Ask the Editors: Finicky YFZ
The famous catch-22 when it comes to carburetors is that fuel left to sit within them often solidifies just enough to gum up the tiny orifices within the jets. The good news is that repair should be relatively quick and painless.
Remove the carb, drain the float bowl and be sure to drain the entire gas tank if the fuel isn’t fresh (as your hard work will be in vain if old, chunky fuel is allowed to enter again).
Once you have the carb opened up, you have two choices- if your mechanical skills are lacking and you’re an optimist by nature, you can try soaking the carb’s internals with a quality carburetor cleaner as well as spray out any gunk that may have accumulated on and around the jets. Often times this is enough to get the fuel circulating properly once more.
However, since you have the carb off anyway, we usually like to make the most of the situation and rebuild the internals. A carb rebuild kit will include brand new jets, screws as well as fresh gaskets to insure against leakage when you reassemble. They are available through any Yamaha dealer and all over the net for under $50.
