How to clean REALLY nasty jets?

[mattb348]

I was just wondering how to clean jets WITHOUT ruining them.

My jets are from a carb that literally sat outside for like 15 years (they were inside of a sealed carb though).

The jets were so dirty that I had to rub them with a brass bristle brush just to be able to read the jet numbers. There seem to be a nasty black film all over them in places.

I can see through the hole of the main jet, but the slow jet is totally logged (can't see through the main hole at all, or blow through it).

How can I clean the actual hole out? I don't think that carb cleaner is going to cut it in this case. I want to make sure that they have a clean hole with the right diameter (the crap inside may have made the diameter shrink).

Is there a good way for me to stick something in there to clean the hole out, without ruining the jets in the process?

[MudBug]

try a lubricant of some sort like PB Blaster and use compressed air. it should do the trick

[torker]

Jets are really cheap man. Just get new ones.

TORKER.

[MonroeMike]

Try soaking the parts in Evapo-Rust.

[mattb348]

Jets are really cheap man. Just get new ones.

TORKER.

I'd love to get new jets; the only problem is I can NOT find jets for a ytm200 carb for the friggin LIFE of me.

Every site that I have been referred to never has the right jets, and neither does ebay or amazon.com.

I even searched google...... and I am really good at google searches.

Still no luck... :(

I may have to buy a friggin used carb just to take the jets out of it, and hope that they are in usuable shape :(

[Dirtcrasher]

Soak them in various chemicals then propane torch the pricks! That'll get any garbage out of the pee holes!!

[Macs]

I usaully soak with carb cleaner and then use a torch tip cleaner and run through them. the torch idea works really well and i totally forgot about it.

[harryredtrike]

the urge will be to shove something through the holes,try not to.if you have to try something plastic or brass.

[shortline10]

A torch tip cleaner works great for the main jets but the idol jet i use a tiny strand of wire and carb cleaner and just poke and clean .

[Racerguy381]

I usaully soak with carb cleaner and then use a torch tip cleaner and run through them. the torch idea works really well and i totally forgot about it.

I agree, go to your local welding supply and get a torch head cleaning reamer set. Soak the jets for a few hours or overnight in carb cleaner. The varnish build up should clean out pretty easy. If your local Yamaha dealer cant get the right jets somthing is wrong... They have access to OEM and aftermarket like Sudco. From the looks of it yours takes a small round Mikuni and a VM28 series Mikuni pilot. Here are a few of Sudco's jet pages you can order from them if you need to.

http://www.sudco.com/CatalogJPG/135.jpg
http://www.sudco.com/CatalogJPG/136.jpg
http://www.sudco.com/CatalogJPG/137.jpg
http://www.sudco.com/CatalogJPG/138.jpg

[Dammit!]

I use guitar strings occasionally but I usually just replace them.

[rdlsz24]

Holy huge image above. I never have any luck cleaning the gunk out of really bad ones, and always replace them. I second trying your local Yamaha dealer. They may have to order but then you won't pay crazy shipping like most websites charge for little jets.

Rob

[200XMichigan]

I would soak them over night in carb cleaner, then uses aerosol carb cleaner, I put the red tip inside the jet, using my fingers to seal it on the end, spray the cleaner through the jet. As long as a little comes out it will force the rest of the stuff out of there. Then plug the opposite end of the jet with your finger and force the cleaner through the side holes of the jet. This should clean them out good.

If you have to I usually strip a piece of copper wire (very thin stranded) and use these to clean the jets. Copper is softer than brass so as long as your careful it won't damage anything. But as soon as they can flow anything use the carb cleaner and don't try to ream them out.

I have never bought jets, call me cheap, but on a 4 carb bike its $80 for jets and I don't see anything wrong with cleaning them.

[MonroeMike]

I burn the paper off a garbage bag tie and gently use the wire from that, if needed.

[MTS]

Permtax gasket remover works wonders...just let em soak

[oscarmayer]

you can soak them in chem dip carb cleaner. it's a 1gallon paint can size cleaner found at nearly every auto parts store in america. drop them in let it soak over night, wash with soak and warm water and clean!

