Okay, so when I decided to have my carbs overhauled I also decided it would be a good idea to replace the OEM fuel tees. At least it sounded good at the time. So I ordered some super duper fuel tees from France, yeah I know, and had them installed when the carbs were overhauled by a secondary bike shop. After the bike was operational I always noticed gas seepage on the float bowls at times and would just snug up the bowl screws thinking that was the problem. Well this past weekend when it got very nice out I thought I would take the KZ for a long ride and fired it up. As it was warming up I looked at it while putting my helmet on and lo and behold gas was running all over the garage floor. It was a major leak too! Shut the bike off, close the petcock and start hunting for the leak. I put the bike on my lift and at first thought it was #4 carb and fiddled with it checking float level etc. Turn the petcock on and gas is running all over the place. Now it looks like #3 carb, so check it out. Did I mention that I pulled both bowls and checked needle valves, float levels, etc.?
By this time I decided a warm weather ride was not in my immediate future because I could not find the leak, so off comes the fuel tank and try to dry everything off as best as I could. Then I connected an auxiliary fuel tank and turned the valve on and gas starts running out of the fuel tee between carbs #3 and #4. It is amazing how gasoline will instantly run all over the place in a heartbeat and leave you wondering where it's coming from. Once I saw where the gas appeared to be coming from I was happy to have found it, but PO'ed because those were brand new super-duper fuel tees!
So then the next project is to take the carb rack off which I really don't relish because for me it is always a struggle. Worse is putting them on. There must be an easier way than I do it, so if anyone has an easy way to put a carb rack on please give me the secret! Well with the carbs off I head to the workbench and begin the un-ganging process which I have never done. Get the manual out and read all about it, doesn't sound too bad I tell myself and it wasn't, but my mind is thinking about all the stuff I have to re-do when I put things together. I finally get to the point of taking the right carbs off the rack and pull them of the brass fuel tee and sure as shooting I find a split o-ring. So I have ordered new OEM fuel tees and I will give them a try. The brass one I took out is now somewhere in a field across the street from me. The last OEM tees lasted over 40 years so maybe I will get lucky.
Rick H.