What should I use to clean the grey gunk from my carbs?
Bike: 1988 Suzuki GSX-R750 Slingshot with Mikuni BST36SS carbs
I’ve taken my carburetors apart COMPLETELY to clean them and found a lot of grey gunk pastey stuff on the slides and slide guides. This is my first carb clean and I’m not sure what i can and can’t use to clean the plastic guides. Bearing in mind that I don’t think that I should use carb cleaner on the slides and guides.
Thanks Huge, will surgical spirits work?
is there something that I should put in to lube the slide when I put the carbs together again because the grey stuff is sticky and pastey and doesn’t allow for free movement of the slides
Hey JetDoc, that was my initial thought but I have been cautioned on using carb cleaner on the non-metal parts from reading a post on a website dedicated to the cleaning of my particular make and model of carburetors:
http://www.gixxer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=159718
This is the reason for a request for an alternate solution. Also, I live in South Africa so the brands of cleaners that you guys have might not be available here
thanks molitor
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Tags: alternate solution, carburetors, gunk, slide guides, slides, slingshot, south africa, spirits, Suzuki, suzuki gsx r750
4 comments
JetDoc on June 15, 2010 at 4:05 pm
It’s a carburetor! Why wouldn’t you use carburetor cleaner on it? Actually, any good quality petroleum based solvent will work. Use an old toothbrush or similar soft bristle scrubber along with the solvent to clean out the gunk. It may help to allow the parts to soak overnight in a tub filled with solvent. Since you have the carbs out on your bench, this is probably a good time to replace the jets and needles too. They do wear over time and your engine will run better with fresh parts inside the carbs.
Huge on June 15, 2010 at 4:05 pm
You can use white spirit to clean these parts plastic included. It will not damage anything that is designed for use with petrol. That `grey gunk’ as you call it is probably grease residue used to lubricate the moving parts.
Chris on June 15, 2010 at 4:05 pm
The grey gunk cold be cable lube that has run down the cable and into the slides from someone overlubing the cable.
molitor on June 15, 2010 at 4:05 pm
http://www.berrymanproducts.com/Default.aspx?tabid=138
Do not lube the slides.