Carb Clean.

[Spongefinger]

I've got Honda Hornet. What price range would you expect a carb clean to come in at? I'm not at a point where I would feel confident  doing this myself.

 

Cheers.

[Stu]

Honestly it depends on how long it would take to get in there remove the carbs and refit and the hourly rate of a garage

 

I should think no more than around £100 - £150 

 

Do not be fobbed off by these in tank cleaners and spray in cleaners they are no way as good as a strip and clean 

[iangaryprice]

If you have probelms and its definitely carb related then removing for a stripodown, inspect parts, clean and reassemble is the way to go.

While stripped down all the parts can be checked for faults, needle valves for sticking and leaks, diaphrams for splits, pistons for sticking, etc.

All jets need to be removed and checked for blockages,

I can't comment on price, I always do them myself, but it is time consuming.

[Mississippi Bullfrog]

Whilst in general I'd agree that spray cleaners aren't great there is one product I have used that most of the time does the job without needing to dismantle the carbs. It's usually sold in boat chandlers as it's for power boat engines but I've used it in cars and bikes to good effect.

 

Quicksilver PowerTune. It's not cheap, usually about £18 a tin. But don't compare it to the usual automotive carb cleaners because it's completely different.

 

When I ran glow engines in model aircraft they were 2 stroke with total loss oil mixed in with the fuel. As a result the cylinder heads would get burnt oil on them over time and nothing would shift it - but this stuff did the trick. It is very good at clearing gum or varnish out of carbs. It won't remove debris of course, so it depends what the problem is.

Edited January 22, 2022 by Mississippi Bullfrog

[onesea]

9 hours ago, Mississippi Bullfrog said:

Whilst in general I'd agree that spray cleaners aren't great there is one product I have used that most of the time does the job without needing to dismantle the carbs. It's usually sold in boat chandlers as it's for power boat engines but I've used it in cars and bikes to good effect.

 

Quicksilver PowerTune. It's not cheap, usually about £18 a tin. But don't compare it to the usual automotive carb cleaners because it's completely different.

 

When I ran glow engines in model aircraft they were 2 stroke with total loss oil mixed in with the fuel. As a result the cylinder heads would get burnt oil on them over time and nothing would shift it - but this stuff did the trick. It is very good at clearing gum or varnish out of carbs. It won't remove debris of course, so it depends what the problem is.

Am with you on this if she is running try some of this stuff first, check your air filter spark plugs etc… 

[Spongefinger]

6 hours ago, onesea said:

Am with you on this if she is running try some of this stuff first, check your air filter spark plugs etc… 

Cheers.  I bought a new air filter without checking  the old one, when I went to swap them the old one looked brand I'm going to check spark plugs next week if they are OK I'll try the cleaning stuff. The bike starts and runs fine until you turn choke off then it dies. I tried adjusting  the idle tap bit even turned full the bike just about hold onto a tick over but it doesn't sound happy.

[Stu]

16 hours ago, Mississippi Bullfrog said:

Whilst in general I'd agree that spray cleaners aren't great there is one product I have used that most of the time does the job without needing to dismantle the carbs. It's usually sold in boat chandlers as it's for power boat engines but I've used it in cars and bikes to good effect.

 

Quicksilver PowerTune. It's not cheap, usually about £18 a tin. But don't compare it to the usual automotive carb cleaners because it's completely different.

 

When I ran glow engines in model aircraft they were 2 stroke with total loss oil mixed in with the fuel. As a result the cylinder heads would get burnt oil on them over time and nothing would shift it - but this stuff did the trick. It is very good at clearing gum or varnish out of carbs. It won't remove debris of course, so it depends what the problem is.

 

The bit I don't understand is how can a spray clean a carb when its not actually entering the float and not going through the fuel circuit 

 

Spaying a "cleaner" in the carb just follows the path of the air intake which goes straight through in to the engine 

 

At most it will possibly clean the butterflies

[onesea]

1 hour ago, Stu said:

 

The bit I don't understand is how can a spray clean a carb when its not actually entering the float and not going through the fuel circuit 

 

Spaying a "cleaner" in the carb just follows the path of the air intake which goes straight through in to the engine 

 

At most it will possibly clean the butterflies

I am no expert but my answer is if it’s running rough, it’s probably not 100% blocked.

