TOPIC:

Hey guys, just bought a '81 kz550 and am in the final stages of converting it into a little café racer. Right now I am attempting to rebuild all 4 carbs as It sat for a while with the previous owner and could use some love. Right now 3 of the 4 work but might as well redue them all while I have it torn apart. I have the rebuild kits already but was wondering if you guys had any tips on howto make the process a little smoother or any tips to ensure it is done properly. Let me know if you can help.
Also I will post before and after pics of the bike to show you how it looks. Im pretty happy so far.

Don't use carb spray until all of the rubber parts are out of the bottom end.

No need to separate the rack.

I have a tk22 site, link in my sig. Look into doing the fast-idle mod before putting it back on the bike.

With any rebuild, no matter what part of the bike big or small, I take photos every step of the way. This makes for a good visual reference during assembly. A manual and/or a parts break down is always nice. Compressed air is also nice for blowing out some of the orifices. Take your time and get it right the first time. I have a buddy who is on his fourth go 'round with cleaning and he's still flushing crud out of them. Some of the varnish is so layered that a single pass with even the best cleaners isn't enough. Good luck and keep us posted.

Thanks for the tips. I got them taken apart and put back together. They were in desperate need. One of them actually had green mold growing in it. I still am not getting gas to the two throttle side carbs though. i spray carb cleaner in with the air filters off and they fire but will not get gas. I think there might be a problem with the fuel rail. Have you had any experience with this problem?

I’d replace the choke flaps while they’re apart. Only place I found that sells them is a guy on eBay. They’re about $30 for 4 of them and made from stainless steel instead of the crappy zinc coated steel.

I’d replace them even if yours are still good because they’re known for busting off.

I'm a strong proponent of a full break down of the carbs and soaking the bodies in carb dip. Do the job right once and you are done. I recently redid a set of TK-22's and posted a photo in another thread on this topic. I didn't replace the choke butterflys but I did stake the pins in place better and used some 3M epoxy as a reinforcement.

In my opinion, the zinc plated steel is slightly stronger, yet softer, so it forms better with less brittleness, and makes it easier to get out of the engine with a magnet. The stainless was used because it wouldn't need the extra steps of plating to prevent rust.