Cleaning VT 250 carbs

[El Dopa]

OK, I finally managed to trace one problem in my VTZ. One replaced starter relay later, and the engne is turning over and firing. Hoo-fucking-rah.

So I started it up, and left the engine running, to get it warmed up and let the new oil that I'd just changed get to know the engine and all that good stuff.

20 minutes later, it dies. I can restart it, but it'll only run for a few seconds before dying again. The tickover revs are really low as well, when it is running. Possibly this is an indication that only one cylinder is firing?

I thought it might be stale fuel, so I opened up the carb nipples to drain some of the fuel. There is free flow from one of the nipples, but not the other. This kinda suggests that one of the carbs is probably blocked. Anyone got an opinion on that?

Now, I've looked for a thread I thought someone posted a while ago, a 'step by step how to clean carbs' guide, but I can't find it.

So, my question is: How big a job is it, what level of competence, and what sort of tools will I need, to get the carbs out, cleaned up and replaced?

I'm not a complete mechanical numpty. If I know what I'm doing, I'm usually OK. Or is this the sort of thing I should leave to someone who actually knows what they're doing?

[jonbuoy]

Yeah I thought about doing it in the past then decided not too when I saw an exploded diagram of a carb. Bit of a long shot but you could just try squirting something like a carby cleaner (CRC would be ok if you don't have any) down the throat of the cyclinder thats not going, it may start that cylinder running, though if you've got no fuel in the float bowl it sounds more serious. If you think only one cylinder is firing run it up for a while then touch a wet rag to the exhaust, if one exhaust is cold then its not running. You could pull the spark plug cap off the one thats not firing and see if it makes any difference to how the engine sounds.

I'm not a mechanic I'm just trying to help - I know it sucks when your bike don't go!

[FROSTY:Me]

dude its pretty easy.Pull the tank off then take the airbox to bits -remove the box from the carbs. disconnect the cables then undo the two clips holding the carbs on.
flip em over and remove the float bowl of the carb that wasn't flowing --then extract the pin holding the float on. pull the float and needle out -under it is a filter--itll be blocked

[El Dopa]

Bit of a long shot but you could just try squirting something like a carby cleaner (CRC would be ok if you don't have any) down the throat of the cyclinder thats not going, it may start that cylinder running

Did the CRC thing already. Seems to have started the engine, but I still think it's a blocked carb, just cos no fuel is flowing through the nipple.

If you think only one cylinder is firing run it up for a while then touch a wet rag to the exhaust, if one exhaust is cold then its not running

Bit hard on this bike, cos the pipes go 2-1 pretty quick after coming out of the cylinders, and accessing the headers is pretty hard. Good tip though.

dude its pretty easy.Pull the tank off then take the airbox to bits -remove the box from the carbs. disconnect the cables then undo the two clips holding the carbs on.
flip em over and remove the float bowl of the carb that wasn't flowing --then extract the pin holding the float on. pull the float and needle out -under it is a filter--itll be blocked

Cheers. Will give it a go this Sat, after I take my full.