Snowmobile Repair: carb cleaning, comet clutch, snowmobile clutches

Question
hi again 00 550 polaris. im wondering is there a way to clean carbs with out disassemble before starting. im thinking maybe remove bowl or plug and runing fresh gas through by pulling cord with spark plug off or carb lose from manifold maybe. or spraying carb spray through carb in take running or not will this do any thing? i was told to stick a wire in to clean jet port or something like that but wasnt told how or if it needs to be apart i dont know crap about small carbs and cant find good web info. and do these fan cooled 550 need cleaning or have a exhaust valve i found good info for my ac 580's valve cleaning,thanks alot and keep up the great info lots of snow here in w.a. mt.rainier.

Answer
Hello Jeff,

  Sorry I wasn't able to get back to you sooner! Yes, lubricating the clutch with any liquid lube not specifically designed for snowmobile clutches is not a wise idea. On old, vintage machines, WD-40 is fine, but not on newer sleds. The reason the lube isn't wise, is because it tends to make the clutches stick, as they get hot, and boil things like WD-40 down. Generally, a little bit of Comet clutch spray is good, as it dries to a film. Here is a link to the spray: http://www.denniskirk.com/jsp/product_catalog/Product.jsp?skuId=3024&store=Main&...
Dry clutches are generally best. As far as getting the clutch wet, it doesn't hurt it when the snow hits it, as it's spinning, and the moisture gets flung off. I wouldn't exactly try to wash it with water, or anything like that. It can rust, and stick if it sits wet for a period of time.If it seems to need a good cleaning, use carb cleaner all over it, and then when it dissipates, use an air gun to blow it off. Now, for the carburetors. Most Mikuni VM carbs have a little plug in the bottom, that you can remove and drain gas out of. Pulling the cord won't be necessary, as any old gas will just run right out. But, for the best results, taking the carb off is best. To take the carbs apart, there are 4 screws on the bottom. Take them off, and pull the float bowl straight off. After removing the bowl, you will see a jet in the middle, that has a hex end for a wrench or socket. remove that, and soak it in carb cleaner, never use a wire in the jets. The jets are soft, and the wire can enlarge them, causing a rich fuel mixture. Using compressed air in all carb passage ways, for cleaning is ideal. The number one problem sleds have from sitting, is a stuck inlet needle valve. When, or if you take the carb apart, unscrew the inlet needle and seat, and soak them in carb cleaner, and make sure they are very clean. There is a float arm inside of the carb, and it needs to be removed to access the inlet needle. To get the arm off, you will need to remove the pin that goes through the side, and hold it in place. To remove it, drive it out with a very small nail, that will fit through the hole. The best resource on carbs is here, as far as Mikuni carbs go; http://www.mikuni.com/pdf/vmmanual.pdf   . Here is an exploded view of your carbs, for a reference; http://216.37.204.202/polaris_oem/PolarisSnow.asp?Type=13&A=281&B=6   .   Your sled does not have power valves, so nothing to worry about there. Here are a few links if you ever need parts, www.denniskirk.com , www.mfgsupply.com , http://216.37.204.202/polaris_oem/PolarisSnow.asp , www.alssnowmo.com , and  www.royaldistributing.com/    .   Hope this helps you out! If you have any other questions, don't hesitate to let me know! Hope you are able to get the Polaris going good! Best of luck to you on the sleds! --Arcticatman