Back in April, I happened upon this forlorn set of Gen-3 carburetors on eBay. For whatever reason, they spoke to me like the last puppy left in the litter, so I purchased them, ostensibly for "parts." They had experienced a bike fire, as evidenced by the layer of soot and melted plastic bits on the bottom of the set. I did, in fact, appropriate a few parts in the ensuing months, needed for more "deserving" carb sets. Last week I finally dragged them from the back of the shelf and did a full breakdown to examine what lay beneath the blackened carcass. Here is what I began with:
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(Below) My first step is the remove the jets & floats — the interior was surprisingly clean and everything removed easily. Next, I remove the mixture screw caps by first adding heat. One screw was firmly stuck in its bore, more on that later. I then remove the choke rods by loosening the bracket screw and sliding the shaft outward. I found one of the two slightly bent, but it can be straightened (more on that in Part 2). A bent rod will prevent all four enrichment shafts from operating. Then the two shaft springs are removed, looking pretty sorry.

(Below) The metal plenum is removed by breaking loose the eight top screws — these can be stubborn and may require a hammer impact tool. If so, proceed carefully and use the correct (large) phillips-head bit. With the plenum removed we have a first look at the various fuel & vent tubes, showing two of the vent tubes deformed by heat. Take photos at this point for assembly reference.
NOTE: Remove the small plenum locating dowels only if they're willing to come free with finger pressure. If they're stuck in their bores just leave them in place; they're easily deformed if forced. They may also fall free during the cleaning process; just set them aside till assembly.

(Below) Next, I'll separate #2 & 3 from one another by removing the throttle and choke linkages from #2, which allows the enrichment valves to be removed (here's a detailed post on this procedure). This is optional; if the enrichment valves are clean and free moving, they can be left in place and the carbs remain joined by the linkages, your call.

(Below) The air cut valves are next: I'm very careful with these assemblies, as they're often reusable if not damaged during removal — don't forget the oval o-ring, noting its orientation (there's a top & bottom). Here, I'm lifting the valve with a small magnet while gently releasing the rubber membrane. These are in great shape and will be cleaned and lightly coated with red rubber grease to prepare for reassembly.

(Below) Again, this carb set is probably the cleanest I've ever encountered — note the shiny brass butterfly. This leads me to believe these carbs have seen very few miles and never stored with fuel left in the bowls.

(Right) This slide was stuck in its bore, though it wasn't the plastic slide, but rather the jet needle. I soaked it with Kroil and added some heat to the area and it eventually popped loose with gentle persuasion.

(Below) ​Here, I'm running hot water over the fuel tubes to loosen the rubber hose connection. Note the burned-through fuel line. Then I lever off the fuel tube o-rings.

(Below) Remove the four fuel mixture (pilot) screws along with their spring, metal washer and o-ring. You'll likely need to dig a little for the washer or o-ring. One of the mixture screws was stuck in its bore and, of course, it easily broke off the soft brass tip, rendering a screwdriver useless. To get it out I soaked it in Kroil for a few hours, added heat and gently worked it loose with a small vise grip. Success.

(Below) I want to save this damaged mixture screw — I just need a new screwdriver slot. So, I grind the face flat and very carefully cut a new slot with a very thin light-duty Dremel cut-off disc. Success.

With all the bits and bobs removed the next step will be cleaning. There's a handful of parts I'll need to complete this carb set: I've already sourced one missing jet needle, plus 4 large brass plenum "washers" and, finally, I need to source the unique to this generation carb-to-plenum o-rings.

Part 2 will deal with the cleaning process.

One of the many small tasks which are part of a full carburetor rebuild is dealing with corroded float bowl drain screws. This part is not available separately from Honda, though aftermarket replacements are. The photo at right shows a freshly removed screw in typical condition with its corroded cone tip.

That tip is what seals the fuel, not the o-ring — that just directs the draining fuel through the drain nipple. To ensure a full seal I want to polish the tip to a smooth, even surface.

For this I use a piece of 400-grit wet/dry paper wetted with a lubricant, like Ballistol or WD-40. You can do this by hand or, for better/quicker results, I just chuck the screw in my hillbilly lathe — a drill — and spin it till I'm happy with the look of the tip. This one looks ready for its next 40 years.

