82 KZ1100 wet float test

Hi I did a float level check on the bike with one carb one really out others not perfect. Getting at them on the bike is a pain so will take them out to adjust standing up. How do I do a wet test setting on the bench? I know they have to have fuel l attached etc. but is it then the normal adjustment process - clear pipe method with base plates back on - then off - then on until they are correct?

Thanks.

You pretty much got it. No short cuts really. One member here uses a clear glass bowl in place of the stock fuel bowl. But the only way is to check levels. Bend the tang on the float, re-check and repeat until the level is within specs. I made up a stand out of old carb holders, and use an old lawnmower gas tank. It’s not fun. Just a safety note, be extremely careful with gas and fumes within a closed building. Be wary of open flame sources.pilot lights and sparks.

This post describes another test method. In my opinion it's much easier, faster and more accurate. This is how I check floats nowadays. Note that you can check all four at once if you use 4 glasses.

www.kzrider.com/forum/forum-index/3-carb...n-setting-fuel-level

gregzim wrote: Hi I did a float level check on the bike with one carb one really out others not perfect. Getting at them on the bike is a pain so will take them out to adjust standing up. How do I do a wet test setting on the bench? I know they have to have fuel l attached etc. but is it then the normal adjustment process - clear pipe method with base plates back on - then off - then on until they are correct?

Thanks.

Trial and error would be pretty laborious.

Try this

For bench test I've used a B&D Workmate and a gas tank from a lawnmower.


Hold the clear tube up to the carb and use a ruler to measure the fuel height. For the inside carbs holding the tube up to the #1and #4 carb body is fine as long as the carbs are level. Record the measurements

Turn the carbs upside down and remove the bowls and measure the float height on out of spec carbs. If the fuel level as measured in a carb is out by say 4mm then bend the float tang to adjust the float height by the same amount - 4mm. Put the bowl back on the carb. Done. When you do this for all carbs- check if you like - but you can put them back on the bike and the fuel levels will be spot on.


Tek9ine posted this tip here years ago and having done it myself I can vouch for the fact that it works.

Thanks everyone for such details. I took the carbs of today BS34 - and first up before doing the floats I decided to also perfect the butterflies sync with each other. So this has always been a subject of what's written in my manual not being what BS34's do.

Looking at the carb set from the front (with cylinder 1 on far right) - The BS34 has only 2 adjustment bolts with slots in the top and 1 thumb centre adjustment with a phillips head slot also.

So - the far left adjustment ONLY changes the far left butterfly. The far right adjustment only adjusts the far right butterfly.

The centre thumb adjuster seems on this set to adjust the centre left and right butterflies ?? Is this correct?

When I started I had read the far right adjustment bolt adjust both the far right and inside right butterflies. The far left - just the far left butterfly an d the central thumb adjuster the inside left and you set set that first and align the rest up to it.

I backed off the idle screw from behind completely so it wasn't even touching the plate - and carb 3 (inside right) with a light strobe behind is was showing the most light. The far right a little light and the far left a little light - the inside left a tiny amount of light.

I closed the inner left (no2) with the thumb drive, closed the far left (No1) with its own adjustment screw, did same for the NO 4 far left - rechecked.

1, 2 & 4 shut. But no 3 still slightly open.

No 4 adjuster didn't move it.

In the end I had to use the centre thumb adjuster and keep going until No 3 shut fully.

I then opened all 4 and set at a gap and to my relief all 4 were identical.

So - why do the manuals and some threads say the thumb adjuster only adjust No 2 and the far right adjusts 3 & 4 ?

It took half an hour on the above assumption of mucking about and going nowhere until I kept on turning the thumb adjuster "After" no 2 was shut to get no 3 shut.

BTW - as a laugh for you - having read the wet test I set off to the super market to find a glass container the right size - only ONE in the whole place and of course being in Oz - you can guess what it was - VEGEMITE I had to laugh.

If the carbs are off the bike, there is another way. You will need an outdoor table and four small glasses. The glasses need to be just big enough that a carb with the float bowl removed will sit on the rim with the float hanging freely in the glass. You will need one glass for each carb.
Carefully make a mark on each glass at the lowest allowable level. For instance, if the manual specifies between one mm above to three mm below the gasket surface, make a mark three mm below the top of each glass. A permanent mark is best.
Set the glasses in a row on the table, and set the carb assembly on top of them. Attach your auxiliary fuel supply, and watch the glasses fill. You will immediately see which ones need adjusting and by how much. Adjust the floats, empty the glasses and repeat until perfection is achieved.

There is a thread with pictures around here someplace.

This video is not for a Kawasaki, but other than where the vacuum ports are located, the rest applies.

He shows the adjustment screws and how to adjust them at around the five minute mark.

An important step he missed is to check the gages sync before syncing the carburetors. Use a 4 in to one fitting and connect all gages to one carb sync port. Adjust meters to read the same.
In the video, he attributed the #4 carb discrepancy between the two gage sets as being the mercury gage being more accurate. I don't think so. One of his gage sets is out of sync, and he's screwing up the sync on every bike he uses it on.

I use the Clear tube method...1/4” clear tube on the carb bowl drain. Every old float and needle are different don’t measure from carb base to top of float

Here is the thread I was thinking of. I believe this should be a sticky and it should be posted as an article as soon as the author can return. Or maybe somebody else will volunteer to articalize it.

kzrider.com/forum/forum-index/3-carburet...n-setting-fuel-level

TexasKZ wrote: Here is the thread I was thinking of. I believe this should be a sticky and it should be posted as an article as soon as the author can return. Or maybe somebody else will volunteer to articalize it.

kzrider.com/forum/forum-index/3-carburet...n-setting-fuel-level

I added that on the third post to this thread.