I've got my carburetors stripped down and I've cleaned them out but I'm sure the pilot jets are still partially, if not fully, blocked. I've had them soaking in carb cleaner but they still look blocked. I know you are not supposed to poke anything down them but the holes are so small I doubt I could find anything to poke through. I'm sure these are the cause of my lumpy idle and low speed running. Any ideas?
Thanks.

 

Compressed air

 

try mystery oil. i had clog on my coolant line on the carb cause of the wrong type of hose was used and the hose broke down. i poked around couldnt get it clear. over night with mystery oil blew it right out. try a staple to poke around

 

If you use a really, really thin mechanic's wire, and don't drag it through the opening like you're trying to pull-start an Evinrude, you will probably be effective.

Also use some strong carb cleaner on the jets proper. Compressed air is a must.

 

I boiled mine in lemon juice. Worked great. The acid breaks down the gunk but is safe for brass.

 

As already mentioned, let some carb cleaner soak, use compressed air to blow through the orifice, and repeat, until clear - letting the jets soak in an ultrasonic cleaner is also an easy way to get those clear, but with carb cleaner and compressed air, you really shouldn't need anything else.

Now lets just pretend the orifices in your pilot jets are actually clean - there is another thing to consider here, and that's your pilot screw settings - if they are turned in too far, this will lean out the pilot circuit.

1) How many turns out from lightly seated are your pilot screws? Are all of them set consistently, from one carb to the next?

2) Do you have an OEM-type paper air filter, or a hi-flow re-cleanable filter, like a K&N, UNI, or BMC... also, regardless of which you have, is it clean, and in the case of the re-usable type, is it clean AND properly oiled?

3) Do you have a race header, and/or a very unrestrictive, short muffler?

 

Thanks for all the replies, I never thought about compressed air and a great idea only I don't have a supply of it here. Maybe I can take them somehwere to have them blown through. The pilot screws were all set to the same of approx. 2 1/4 turns out from the seated postion. The bike is standard everything and paper air filter. I better check the whole pilot circuit too as there are very fine holes there that could also be blocked up.

 

Those lil cans of compressed air made to dust computer keyboards work in a pinch. And they have a straw for reaching into narrow places.

 

Yup, while the pilot jets are soaking, you need to verify that you've got flow from where the pilot jet screws in, through the passage to the three very small holes that are grouped together on the engine side of the throttle plates - spray carb cleaner through (be careful that the spray doesn't splash back in your eyes) and make sure you see it coming out strong in all three of those little holes... blow free with compressed air, repeat.

An air compressor is such a useful thing to have when you've got a bike - you know, you should be able to score a cheap pancake air compressor for 75£ to 90£.

 

Thanks for this.
I checked with some WD40 squirted through where the pilot jets screw into and three jets emerged from all three holes in the carb body except for the last one which has only two sprays so one must have a blockage. I will get some carb cleaner and air in there this weekend. :-D