Help Please {'83 Maxim carb issues}

[robertolmr]

my friend's got a 1983 maxim 550. we finally got it started, but it doesn't want to idle or accelerate. I'm not good with carbs, but it will run and even rev up if I choke it and once it gets revved up, i can pull the throttle and it will respond. Once I turn off the choke , it idles very rough and usually dies. If you pull the throttle without it already being revved up (with the choke) then it bogs and sputters some, but does not rev. if anyone has suggestions on where I should start looking, please let me know. Also, I know the set screws (pilot screws or whatever they're called) were factory adjusted and are not supposed to be messed with, but I'm sure they were. Anyone know how many turns from bottom would be a good starting point?

[Clint]

Sounds like typically crudded up carbs. The standard solution is to try and run some Seafoam or similar through the carbs or in the fuel. It may take a while, so a ride is the best way. If that doesn't work, you'll have to disassemble the carbs and clean them thoroughly.

Welcome to M-J. In the future, please use more descriptive thread titles. Everyone is asking for "help please" here.

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by RowdyRed94

Sounds like typically crudded up carbs. The standard solution is to try and run some Seafoam or similar through the carbs or in the fuel.

with a slightly different opinion:

Seafoam is good to KEEP the fuel system clean or to use at the first sign of a slight sputter but it does not have the muscle to dissolve serious crud. For that you need original Gumout (I think it is called carb. & choke cleaner) or Berryman's B12.

[Clint]

I've had success with it that way, ER. I let my Nighthawk 750 sit for about three years with almost no riding, and it ran like crap when I went to sell it - though not quite that bad. A long ride with Seafoam in the tank cleared it right up. I'd guess the through-the-carb method would work even better.

At any rate, there may well be better products, but I'd try something before tearing into it.

[87gsxrnut]

I just rebuilt a set for an '82 Maxim. I am also going to work on a set for an '81 Midnight Maxim for a friend. Pilot jets are clogged I bet. Are yours the Hitachi carbs?

- Nut

[Tab B.]

Originally Posted by 87gsxrnut

I just rebuilt a set for an '82 Maxim. I am also going to work on a set for an '81 Midnight Maxim for a friend. Pilot jets are clogged I bet. Are yours the Hitachi carbs?

- Nut

I'm thinking like Nut. The short of it is, some brand of carb cleaner in the tank, like others have suggested. If that doesn't work, the long of it is, to take the carbs off and apart for a good cleaning. Like Nut says, the pilot jets are probably clogged.
I'm not sure about the Hitachi carbs, but in general, have a factory service manual handy. I'd remove the pilot jets and clean them using some appropriate solvent, and some strands of copper speaker wire. The copper strands are softer than the brass of the jet, and won't damage or enlarge the jet orifice. Good time to check your float heights also, if the manual has a measurement you can use.