82 Ltd kz550

Hey guys I just put my carbs back together I use the fiber felpro as gaskets I made sure they were perfect but I still have a little gas leaking through. Is that a bad gasket or a bad material? Also I pushed on the overflow drain needle in the float chamber and I think I snapped it at the base. I filled up the base with carb cleaner and When I push on it it leaks. Anyone know how to safely remove that?

Brick123c wrote: Hey guys I just put my carbs back together I use the fiber felpro as gaskets I made sure they were perfect but I still have a little gas leaking through. Is that a bad gasket or a bad material? Also I pushed on the overflow drain needle in the float chamber and I think I snapped it at the base. I filled up the base with carb cleaner and When I push on it it leaks. Anyone know how to safely remove that?

A cracked, loose or broken overflow tube would be expected to allow premature escape of fuel through the overflow and exit through the overflow hose.

With an intact and properly functioning overflow tube, only fuel that for whatever reason rises above the top open tip of the overflow tube should escape through the overflow hose.

Good Fortune!

I don't know specifically about "fiber felpro" but I have changed lots of carbs and gaskets over the years... I believe you can make perfect gaskets and have perfect alignment but still be leaky. Usually this is a sign of a mating surfaces being insufficiently cleaned of old gasket material or there is some pitting/corrosion of the mating surfaces.
It's also possible that the bowl or whichever part appears to be leaking has a problem functionally sealing (like the PO dropped the bowl and it's been dented or warped.

Brick123c wrote: Hey guys I just put my carbs back together I use the fiber felpro as gaskets I made sure they were perfect but I still have a little gas leaking through. Is that a bad gasket or a bad material?

I have an 1982 550a but I guess I don't understand what is the drain needle? The valve at the float?
Carb cleaner should never be used on a carb which has any rubber elements still in it. At least that's my policy. Any nasty chemical that stings your skin or makes you feel cold when it's on you shouldn't be used on any part which has rubber seals, o-rings etc still present.

Brick123c wrote: Also I pushed on the overflow drain needle in the float chamber and I think I snapped it at the base. I filled up the base with carb cleaner and When I push on it it leaks. Anyone know how to safely remove that?

The overflow needle is cracked I just got it at an angle I can see. Is there any way to Change it? Or is it a broken carb?
And if it's broken can I just buy a new float bowl?

Are you talking about the overflow tube? The skinny tube goes from base of bowl up to mating surface line of bowl-to-carb?
A pic would help me at least to understand....

If you are talking about the brass overflow tube that is pressed into a passage in the bottom of the fuel bowl, it can usually be soldered in place, though this does require some skill to do successfully.
Pull up some posts by member loudvx. In his signature line is a link to his website that has tons of 550 info.

Yep that's it! Sorry not sure why but it never let's me post a picture on here it always lags and freezes

Okay. Cool. At least I understand now...

So is the brass tube itself cracked or is the bowl-mount for the tube cracked?

Either way... Here's something you can try which I have had luck with:

Get some metal putty made for sealing gas tanks. I forget the brand name but it comes in two parts and you have to mix them - the catalyst will start to harden the putty.
Carefully.. and diligently apply the putty around the tube/base (wherever it's visibly cracked) and do it as thinly as possible.
Let dry. (typically this is only minutes to 30 minutes but package will say)
Retry installation.

Like I said. I've done it before in a pinch. Not ideal because it obviously throws off how much fuel that bowl can hold as the putty you apply will displace gasoline for all future use. That's why you need to be careful with how much you apply. Just enough to seal the crack.

MAKE SURE THIS PUTTY IS MADE FOR GASOLINE TANK REPAIR... Or you risk it disintegrating in the presence of gas and fouling your carb.

Thanks man would I be able to get the metal putty from autozone or advanced? I can see the cracks it's in the brass.
Another question is how do you foul a carb? What is it that makes it bad and is the carburetor done for good once fouled or would I just need to clean it again and get whatever it is out?

What do you mean by "foul the carb?"

Yes. You can buy gas tank repair putty at any auto parts stores that I know.

When you apply it... Look at the top float assembly - make sure your putty application to seal the crack DOES NOT interfere with the movement of the float itself - ie: you have to be careful and apply the putty as thin as possible not to interrupt the float from bobbing up and down but sufficient to seal.. This is important... So you'll have to check what you do and possibly sand or grind bits of the putty if you find it's messing-up the float from moving.

Fouling the carb:
Anything that is ... um, NOT gasoline and gets into your float bowl has the potential to foul-up (Read: F-up, F-with, throw a wrench in the works.. etc) the carburetor. This includes foreign materials such as rust/oxide, dirt from bad gasoline etc.

You can fully dismantle and clean any carburetor to remove such foreign material but it's laborious and typically you'll need a complete rebuild kit for at least replacing the rubber o-rings, seals or gaskets.
The jets in particular are susceptible to this fouling as they are basically just teeeeny holes drilled into screws. Those holes are specifically sized to meter out gasoline for the carb to atomize before it's sucked into the engine and kaboom happens.
This is a place where you'd use carb cleaner - to blast dirt and crap out of those jets, the emulsion tube, the galleries of the carb body etc but like I said, you should avoid using carb cleaners in the presence of any rubber pieces as it can distort, melt, soften the rubber.

Make sense?

Brick123c wrote: . . . can see the cracks it's in the brass. . . . .

Cracks in the tube can sometimes be filled with solder. Or perhaps cover the tube with a snug-fitting plastic hose. Or even heat-shrink tubing.

If broken loose at the base where the overflow tube connects to the inside of the float bowl, it might be possible to re-connect the tube to the bowl with JBWeld. Properly applied JBWeld will serve okay for years even when constantly submerged in gasoline. JBWeld has also been successfully used to repair broken float towers.

Can check ebay for replacement float bowls. And consider placing a wanted topic here on KZrider's Classifieds forum.

Good Fortune!