float levels for KZ650 B?

Hi everybody.

Anybody know the correct float height for a 1978 KZ 650B? (VM24)

My Clymer manual only gives the wet method.

Thanks.

Post edited by: outaline, at: 2006/02/20 01:53

My manuel says 30mm, but I have the floats on my 78 KZ650C2 set at 25mm and they dont overflow when sitting on the side stand... Wayne

P.S. bike runs fine, just hard to start at times.

Hey for anybody else who is wondering, I found it. For VM24SS carbs the float height should be set at 23.5mm.

Outaline, where did you find that piece of info ? That could be the whole answer I needed for me hard starting problem. Maybe its just NOT picking up fuel for the choke system . Wayne

Ok I just broke down and called Mikuni carbs in california (818-885-1242) and I was told that the float level for the VM24SS should be in the range of 18mm - 22mm . So I guess the carbs are coming off again and its time to change the float level . Im going to go to the 22mm first and see if it will start and or overflow fuel, then if that doesnt help im going to the 18mm and try again.

Post edited by: Tower_Monkey1, at: 2006/02/21 11:54

I found it on some website. I just googled VM24ss float height. I suppose it could be wrong.

by changing the float level, it helped my bike to start without having to use starting fluid. I set my floats at 20mm . Wayne

del

Wayne,
JMKZH1 is correct on his post, he states the real reason you set the floats "wet". You have set them dry by measurement and it starts now. You may find they are perfect, now..., but you will never know for sure until you set them wet. What if it starves at high rpm now? I mentioned this several times in your first thread...:whistle:

Now this is getting interesting.
I have wondered about the setting "wet" vs "dry".
On my SU carbs I set dry so why not on bikes. Maybe difference in the float bowl volume.
If Kawasaki specs it, there MUST be a reason, not just to be a pain (which was my first thought upon reading this method).
My guess is that setting dry will get you close and you have to set wet to get it spot on, probably because of the volume in the float bowl (not much).
I paniced at JMKZH1's comment about how the boyancy of the floats changes over time, Umm Boyancy BLOODY WELL better NOT be changing over time, or all our floats will be sunk. Boyancy in a brass float should stay constant, unless you have a hole in it.
When I did my carbs I set mine dry and got lucky (dunno where I got my setting, I was following 3 different sets of info), I guess, now I have to go out and do the "wet" test... Darn, I was hoping not to have to do that...
Now that it's warmer, maybe I'll work on the bike this weekend.

Haynes manuel says to set them dry. Im wondering why clymer says wet and haynes says dry. What does the official kawasaki manuel say ? Wayne

Wet:
.

rstnick 's post shows the "wet" method of setting float heights.
When using the dry method, you should not turn the carbs upside down. The float needle has a spring loaded assembly inside it to smooth the action of the float needle.
When setting the floats "dry", you should place the carbs on its side to lightly rest the floatassembly against the spring loaded "pin" that is on the bottom of the float needle. You dont want to compress the spring inside the float needle.
If you turn the carbs upside down, the weight of the float assembly compresses the spring causing the level to be more (setting the floats at 20mm upside down would give you a float level of around 24mm, when set on their sides)
Fish