One of the most insidiously successful sales efforts is that of aftermarket suppliers of vintage carburetor rebuild kits. Way out of proportion to their real value, carb kits are thought by many to be not only a good thing, but necessary and indispensible. The truth is so far from this it is tragic. Carb kits contain parts that in the first place never need replacing and in the second are made so poorly (in attempts to cover say, seven different models, not one of which is properly fitted) that encouraging the tossing of the stock parts in favor of these bastard-bits is nothing less than criminal, inasmuch as the stock parts, which never wear out and are made right, are not, at this late a date, obtainable. This means they have to come out of a spare carb set. Can you say "expensive"? I can't begin to tell you the heartache first to myself, then to my client, when Keyster or K&L parts are discovered in a carburetor. It really is one of the saddest messages I ever have to deliver. There are very credible sources that pro carburetor rebuilders rely on. Seldom does one ever have to resort to the conventional, ubiquitous, but much-to-be-avoided kits.

Take a look at this K&L float needle, on the left. It won't seal, it fails a vacuum test. It's brand new, straight from the package. Keyster are the same. You can tell from looking at this part it isn't made right. See how the tip is ground off-center? K&L used to be a big name, quality stuff. Not any more. Junk. On the right, another aftermarket float needle whose zinc plating is peeling off. Pay one-fifth the price of the excellent stock part and get less than one-fifth the quality. It should not surprise anyone that I do not like aftermarket float valves.

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The end of SOHC Honda Four carb rebuilding