found sulfur-like substance in carburetor bowls

My '76 Honda CJ360T (an old twin) has been in storage without running
for twelve years. I don't believe the carbs have ever been cleaned, and
since '83 I've never even been good enough to drain the bowls for the
winters. Usually I just closed off the fuel valve and parked the bike.

I disassembled the carbs yesterday, finding that the power pistons were
stuck and that the throttle linkages were severely gummed up. I cleaned
up those problems.

Upon removing the bowls (they were dry of course), I found inside each
bowl a layer of very fine yellowish, slightly greenish powder. The
layer was up to about one millimeter thick and covered all the inside
parts (floats, jet screws, float valve) that would normally be submerged
in gas. The powder was mostly insoluble in water and mostly insoluble
in oil and wasn't affected much by detergent water either. I brushed
the powder away with water and a toothbrush, then removed and cleaned
and replaced the jets and valves. When mixed with water, the powder
partly floated in small blobs and partly settled out as a fine
dirty-green sediment. A little of it was not easily removed and I
reassemble the bowls with a little of the the stuff still clinging to
the insides of the bowls.

Can anybody give some ideas about what this powder was, how bad it is, etc?

 

Congratulations, Matt! You are the one millionth person to post about
his discovery of the gum and varnish deposited inside a carburetor when
all the gasoline evaporates!

Problem is getting all that stuff out of the idle jets and the idle
passages. Try Berryman's B12 Chemtool in the aerosol can...

Do NOT attempt to remove the idle jets, unless you have a slot
screwdriver that fits the slot in the jet perfectly, you will bugger
tha slot and play hell getting that soft brass jet out...

 

It's residue from the petrol, and it's a bitch to remove. Complete
stripping and ultrasonic cleaning of the carbs is the only sure-fire way
when they're thius badly gummed.

And no, it isn't cheap.

 

Bring it by my house, I'll let you know when it's running.

Bryan

 

Uh oh ... I already removed it using a small screwdriver and a plastic
broom straw. After unscrewing, it was still stuck inside, so I shoved
the broom straw in the hole. The jet stuck on the broom straw and came
out pretty easily. I was able to blow air throught the tiny holes in
the sides. I didn't get the feeling that I had damaged anything.

 

Probably OK, broom straws are a lot softer than brass
I know people that would have used a length of mechanics wire!
PC Paul

 

Uh oh ... I already removed it using a small screwdriver and a plastic
broom straw. After unscrewing, it was still stuck inside, so I shoved
the broom straw in the hole. The jet stuck on the broom straw and came
out pretty easily.

 

Uh oh ... I already removed it using a small screwdriver and a plastic
broom straw. After unscrewing, it was still stuck inside, so I shoved
the broom straw in the hole. The jet stuck on the broom straw and came
out pretty easily. I was able to blow air throught the tiny holes in
the sides. I didn't get the feeling that I had damaged anything.

 

Back to your original problem.Leave the bowls in a pan filled with
Vinegar(Acetic Acid) or Washing Soda crystals over night.You can warm
the pan up if you like to speed up the cleaning
You can also use Baking Soda in a dense solution of water and leave
overnight



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Not sure I like the idea of using a sandblaster on carbs, but.....

 

I've used a bead blaster with walnut shells for carb bodies, that seems to be
okay. But Berkobil (sp?) carb cleaner worked best for me. Except on Amal
carbs. I didn't like what it did the the zinc/aluminum alloy of the carb
bodies.

 

I should have written that I didn't see green in dust---only in the
dirty wash water after brushing the jet threads. I think the brass was
the only metal that had any significant corrosion. I believe the main
amount of dust (there was a lot!) was yellowish white and was just
gasoline residue, presumedly "varnish" and similar.