Carb Cleaning?

[Ventureless]

This question comes up after seeing something on another post. I sold my Venture a couple months ago. I am racking my brain trying to think of what I want next. I wanted an adventure style bike, but my wife who just recently started to enjoy riding would not be comfortable on the adventure bike. So then I turned to Victory. They handle very well and have plenty of room even 2 up. But they have a very limited dealer network and also I am unsure of the reliability yet as the newer motors/trannies have not been out that long and I have not seen to many high mileage bikes for whatever reason. So I then start looking at another used Venture or Tour Deluxe and a Vstrom 650 adventure just for me. I could afford both and have the best of both worlds. Both very reliable with great forums and lots of dealers. Well then the Goldwing F6B comes into play. I was in NC this past weekend and tried to pick up a 2014 yellow and black F6B. They were high on the price and not willing to come down to something reasonable so I left it there. Yellow paint isn’t worth the extra couple thousand $ to me. So now I am back to looking at another Venture/Tour Deluxe and a Vstrom unless I find a pretty good deal on a F6B. If I go the 2 bike route, I am leaning toward the Tour Deluxe with aftermarket fairing for the ease of removing it. I would also add a trunk to it for the wife and son.

So now after the long winded backstory on to my question. I sold the venture in the hopes of getting something more modern with FI and ABS. Well if I have 2 bikes, I guess I can deal with neither of those things on one of them. My Venture never had any mechanical troubles and I never had to remove the carbs for any reason. So I am wondering from another post how often they really need to be removed and cleaned. I saw someone posted that with around 31K miles, it is probably due. If there are no issues, do they really need to come off. I do ride often (about every day year round) and I run seafoam through every few tanks. I am rethinking my thoughts of 2 bikes if I am get it stuck in my head now that I will have the extra maintenance.

[Marcarl]

It all depends on what you try to put through that carb. Keeping the gas clean, and the air clean, you should not have to worry about your carbs, other than a sync every so often. It's also a good idea to drain the carbs if it's going to sit for an extended period of time. I bought my 85 @ 48km and finally did the carbs just before I sold it @ 140km. Others have had to do them somewhat sooner,,, like I said, it depends in what you put into them. Seafoam is a good idea, does some of the maintenance.

And oh ya,,, keep the oil in the crankcase at 1\2 window or less, otherwise it'll get up in the air-box and then into the carbs of course.

[Broncoboy36081]

I posted about having a hint of gas in my oil and talked about how I cleaned the carbs. My bike also has 31k on it. If it is my thread you are referring to just know when I bought the bike it had been sitting out in a barn for a very very long time. So I am just going through the motions of getting it back to tip top shape. My Harley was an 03 and had a carb. I never had to pull it. Then again I rode it at least once a week. I prefer carbureted bikes as they are easier to work on to me.

[Snaggletooth]

Yep. Cleans the key.

 

Bought my '84 at about 30K miles after being stored for 9 years. Sea Foam got it running but needed some TLC on the carbs.

 

Had rust in the tank, couple floats were saturated and needles were iffy. After an epoxy tank reseal, complete carb rebuids and all new fuel lines from petcock to inlets along with fuel filter its been a problem free setup.

 

I've got about 74K miles on the bike now. It's pretty much a daily rider and that's year round. Other than an occasional peek inside the tank to keep and eye on the reseal, change the fuel filter when I mount a new rear tire and an annual tweak on the carb sync it's been a non issue. I do still add a dash of Sea Foam once every couple of months just out principle but in my case I don't usually have the same fuel in it long enough to gum up.

 

As stated, if you keep an eye on and control whats going into and through the carbs you shouldn't have many issues other than wear and tear over time.

[ACE50]

I posted about having a hint of gas in my oil and talked about how I cleaned the carbs. My bike also has 31k on it. If it is my thread you are referring to just know when I bought the bike it had been sitting out in a barn for a very very long time. So I am just going through the motions of getting it back to tip top shape. My Harley was an 03 and had a carb. I never had to pull it. Then again I rode it at least once a week. I prefer carbureted bikes as they are easier to work on to me.

 

If you don't want to have an issue with gas in your oil, get into the habit of turning the petcock off when you turn off the engine. Only takes a second.

[Broncoboy36081]

If you don't want to have an issue with gas in your oil, get into the habit of turning the petcock off when you turn off the engine. Only takes a second.

 

Yep just started doing that. I turn it of about a mile from home and she cuts off about 10 seconds after I pull into the garage.

