fuel level/float height?

To check that I'd have to disassemble the carb assembly? Like remove the individual carburetors? I'm new to bikes so bare with me. And the amount of gas at tips of tubes is so minuscule unless it would be a problem mechanically (leaking into airbox or engine) I really wouldn't bother. Checked the airbox and it's dry.

Nah, they're splitting at the seams. It happens in automotive too.
Steve

swest wrote: Nah, they're splitting at the seams. It happens in automotive too.
Steve

Is it more likely a bit of water in them freezing over the winter?

Metal fatigue.
Steve

A couple I've seen had micro cracks everywhere, and 've seen brass floats that just seem to disintegrate.

Ethanol is corrosive to aluminum and zinc. The carb body is aluminum and zinc, and the brass parts are copper and zinc. Another issue is that ethanol brings water with it, by absorbing it over time. Water and ethanol, together, are even more corrosive than either one alone.

So it is important to not let the fuel sit too long. Use it before it can absorb too much moisture from the air.

I don't remember where I read this, but a quick google search brings up quite a few results.

Here is one from the ethanol industry.
It only briefly mentions zinc as "not recommended" when transporting (pure?) ethanol. Notice aluminum is in the "recommended" category, but if you read the attached note, it is only recommended for intermittent contact when using high concentrations of ethanol, as in E85.
This same article shows urethane, nitrite, and buna-N as "not recommended", even though many places still sell urethane fuel lines for motorcycles.
ethanolrfa.org/page/-/RFA%20Fuel%20Ethan...e%201210.pdf?nocdn=1

Thanks for the replies guys! Been busy past couple of days, and ended up getting my endorsement to be a legal rider! Anyways, the overflow hoses. Are still wet at the tips. And checked the plugs. #1 and #3 both smell like gas. #3 being worse, which is strange because the tube between 3&4 is usually drier if not dry compared to the hose between 1&2, so. I'll probably pop them off on my next day off to give another cleaning to the carbs. If it were a cracked overflow tube inside the carb where is that tube located at? Is it the small diameter brass tube Sticking out from body going into the hole in bowl? I guess I just don't know what I'm looking for. I'll also recheck fuel levels and float height as well. I attached a picture of what I think may be the overflow tube

Those are not the overflow tubes. I'm not sure about your type carbs, but the overflow tubes in my carbs are attached to the inside of the carb bowl and are pointing upwards.

Regarding the carb overflow -

Fuel coming out of the overflow hose (the little hose on the bottom of the carb) is the common symptom of the 3 possible problems described below. Remember - NO SMOKING or other activities that could ignite the fuel while working on carbs!

The float valve is not sealing. This may be (and probably is) just a matter of some minor dirt in the float valve and is very simple to remedy and can be done with the carbs still on the bike. Turn off fuel; drain carb by loosening big brass screw near bottom; and remove the 4 little screws on the bottom of the carb bowl. This will enable you to remove the carb bowl. You will then see the float. If you carefully remove the float you will see a stubby little needle that mates with a brass orifice; together, these two pieces are the float valve. Assuming there is no obvious damage to the needle or seat, use a Q-tip and some carb cleaner to clean the seat of the orifice and the needle. Be careful not to bend the tang that is attached to the float. This tang is the piece that the bottom of the float valve needle rests upon, and it determines the fuel level in the bowl, so bending it will change the fuel level. With the float valve cleaned it should no longer leak. To prevent a re-occurrence a quality inline fuel filter should be installed between the fuel tank and carbs. If there was damage the needle and seat should be replaced as a set; they are available.

The brass overflow tube inside the carb bowl is damaged. When you remove the carb bowl you will see a brass tube attached inside and rising toward the top of the bowl. This is the overflow tube and it leads directly to the overflow nipple on the bottom of the carb. Normally, the fuel level within the bowl rises somewhat close to the top of this tube. If the tube becomes cracked or separates from the bottom of the carb bowl fuel will flow through it and out through the overflow hose. Checking the condition of the tube is very easy after you have removed the carb bowl from the carb. Simply hold the bowl level and fill it up near the top of the tube with water or alcohol and see if it leaks. A slight crack in the brass overflow tube can be difficult to find. You can connect a rubber tube to the overflow nipple, fill the bowl with water, put finger over the open end of the brass overflow tube and blow in the rubber end and look for bubbles. If it does the best remedy is to replace it although some folks have found creative ways to repair them.

The fuel level is set too high. This condition occurs when someone has bent the float tang as mentioned above. This condition can be checked using what is referred to as the "clear tube test." The test involves attaching one end of a clear piece of flexible tubing to the carb drain hole and holding the other end of the tube above the bowl/carb joint. When the fuel is turned on it should rise in the tube to a level 2.5 - 4.5 mm below the bowl/carb joint. If the fuel rises higher than that level it may run into the cylinders or over the upper end of the brass overflow inside the carb bowl (mentioned above) in which case it will run out the overflow hose. This condition is corrected by removing the float and gently bending the tang to raise the float valve needle position. Doing this may take several tries before achieving the desired fuel level.

Correcting each of these three conditions involves removing the carb bowl. This task can be made easier if a short screwdriver bit is used, and depending on which carb you are fixing a mirror may help you locate the screws on the bottom of the carb bowl. Also, it is not a bad idea to have a new carb bowl gasket available in case the old gasket is damaged while removing the carb bowl. Ed

I didn't think they were, originally thought it was part of the choke circuit, but my bowls have no tube coming from them.

If the clear tube test passes, I suggest a carb sync to balance all 4 carbs together. This may eliminate your problem and is required maintenance (I'm still learning from not doing a carb sync when I first got my bike running).

just my 79 cents...

Here's a typical overflow tube rising up from bottom of float bowl.




Some carb designs do not have overflow circuits, hence no overflow tube.

Mikuni smoothbore carb is an example of a manual slide carb design without an overflow circuit.




Good Fortune!

I do need to sync them. And if there's no overflow circuit on my carbs... What are the hoses between 1 and 2 and between 3&4 attached is photo from set of carbs from eBay. Mine are same style but not painted. Just to lazy to go outside to take a picture.

kayodash wrote: I do need to sync them. And if there's no overflow circuit on my carbs... What are the hoses between 1 and 2 and between 3&4 attached is photo from set of carbs from eBay. Mine are same style but not painted. Just to lazy to go outside to take a picture.

Those are VENT hoses (for the carb bowls) that supposedly exit to open air.

Good Fortune!