KZ440 Carb

So Ive got a problem with the floats on the carb for my new(just purchased, new to me)'83 KZ440 LTD. At first whenever I would turn the gas on from the fuel tank, it would fill the float bowl and start flowing out of the overflow lines on the bottom. I took it apart, cleaned it, bought a carb rebuild kit from ebay, replaced those items and put it back together. Same problem. Then I took it to work(I work in a mechanics shop), and a guy I work with looked at it and thinks that the float might be bad and becomes saturated with gas, sinks over time and doesnt activate the needle and seat to turn off the gas flow. I took the bowl apart and left it apart overnight, and took it home and put it back on the bike. Im assuming whatever gas had seeped into the float evaporated because it ran and drove spectacularly for about an hour, when I looked down and the overflows were peeing again.

-It sounded logical to me, but has anyone heard of any similar problems?
-Is there somewhere I can find new ones online (instead of spending fifty bucks a piece getting new ones from a dealer. I have been unable to locate used floats online, and again, perhaps I would be running into the same problem.
-Would the floats for a KZ550, KZ400 or something similar be comparable/useable?

First step is to do the clear tube test and see if the floats are set right.

You might try setting the suspect float(s) in a bowl of naptha and see if any of them take on water and sink.:laugh:

Its possible the floats are bad, but not likely.

Just take the floats out and immerse them in some gas over night. If they fill/sink, they're bad. if they pop right back to the top, they're good.

Usually its the valve needle seats that are bad, and need to be highly polished with cotton swabs and metal polish, even for new needles to seat properly.

Make sure you have a good fuel filter in-line to rule out any bits of tank crud preventing the valves from seating.

Check your float heights/fuel height to make sure it just isnt set too high.

Even bad floats should stop the fuel for a while before starting to overflow.

GL!

Thanks BountyHunter. Yeah the next thing im gonna try is to get a bowl of gas and put them in it and see if they float. I think ive seen stuff for the clear tube test, but dont know how it works. would you happen to have any good links that would explain the process?

Also tek9, It did work fine for about an hour and then it just started peein gas out of the overflow. That tells me that the needle and seat were working properly for that time, and the floats were working properly for that time. It only started when I stopped my test ride and ate some lunch. I came back outside, and the overflow lines had been leaking. A fuel filter does sound like a good idea cuz my tank seems to have a little crust opn it. It didnt come with one.

Thanks fellas

You might check the floats again to be sure they're right side up. It's easy to get them upside down, done it myself.

Aside from that, the needle valve tabs on the float may need to be bent to assure full closure at the proper height. You can do this by eye with the bowls removed before making a refined float level test using tubes to check the 2-3mm below bowl seam level.

Just a thought, but, just as a carb clean is only good until shitty gas enters, float valves are the same. all it takes is a particle of rust/grit to keep them from sealing. fit a in-line filter at least.. if tank is rusty, address.. also, while rare, I've seen instances where bits of old fuel line have traveled down stream into carb bodys & prevented float valve needles from seating. luck g