Choke not working on kz650, why?

Hello,

I got my father in laws 1978 KZ650 out of storage since 1985 so being it was parked for 36 years I fully tore the carb apart and fully cleaned every part with a carb chem dip and it turned out great. The jets are clear and gaskets, o-rings replaced and put back together and when it's warm it runs really good on all cylinders.

But my problem is with cold starts, I have to crank it for a long time with battery charger to assist and eventually does slowly start to fire and run but the choke does not help at all and even seems to make it worse when I have choke engaged. And even when I have it running and engage the choke slowly, it did does not rev up even a little but starts to kill it too. 

What could be the problem with my choke? I also don't quite understand how it works as it lifts a little plunger and opens a port but I can't tell where it should be pulling fuel from? These carbs were very gummed up, so maybe I have something still blocked? Any feedback would be appreciated.

The brass tube on the carb body next to the float ( top right corner in your pic) is the fuel pick up for the choke.
There is a small hole in the end which may be blocked and another hole in the side of the tube at the very top as the tube enters the body , these both need to be clear.
Then also on the float bowl itself ( near your index finger in the pic) there is a chamber where the tube fits and gets it fuel supply from which is fed from the float bowl. There is also another small hole at the base of that which needs to be clear too.

Your carb set is miles away form a correct rebuilt. Every internal removable part and port should be clean!!!
Did you or anyone else noticed like me, that your choke plunger lifters are mounted upside down???


 

Two things to check...

Regarding the 2nd photo, it's backwards; spray in the bottom of the choke passage, not into the choke pick up tube.  

 

Correct orientation.............

 

Ed

I agree with Ed on this one.  But do want to say I have seen  several different types/shapes of what I will call the lifters of the enricher/choke lever.  I think the more interesting question is related to the shape of the old seal on the end of the plunger.  I think there are others on here to provide solutions to this issue.

wrote:

Two things to check...

Regarding the 2nd photo, it's backwards; spray in the bottom of the choke passage, not into the choke pick up tube.  

 

You spray from that direction to flush out any blockage? 
Before I assemble the carb bowl to the body, I fill the bowl with gas and make sure the passage fills with fuel. Every time. 

Welcome.

What is the jetting (main and pilot) of your carbs, and are you using the stock air box and air filter?

How many miles, do you need a valve adjustment? 
What are the conditions of your carb holders?
And, as others have mentioned.. the filter and airbox.

Thanks everybody for the feedback, a couple mentioned it that on a couple of the bowls the little hole that provides fuel for that tube were blocked. And on another one the hole at the end of the pick up tube was blocked. So cleaned those and not it starts right up on choke. Also thanks for the info that the choke lifters are flipped, I will correct that too.