carb rebuild?

[flipster]

I just got my 99 ST from a guy who let it sit for over a year. he said the gas went bad and at 1st would not run. It does crank right up on full choke, but does not idle at all until it warms up( usually a couple of miles).
Then it will idle with choke off,but not very well. seems to run fine going down the road.
Should I keep running new gas with fuel cleaner(seafoam) and see if it clears all the way up or bite the bullet and rebuild them?

 

[Mark]

Seafoam might help; but, I'll be the low speed jets are clogged and it'll either take forever or never be able to get through the clog.

I used choke cleaner for the varnish and a brass wire (from a bbq brush) to open the jets on the last carb I had to open up...
(I also used the choke cleaner to spray off *all* the dust and grime from everywhere on all 4 carbs. When all was said and done it took 2 full cans.)

After you clean what you can see I'd run some Berryman's through it as well.

The carb boots ought to be okay on a '99; but, having a set on hand wouldn't hurt...

 

[BuddingGeezer]

It is my experience that when carbs get in the shape your's are in all the Seafoam or other carb cleaner in the world isn't going to clean them out. tear em down and clean them.

 

[flipster]

Im thinking the same, I was just being hopeful since it hax improved 100% since I got it. It wouldn't hardly run at all.

 

[Mark]

You can keep trying seafoam/berryman's; but, I just wouldn't get my hopes up too high...

 

[Billy C]

Seafoam works if it is a partial clog but if it's plugged solid the Seafoam will never get thru to do it's thing. You are stuck with a carb pull and manually clearing them. I use a 0.35mm guitar string to clear slow jets. I'm not sure about your bike, new at the ST but I do know the '97 uses #38 slow jets. This is a 0.38 mm hole so a 0.35mm guitar string will not enlarge the hole but will push the gunk out. $2.00 at your local music store.

Don't forget to pull the pilot screws and clear the pilot jets while they are out. I see a fair number of clogged pilot jets on rebuilds.