i'll try running it by you guys one last time

[bigwake]

i couldnt get this thing started..its a 2000 banshee stock except boost bottle vf3's and barnett clutch..i checked the compression..120 each..checked spark..fine..even put new plugs in..checked choke tube..its connected..once the bike is running..it runs like a champion..no bogging/under powered etc..runs great..i had a friend come over and we narrowed it to the choke/carbs..once the bike started after 100 kicks..the choke didnt effect idle at all..so i pulled the choke and inspected o rings..looked fine..i sprayed some choke cleaner in the choke hole and on the choke itself..i put it back in..we found that it will start when you manually choke it with a towel over the air filter manifold..i forgot to mention its a single k&n filter..so i think my choke is the problem but it looks fine..now when the bike is running the choke makes a difference in idle and will kill the bike when hot as it should..i took it apart today after riding at the track over the weekend.  the choke spring was covered with dirt and grit from the track..so i suspect that maybe the boot that covers the choke is allowing grit in and over the past how ever long its been ridden dirt has gotten in the carbs and thats why it won't start?..i just dont get why it wont start up when cold..after many hours at the track it wouldnt even start when hot or warm..which makes me think it was because the dirt was getting in there? so basically before i tear the carbs out and clean them (which i dont even know how to do yet) does anyone think its safe to use a fuel additive or gas cleaner? like one off the shelf at an auto parts store? just thought i'd give it a try...any suggestions would be great! thanx guys

[Fox17]

just take them apart and clean them out good. its not hard at all. no one can sit here and explain it to you step by step. you just have to do it. i just did one one day and figured it out. no one explained it to me. just remember where all the bolts go and all and youll be fine. buy a service manual if youre not comfortable doing it without.

[bigwake]

ok thanx

[UncleRico]

just take them apart and clean them out good. its not hard at all. no one can sit here and explain it to you step by step. you just have to do it. i just did one one day and figured it out. no one explained it to me. just remember where all the bolts go and all and youll be fine. buy a service manual if youre not comfortable doing it without.

That sounds like a challenge.

[UncleRico]

Cleaning the Carb is the first place I go when you have fuel delivery issues, as it sounds like you are having. A good carb cleaning is a good idea if your bike has been sitting for a while, or your having symptoms of poor fuel delivery.

So here's the general steps of cleaning your carb.

Shut off the fuel, drain the float bowl and remove the carb. Next, remove the float bowl. Inside you will find the floats that pivot on a pin (Keihin) or a dual-armed brass piece (Mikuni) that pivots on a pin. This controls the float valve by moving up and down with the fuel level. As fuel enters the bowl, the floats rise and push up on the float valve. The valve is forced into its seat, closing off the flow of fuel when everything works correctly.
The largest tower in the center of the body contains the main jet, which in most cases, is threaded into the needle jet. The jet needle, attached to the bottom of the slide, moves vertically, through the center of this tower, metering the amount of fuel allowed into the carb’s bore from about 1/4 to 3/4 throttle.

Remove the main jet with a flat-blade screwdriver or a hex wrench, depending on model. Note that some mains are surrounded by a shroud which keeps fuel pooled around the jet—even when the fuel is "sloshed" around the float bowl during riding over rough ground. Above the main jet is the needle jet.
Remove the needle jet. Some models are screwed into the body and come out from the bottom. Others are pushed up through the carb’s bore and out the slide tower. Resist the temptation to use a hammer to drive it out! The plastic handle of a screwdriver works best.

Forward of the main jet tower is the pilot or slow jet. On some models it is recessed deep inside a tower, while on others it is screwed into the top. Others are pressed in and are not removable. These jets are usually the hardest to remove from the carb body, especially if they are "glued" in place with dried fuel. Because there is a hole located in the middle of the jet, you can enlarge the hole with a small drill bit and use a very small pointed spiral Easy-Out to screw it out. In the worst case, you can keep enlarging the hole until the walls of the jet can be collapsed. Remember, jets are replaceable—the carburetor body is not.

Two adjustment screws are located outside of the float bowl. The idle speed screw is usually found on the side of the slide tower and doesn’t have to be removed. The other place to find it is on the external throttle linkage, usually located on the right side of the carbs body under a plastic cover.

Give the interior parts a good general cleaning, then reassemble in the opposite way you just disassembled, and you should be good to go.


So put that in your pipe and smoke it, Fox17!

[bigwake]

ahha..thanx a lot! i actually ended up buying a set of carbs..new take offs..and i'll see how it goes..