Easiest way to remove carbs?

[chadh92]

I've searched the boards and youtube and I'm really just looking for the best way to remove the carbs, with the least amount of effort.

This video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7bCEuefvgY) seems like the "right" way but that just adds a lot more steps that could potentially cause problems (even something like losing a screw).

I've heard of people slipping the carbs out of the side of the frame, but would you guys recommend this? How hard is it to get them back in through the side, and get everything attached correctly?

My plan for the weekend is:

Oil Change
Clean carbs
Check valve clearance while i'm down there
Empty out the tank completely

When I first bought my ninja, I never even thought to use the reserve gas, so it's probably got some nasty junk in it. How do you guys know when to switch to reserve? Or do you just switch to it every now and then regardless of how much gas you have in the tank?

[Alex]

This is a fun video for the new-gen bikes.

http://www.ninjette.org/forums/showthread.php?t=44330

The carbs aren't terribly different.

[chadh92]

Originally Posted by Alex

This is a fun video for the new-gen bikes.

http://www.ninjette.org/forums/showthread.php?t=44330

The carbs aren't terribly different.

Cool, i've watched plenty of his videos. I was just hoping to find something identical for reference. Thanks though!

[cookiebug79]

Honestly, it's so much easier to remove everything to get the carbs out than it is to only take half the stuff off and then struggle trying to get them off. It seriously only take 20 min to get the carbs out if you know what you're doing. get a muffin tin and put all your bolts in the tin cups to keep them separated if you're concerned about losing them. Otherwise you can screw them back into the hole you got them out of once the part is removed.

If you're checking the valves, it's absolutely worth it to remove the radiator since you have to drain the coolant to get the valve cover off.

Reserve just takes gas from a lower part of the tank, but there's no auxiliary tank or anything that it pulls from.

[chadh92]

I know how the petcock works, but since i've never switched it to reserve, the gas sitting down there is probably pretty nasty. I figured while I have the tank off with little gas, I might as well just drain it.

[quicklooker]

Might I suggest purchasing a set of JIS screwdrivers? Regular philips WILL strip the heads on the carb screws (I've done it). I bought a JIS to take them off and then I replaced them with allen head screws.

If you wanna keep junk outta your carbs I also suggest investing in a fuel filter in between the tank and the carbs. Very easy.

Removing the carbs doesnt take very long even for a novice like myself and you can find loads of videos on the subject. Have you seen the Ninja 250 Wiki? It's the bomb. I slip them out the side and it's easy enough. I have to take the boots off the engine to get it out and getting it back in line isn't too bad. If you're able to adjust your valves then getting that carb out should be a piece of cake for you.

EDIT: Also, you're very smart to check your valves. My poor little bike's PO rode with them tighter than a drum and did irreversible damage... but I still love her!

[choneofakind]

If you're worried about stripping screws, just replace them with M4x16 hey head screws. No more stripped screws ever.

Also, do this to your air box/battery box once you're in there. It will make removing the carbs in the future a ton easier. It's well worth the half hour of time it takes.

[chadh92]

Thanks guys. Yeah I've checked the ninja250 wiki, probably read the whole thing 2-3 times by now, but I'm a visual learner and videos are a lot better than pictures. And in the removing carbs article, its just a list of steps.

Oh well though, I'll figure it out lol

[quicklooker]

Trust me when I say that it's easier than it looks. It was daunting for me too. It's a pretty simple process that you probably couldnt screw up unless you really tried. Having somebody help you would make it easier as they can attack the opposite side you are to make it even quicker.

If you're the adventurous type you can do the airbox mod mentioned above. I havent done it yet, but I plan to. It apparently makes the carb much easier to get out. I plan on doing it some time this year.

[dirty nasty]

It would be wise to cut the battery tray off of the airbox while you have it all apart the first time. After that you'll no longer have to drop all that plastic from the rear of the bike to get the airbox moved back far enough to pull the carbs.

[n4mwd]

The battery box mod make it a WHOLE lot easier, but I know that some people prefer to leave the bike intact.

>>Here is my battery box mod. << Its by far the easiest method to split the airbox and battery box. It just uses a piece of string and doesn't require any major disassembly.

For getting the carbs out, I show how that is done on my EFI video. Jump to 25:50. I also make reference to what needs to be done extra if you don't make the battery box mod. Its not as bad as the guy in the video in the first post says, but it is a lot harder than with the battery box mod.

Link to original page on YouTube.

EDIT: The goal of the video is to show how to replace the carbs which means that the throttle cables need to be removed from the bracket. If you are just servicing the carbs, then there is a single screw on the throttle bracket that you take loose. This detaches both cables at the same time and saves you a bit of work.

[Lychee]

The first time, I pulled off the rear wheel and most of the rear plastics and yanked the airbox intact straight back through the rear fender area. Then I cut off that stupid battery tray. It is real easy to mess with the carbs now. good luck man.

[eulark]

Hey @n4mwd

That battery box mod looks great. Guess i know what mod number 1 will be once im up and running. And thanks for sharing that video, the carb section will end up helping me with hooking my carbs up this weekend.

[n4mwd]

Originally Posted by Lychee

The first time, I pulled off the rear wheel and most of the rear plastics and yanked the airbox intact straight back through the rear fender area. Then I cut off that stupid battery tray. It is real easy to mess with the carbs now. good luck man.

That's too much work. Just use the string method and the battery box will be out in under a minute.

[quicklooker]

Let's say you dont have the airbox-battery strap and you do this airbox mod, will it cause any issues? My bike is a beater and is missing (or was when I bought it) half it's parts.

[choneofakind]

No, you'll be fine without the battery strap. It's not necessary to keep the battery in. The box itself is actually bolted to the fender by the bottom, so it's not going anywhere.

[alex.s]

if you drop the engine, the carbs come right out.

[n4mwd]

Originally Posted by quicklooker

Let's say you dont have the airbox-battery strap and you do this airbox mod, will it cause any issues? My bike is a beater and is missing (or was when I bought it) half it's parts.

The strap's job is to keep the battery tight in its box. Without it, its going to bounce around in there. Its best to have it, but the bike will still run just fine without it. Maybe see if you can get a bungee cord to work.

[quicklooker]

Originally Posted by n4mwd

The strap's job is to keep the battery tight in its box. Without it, its going to bounce around in there. Its best to have it, but the bike will still run just fine without it. Maybe see if you can get a bungee cord to work.

Yeah, I am looking into solutions. A bungee cord should be sufficient. I found a dude around here parting 3 Ninja's out on the super-cheap so I picked up a bunch of stuff but I totally forgot about that dang strap.

[choneofakind]

Trust me, the battery is just fine without the strap. The seat is right on top of it. It's not going anywhere.

I rode without the battery strap for 2000 miles last summer. No problems.

[n4mwd]

Being bounced around is not good for the battery. Its not that great for the connections either. If it wasn't important, no manufacturer would use straps or other hardware to hold it down. Pretty much everything that has a battery has something to hold it down - cars, motorcycles, and even some lawnmowers.

The bike will run fine without the strap, but its better if you have it strapped down like the manufacturer intended.

[Jono]

Originally Posted by alex.s

if you drop the engine, the carbs come right out.

I second this..



See, now you can easily access the carbs.

[csmith12]

22k on my pregen... no strap lol. Although I wish I had one.

And yea, after fighting for 2.5 hours getting the carbs in and out of my new gen while making a video. I am glad my pregen's engine is sitting in and old spare tire.