Berryman B-12 and Carburetor Cleaning Do’s & Dont’s
I have several carburetor cleaning videos on YouTube, and thought I would share some tips based on the comments I have received. Often times people state the they have cleaned the carb, yet they did NOT disassemble the carb, or remove any jets. As a result, they are stuck with the same issue. So please watch the video and read the tips below to ensure you clean your carb properly.
Make sure you use a high quality carburetor cleaner. My favorite is Berryman B-12 Chemtool which seems to have the most cleaning power and also has very good spray pressure.
You can buy Berryman B-12 Chemtool on Amazon.
Do’s
- Verify all passages are clear. Use Berryman B-12 to ensure passage is clear, follow up with 90psi compressed air.
- Wear nitrile gloves and safety glasses.
- Hold jets with small orifices up to a light source to see if it is clear.
- Use Berryman Chem Dip on heavy varnished components.
- Use JIS screwdrivers to avoid stripping screws. These are my favorite.
- Print service manual and/or parts diagram to help assembly and verify correct parts used.
Dont’s
- Just spray carb clean at a half disassembled carb. You will regret it the results. There are no shortcuts in carb cleaning.
- Do not get carb clean on rubber components.
- Save the refreshments for when you complete the job.
- Assume everything will be correct. People love messing with carbs and it may not be correct.
- No sealer of any kind is supposed to be used anywhere on a carburetor. Buy new gaskets instead.
- Paint or powdercoat parts that will be in contact with fuel. The fuel will eventually attack the paint.
Nice, short, but to the point guide. Some people just overcomplicate things and the key points get lost in a wall of text.
Berryman is a good choice of a cleaner too. It’s definitely one of the strongest cleaners you can find, which does indeed make it pretty ideal for this type of job. As also mentioned here: http://www.fuelinjectorcleanerhq.com/berryman-b-12-chemtool-carburetor-fuel-treatment-and-injector-cleaner-review/
I just bought a 2005 triumph thruxton 900cc. Runs great,just want to keep my carbs clean.really dont want to get into taking apart. Is it ok to add b 12 to my gas tank to keep it in good running order.
Just keep the fuel FRESH, and ride the bike. You’ll be fine.
Hi Matthew, question
I have a 07 Yamaha yz450f
It’s way hard to start ,when you do get it started it gets red hot pipe and won’t idle good, the plug is black and sooty
And back fires ???
I think someone messed with the carb
Wondering what is the stock brass jets and metering rod and set up
Currently has a 42
72 and165 brass
Wot is scary fast tho but I would sacrifice that for a nice idle
The piolet jet seemed restricted as I couldn’t get a cleaning tip threw it like the other holes but finally got it threw but I’m kinda reluctant to use it seems I might of damaged it ?
It would be greatly appreciated for some help , thanks
In your case, I would replace the pilot jet with a brand new one. Go one size larger than stock, install an adjustable fuel screw if you don’t already have one, and tune per this video:
https://howtomotorcyclerepair.com/how-to-4-stroke-mx-fuel-screw-adjustment-yzf-crf-kxf-rmz-fcr/
Matt
I have a 2001 Honda shadow spirit 1100c that seems to be running on 1-1/2 carbs (there’s two of them). I shot fluid in the half side and it came to life instantly. I bought a gallon of Berryman and want to clean the carbs correctly. My question is after I clean the jets and small items. Can I dip the entire carburetor housing as well? I do not want to disassemble the two carburetor’s because I heard it is very difficult to tune them afterwards and that is something I do not want to do. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your time.
Yes, but only do so for a few minutes, and then rinse with water. Berryman can ruin plastic parts.
I would only rinse with gasoline. Water doesn’t mix with solvents or gas so won’t remove any residue and may cause corrosion and other problems. In short Water and fuel systems should never mix.
The instructions say to rinse with water. As long as you blow dry with compressed air, there will be zero issues.