carb still leaking

I just finished (or so I thought) going through my carbs.. should have sent them to wiredgeorge.. anyway they won't stop leaking .I set the float at 19mm and put in new float valves, it still leaks and the pisser is that its not allways the same one.. sometimes its #1 and other times its #3.
a friend pointed out that since the petcock will not shut off the flow that that was the problem. so I put a valve inline between the petcock and the carbs to stop the flow.I think that the float are set too low because when I'm on the freeway it seems like its running out of fuel. but when I shut it off it leaks.
it also surges on the freeway but I think thats because of gusts and side drafts.
so here are the questions
1) is it normal / acceptable for the carbs to leak if the petcock is not working..
2) when I got the float valves they came with the seats also. should I change the seats? if thats not a factor I'd rather not do that..
3)I set the slides with a manometer but how do I set the air fuel mixture?? I think that that may be a factor also.
I don't want to set them too lean and burn a piston or too rich and foul a plug..
to all those who said not to go to pods back when I was first starting this mess. YES I SHOULD HAVE LISTENED..
anyone thinking of going to pods I tell you what I learned the hard way.. its a huge pain in the ass
I got some clear plastic tubing to check the float levels this weekend

del

The last time this happened to me I just grabbed a piece of wood and a hammer after trying everything else and just placed the wood on the upper carb housing and whacked it hard 3 or 4 times and guess what, problem solved.

I have been riding the bike for a month now with no problems at all.

Get an inline fuel fiter and install it so the gunk wont get to the carbs.

Make sure the air filter is clean.

I know that this method sounds insane, but I have used it now on #4 carb last year and #2 carb a month ago..

Pretty cheap fix.

Probably should have put in the new needle seats along with the needles. Both those parts wear and most likely wear into one another. Kinda like when you put new brake pads on a worn rotor without turning the rotor, the surfaces don't quite sit flush and you frequently get brake squeel out of brand new pads. If the needles and seats were in those carbs for years and wore together the odds that your new, perfectly machined float needles are finding the old seats to be not quite a perfect fit, allowing gas to pass through where it shouldn't be able to.

I tilted them at a 30degree angle like the book said to.
as far as doing the seats whats the best way to remove them?just use vice grips??

I would just rebuild the petcock but the kit is about75bux. I can make a flange and valve substitute for the petcock for alot cheaper. no reserve so I have to pay attention to that..
I plan on getting it going and selling it the seat is too far foward for my long legs.
gonna get a stock kz1000p and not modify it. damn sure gonna leave the freaking airbox on...
any buyers ????
I'm in it 2500 but will sell it for 2k

changed the seats and still have one that really leaks bad.
the seats were totally different then the ones that were in it, but the old seats were ruined in the removal process (no easy task)
my leak is gushing out the mouth(breather side) where that little hole is thats above the float. is the float not seating or is there another cause for the overflow,is the new seat allowing fuel to bypass it??. I did the clear plastic hose to measure fluid level and it appears that the bowl is only half full.. I'm gonna try an old float in its place tomorrow. got too hot out there today

update
:blush: that little hole is not supposed to be there. I poked through when I took the old seat out.. patched it with jb weld and will try setting the floats tomorrow:S

If that doesnt work, whack it with a piece of soft wood and a hammer.

I am telling you that it works.

You can pull the carbs a million times and not have the problem fixed.

I still cant believe it works as well as it does.

Wiredgeorge might want to hit me with a piece of wood and a hammer for suggestig it.

No, really I know sever people who have solved this problem like this.

Before you do it, drain the bowls and cross you fingers.

I hate it when it happens because it usually stinks out the garage or burns up the grass on the side of my house.

Do those carbs have a pipe that comes up in the float bowl from the overflow? If so check and make sure that the pipe isn't cracked. I had to replace a float bowl on my vm26s I just fit on my 77 because of that.

that hole was where it poked through removing the old seats. gonna make a cut off valve and eliminate the whole petcock all together. have to watch that I don't run outta gas with no reserve and all

Take a CLOSE look at the carb unions(tee-fittings),where they go into each set of carbs and make sure they're not leaking.
I went through that years ago,thinking it was my bowls leaking the whole time,but it turned out to be the unions.
I pulled the carbs off the rack,and used teflon tape to reseal the unions,and it work great.I had those carbs on for about 3 years after,until I put the 29's on.