New carb or rebuild?

[dustindu4]

My twin carbs on my 951 are going to need some service over the winter. The thing I'm tossing around with is having them rebuilt by someone through the mail, having it done locally, or just buying a new carb. I've never had any luck cleaning carbs myself, it's always an issue. From what I can tell getting carbs rebuilt will cost around 300, when I can just buy a new one to replace my 13 year old one for 150 more. Especially when I'm getting an SBT motor soon, why not get everything new when it's 290 hours old.

There's somebody local selling a used carb for 75 bucks, and I could just get that and try rebuilding it myself and see how it goes. But I live by the old saying that the cheapest way out is always the most expensive, because you end up redoing it and it costs you more money.

Or I could just drop it off at the local stealership and have them do it on my stock ones, that way they can tune it too and I get the ski back running mint. I'm worried this route will cost the most but is definately the least hassle.

Thoughts? I'd like to get this done before I replace the motor, because I don't want to do both at the same time. Doing too many things at once make problems harder to diagnose.

 

[Spimothy Leary]

personally i'd get in touch with Doc Honda here and send them off to him.
a few of the members here have done the same, and been very pleased with the results.
he can explain labor charges, etc. but that would be where i'd start.

depending on your setup (airbox, vs arrestors, etc) the jets are fairly str8 forward
as are the low/high adjusters. although yes, some minor adjustments on the low/high adjusters might be required.

 

[bigJake]

Ditto, Dr Honda, is the way to go. Had him do mine last week.

 

[SabrToothSqrl]

buy new. I don't bother cleaning them. they are 13 years old.

OSD has them for $400 + you will need the jets.

you get new carbs, brakets, fuel pump, lines, filters, etc etc.


then, sell your old ones on eBay or here.

 

[dustindu4]

So what do old carbs sell for?

 

[Sportster-2001-951C-Stock]

buy new. I don't bother cleaning them. they are 13 years old.

OSD has them for $400 + you will need the jets.

you get new carbs, brakets, fuel pump, lines, filters, etc etc.


then, sell your old ones on eBay or here.

A rejet means you have to tear the carbs down anyway, doesn't it?

 

[bigJake]

So what do old carbs sell for?

IF yours are in good shape and just need rebuilt, why would you want to buy someone elses old carbs just to rebuild them?

 

[SabrToothSqrl]

around $100 + shipping.

Yes, you do have to open the carbs up, however opening up brand new carbs takes 20 min total.

opening rusted / salty / nasty / chemically sized 13 year old carbs is a crap shoot. sometimes an hour, sometimes never.

there are stainless screws that go into the aluminum carbs. they like to literally seize together from the metal differences + water + time.

for $100 or $200 more, you have fun w/that.

I prefer the new engine / new carb route and know it's going to work.

 

[dustindu4]

I wonder if OSD would install the right size jets in for me

 

[SabrToothSqrl]

you can always ask. you may also have to swap the choke 'arms'. they are 1 10mm bolt each. takes like 5 min. some carbs use the hex ones, some use round.

 

[Sportster-2001-951C-Stock]

Looks like you're in New Hampshire, in which case you may be operating in salt. Salt will corrode those aluminum carbs pretty quickly, saltwater-duty carbs should be zinc-alloy, these skis aren't what I would consider designed to take saltwater punishment.

Insatlling jets is not too difficult really, to do this, just remove the diaphragm cover and the metering plate and you're there, no adjustments necessary. Just use good quality tools of the proper size and if it were me, a few dabs of anti-seize compound on screw threads.

The real work lies in removing and installing the carbs.

Improperly torqued fasteners can come lose and these engines aren't metal scrap processors, so keep those small screws from dropping into the induction system.

Also, do this work before storing the ski away for winter, so you can test the results thoroughly before storage. These skis can develop gremlins during storage and it's always much easier battling only one gremlin at a time so do one thing then test the ski, otherwise you might end up guessing where the "new" problem came from.

 

[doberdann1019]

and I could just get that and try rebuilding it myself and see how it goes. But I live by the old saying that the cheapest way out is always the most expensive, because you end up redoing it and it costs you more money.

I tried to rebuild mine myself. I had no carb experience and was going in blind, I spent $100 for the kits, then broke a needle that was stuck in the carb body and had to by new (lightly used) carbs for $175 then paid a guy $200 to tune them when I could not get it running...I learned my lesson.

The only good thing about it is I now understand exactly how the carb works.

Also the ski doesn't even run right now, cannot figure out why and I don't feel like paying to figure out why. My ski is just a money eating sea monster. Spend more, do it once, do it right.

 

[LouDoo]

Send them to Dr Honda, they'll be better than new.

Lou

 

[dustindu4]

Looks like you're in New Hampshire, in which case you may be operating in salt..

There's only 15 miles of coast here and no place to really go anyway on the ocean. I'm on a lake in central Maine mostly.

I don't want old gas humming up the garb over the winter so ill probably do spring and deal with it

 

[dan87951]

If you are going to rebuild them yourself its a must to get a pop off pressure tester. Without this tool its all guess work to see if they are set right. I would never bring a ski this old into the dealer most of them HATE working on them! I have had new carbs not work correctly for me and I have had rebuilt ones do the same. You really must double check all your work (pop off pressure, LS & HS settings) also make sure your fuel tank check valves are in good working order. Probably best just to replace them right from the get go so you know everything is new. No matter if you go new or rebuilt they will all need fine tuning!!

 

[Coastiejoe]

The one advantage of going through Dr. Honda is that he has learned the idiosyncrasies that are unique to Seadoo Carbs.

Normally, new is a good thing. Not always the case when it comes to electronics and sensitive things such as carbs.

I think if you go with new of with Dr. Honda you will likely be good to go. From all I know Dr's work is very good. So it really comes down to money....