[jbfla]

Not So Lazy Man's Teikei (TK) Carb Cleaning

Not So Lazy Man's Teikei (TK) CV Carb Cleaning (2001 and newer TW's)

(EDITED 8-4-17)

After 10 years of cleaning and rebuilding TK carbs, I find that if you want to do it right, the carb should be removed from the bike and thoroughly cleaned.

***If your bike has been sitting for month's or years, the carburetor needs to be removed completely, and thoroughly cleaned.***


This procedure is for informational purposes only.

Proceed at your own risk.

If you are at all hesitant, take your carb to a Yamaha shop to be cleaned, about $70. plus parts, the last time I checked (prices vary widely). This was the price I was quoted if you remove the carb yourself and bring it to the shop (in 2007).

New carbs are expensive... about $275. US.

Internal parts are small and easily lost. It will take time and money to replace them.

The carb will not work property, or at all, with missing parts.

There are good instructions and parts diagrams in the '01 Supplement Manual, p 32 to 39.

'01 and newer supplement


I am not a professional mechanic, only a reluctant one.


You may be able to proceed without removing these parts but it makes it easier to get to the carb.

Remove seat.
Remove side panels


Turn off petcock.

Remove fuel line from carb.

Remove tank.

Open drain screw and drain gas from bowl.





Loosen hose clamps.




On the right side of the bike:

Look at position of the throttle cable retaining nuts.

You will need to put them back when putting things back together.

Take a picture.




Remove throttle cable locking nuts.

Remove cables from bracket.

Remove cable ends from pulley.




Rotate carb to the right 90 degrees




You now have access to the bottom of the carb.

Remove 4 float bowl screws.

Remove float bowl.




With the carb in this position, you can access the pilot jet and main jet, and check the position of the pilot screw.

From the other side of the bike, you can access the vacuum chamber.


To Remove the Carb:

Grab the carb and push it towards the airbox until the front to the carb comes out of the engine mainifold.

Then angle the front of the carb towards you, and wiggle it out.

It's not easy, especially if you have an old hardened rubber boot on the airbox.


Some people prefer to unbolt the 2 bolts on the manifold and remove the carb and manifold together....whichever is easier for you.

 

[jbfla]

[Photos updated 11-22-2010]

Now for the cleaning.

You may want to clean only the pilot and main jets.

You can. And if the carb isn't too dirty this may be all that is necessary.

However there are several internal air and fuel passageways that also need to be cleaned.

You can spray carb cleaner through them (use eye protection).

The best way (IMO) to clean the carb body and the internal passageways is to use an ultrasonic cleaner.

I used plain tap water along with a few ounces of Dawn dish washing liquid.




If you are going to use a carb cleaning spray or solution, wear gloves and eye protection, and use in a well ventilated space.

It is nasty stuff. It can blind you, and be absorbed through your skin.

It can also dissolve rubber parts. Do Not use it on gaskets, o-rings or the slide diaphram.

If you don't have access to an ultrasonic cleaner, you can use these
cleaning supplies:




In any case, in order to completely clean the carb, all the internal parts should be removed before soaking the carb.

You can try soaking the carb without removing the internal parts, but there is no guarantee that the part that is causing the problem will be cleaned.

Remove the float bowl. Then remove the gasket and the plastic splash ring at the bottom of the bowl, and used cotton swabs and an old toothbrush with the carb cleaner to clean the bowl.






When the bowl is clean:


Remove the main jet (7mm socket) and the main jet holder (8mm socket)




There is also the main nozzle (main jet needle) above the main jet holder.

The main nozzle falls out easily. Don't lose it. It will cost you $25. US.




Remove the pilot jet (small flat blade screwdriver).

Clean the main jet, main jet holder, main nozzle, and the pilot jet.

I soaked them in carb cleaner, and used a guitar string (high E) to clean the holes. You can also use a jet cleaning wire set. The wire set is $15. The guitar string is $1. at your local music store.





Before removing the pilot screw gently turn the screw clockwise, counting the turns, until it seats.

Remember how many turns.... 2.5 turns is an average setting.

Remove the pilot screw. Make sure to remove the small o-ring.

It can stick inside the pilot screw passageway.



Now to remove the carb float and float valve assembly.....BE CAREFUL.

THE POSTS THAT HOLD THE FLOAT IN PLACE ARE FRAGILE.

