, I can say with confidence that we all will be very interested in the outcome of your project.

So please be sure to let us all, here on the forum, be informed by you regarding how your Valkyrie runs when you get it back on the road.

***

[9Ball]

Hey, John. Thanks for the quick response. The main jet and slow jet are accessible by removing the bowl.  But, the pilot jet needle is outside, and is covered by a cap.  I need to clean the pilot jet.  But first have to remove the needle.  Before I can do that the cap has to go.  

Most of the time it is the Slow Jet that is clogged. Not the Pilot. See above post about Pilot.

Make sure you clean the passage very well after the pilot screws are removed.  Of the 4 different carb sets I've cleaned, these were crudded up as well as the slow jets.  Two of the sets also had damaged pilot o-rings, so a replacement set of o-rings from redeye tech should be on hand.