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Water in the Carbv Float
- PaulyWally
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I have two questions:
1) Can I run it temporarily like this? The carbs need a rebuild kit. But I just want to clean them well enough to start the bike.
2) Am I just stuck buying new floats? Or can I drill a hole, drain it, and solder it? (there are already solder globs all over the seams of the floats)
1976 KZ750 Twin
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- 650ed
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1977 KZ650-C1 Original Owner - Stock (with additional invisible FIAMM horn)
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- Patton
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Would suspect fuel seeped into the float through a leaking seam past one of the solder globs.PaulyWally wrote: ... water in the floats. There is no hole in the floats, so I don't know how it got in. But it's there... there are already solder globs all over the seams of the floats)
Good Fortune!
1973 Z1
KZ900 LTD
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- PaulyWally
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650ed wrote: What makes you think it's water rather than fuel? Ed
Because it froze at some point... causing the float to bulge out on the sides. Last I checked, gasoline doesn't freeze, and metal doesn't spontaneously bulge out.
Either way, I'm pretty sure there isn't supposed to be any liquid inside the float. I mean, I don't know a lot about this. And this is the first carb I ever took apart. But physics tells me that there should be no fluid inside the float. Otherwise, how the hell is it supposed to do that thing that it is named after? :whistle:
I'm going to replace the float. After I saw that it's bulged, I wouldn't think fixing is an option. But all I want to know is if I run the risk of doing more damage by using it to try to get the bike running.
1976 KZ750 Twin
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- Motor Head
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You could use a scale to check weight differences.
1982 KZ1000LTD K2 Vance & Hines 4-1 ACCEL COILS Added Vetter fairing & Bags. FOX Racing rear Shocks, Braced Swing-arm, Fork Brace, Progressive Fork Springs RT Gold Emulators, APE Valve Springs, 1166 Big Bore kit, RS34's, GPZ cams.
1980 KZ550LTD C1 Stock SOLD Miss it
1979 MAZDA RX7 in the works, 13B...
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- dadgonebroke
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- 650ed
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PaulyWally wrote:
650ed wrote: What makes you think it's water rather than fuel? Ed
Because it froze at some point... causing the float to bulge out on the sides. Last I checked, gasoline doesn't freeze, and metal doesn't spontaneously bulge out.
Either way, I'm pretty sure there isn't supposed to be any liquid inside the float. I mean, I don't know a lot about this. And this is the first carb I ever took apart. But physics tells me that there should be no fluid inside the float. Otherwise, how the hell is it supposed to do that thing that it is named after? :whistle:
I'm going to replace the float. After I saw that it's bulged, I wouldn't think fixing is an option. But all I want to know is if I run the risk of doing more damage by using it to try to get the bike running.
I agree that it is unlikely that gasoline froze inside the floats; it would have needed to had been exposed to extremely low temperatures; too cold for normal atmosphere. Considering that carbs are pretty high up on a motorcycle, I am surprised to read that the floats were somehow submerged in water long enough to absorb water. It would seem that the only way that much water could get into a carb would be to fill the fuel tank with water. Have you checked the tank for rust and the oil in the crankcase for water? Running the bike with water in the floats seems like a bad idea as it will require bending the float tangs to compensate for the weight of the floats. Then after the floats are replaced, you will need to bend the tangs back. You may end up spending far too much time trying to adjust and re-adjust the tangs rather than just fixing the problem first. With that in mind, replacing the floats before running the engine is an excellent idea. Ed
1977 KZ650-C1 Original Owner - Stock (with additional invisible FIAMM horn)
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- Patton
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Pic?PaulyWally wrote: ... it froze at some point... causing the float to bulge out on the sides... first carb I ever took apart... After I saw that it's bulged, I wouldn't think fixing is an option....
Good Fortune!
1973 Z1
KZ900 LTD
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- PaulyWally
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And besides that, both carbs need a rebuild. There wasn't a lot of gunk, but there was a lot of rust inside. One of the vacuum pistons was actually seized from rust desposits.
I've been scouring the internet looking for a place that sells these floats... no luck yet. Has anyone had luck replacing floats with a set that came from different carbs (i.e. an entirely different part number, but fit the carb nonetheless)?
Ideally, I'd like to get the carbs operable soon and start the bike so it can finally experience some fluid flow after 2 years of being dead... and then spend the winter rebuilding the carbs.
That's what I'm thinking... but I'm open to suggestions.
1976 KZ750 Twin
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- Motor Head
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KDX250-B2 (KDX250) (1982)
KDX250-B3 (KDX250) (1983)
KDX250-B4 (KDX250) (1984)
KX250-B1 (KX250) (1982)
KX250-C2 (KX250) (1984)
KX250-E1 (KX250) (1987)
KX500-C1 (KX500) (1987)
KXT250-A2 (Tecate) (1985)
KZ750-B1 (1976)
KZ750-B2 (1977)
KZ750-B3 (1978)
KZ750-B4 (1979)
KZ750-G1 (LTD II) (1980)
This listing on Feebay looks like it. Guy is a Sudco dealer, maybe check with him to see if its right.
1982 KZ1000LTD K2 Vance & Hines 4-1 ACCEL COILS Added Vetter fairing & Bags. FOX Racing rear Shocks, Braced Swing-arm, Fork Brace, Progressive Fork Springs RT Gold Emulators, APE Valve Springs, 1166 Big Bore kit, RS34's, GPZ cams.
1980 KZ550LTD C1 Stock SOLD Miss it
1979 MAZDA RX7 in the works, 13B...
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- PaulyWally
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Motor Head wrote: Looks to fit several models.
KDX250-B2 (KDX250) (1982)
KDX250-B3 (KDX250) (1983)
KDX250-B4 (KDX250) (1984)
KX250-B1 (KX250) (1982)
KX250-C2 (KX250) (1984)
KX250-E1 (KX250) (1987)
KX500-C1 (KX500) (1987)
KXT250-A2 (Tecate) (1985)
KZ750-B1 (1976)
KZ750-B2 (1977)
KZ750-B3 (1978)
KZ750-B4 (1979)
KZ750-G1 (LTD II) (1980)
That was the first thing I looked for to try and locate a replacement. No luck right away... but I figured in time something would come up.
That eBay link is a great help. Thanks! It also took me a moment to realize that these handful of Kawasaki's were not the only bikes that Mikuni BS38's were put on. Yamaha put them on some 650's also. So I managed to locate a couple other potential sellers.
Continuing to comb the desert... er... I mean internet...
1976 KZ750 Twin
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