[Joemarroquin28]

What do you personally use to clean your pilot jets? Some say wire or guitar string or to not clean them with anything but carb cleaner. The hole on mine is barelllllt see through. Which im sure it may supposed to be like that. Is it fine as long as you can see through it even if its very little?

 

[Davenay67]

I have 3 things at my disposal for such a job.

#1 - Guitar string
#2 - A set of the smallest drill bits EVER (from HF)
#3 - Mig tip cleaning set

Some will say just buy new jets, they are cheap enough. Just go carefully when you do the job. You don't want to enlarge the hole.

 

[Joemarroquin28]

I have 3 things at my disposal for such a job.

#1 - Guitar string
#2 - A set of the smallest drill bits EVER (from HF)
#3 - Mig tip cleaning set

Some will say just buy new jets, they are cheap enough. Just go carefully when you do the job. You don't want to enlarge the hole.

The hole is very very small on mine . Its supposed to be that way correct? Barely see through

 

[yorkie]

no #12 Guitar string . or a very thin stiff piece of wire. if the jets are blocked. then once opened up you should be able to thread a length of fine dental floss through it.
Tip. once you think it's clean make a small hole in a piece of cardboard shove the jet into it. then shine a torch through the back side if you can see light it's clear. also if the hole looks round it's clean if it looks odd shaped. there is still some muck in there.

 

[ducatiman]

 

[Sarge2481]

Ultrasonic cleaner, for those of us new age people.

 

[Joemarroquin28]

no #12 Guitar string . or a very thin stiff piece of wire. if the jets are blocked. then once opened up you should be able to thread a length of fine dental floss through it.
Tip. once you think it's clean make a small hole in a piece of cardboard shove the jet into it. then shine a torch through the back side if you can see light it's clear. also if the hole looks round it's clean if it looks odd shaped. there is still some muck in there.

Gonna get the guitar string today and do the other tips . Thanks .

 

[ducatiman]

Keihin pilot jets are sized referenced to mm. A standard EX500 35 pilot is .35mm= 0.0137"

Hence a string known in the guitar world as a "thirteen" would be more appropriate

 

[Davenay67]

Ultrasonic cleaner, for those of us new age people.

I have an ultrasonic cleaner, and it doesn't do a good enough job quick enough if the jet is really clogged. I will still use the appropriate wire carefully and clean the bodies in the tank.

 

[FlipFlop]

So shiny... Mine the passages are always clean, and the carbs are clean and always very functional, but... how do you make yours so shiny... CLR or something that only late night shoppers network can supply?

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[po18guy]

Get a jeweler's loupe or 25X magnifying glass. It is much easier to examine the pilots with one. If you do not have an ultrasound cleaner, you can spray some carb or brake cleaner in a small bottle (plastic pill bottles work fine), toss 'em in and let 'em soak. There's always 5 or 20 other things to do to the bike while they are marinating.

 

[K-woppa]

Get a jeweler's loupe or 25X magnifying glass. It is much easier to examine the pilots with one. If you do not have a US cleasner, you can spray some carb or brake cleaner in a small bottle (plastic pill bottles work fine), toss 'em in and let 'em soak. There's always 5 or 20 other things to do to the bike while they are marinating.

This is what I do, then spray through them with compressed air (being careful not to let the jet fly into the next county) The guitar string has always been recommended as a final check to make sure the jet is clear. If you ram it through trying to clean up dried up blockage you can gouge the jet, which is not desirable.

 

[po18guy]

This is what I do, then spray through them with compressed air (being careful not to let the jet fly into the next county) The guitar string has always been recommended as a final check to make sure the jet is clear. If you ram it through trying to clean up dried up blockage you can gouge the jet, which is not desirable.

Some of the brake cleaners are labelled as "high pressure" or some such. If you can reasonably seal the aerosol straw on the jet, something will certainly emerge from the other side. Once, as a proof of concept, I used grease to hydraulically force the gunk out. So, if I tapped a zerk fitting to accept a pilot jet, do you suppose...?

 

[K-woppa]

Some of the brake cleaners are labelled as "high pressure" or some such. If you can reasonably seal the aerosol straw on the jet, something will certainly emerge from the other side. Once, as a proof of concept, I used grease to hydraulically force the gunk out. So, if I tapped a zerk fitting to accept a pilot jet, do you suppose...?

It might be a fun experiment. You'd still have to clean the varnish out as well as the grease after so I'm not sure it's efficient. Forcing things out with hydraulic pressure is always satisfying though LOL

 

[po18guy]

I actually cleaned one a few years back using that method. No zerk, though. turned a nail down to use as a ram and tapped it out. Followed it with a few blasts of aerosol cleaner and all was good.

 

[roadracer702]

What do you personally use to clean your pilot jets? Some say wire or guitar string or to not clean them with anything but carb cleaner. The hole on mine is barelllllt see through. Which im sure it may supposed to be like that. Is it fine as long as you can see through it even if its very little?

I pull a wire out of a wire brush with a pair of pliers. It is straight and strong and usually small enough and strong enough to do the job.