What brushes do you use for cleaning?

[dgoodsy]

So I am starting to get more time to look at and work on my GT750, recently I have started cleaning carbs. For the most part the cleaning part of that is coming along fine. I am using an old tooth brush to do most of the brushing which is okay at best. It does well at brushing spots that are easy to access, but any sort of nook or cranny is tough to get in. Even the bottom of the float bowls are tough to get in some areas due to the size and shape of the brush, even though I have bent the head of the brush back 90 degrees to make it easier to reach depths like it has. Usually I wish the bristles are a bit stiffer as well.

I went to Canadian tire and bought a generic brush set like I'm sure we have all seen. it is 3 brushes that look similar to a toothbrush, one with nylon bristles, one with brass and one with stainless. The nylon one is stiffer that a toothbrush which is good, but it and all the rest are going to be even worse and getting into the tight spots than the toothbrush.

So I am looking for a brush similar to a fine paint brush (not the wall painting kind, but the fine work kind of brush) with stiff bristles to get in the tight spots better. longer bristles would be helpful for reaching places but then they lose their stiffness. What do you guys use for this kind of fine cleaning work? And no I don't have an ultrasonic cleaner, soda or vapor blaster, or anything of the like.

[akendall1966]

A set of test tube brushes are handy for the various passageways in carbs available on eBay.

[Zunspec4]

I would say strip the carbs down and then get them vapour blasted.

Cheers Geoff

[dgoodsy]

A set of test tube brushes are handy for the various passageways in carbs available on eBay.

Thanks, i think i will keep my eye out for a set of these or add them to my next amazon order.

I would say strip the carbs down and then get them vapour blasted.

Cheers Geoff

I did a quick google search and didn't find any local outfit who does vapour blasting. I will ask around though. Thanks.

[oldjapanesebikes]

I did a quick google search and didn't find any local outfit who does vapour blasting. I will ask around though. Thanks.

They are thin on the ground up here - Rene does them in Medicine Hat, so if you near the Alberta border (and south) that might be an option.

[dgoodsy]

OK, thank you. I do make the odd trip that direction, but it's not worth the hassle for me at this point. I will be content with giving them a once over with a brush of there isn't anything local.

[Suzsmokeyallan]

For carbs a little ultrasonic cleaner, about a 1.5 gallon, 4 to 6 liter size size will clean most carbs quite well. Its worth having one for that and other small parts like petcocks etc.
I've shown these photos before but I'll shown them again for your visual reference.
Since you are located in Canada check at Princess Auto to see what they have.



This is one of three old scrap carbs member Suzukidave donated to the cause. I decided to clean them in the ultrasonic cleaner just to see what they would end up looking like. They were bad, lots of baked on crud that had been there for years.


After some patience I ended up with this result but had no float bowls for them. I then went and bought some used float bowls from Ebay and cleaned those too as there weren't any for these carbs.


For the Ebay bowls I lightly used the media blaster on the interiors to speed things up a bit, then ultrasonically cleaned them after to this result.

[dgoodsy]

yes, I have a friend with an ultrasonic cleaner now. Once I know if my bike is a runner I may choose to ultrasonic clean them then. For now it seems i can get them clean enough for my liking (since i plan for this bike to be a runner, not a showpiece), without actually knowing what internal passages look like. There is some solid advice about comparing flow patterns between the various passages in all 3 carbs when carb cleaner is sprayed through, and the insides seem to be fairly clean, not much for goop and virtually nothing for corrosion from what i can see. Maybe if I'm bored next winter I will do it, but for now i just need to get working at it and get it running, not worry too much about making it pretty.

Those carbs look great after the ultrasonic clean though, very impressive. Was that after a single cycle, or a few?

[Suzsmokeyallan]

You wish,, that was after quite a bit of passes in the cleaner with frequent changes of fluid to get them that clean. Bear in mind the very small passages get blocked from debris and also by loosened crud sitting in the passage walls.
Old gasolene and dirt tends to coat the passage walls with a layer, and then it dries out after many years pass with the bike sitting neglected. When you clean the carb, pieces of the layer break away with a thin layer of oxidized carb material attached to them, but not all comes out. This often happens with a regular cleaning, thats why sometimes you clean them and after a short ride theres a new carb problem. This situation mostly effects the pilot circuit passages as they are some of the smallest ones. The ultrasonic cleaner breaks up this layer completely and it dissipates out into the cleaning fluid.

[dgoodsy]

Noted, I will keep that in mind if there seems to be a carb issue once/if it runs.