i've never cleaned a carb in my life.

not sure why, but carbs intimidate me. can anybody give me any tips on how to clean up my mikuni bs38s? i just want to make sure they are fully functional before i throw them on my bike. thanks. i hear that first kick coming soon!!!

Take a picture of everything you take off in case you forget how it all goes back. Buy plenty of carb cleaner.

They are pretty simple really.Do one at a time so you have a reference. If you decide to go after both at the same time, don't mix the parts from carb to carb. Keep everything organized, and be very careful when you remove the diaphragms from the tops of the carbs. They can easily rip.

Here is a guide. I would read it first. It is a lot to read, and they list the specs for the float height as well.

http://www.amckayltd.com/carbguide.pdf

http://star.walagata.com/w/sundialmo...full_hints.pdf

Pull all jets and clean with carb cleaner. Use air to blow out all passage ways and make sure your cleaner gets in all passage ways. Clean everything as best as you can, especially any varnish on the needles and anywhere else.
Make sure your float valves are clean and work, also polish up the float valve seat with some fine steel wool before closing up the carbs. Take the seat completely out. Don't leave them in the carb body. There is a passage way under it which needs to be clean and clear. If there is any debris in this passage way, or under the seat, the float valves won't work and you will be flooding the carbs with fuel/overflowing.

Depending on the year of the carbs, you either have brass floats or plastic. If brass, make sure they float and no cracks. You can shake them to hear if there is fuel in them. Another test is to submerge in hot water and look for bubbles.

Be very careful with the floats. You do not want to twist them or your fuel levels will be off. If gaskets are dry, replace them.

After they are put back together, you will have to sync the carbs. You can do so via a simple home made monometer. http://www.xs650.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2317

Some clear tubing, divide it so it is equal in length on both sides, get something to attach it to (pole, yard stick, broom stick, etc.) and I use Marvel Mystery oil for the fluid. It is red and won't hurt the engine if you get a little sucked into the carbs. However, have your finger on the kill switch when starting the bike with the monometer attached. If one carb pulls fluid, it will be quick. You don't want to hydro lock the engine. A little fluid won't hurt. But you don't want to suck it all in the engine.
You will find that very small turns of the center sync screw is all that is needed to get the fluid moving in the lines. Turn it until you get both sides equal in the lines.

Almost forgot. Most importantly: Set cam chain tension, adjust the valve lash, time it, and then carb sync... In that order.
If you don't have the others to spec, you will be chasing problems with the carbs and you will get nowhere.

99% of the time you do not need a rebuild kit for the carbs. Maybe gasket(s) and that is it. Try to reuse the stock parts. Many aftermarket parts are junk.

lots and lots of carb cleaner, wear safty glasses. that shit fucking hurts like hell when a solid steam bounces off and comes straight back into your eyes. an air compressor to blow everything out if you have one.

read that carb guide, its the shit. dont forget to blow out the 3 tiny pin hols in front of the butterfly.

i would usually blow some carb cleaner in a hole and see where it comes out, then block that hole with my finger. spray some more, then go in reverse. then do it with air. did that with everything a few thousand times.

first time i went through my carbs i went through at least 2 cans of carb cleaner. i get the cheap shit from wal-mart. its like 2.12 a can. seeing how it all ends up of the floor or in your eyes anyways.

if your rejetting, i would suggest getting real mukini jets, esp if you need to replace the needle and seat. im preemptively going to work on replacing all the shit i got from mikesxs. the real shit is a couple dollars more, but from what i hear, its pretty much necessary.

Someone a long time ago told me to soak the carb and parts in straight pine-sol for a couple of days. It won't hurt the rubber Orings and it cleans the gunk off really nicely. Just be sure to clean all the pinesol off with plain water after you are done. They will be clean and smell piney!

They are very easy to clean and rebuild. It's probably a good idea to spray carb cleaner in your eyes when you start, that way you get it out of the way early on...

Mikunis are REALLY simple, +1 on the pinesol, Carb Cleaner and compressed air, and your ready.

I was the same way man, and now do it all the time. You haven't LIVED until you've cleaned a Carb!!!!

Just dig in and do it, man! I split the quad-bank on my Magna the other day, it was intimidating, but make sure you put everything in one of those plastic boxes with compartments for small parts, or if you don't have one of those, I used plastic cups with labels on them.

Cleaned mine by soaking in pine-sol in a bucket with a sander strapped to the side for an hour, then cleaned in hot water and sprayed out all of the passages with carb cleaner before putting it back together. They seem intimidating, but carburetors are actually really simple once you get them apart!

If the pinsol method sound a little iffy to you then get the Yamalube carb dip. Its safe on rubber parts and works real well. http://www.yamaha-motor.com/yamalube...#productscroll