THEY CAN BE EASILY BROKEN....THEN MOST LIKELY YOU WILL BE PURCHASING A NEW CARB.



The float pin is pressed into place.

After removing the retaining screw, I used a pair of slip-joint pliers and a small finish nail to push the pin out.



Here are the float and float needle removed:



Removing the float needle seat can also be difficult.

I used a needle nose pliers to grab the edge of the seat and carefully wiggle it out.

I have also damaged a stuck valve seat beyond repair and had to purchase a new one.



A bad o-ring on the valve seat is one of the main causes of a leaking carb. It is a good idea to replace it.



Next remove the parts from the top of the carb (vacuum chamber):



Then remove the coaster circuit parts on the side of the carb, and the choke assembly:




Here are all the parts you should have:




Now the carb parts can be cleaned individually, and the carb body soaked.

I used a dip of straight Pinesol...left it in overnight.



You can also use Simple Green, Yamaha Carb Cleaner, or the more toxic Berryman Carb cleaner.



After dipping the carb body and parts, rinse in clean water, and let dry.

And as they say in the BMW manuals, assembly is just the reverse of disassembly.

When you have the carb reinstalled in the bike, you will need to go through the "carb tuning" procedure for best performance.

There is a tuning "how to" in the Technical Write-Ups.

If you get stuck or are having difficulty, please post your questions in the "Tech" section of the TW 200 Forum.

jb

 

[Dark Sol]

This is a nice guide, I'm trying to learn more about this part of the bike and this helps a lot!



I'd like to ask you a few questions about my bike if you don't mind..



First off it will leak really bad if I don't turn the tank OFF, only happens when the bike is not running. From what I understand that has to do with the floats or something, and the ones on my '01 TW are pretty bent up from the PO, probably didn't know what he was doing.



The main question..the bike will not run at all with choke on. Half, full, the bike tries to run for a split second but will not run. Warm or cold. Do you have any idea what might be causing this? Is it something adjusted wrong mechanically or do I just need a whole new Carb one of these days?



Will it hurt the engine to run with these problems? I've ran 2500 Mi. this way now and everything seems OK, it runs without missing a beat but I thought I'd ask just in case if you happen to know. Thanks!

 

[jbfla]

...it will leak really bad if I don't turn the tank OFF, only happens when the bike is not running. From what I understand that has to do with the floats or something, and the ones on my '01 TW are pretty bent up...

It could be the float not closing fully, or it could be a bad o-ring on the float valve seat.




The float, and float valve (needle), control the flow of gas into the carb bowl. When the float is down, fuel flows into the bowl. As the float rises, the valve closes off the fuel inlet until more fuel is needed.



As fuel is used by the engine, the float lowers and again opens the valve to allow gas to flow into the bowl.



If the float on your carb is bent, it is likely the valve is not closing completely. So it overflows the bowl, and leaks out the drain tube. When your engine is running it probably uses enough fuel that the bowl doesn't overflow.

The main question..the bike will not run at all with choke on...

The choke, or enricher, when pulled out (open) provides extra fuel when the engine is cold. If your engine doesn't need the choke to start, it's no big deal.


The pilot jet is providing enough fuel to start the engine and idle. You might want to check how many turns out the pilot screw is set at. If a previous owner has messed up the float, the jets may also have been changed, or even parts in the pilot screw assembly may be missing.


If your bike runs good without the choke, then don't worry about it.

...or do I just need a whole new Carb one of these days?

You do not need a new carb unless there is a crack or a broken piece on the carb body.


I haven't checked recently, but I would make a rough estimate of about $100 US to replace the essential parts of the carb to make it new again.


You can check prices at boats.net or Partzilla.com or the dealer or online vendor of your choice.

Will it hurt the engine to run with these problems?

Not necessarily. My guess is that your engine is running rich. If your spark plug is black and sooty, and the inside of the exhaust tip is covered with carbon, or the engine "bogs down" before accelerating when opening the throttle, those are good clues to running rich.


A bit rich won't hurt. A lot rich will cause carbon build up in the engine, and cause you not to have the best engine performance.

I've ran 2500 Mi. this way now and everything seems OK, it runs without missing a beat...

If it runs great, in my opinion, don't mess with it.

jb

 

[PJungnitsch]

That is one brilliant guide!