[ACE50]

I don't know if that's necessary. Your causing the pump to go dry a hell of a lot more often than normal and having the carb bowl's full isn't going to hurt anything. Just don't want them overflowing when it sits.

[saddlebum]

A good number of us have seized pet cocks, so they never get turned off and few of us have problems because of it. Also keep in mind the tanks on these bikes are lower than the carbs and there for draining through the carbs while sitting is not usually an issue.

 

Point in fact I finally pulled my Carbs off of the bike after 137,000 km and only because one of the needles was leaking. I have never done anything special when parking the bike for the winter other than add seafoam to the tank run the bike so it goes through the carbs and park it with a full tank of fuel. And I am one of those with the petcock siezed open in reserve. Oh and when I did pull the carbs apart they were pretty clean inside. The worst thing you can do is park it with a empty or partial tank of fuel. All that air space is a great way to get condensation in the tank, hence carb issues down the road.

[ACE50]

The worst thing you can do is park it with a empty or partial tank of fuel. All that air space is a great way to get condensation in the tank, hence carb issues down the road.

 

Ya that!

[tz89]

This time of year when I may ride or it may rain hard for months, I keep the tank full, with Seafoam. My petcock is mostly seized so I leave it on reserve. I've never had an issue with fuel draining down through the pump and uphill to the carbs. Could happen but it hasn't. No reason to pull carbs with normal care observed.

[kevin-vic-b.c.]

I am one of the many that has both a Venture and a V-Strom in the garage. You are very correct that the V-Strom is in no way a good bike for 2-up distance riding, but it is a very good 1-up ride it anyplace or time bike. I ride year round and most of the winter riding is done on the V-Strom but the Venture still gets its fair share of miles. So far I have not had any issues with carbs on my Ventures, I have had 2, like has been said keep fresh fuel, seafoam if you think it is going to sit around some with poor weather or something.

 

[MikeWa]

Gasoline evaporating in the carbs causes varnish build up which causes problems. Ride the bike frequently or drain the carbs. Turn the petcock off when not using the bike. (Yea some people never had a problem but some people never had a flat tire or an accident either). Be safe turn the petcock off. If it is broken fix it. Change the fuel filter frequently. Carbs will last a very very long time baring some outside influence. Alcohol in the gas will eventually dry out the diaphragms and seals so do not put additional alcohol in the fuel tank. If you get bad gas drain it and replace it. Don't try to fix bad gas with additives. Did I say change the fuel filter frequently? Ok so change the fuel filter frequently.

 

Mike

[ACE50]

I have NEVER had a new fuel filter fix anything. Cars or otherwise. Just my 2¢.

[MikeWa]

Ace

Fuel filters don't usually fix something. They keep it from going bad in the first place. Have you ever had a new oil filter fix anything?

 

Mike

[ACE50]

Ace

Fuel filters don't usually fix something. They keep it from going bad in the first place. Have you ever had a new oil filter fix anything?

 

Mike

 

Then why when someone has problems, you always hear, "change the fuel filter" if it doesn't fix anything?

 

I'm not saying it's doesn't, just sayin, in the dozen or so I've changed in a variety of things, never seen a bad one.

[Freebird]

I can honestly say that I have. It was on a truck, not a motorcycle. A late 60's Ford truck. The truck was very hard to start. You would have to crank it for a while, let it sit for a while, then crank it again and then it would start and run perfect. Turned out that the filter was full of trash. Cranking on it I suppose softened up whatever it was plugged with and then it would run fine until you turned it off and it apparently harder again or something. Changed the filter and never had another issue.

[Ventureless]

Ok I think my question was answered. I never had a problem with my Venture, my old Concours, or the Vstar 1100. All carbed. I just happen to read that other thread and saw the 31K mile thing and just got worried about another maintenance issue in the future.

[Ventureless]

I posted about having a hint of gas in my oil and talked about how I cleaned the carbs. My bike also has 31k on it. If it is my thread you are referring to just know when I bought the bike it had been sitting out in a barn for a very very long time. So I am just going through the motions of getting it back to tip top shape. My Harley was an 03 and had a carb. I never had to pull it. Then again I rode it at least once a week. I prefer carbureted bikes as they are easier to work on to me.

 

Yep your post was what got me thinking. Like I said, I had no worries on my Venture at all.

