So a friend and I are trying to get a neglected 87 Hurricane to run again, and pulled the airbox off to see if we could get it to turn over with starter fluid. We don't know much about how carbs work, but another friend was over and stuck his finger down into one of the barrels and pushed the plastic stopper up (sorry I have no idea wtf those things are called), and said it came back down too slowly.

He said we'd need carb kits. Are gaskets and o-rings enough, or does that mean some other component has failed?

 

Wow, this could go anywhere.

First (and I know I've been recommending my own carb thread, not trying to toot my own horn) go here and check out the write up I did:

https://cbrforum.com/forum/cbr-600f4...8/#post1022025

Then go here:

https://cbrforum.com/forum/f2-tech-9...g-101-a-96888/

Pay attention to the part where the slide is taken out. Check all diaphragms for rips or tears. Replace as necessary.

You will need carb cleaner, compressed air and a carb dip (I prefer PineSol, no electronics need removed).

 

theyre not designed to be pushed by hand, sometimes if you push them by hand they rub on the sides of the carb, clean your carbs using the methods detailed above, install fresh spark plugs, and the bike should fire right up.

 

what do these plastic things do? and how fast should they come down?

 

Just spent three hours trying to pull the carbs off of the bike, but they're just stuck on. We tried rocking them front to back, drowning them in wd40, hair dryer to warm them up, pouring boiling water over the clamps... we nearly picked the bike up by its carbs and the ****ers just won't turn loose. I guess that's what 24 years will do to rubber.

 

Not to insult your intelligence, but did you loosen the clamps? You need to sort of "roll" the carbs off the head. Try using the portion you bolt the airbox to as leverage and pull straight back on the carbs (towards the rear of the bike).

The black sliders house your needles, when the intake valve opens this causes a vaccum which lifts these sliders up very quickly almost as fast as a humming bird flaps its wings when under full throttle.

 

Oh, we loosened the clamps alright. Both the tops and the bottoms, then each individually to see if rockinog the carbs would help apply stress more directly to whatever the **** piece of material is seized. Next step is to the borrow an engine lift and pick the bike up by its carbs while insulting it, haha. Thanks for checking though.

 

LOL Heres what you do, lay the bike on its side, hook a chain from the carbs to your car, and drive in the opposite direction.

 

I'm also in the process of cleaning my carbs.
This is how I took mine off.
I took off the rear bracket (the metal on which the airbox is bolted).
I left the front bracket (L-shaped metal plate) on the carbs, and I used a (very) large screwdriver to form a lever between this front bracket on the carbs and the engine head cover. Apply force for each carb and maybe it will work for you too.