On the running issue, they could well be related. The float has to rise to shut off the inlet valve, sort of like a toilet tank. If that system isn't working (either the float not working right or the valve not shutting off) too high a gas level in the bowl might be causing your bike to run rich. The choke makes it run richer yet, which may be beyond what the engine can run at.

 

[mudpuppy]

EXCELLENT tutorial and pics! This is what makes this forum so great, and it may well save me some money and aggravation if I forget to put stabilizer in my gas some day (or just get a little dirt for some reason).



Motorcycle Consumer News (kind of like Consumer Reports, only for motorcyclists, and my FAVORITE magazine) includes a section in which a tech responds to readers problems. The October 2010 issue had a response regarding a clogged Honda Rebel carb, and the magazine's tech consultant also warned of using caution with spray type carb cleaners due to possible damage to rubber or plastic parts. They advised that " Yamaha offers a product , simply called Carburetor Cleaner Dip, that you can soak the carburetor parts and even the carb body assemblies in without fear of damage to the rubber and plastic parts. In fact, this product will help restore the rubber parts." They also advise that a jet wire cleaning tool is handy for stubborn varnish deposits (although your guitar string sounds like the ticket too, if you have access to one).



Motorcycle Consumer News homepage: http://www.mcnews.com/mcn/ if you want to see what the magazine is about (and you can access older articles for free).



Corey

 

[admiral]

Thanks for this jbfla...a lot.



Printed this one off on the color printer (at work of course) for future reference.



Also printed, for future use, the valve adjustment, and Mr. Gizmows dual sprocket pictorials as well, which darnold recently completed.



This is good stuff. Wish I could contribute something as informative as this.

 

[phelonius]

Be very watchful if you remove the main jet and the tube it is screwed into. There is a wee tiny aluminum bushing that will wait until you are not looking , then fall out and run away. Once it is out of your site it is capable of evaporating, never to be seen again.

Don't ask me how I found this out. BTW this was on a 2009 model. If it does come out and you catch it red handed, be sure to put it back the same direction that it came out.

It normally resides just above the tube that the main jet screws into.

If you put your carb back together and it will not run properly, this may be the problem.



Phelonius

 

[jbfla]

Be very watchful if you remove the main jet and the tube it is screwed into. There is a wee tiny aluminum bushing that will wait until you are not looking , then fall out and run away. ...Phelonius

Photos have been retaken to include the main nozzle.

(11-11-2010)



It's usually the tiny o-ring on the end of the pilot screw that jumps up and run away. Either that or the carb eats those o-rings.



jb

 

[stinkycheezmonky]

Thanks for posting all this up

I used it as a reference for my older ('88) carb this morning, and while everything is not entirely the same it was similar enough to get the job done. In the process though I found one O-ring gasket that is definitely dried up and crusty, but can't figure out which one it is on the parts diagram at Stadium Yam. My finger in the one pic is pointing at the place where it goes, and the second pic shows the size roughly of the O-ring. Anyone know which one I'm looking for?

And here is the link to Stadium Yam's diagram (hopefully): http://www.stadiumyamaha.com/pages/parts/viewbybrand/2/Yamaha.aspx

 

[jbfla]

I checked the parts diagram at BikeBandit, Boats.net, and Stadium Yamaha with no luck.



Suggestions:



Take the carb to your local Yamaha dealer and see it they can ID the part for you. I have found that dealer's parts fiche is often different from what is online.



Measure the outside and inside diameter of the necessary o-ring, then order it from McMaster-Carr or SmallParts.com. The only problem with that is you have to buy a whole bag, usually 25 or 100.



You can buy gasket material at an auto parts store, and make your own.



jb

 

[stinkycheezmonky]

I might try the DIY gasket thing, I'm just not 100% confident of my fingers with something so tiny. I'll try at the dealer first, thanks.

 

[WINGNUT200]

Nice job on the post!!

 

[Boret]

Great post, great quality pictures.

Thank you very much for taking the time to document everything!!



I recently bought a Metric O-Ring Assortment Pack at Harbor Freight Tools. This one:

They have it for sale now for $7.99 and you get 397 O-Rings. Contains the most popular metric o-rings ranging from 1.9 mm ID x 2.8 mm OD to 3.5 mm ID x 47.7 mm OD.



Here is the link.



BTW, if you go to the store, watch out because they have tons of great deals and you'll end up spending a lot of money. I walk out of the place with a motorcycle lift for $279!