Overflowing Carbs (sometimes)

mind2find wrote:

....B.) when I drained carb 2, the gas in the line from the petcock DIDN'T drain out. Now this is WRONG, right? This would be an indicator that the float stayed stuck closed? :S

I just don't think a stuck-closed float valve would cause over-flowing bowls. Unless it was sticking open, too. You *have* replaced your float valves by now, yes? Jeff @ z1enterprises.com sells them in batches of 6 if I remember correctly. Maybe give your float axles a good steel wooling.

A real interesting test for your "B" scenario would be to turn on the fuel petcock when you drain it. If fuel comes pouring out, the float *valve* is opening. I'm just wondering if perhaps the vacuum of the closed petcock or a clogged filter might be holding up the fuel. I don't know. I'd think it would drain down...

OK cool.

Yes, before all of this mayhem, I got a rebuild kit and applied it to the carbs, so that stuff is new.

My theory is that, if it can stick closed, it can probably stick open too.

I'll try the steel wooling. I'm also going to try ever so slightly bending the "biscuits" in so they'll definitely clear the sides of the bowl, taking care not to bend the cylinder that the axles go through. The axles seem to move pretty freely now so I don't suspect that.

The axles themselves are pretty clean but a steel wooling might make them turn that much easier.

I know what you mean about the vacuum possibly holding up the rest of the fuel. I was confused by them responding differently but maybe it was just a vacuum fluke.

Thanks much for the advice. Gonna stay up juuuust a little bit later to go work on it. (hehehe, this is the point at which I make myself exhausted the next morning when I thought I was actually serious about that.) :whistle:

Think your problem is in the petcock. I have the exact same problem on a Honda Silverwing. But this problem didnt occur until i replaced the tank and switched the petcock over. I did not re-use the filter/screen that goes up into the tank from the petcock, and ever since then it leaks bad when parked on the sidestand. Being that its a vacuum operated petcock so this shouldnt happen at all, but if I turn the gas "off" it stops. That little plastic screen is a freakin $30 part, i just turn the gas off and ride. Ill mess with it another day. I would think if it was a float level problem that it wouldnt run right on that carbs cylinder, either be rich or lean, no? I have no symptoms like that, it runs, idles, doesnt hesitate and pulls strong. I also have no "reserve" now either, that screen had openings in the bottom which pulled the fuel up into the petcock tube, as i see now, and now i have to keep the fuel level above the tube. I never would have thought that screen controlled the flow as much as it did.