F@#$^in' Carbs!!

[ATOMonkey]

Here's the full scoop.

I rebuilt my carbs this winter. Everything looked good, but I didn't feel like I had the floats fully seated and I just dismissed it as "that's the way they're supposed to feel" kind of thing.

Well fast forward to yesterday. I put the tank on and do a sync. Everything looks peachy. The gas tank is pretty much so empty though. Today I plan on going for a little test ride. I make it down to the gas station, about 2 blocks, no problem. Fill 'er up and almost dump it pulling out. I attribute this to new tires. I go to take off from a stop sign and it just goes sideways instead of forward. hhhmmm... That's not so good. Look down and it's just hemoraging fuel onto the ground. Great... I push it the 1 block home and start to tear into it. Put the tank on prime and carbs 1 and 2 gush fuel out the vent. Not just a little, but a TON.

I don't think the guy that rebuilt my carbs knew what the hell he was doing.

So any bets on what I'll find when I pull it apart?

[scottynoface]

Sounds like the floats are just dumping gas.

[ATOMonkey]

My bet is just one float is hosed since both carbs share the vent. 3 and 4 are great.

[HexKrak]

Check your oil too, you might have gas in it if you're having float issues.

[Wild-Bill]

...So any bets on what I'll find when I pull it apart?

My money's on either bad float needles or crap on the needle seats, keeping them from sealing. Other possibilities are float height WAY off, floats not floating and needles not hooked to the floats right.

To check the needles, pull them off the floats and look at the black sealing surface (at the pointy end) under a good light. If there's a ring showing in the surface then they're worn out. Replace all 4 as a set. If you do have to replace them don't go to the dealer though! They want $65-$75 for a 'float needle valve assembly' that includes the float. As long as the floats still float you can get just the needles through any K+L parts dealer. I posted the exact part number for the pre-750 in the WIKI, under Carburetor Parts.

[ATOMonkey]

Cool!! Thanks Bill!

[innocentbp]

I just had the same issue. Bike wouldnt start, just kept flooding. I racked my brain for a week with many trial and errors. I can hook up those carbs blindfolded now. Today I pulled the float needle seat fitting and slapped a new o-ring on it. Threw the carbs on the bike and first push of the start vroom. Idled rough for a few then cleaned up nice.

Dannyj

[Wild-Bill]

OK, you've got a pre-750. Like me. You don't have any o-rings on the float needle seat. Just the needles (which are replaceable) and the seats are part of the carb bodies. (So don't get your hopes up about cheap o-rings.) I suppose it might be possible to freshen up the seats with a drill or something but from what I've seen the needles take all the wear and tear so that's not needed. Take a look at the needles and make sure your floats are still floating.

[ATOMonkey]

I think one of the floats just flat fell off. It's leaking way too much fuel way to fast for it to all be coming through the seat. We'll see though. I probably won't be able to get to it until Friday night at the earliest.

[Enjay386]

Buy something fuel injected? lol

[ATOMonkey]

Final verdict is in.

Some idiot (me again) forgot to tape off the petcock when I was sand blasting and got some crushed garnet in there, which found it's way promptly into carbs 1 and 2, causing the floats to stick open.

Runs like a charm now!

[Katana1100]

in the immortal words of homer simpson, "Doh!" at least it was an easy find/fix

[Wild-Bill]

Gotta love the no-parts fix!

[Kreylyn]

Gotta love the no-parts fix!

That one is almost as good as the "no-work needed fix!"

Krey

[depths_of_mind]

Buy something fuel injected? lol

That's gonna be my fix to carbs.