Here's a trick I learned in my aviation days. I try to reuse Honda's OEM carburetor parts when they're still serviceable, and this includes the float valve seats. These are quality brass parts and, with a little effort, will clean up nicely. But, that leaves their thin aluminum sealing washers, a unique dimension which I've never been able to source, so I'll need to reuse the old washers.

One useful property of aluminum (or copper) is its ability to be "re-softened," allowing the "crush" part of a crush washer to reappear. When metal is "worked," it naturally hardens, becoming more brittle. Torquing down a fixture, like an oil drain plug, is considered working the metal washer and it looses some of its flexibility, or softness in this case. I know…you can just torque harder and force the used washer to crush, but you also risk stripping some threads or not being successful, resulting in a leak, and a leaking float valve washer will flood the carb bowl, showing up on the garage floor. In other words, this is not somewhere we want to risk a leak.

(Below) Here's a quick and simple way to bring used aluminum washers back to life. I begin with a quick cleaning using spray solvent. I then mark each washer with a permanent marker — when I add heat the mark will disappear as the aluminum reaches the correct temperature. The thin aluminum is easily overheated and will distort, rendering them useless, so the permanent marker is a handy indicator (soot from a candle flame will accomplish the same thing, but a Sharpie is handier). Using any portable small torch — here I'm using my Sondiko butane torch — evenly heat the washers on a metal surface just till the marks disappear. Remove the heat and allow to naturally cool. I heated these for about 15 seconds, so this is a quick chore. When cool, the crush washers are good as new.

Some interweb experts will say to shock cool the metal in a bath of water or oil. This isn't correct for our purposes. Dousing the hot metal actually tends to harden it a bit, the opposite of our goal.

Copper items use a different heat level; the metal is heated till it turns a ruddy brown, then cooled.

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What: 1991 (?) VFR750F
​Why: Clean, original, low miles
Where: Xenia, Ohio
Price: $6500

Williams Vintage Cycle Company in central Ohio is offering this very original-looking Gen-3 VFR. The ad lists the bike as a 1991, but the white wheels would indicate a 1990 ​model. Showing only 16,086 miles, this one includes the passenger seat cowl, a hard-to-find item if missing. The dealer indicates recent maintenance is completed, the bike starts well cold or hot, everything "works as it should" and the tool kit and Haynes manual are included. I'm a little surprised to not see a center stand, as I've always assumed it was standard on all Gen-3s.

A little hyperbole may be in play when the phrase "collector quality condition" is used, as there's a few imperfections visible in the photos, including what appears to be a chip on the tank's left side. That's not to take away from the bike's overall condition, which is pretty stunning, as evidenced by the beautiful original windscreen and perfect-fitting mirror covers, two common wear indicators. This example appears to be a genuine survivor, right down to the unmolested rear fender, almost never found intact after 30+ years. Taken altogether, the asking price of $6500 is at the top of the market, but so is the bike. Any classic bike enthusiast should be proud to roll up on this beauty.

What: 1989 VFR400R (NC30)
Why: Very nice original example
Where: Crystal Lake, Illinois
Price: $16,000

This lovely first-year NC30 is hiding 45 minutes from the sprawling V4 Dreams campus, tucked away as a display piece. There's not much for details in the Marketplace ad, but it's a Japanese import with a current Illinois title, the odometer shows 11,200 miles and this '89 model sports its big brother's RC30 paint scheme.

This is the final model in the VFR400R lineage, evolving into the updated RVF400R NC35 in 1994. If your stature and flexibility fit the more compact dimensions of the NC bikes, these are competent and useable street bikes…and look great to boot.

I happened across a photo of a 1990 Ducati the other day and was struck by how closely it resembles the 1990 Honda VFR. I realize styles follow trends, but it sure looks like someone was admiring someone else's design.

SOLD: $11,128

This exceptional 1983 VF750F Interceptor sold earlier this month on Iconic Motorbikes Auctions for an impressive $10,400 + buyers fee. The bike is a Euro-spec example (note the gold wheels), was reportedly imported when new, has a California title and shows only 267 miles!

The photos show a high level of originality and condition, with some expected patina creeping through after 42 years as a display piece. Recent maintenance has brought it back to operational status, with the odd omission of mounting new tires (original tires are sometimes left on collectible bikes, but these are not originals).

Often cited as the first modern Superbike — near-stock examples won eight of the fourteen AMA Nationals in 1983 — this is an important Honda, especially to us V4 fans. It probably belongs in a museum but I hope its new caretaker isn't afraid to add some miles…on fresh rubber.