Vstar 1100 Cleaning carbs for first timer | GTAMotorcycle.com

Vstar 1100 Cleaning carbs for first timer

alphaChaser

Active member
Hi, I'm starting up my motorcycle that's been sitting for 2 years. I've replaced the battery and it won't start, it actually is leaking gasoline when I try to start it with the petcock on. I'm pretty sure the carbs are clogged and I'm gonna try to clean it.

1) What should I do with the old gasoline in the the tank before cleaning the carbs?

2) I need to remove the gas tank to access the carbs, should I leave the petcock in the off position?

3) Any other useful advice for a compete noob in motorcycle maintenance? I'm worried that I can't put it back up together.

Thx for any input!

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I have several carb'd bikes still and have cleaned them enough times I might be able to do them with my eyes closed

1) Old gas - find a suitable container you don't care about (I had an old gas can without a spout last time) and I put it in that container then take it to hazardous waste. If the gas still looks like gas then I pour it in my van with a full tank of good gas and run it in the van.

2) I suppose if the tank is empty it doesn't matter what setting the petcock is but generally I like to have it 'off' when I remove hoses and remove it from the bike. Better than gas all over garage floor and my leg

3) make sure you have at least 4 containers when you disassemble the carbs, 1 container for the parts you want to chemically clean per carb (jets, carb body, needle etc). Other container for parts you don't want to soak per carb (rubber seals, floats, diaphram)

4) when you remove the screws, especially on the float bowls, they will look like phillips but are probably JTS. get the right screw driver! Or you might find you are messing up the screw heads with the phillips.

5) have a parts diagram from the service manual (or a fiche off WWW) so you can see where all the little parts are. There might be some jets under caps which you can't get at.

6) when removing the jets for cleaning ensure you know which ones are screwed all the way in and which ones are a certain number of turns from all the way in

7) since it's leaking (from the carbs?) make sure you check your floats and check they still float. Sometimes they dry out and crack at which point they will fill with gas and not float, therefore not cutting off the flow of fuel into the carb. Be careful that you don't have gas going constantly into the carb, through the carb and filling the engine (rare). It will hydrolock and cause more damage when you turn it over.

That's off the top of my head
Jeff
 
based on your questions, I would suggest you find someone experienced to walk you through your first carb cleaning/rebuild. There are many pitfalls for a noob. brass carb jets are soft and easily stripped, as are float bowl screws. Your bike overflowing (leaking) fuel suggests a float needle/seat problem (think toilet that doesn't stop running). I would clean the carbs and replace the float needles and seats of both your carbs - along with setting the float height to oem specs. Your carbs should also be sync'd afterwards.

if you think your cylinders have been filled with gas and are worried about hydrolock you can remove the spark plugs and crank the engine over to expel the gas. MAKE SURE THE ENGINE KILL SWITCH IS IN THE OFF POSITION (not running position) WHEN CRANKING OVER THE MOTOR. this will prevent any ignition spark from inadvertently lighting up your bike (covered in fuel and fuel vapour) ...or worse, explode. raw gasoline and/or fuel vapour, even a little bit, is dangerous.
 
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JTS. get the right screw driver!

All good advice!
It's JIS (Japanese Industrial Standard)
If you own a metric bike & do your own work- GET A SET!

Most likely, your jets are clogged with fuel residue. You can clean them with carb cleaner, compressed air or SOFT wire. (You don't want to change the size of the holes)

Google 'Pine Sol carb cleaning'. Cheap and safer then carb cleaner, which is nasty stuff.
 
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Really appreciate all the comments. I wish I knew someone personally who knows this stuff. I'm thinking about taking the motorcycle to a mechanic to get it done this time and ask if I can watch the whole process so I'll know what to do next time.

You guys are so helpful, thx again.

Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk
 
Really appreciate all the comments. I wish I knew someone personally who knows this stuff. I'm thinking about taking the motorcycle to a mechanic to get it done this time and ask if I can watch the whole process so I'll know what to do next time.

You guys are so helpful, thx again.

Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk
If you aren't comfortable doing this yourself, pm Frekeyguy on this forum. He does excellent work and his rates are nothing like paying a dealer.

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