Carburetor Cleaning, Rebuild or Repair
Reliably delivering the right amount of fuel and air to our motorcycles’ engines goes right back to first principles. Old, worn carburetors cause much aggravation to many motorcycle owners. Ultrasonic cleaners have been a major boon to those happy to spanner their own motorcycles.
It’s also meant that a good amount of people are offering ultrasonic cleaning ‘services’ which vary wildly in their quality. Some, we hear, do little more than chuck the carburetor in whole without bothering to take it apart. Ultrasonic cleaners are not the universal panacea they’re perceived to be. It takes a little more than dumping carburetors in the bath and hoping for the best. They have to be properly stripped and inspected.
There’s no point cleaning carburetors with worn-out parts, and stripped-down carburetors will clean much better.
The whole process is one that really can’t be rushed. Use only genuine spares and equip yourself with a decent exploded diagram of the carburetor you’re working on. It’s also worth being hyper-critical of parts in your carburetors that look worn. If it looks even slightly knackered then it probably is. Certainly we unveiled some horrors when we opened up some carburetors from a few older motorcycles. 
Tools for the job
Magnifying glass for inspecting jets and so on. Carburetor cleaning solution and an aerosol spray with multi-purpose lubricant to spray surfaces of cleaned components. Air duster, Screwdrivers. Spanner. Allen keys. Nylon brush, a old toothbrush will do fine.Prior to dismantling the carburetor, give the outside a good clean with carburetor cleaner until it is completely clean. It will be far more pleasant to work on and there’s less chance of getting more dirt where you don’t want it.
We also advice you to buy carburetor rebuild / repair kits for your carburetor(s). As rubber parts and gaskets often not last long in the Thai tropical climate, and the introduction of ethanol in the fuel didn’t help much also….
