Advice for 86 VF750F that was in storage

I have an 86 VFR750 that was running, although not well, three years ago. I let it go over a winter and it didn't start again. I took it to a local Honda dealer and they pulled the carbs off (still on the manifold). They wanted over $1,000 to rebuild carbs and gave me no guarantee it would run. So, I put it into a shed.

Now, my son is interested in getting it going. We got it out and brought it back home. I have the carbs and parts in a box. I did note that there is some rust in the gas tank.

My question is, do any of you know of someone who could rebuild these carbs? With the rust in the tank, etc., am I throwing good money after bad?

Finally, what other things should I do with a bike that has sat so long?

 

Rust in the tank is no big deal. Get some phosphoric acid ( I think that's what I used..) something like Navel jelly. Mix it with water and you should have a clean tank after a few hours/half a day. I put big BB's in mine with some gas in it, and shook it around first, to get the majority of the rust out. You can use anything really. nuts, bolts, gravel.. I don't know anything about these carbs though lol. I'm new to these bikes.

 

PM squirrelman about cleaning out your carbs, he could do it for way less. You say 'parts' though, did you take the carbs off the manifold because if you did that makes things tougher to fix.

 

Thanks. That's good to hear. I was worried that I may have let it go too long.

 

Thanks. I will get ahold of him on those.

 

Squirrelman reporting for duty !!:triumphant:

How those dealers get away with that shit is a mystery. :tongue: I'll fix your carbs for less than $200, but first you positively need to clean out the rust and apply a coating to the tank, something like the fuel tank sealer from www.caswellplating.com As Dukie suggests, it's more work and takes alot longer to assemble if they've removed the airbox base from the set of carbs, which is NEVER necessary for a basic cleaning.

PM me for details, please.

 

Squirrelman- I tried to PM you, but your box is full. I'll just copy and paste my message here:

I spoke with you today on these carbs and am on the fence on what to do. The local guy said he owns a V65 Magna and redid the carbs on that. He took them all apart and put them in an ultrasonic cleaner. He quoted me $250 plus any parts needed on the carbs. He's just starting out so his shop rate is only $50/hr.

I told him I was going to check with you. By what i read, taking the carbs apart may create other issues. Do you think there would be any additional parts needed over your quote?

I would prefer to have you do them with your experience. On the other hand, the cost is about equal and it would be convenient to just take the bike and parts to him and pick it up in the spring ready to go.

As you can see, I'm not too good at making quick decisions. What would your recommendation be? Thanks for your time.

 

OK, jtm. eaceful: I'll vaccum out my inbox, sorry.

Over 90% of carb cleaning operations, no parts need replacement due to wear or damage, but if you want to spend extra for new float needles, always good as preventive maintenance, float bowl gaskets too.

If your local guy is willing to help you wrestle them ornery bitches back on your bike for reasonable $$, probably best go with him, cuz i can't help from here. :stung:


Over the winter :smow:you can be draining, flushing, & refilling all fluids: oil and filter, coolant, brakes, reservoirs, bleeding. Best to consider getting newer tires as those may suffer from age or storage conditions, dry-rot, showing cracks anywhere. Clean and lube chain, check the chain and sprockets for excess wear b4 riding, adjust tension only if chain seems WAY too floppy at first.

 

Ok, thanks for the advice. I will do what I can over the winter and will probably have the local guy do the rest. He seems knowledgeable and his shop specializes in old Hondas. I will pass along your recommendation on the carbs. I'm sure I will be back on here a lot checking the previous threads for more advice. I'm really excited to get this thing running. It has been in the family for 20 years and only has 10,000 miles on it. My uncle bought an 83 Interceptor when they first came out and then this VFR a few years later at a salvage auction. He passed away in 2004 and my brother worked on it over the years and gave it to me in 2012. I hope to get it up and running well again and have it for many years to come.

 

OK jtm , but you're letting him have all the fun over the winter :tickled_pink:

 

I love that it's been in the family for so long, very cool. Your guy will do fine, it's not rocket science to clean a set of carbs, just need to be meticulous. Plus it's nice to support your local shop.

 

Yea, but the one local shop wanted a thousand smackeroos !! Meticulosity is nowhere enuff; knowledge of what you're lookin at helps too.