Well there a few golden rules when cleaning out carbs which are:

1. If you remove the top caps on a carb block and it has a rubber slide...DO not put your finger through it...Pull it out gently and slowly and be safe because you dont want to bugger the bloody thing...

2. When cleaning out where the slide goes use some type of solvent, you don't need to settle with just carb cleaner! Any solvent will do i even used computer solvent (used to clean contacts) or if you can use brake cleaner... Jut make sure to dry it after and make sure it shines... also when putting it back together lube the slide a lil with a little wd-40 but dont soak it... just a little and make sure if the slide is rubber to put the seal around properly...

*oh yeah dont clean a carb with water! dont laugh I've seen it done plenty of times... even soaking a carb in a bowl of water ...idiots

Also Check that the slide is moving freely...by putting the carb back together with the spring and cap etc and pushing the slide up with your finger...it should move easily and you should feel some resistance as you create a kind of vacumm...

3.After doing the slides fit them back together and flip the carbs over and look at the bottom, take off the bowls... there is sometimes petrol in there so dont worry...or if the thing is full then maybe you should of drained them first?

4.Observe the bowl of the carb (basicically the bottom of the carb)...there shouldnt be any crap in there like rust or litmescale stuff etc etc if there is any grime its gotta go... be really careful with this aswell...

5. look at the float, remove the pin and the float check if the float is deflated, deformed or has any holes...if so this affects the carbaration of the bike and must be replaced with a new float...no fix its around that. check the needle that was on the float clean the tip to make sure it hasnt got any grime on it affecting its role... Then clean up the whole bowl and no grime should be left on anything...

oh yeah blow down the hole the needle was in to check that it isnt blocked...if it is get some wire and stick it down the hole til your happy that it is clear.


Do's and donts.
-Dont use water on the carb EVER water is bad...
-Do Use anything solvent based to clean grime up e.g brake cleaner etc dont just settle for that expensive can of carb cleaner
-Dont soak the carb in WD-40 only use little on the slide.
-Dont stick your fingers thru the rubber slides - if a hole is present you have to replace the slide... if there are also holes in the slide when you just got the bike and you open and check that means the guy who had it last didnt know what he was doing and stuck his fingers thru it...check the rest of the bike! lol
-double check that you replaced everything in the right place because you dont want to mess up your bike...


well I hope those few tips will help anyone cleaning out carbs...You should also clean carbs if the bike is not running right e.g on a four bike and only running on three or just crap performance clean the carbs...

Not bad MrBrownstone, a good description of a service to a simple carburettor as found on most 125cc or less bikes. Keep at it, I'm sure that there are many new riders who will benifit greatly for such detailed advice.

Compressed air, surely?



Cheapo supermarket Cola makes a good carb cleaner

compressed air sometimes isnt powerful enough to get ou blockages it is only good really for blowing flakes of rust or paint n dust outa there but the best and cheap alternitive is abit of wire, as the wire pushes it outa the the way and bends to fit the tube compress air doesnt do the job.

lol smart price cola

I'd never use wire, the gantry's can be delicate and have very sharp bends and wire will do more damage than good, bits can get broken off inside the carb which will effectively write the carb off. Compressed air is the best option, if still blocked coke or take it to a proper mechanic who will use solvent in a sonic bath.

Guess I shouldn't have done mind in the rain then!

Still, not much choice when it starts pi$$ing down halfway through

Great tips, I must admit I've not actually taken the whole things apart yet, just drained and cleaned the bowls out...

yep its worse when your in middle of a field spraying the bike like you do and it pisses down... lol not much to the carbs it is faily basicic but this isnt including choke etc etc