 

So I guess unless I find a good deal on a yellow and black F6B Goldwing, I will be looking for another good used Venture or Tour Deluxe. More than likely teh Tour Deluxe to be able to add my own quick release fairing.

[MikeWa]

A little more explanation. On why to change fuel filters frequently.

 

When dealing with electric fuel pumps, plugged or partially plugged fuel filters put an extra load on the fuel pump. This causes the pump to draw more current and run hotter. Will this damage the pump? Will it shorten the pump life? Who knows for sure? But my experience is it can and does cause problems. One of the ways we used to check 'in the tank' fuel pumps on automobiles was current draw at the fuse. If it exceeded the pump specs either the pump was failing or there was blockage in the line.

 

Plugged or partially plugged fuel filters can also cause fuel starvation under acceleration or under a heavy load. This was very common with carbureted automobiles. The symptoms ranged from the engine dieing to stumbles and surging and sometimes pinging under a load. This condition also caused the float bowls to run low on fuel sometimes stirring up debris in the bottom of the bowl plugging internal passages.

 

The Royal Star Venture uses both an electric fuel pump and carburetors. Each owner has to decide what PM they want to perform for themselves. But for me the fuel filter is cheap enough to be changed regularly. And I recommend that to anyone willing to listen.

 

Mike

[Broncoboy36081]

Yep your post was what got me thinking. Like I said, I had no worries on my Venture at all.

 

So I guess unless I find a good deal on a yellow and black F6B Goldwing, I will be looking for another good used Venture or Tour Deluxe. More than likely teh Tour Deluxe to be able to add my own quick release fairing.

 

Don't let my post scare you off!! I'm just a super paranoid person about my bikes. I want them to never break and last forever! Lol!

[saddlebum]

I have seen fuel filters plug up so bad, that you could not blow through them and that an engine won't run or an electric fuel pump is destroyed because of it. Customers vehicles have often been towed into our shop only to find a simple fuel filter change would have saved them a lot of grief. I have seen thousands of dollars spent on fuel systems for diesel engines because a tech did not think to check the fuel filter first.

Bottom line, money spent on a fuel filter, is cheap maintenance and a cheap first step to diagnosing fuel system issues.

[frankd]

No, a clogged fuel filter won't make the fuel pump work harder, it'll just limit the amount of fuel available at the carbs. The effect of a clogged filter is restricted fuel flow, and the carb's needle and seat do the same thing when fuel isn't needed in the carb bowls.

 

 

As for cleaning carbs at 31K.....I bought my 83 new in April of 83, and the carbs have NEVER been rebuilt. The diaphrams have been replaced, and they've been synchronized. In 1986 I noticed that the idle seemed a bit rich (gas mileage reduced and a dark look to the spark plugs) so I talked with my dealer and he suggested that I let him set the carbs with his exhaust gas analyzer and the gas mileage went back to normal. I don't think I've ever moved the mixture screws since then. When the bike was stored for the winter, I always drained the carbs, or used Stabyl. The bike has 140,000 miles on it. This may be over now though, because my brother's been using the bike for the last 6 years, and he hasn't used it very much in the last 2 years. Now he said it's got a miss. He lives about 180 miles south of me, so within the next couple of weeks I'll go down and see what's up.

[saddlebum]

No, a clogged fuel filter won't make the fuel pump work harder, it'll just limit the amount of fuel available at the carbs. The effect of a clogged filter is restricted fuel flow, and the carb's needle and seat do the same thing when fuel isn't needed in the carb bowls.

Yes in part you are correct. However the needles do open and even more so when the engine is running at higher RPM, allowing fuel flow, so the pump does get a break. But when the pump has to work consistently hard over a period of time, because of a badly plugged filter, it does take its toll on the pump. Obviously this is not something that happens instantly over night because a filter is plugged but allow it to continue over an extended period the pump will suffer. Bottom line a filter is cheaper to replace.

[MikeWa]

No, a clogged fuel filter won't make the fuel pump work harder, it'll just limit the amount of fuel available at the carbs. The effect of a clogged filter is restricted fuel flow, and the carb's needle and seat do the same thing when fuel isn't needed in the carb bowls.

 

 

If you think not put an amp meter on it and restrict off the fuel line. See what happens. With a plugged filter the needle valves may not get enough fuel to close under a load.

 

Mike

Edited October 15, 2014 by MikeWa

[BlueSky]

I believe one member HDHT (I think )said he put 240,000 miles on his 91 Venture and never had any carb issues.