Ok, I've started taking the carb off so I can clean it... Everything seems to be coming off it easily enough for me to just pull it off, but I have a couple questions.....

The hose that is attached to the carb that has coolant in it, is there a way to take that off without losing all the coolant?

 

Ok - I can see from one of WestOzKlx's posts that it's the de-ice system - and that it seems that I'll have to drain the coolant to take it off... What a complete pain in the ***.

@#$!@#$

 

Ok I've got it off...... Now should I pull the top bit off and start cleaning in there with the carby cleaner stuff...

When I opened up the throttle I couldn't see any crap in it.... Is the float bowl on the bottom of the carb or is it that little circle bit on top with the 4 screws in it?

 

Float bowl is on the bottom.
I wouldn't think you need to take the slide out.
They are the screws on the top.

Clean the float needle, pilot and main jets.
Compressed air would be handy.

I didn't ever drain the coolant.
Just blocked it up as required.
Plus now all that has been disconnected.
Probably never required in sunny perth.

Good luck

 

Wooooow, this has turned into a much bigger job...... I think the problem has turned out to be that I over oiled the air filter, as I noticed their is some filter oil at the bottom of the air box.

Right.... So I thought, how the hell am I going to get rid of all that oil?? So I took the breather box thingy that connects to the carb off and then thought maybe I can get the airbox off...

Well the airbox wont come off unless I take the muffler off or take the rear plastics off - which have got the nest of wires conveniently attached to it.... So to hell with that, but with the black flexible breather box thingy off I could get good access to the airbox and have got it spotlessly clean now..... So now all I need to do is start putting it back together....

Heh... This is going to be fun!

Ok So I'm going to put that carb on first.... BUT I'd like to remove all this de-ice CRAP - So how do you remove the T-piece that is connected to the actual carb or should I just remove the cables that are attached to it and plug it somehow?

Other than that I'll attach the carb to the engine side then put the airbox back together get the air filter back in and start it up and see how she goes....

Fingers crossed....

I've given the filter another really good squeeze out, but what should I be looking for to know if I've got too much oil on it?

 

Heh..... I seem to be answering my own posts but I guess if anyone else wants to do this they can follow me along.....

I will get a bunch of pictures up shortly so you can see exactly what bits and pieces I'm talking about.

So anyway, that de-ice thing that plugs into the carb - is really easy to take off, you just undo a small dodgy looking screw and give it a little pull and it slides right out.

Is the de-ice opening blocked off by the float bowl on the U.S bikes? or is it simply left open?

I can't see why it can't be left open...

(I got the picture of the carb from a post by DirtSurfer)

As for the hose that goes from the carb to the engine do the U.S bikes still have a hose that goes there, but it just doesn't go through the carb or is it simply blocked off like in this picture from WestOzKlx?



Or is the hole in the engine block not even there?

 

The Aus spec engine block is machined to accept the de-ice circuit.
The USA head is machined to accept the smog crap.
Otherwise the cylinder and head are the same.

 

First off, where in the world do you live that you've got, or need, a de-icer setup on the carb? I've never heard of such a thing, other than seeing it in the parts diagram.

Never, repeat never, clean a mc carb with "carb cleaner" no mater whose brand it is. The chemicals in the solvent destroy rubber and plastic. Have you priced the vacuum slide/diaphram assembly lately? Use only "brake cleaner" for cleaning the carb. The chemicals in the solvent do not affect rubber and plastic.

Squirting brake cleaner in the airbox would have been just the ticket for cleaning out all the goop. All the residue will drain out the hose attached to the bottom of the air box.

 

Ah well.... Too late, already cleaned it out with carb cleaner...

As for all the residue draining out of the hose of the air box.... Do you mean the hose on the bottom of the carb?

I can't see how the residue would travel back up to the airbox....

If you mean the hose on the bottom of the carb then I'll remember that trick for next time - it will sure be a HELL of a lot easier than taking the carb off to clean it!

But I guess it's good anyway, I feel much more confident in pulling parts off the bike now...

 

WOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOO - She's back up and running, it was SOOOOO sweet to hear it fire up and not have a problem when twisting the throttle!!

Thanks to WestOzKlx for his AWESOME write up on removing the de-icing system - which really turned out to be the job which took up most of my time. DirtSurfer also gets a special nod for his 'mod day' write up. All of which made it much easier for me to pull the carb off and put it back on.

So all up, I removed the de-icing sytem for the carb. Just like in WestOzKlx's write up on it, I needed a bolt and a nut - I used an M8 x 16mm bolt as I couldn't get a M8 x 10, which is why the nut is needed.

I also purchased a 19mm brass hose joiner from Coventry's and 4 hose clamps (14mm - 27mm).

I also changed the oil and oil filter while the bike was stripped apart, I purchased a factory oil filter from Causeway kawasaki and 2 litres of Bel-Ray's THUMPER oil. (of which I only used 1.5 litres)

I think the next job I need / want to learn is how to check the valve clearances and adjust them if needed...

Other than that my bike is back to running well.....

Their is however one thing that is not working so well now, and that is the throttle - it seems to stick - kind of like having cruise control....... I've tried loosening the screws on the throttle but it hasn't helped, should I try lubricating the handle bar where the throttle twist is?

Any other ideas / suggestions on a sticking throttle?

When I had the throttle cables disconnected from the handle bar piece the throttle cables were moving back and forth normally if I pulled on the cables.....