Maybe a blocked float issue

Well, I just got my carbs back from WG and they look great. I popped them on the bike, and it started right up and ran pretty well. In my rush, I forgot to put my fuel filter on, and since the tank has been sitting around for a few months now, I think I got some sediment in the #2 carb with the accelerator pump because I am getting a ton of gas flowing from the overflow tube. If there is sediment keeping the float from properly working, what is going to be the easiest method the remedy the problem without screwing up the great work (more than I already have) that WG put into it? The filter is back on now, but I am just too damn late.

You have 2 choices. You either do what has to be done or you ride with or keep a bottle connected to the over flow. Sad to say but I would go with the first choice. We all understand how impatient you were to see perfection at work from the master himself. Should get George to sign these carbs for you guys since the man is a legend on here.

I would try removing the vaccum line from the petcock and plugging it. Start it up and run it till it runs out of gas. Then get a shallow dish under #2 and remove the drain screw. Set the petcock to prime and see if anything flushes out of the float needle and seat. It's worth a shot.
It may also be that the float is stuck in an open position. Tap on the float bowl for #2 with the handle of a screwdriver. That may loosen it if it is stuck. Also, worth a shot before tearing into the carb.

Try rappimg smartly against float bowl with small plastic mallet while engine is idling. Will sometimes allow crud to be flushed from interface between float needle and float seat so that interface resumes sealing as it's supposed to.

With engine off, would also open float bowl drain screw and allow fuel to flow through bowl and out through drain hole for about ten seconds. Objective is to allow fuel to pass through and hopefully flush crud from the float needle/seat interface, and flush the crud on out through the drain hole.

Good luck!

Edit -- Anyone hear an echo?

Post edited by: Patton, at: 2008/03/02 16:20

Well, I shut the petcock off and let it run out of gas, then let some gas drain through the bowl. Seemed to fix the problem. So there I go down the road. I stop to get some gas then take off again. Low and behold the bike dies on me about a half mile from home. Looks like the battery is dead so I figure I will roll down the hill and pop the clutch. I manage to get it running for about 10 seconds and it dies again. So now i'm thinking it's time to look at the charging system. Here we go again.

Kellen79_650 wrote:

Well, I shut the petcock off and let it run out of gas, then let some gas drain through the bowl. Seemed to fix the problem. So there I go down the road. I stop to get some gas then take off again. Low and behold the bike dies on me about a half mile from home. Looks like the battery is dead so I figure I will roll down the hill and pop the clutch. I manage to get it running for about 10 seconds and it dies again. So now i'm thinking it's time to look at the charging system. Here we go again.

Could be something other than the charging system (such as loose ground wire connection, low fluid level in battery, etc., etc.).

Might consider starting a new thread under the Electrical forum for more help and better responses. Just a thought.

Glad you figured out what to do on the carbs. I would suggest a fuel filter, if you don't have one. You might want to flush the tank.

The problem you are currently having sounds like the bike was running on battery only and not charging. Once the battery runs down, the bike will quit running. You may want to take this to the electrical section but you either have a dead cell(s) in the battery OR either the stator isn't working, the reg/reg is malfunctioning or you have a connection issue.

I would first check the battery as the other checks are a waste of time if the battery is dead. A battery dies from cell sufation; that is, the cell coats with minerals and won't keep a charge. To test this, buy a small HYDROMETER. This is a gizmo that looks like a small eyedropper with colored balls in the clear glass (plastic) part. You draw in some fluid from each cell in turn using a small piece of hose and the balls in the dropper part will either float or not float. If NONE float, the cell is dead as a doornail. If some float, the cell is partially sulfated and the battery needs to be replaced and if all float, the cell is OK. If the battery checks out, first check your connections between stator and reg/rec... clean with contact cleaner and dab some dielectric grease on the pins. Check the connections between reg/rec and battery and main fuse. Do the clean/grease thing here as well. Once that is done and you still have an issue, you need to do some testing on the stator and reg/rec. Easiest is to test the reg/rec by starting the bike and at idle you should see about 12VDC at idle with probes from a multimeter on the battery terminals. Rev engine to 4K rpm and you should see a bit over 14VDC. If you see these voltages, all is well... if you don't, check the output of the stator by disconnecting it from the reg/rec and testing (put meter in VAC). You have three yellow wires coming off the stator? If so, test every possible way... a & b, a & c, b & c... you should see a bit over 40VAC on each test. If you don't you have shorted leg on the stator and it will need to be replaced. If your AC voltages are OK, then most likely the reg/rec is bad.

This all sounds complicated but involves less than a half hour to test with a hydrometer and multimeter.

Thanks WG for the advice. I went and bought the hydrometer last night and already have a multimeter so I will go ahead and work on it tonight. I appreciate the advice and in the meantime I will be moving this discussion to the electrical forum.

Kellen, i am in downtown kent.
I will be home this weekend i can take a look at it.
Do you have a way to bring it to Kent?

Actually, this happened to me leaving Harborview hospital, the ground wire connecting on the right side of the engine was loose.
I tightened the ground and had fire again, the rectifier was slightly melted also so i needed a new one afterwards.

Randy,

Thanks for the offer. I am actually suppose to be buying a pickup tomorrow, so I will have a way to get the bike up there.

I checked my old battery like WG suggested and it wasn't holding a charge. I picked up a new one and the bike runs great but I think the stator is shot based on the repair manual guidance I was following when checking the ohms. In addition, the 3 pin connector from the stator to the reg/rec shows some signs that at some point it melted a bit so it looks like I will have to replace that as well. I haven't officially check the reg/rec yet but when the bike was running, I was getting a steady 12 volts coming out of the regulator.

I think I will head up to bent bike to see if I can find some replacement parts. I've never been there, but have heard good things about it.

get rid of that connector and just solder the yellow wires together one by one, dont matter which as long as they are together.

Check the ground leading off the rectifier and the ground wire on the battery where it connects to the engine.

if a stator off a 1976 kz900 will fit, i have one.

Bring your wallet full of money when you go to Bent Bike, they like the used parts there and its hard for them to part with them.

Post edited by: ran429, at: 2008/03/07 18:59