[JustEnough]

I have heard that boiling metal carb parts in white vinegar cleans them to new condition.

I have also heard that you want to do it outside, on the side burner of the BBQ with an old saucepan, that you can dedicate to the cause. This keeps it all quiet on the homefront.



trr

[atc500x]

I useold throttle or brake cable wire.Took only one small wire,they are smaller than torch tip cleaner.Sometine I use a hand operated hydraulic power unit,I install a hydraulic pull on the hose,drill a hole and tap the good thread,screw the jet on it and apply pressure,any varnish doesn't resist to 2000 psi oil pressure....

[brapp]

i use a piece fo fine copper wire liek froma piece of speaker wire or for stoborn crap i use a piece of a bicycle brake cable clip the barrel end off and then unwreap it i have yet to find a carb i couldnt get going.

[Autophysn]

Jets are really cheap man. Just get new ones.

TORKER.

I agree, you will be much better off. However I found out today that the needle is NOT the same. The replacement kit I got, caused my bike to bog out when snapping the throttle. I had to re-use the old needle, not a problem at all, just saying:beer

[mikeyb716]

Johnson/evinrude engine tuner works great. Let them soak for a hour or so and the jets will look almost new again.

[code200k]

im preety sure dennis kirk sells jet kits for these carbs.but if you need parts hit me up p.m. style.lol

[audioworks04]

I wouldn't use torch tip cleaners, they are abrasive and could enlarge your holes, which i guess could be okay as-long as you are careful. Those jets must be available check out your local Harley dealer. Around here they have the biggest selection of jets around. If I going to try and scrub the inside of the jet with anything it would be just a small piece of copper wire strand.

[Racerguy381]

K&L supply sells a jet cleaner kit. Looks just like the torch or welding tip cleaners but with smaller wire. They work great www.klsupply.com page 78 if you download the catologe pdf. All the mechanics at a few dealerships I worked for used them all the time.

[Autophysn]

dude, if I can not clean the jets by soaking them over night and simply using the bristle from a wire brush, then it is time to replace. Now, if I was stuck in the middle of nowhere with no access to parts, only using what I have in my shop? I would use a needle from the ol lady's sewing kit or even make a shard from something hard. McGuiver would get down with a toothpick and some bubble gum, but I am not that innovative, hahahahahahahahaha

Just clowning bro, You have any pictures of these dastardly jets?

[mattb348]

Wow thank you all very much for all of the great advice that was given!

I got the jets cleaned. I just took a very small peice of wire and pushed it through very slowly and very carefully.

I did not try to scrub the inside of the jet or anything; I only made a hole through the junk that was stuck in there.

Once I opened the hole back up, I just blasted WD40 through it to get any other junk that was in there, out.

Jet appears to be fine now. Hole is perfectly circular, and when I compare to to my smaller size jet, the hole looks bigger than the hole in the smaller size jet (and they are both the same exact jet), so it must be all cleaned out now.

I also soaked it over night in carb cleaner after as well.

Thanks again guys.

[85Tecate]

If you're talking about those corroted ones (mostly the pilot jets) that you just cant seem to get something through you're probably past the time of cleaning them. The corrosion eats away the brass and interferes with the jet size.


Dont buy the jets specfic for that machine. goto your local motorcycle shop with the brand of your carb (I think mikuni) and tell them you need this size jet for a mikuni carb. The number is on the side of the jet. Voila, you got new jets! If you cant find jets still, pm me and you can paypal me the money and i will pick them up and ship them back to you....I know for a fact i can get them all day long.

Also what racerguy said. Jet cleaners are awesome, but you still have to be careful and not force something through. They are made of steel.

[unclejemima]

the urge will be to shove something through the holes,try not to.if you have to try something plastic or brass.

I like to use toothpicks (the ones with the pointy end)
Dip the toothpick in carb cleaner, and gently insert the tip in the jet/hole while turning it left/right to remove gunk. Works great. Its soft so it won't scratch or damage the jet, and it is slightly abrasive to is will clean it as well.

[leevarnado]

i boil all my carbs and carb parts in plan h2o then clean then out with air and carb cleaner.