 

Additives can help loosen the gunk, clearing the fuel circuit.  Hence it’s not an immediate fix and you need to let the engine warm up, Erving engine to change pressures to loosen the crud, give additives chance to work.

 

There are also those that claim they don’t work regardless, I have had some success with them, although it has taken patients.

[Mississippi Bullfrog]

2 hours ago, Stu said:

 

The bit I don't understand is how can a spray clean a carb when its not actually entering the float and not going through the fuel circuit 

 

Spaying a "cleaner" in the carb just follows the path of the air intake which goes straight through in to the engine 

 

At most it will possibly clean the butterflies

'Cos I spray it into the float chamber through the inlet. It froths up and forces it's way through the jets. I have no idea what is in it but it is much more effective than carb cleaner.

[Stu]

5 minutes ago, Mississippi Bullfrog said:

'Cos I spray it into the float chamber through the inlet. It froths up and forces it's way through the jets. I have no idea what is in it but it is much more effective than carb cleaner.

 

I'm not sold on it unfortunately 

[Mississippi Bullfrog]

2 hours ago, Stu said:

 

I'm not sold on it unfortunately 

The proof of the the pudding is in the eating.

 

There were a series of Vauxhall engines with idle bypass valves that were notorious for sticking. It was sorting those out that got me using this stuff as it was the only stuff that touched them. 

[Stu]

2 minutes ago, Mississippi Bullfrog said:

The proof of the the pudding is in the eating.

 

This is true and as I say I'm not convinced 

 

Partly because I have never used them and because I'm a believer in stripping things down and making sure everything is spotless 

 

As I say I don't see how it can work without getting inside properly 

[fastbob]

So who do you expect to actually carry out this work ? There are companies out there but at a starting price of £59 per carb you aren't going to see much change out of £300 . And once they are back on the bike they still have to be set up . You say that you lack the confidence to do it yourself . So do it anyway , without any confidence . Read up , be methodical , be observant and gentle , stop if you haven't got the right tools , create a clean and well lit work area , put everything in little boxes like a pill dispenser and put the kettle on . This is how confidence is gained .  . https://www.pccperformance.co.uk/collections/carburettor-services?gclid=CjwKCAiAlrSPBhBaEiwAuLSDUPWDgrJOAz2Hq3F1CMxdBgCiQ2snhp3LAEhecFkwR18hwid9AsMo_BoCvAkQAvD_BwE

Edited January 23, 2022 by fastbob

[Stu]

Of you do it yourself make sure you buy some jis screwdrivers to save you destroying the screws 

[Spongefinger]

3 hours ago, fastbob said:

So who do you expect to actually carry out this work ? There are companies out there but at a starting price of £59 per carb you aren't going to see much change out of £300 . And once they are back on the bike they still have to be set up . You say that you lack the confidence to do it yourself . So do it anyway , without any confidence . Read up , be methodical , be observant and gentle , stop if you haven't got the right tools , create a clean and well lit work area , put everything in little boxes like a pill dispenser and put the kettle on . This is how confidence is gained .  . https://www.pccperformance.co.uk/collections/carburettor-services?gclid=CjwKCAiAlrSPBhBaEiwAuLSDUPWDgrJOAz2Hq3F1CMxdBgCiQ2snhp3LAEhecFkwR18hwid9AsMo_BoCvAkQAvD_BwE

 

Yeah, perhaps it's time to just take a deep breath and take the plunge. I treated myself to tools and the Haynes manual for Xmas , also I've just has to shell £££ out on my car so canr really afford that kind of outlay on the bike the moment .

[Chrissb6]

This stuff has worked a treat on my bikes

Sea Foam | Makers of Sea Foam Motor Treatment & other engine products (seafoamworks.com)

[Mississippi Bullfrog]

9 hours ago, Chrissb6 said:

This stuff has worked a treat on my bikes

Sea Foam | Makers of Sea Foam Motor Treatment & other engine products (seafoamworks.com)

Which particular product?

 

The spray I mentioned comes from a marine background and Sea Foam was designed for boat engines. I have no idea why the variety of cleaners I've sourced from marine suppliers seem to work much better than anything available for automotive use. You'd think automotive manufacturers would cotton on.