1200cc engine, VM29 carbs, Pods, what jetting?

Nessism wrote:

BTW, the Joe's carb kit seems nice.  I'm not a fan of rubber float bowl gaskets, but they are well executed.  The jet block gaskets look great.  I think the same material was used as I purchased separate.  I'm going to save that for a future project, not this one. 

What is the issue with these Ed - I ask because I just bought a sheet of Viton to make my own (my thought process was that by the time they have been on and off a few times for float height setting and possible jet changes paper ones will have compressed and may not seal fully ?)

Wookie58 wrote:

Nessism wrote:

BTW, the Joe's carb kit seems nice.  I'm not a fan of rubber float bowl gaskets, but they are well executed.  The jet block gaskets look great.  I think the same material was used as I purchased separate.  I'm going to save that for a future project, not this one. 

What is the issue with these Ed - I ask because I just bought a sheet of Viton to make my own (my thought process was that by the time they have been on and off a few times for float height setting and possible jet changes paper ones will have compressed and may not seal fully ?)

I worry that the rubber float bowl gasket can squirm out of the pinch space.  Even more so with a few years of soaking with gas.

On VM series carb bodies the castings have a 0.3mm raised rib running around the interior of the casting on the gasket surface that "bites" into the gasket. This would eliminate the gasket shifting around on the sides where it is thinnest.

I can't remember if the smooth bores have that "rib" feature as I did not take detailed pics of the carb body bottoms. Carbs that come with rubber O ring type gaskets don't have those ribs (TM/RS/CVK)

Waiting on one float valve...

Injected, these VM29's do indeed have the slightly raised perimeter rib like all the VM series. Wookie the concern with those rubberish "flat" replacement gaskets is they can swell and distort. The areas around intake side, float posts, not a problem. Area around engine side not problematic either. It's the sides, parallel to the floats, that are of concern. Any swelling DOES push the flat gasket out because it is locked in place by the raised casting shoulders next to the M4 screws. Weakest area swells and pushes the thin strip of material out and can indeed interfere with float operation. If you've ever worked on any early Honda Keihin's that also came with factory flat rubber float bowl gaskets you will know what i'm referring to. They did it all the time.     

asphalt900 wrote:

Injected, these VM29's do indeed have the slightly raised perimeter rib like all the VM series. Wookie the concern with those rubberish "flat" replacement gaskets is they can swell and distort. The areas around intake side, float posts, not a problem. Area around engine side not problematic either. It's the sides, parallel to the floats, that are of concern. Any swelling DOES push the flat gasket out because it is locked in place by the raised casting shoulders next to the M4 screws. Weakest area swells and pushes the thin strip of material out and can indeed interfere with float operation. If you've ever worked on any early Honda Keihin's that also came with factory flat rubber float bowl gaskets you will know what i'm referring to. They did it all the time.     

Thanks as always for your extensive experience Clay. My intention was to use "Viton" sheet (because of the effects of E85 on Nitrile etc) which I could bond to the float bowls - or should I abandon the idea ?
PS: my BS's have a raised ridge all the way around the carb base

Nothing wrong with experimenting!! Just use an existing oem gasket as a template. Not sure how compatible glues would work on that compound of rubber though? I just use rope stock Buna-N-70, usually 2mm CS, when i do all mine so superglue is great. I always attach to the bowl, Not the carb casting.  

asphalt900 wrote:

Nothing wrong with experimenting!! Just use an existing oem gasket as a template. Not sure how compatible glues would work on that compound of rubber though? I just use rope stock Buna-N-70, usually 2mm CS, when i do all mine so superglue is great. I always attach to the bowl, Not the carb casting.  

I have some rubber-metal glue I used to attach the mounting brackets to my re-worked chain guide when I did the swingarm.

Might work? Just use sparingly. should only require it on those potential problematic thin strip areas. Other sections hold their  own.

Wookie58 wrote:

asphalt900 wrote:

Injected, these VM29's do indeed have the slightly raised perimeter rib like all the VM series. Wookie the concern with those rubberish "flat" replacement gaskets is they can swell and distort. The areas around intake side, float posts, not a problem. Area around engine side not problematic either. It's the sides, parallel to the floats, that are of concern. Any swelling DOES push the flat gasket out because it is locked in place by the raised casting shoulders next to the M4 screws. Weakest area swells and pushes the thin strip of material out and can indeed interfere with float operation. If you've ever worked on any early Honda Keihin's that also came with factory flat rubber float bowl gaskets you will know what i'm referring to. They did it all the time.     

Thanks as always for your extensive experience Clay. My intention was to use "Viton" sheet (because of the effects of E85 on Nitrile etc) which I could bond to the float bowls - or should I abandon the idea ?
PS: my BS's have a raised ridge all the way around the carb base

No need to make your own.
Nigel at Aire Valley Classics has Viton ones for the VM's In stock and they work just fine..
Viton float bowl gasket set: Kawasaki Z650 Z900 Z1000 & Suzuki GS Series - Aire Valley Classics | Keyster carb rebuild kits | IMD Pistons | YSS Suspension | Classic Kawasaki

 

zed1015 wrote:

Wookie58 wrote:

asphalt900 wrote:

Injected, these VM29's do indeed have the slightly raised perimeter rib like all the VM series. Wookie the concern with those rubberish "flat" replacement gaskets is they can swell and distort. The areas around intake side, float posts, not a problem. Area around engine side not problematic either. It's the sides, parallel to the floats, that are of concern. Any swelling DOES push the flat gasket out because it is locked in place by the raised casting shoulders next to the M4 screws. Weakest area swells and pushes the thin strip of material out and can indeed interfere with float operation. If you've ever worked on any early Honda Keihin's that also came with factory flat rubber float bowl gaskets you will know what i'm referring to. They did it all the time.     

Thanks as always for your extensive experience Clay. My intention was to use "Viton" sheet (because of the effects of E85 on Nitrile etc) which I could bond to the float bowls - or should I abandon the idea ?
PS: my BS's have a raised ridge all the way around the carb base

No need to make your own.
Nigel at Aire Valley Classics has Viton ones for the VM's In stock and they work just fine..
Viton float bowl gasket set: Kawasaki Z650 Z900 Z1000 & Suzuki GS Series - Aire Valley Classics | Keyster carb rebuild kits | IMD Pistons | YSS Suspension | Classic Kawasaki


 

Thanks Rob, unfortunately mine are BS34's and he doesn't appear to do those yet

FYI : The labyrinth O ring gaskets on RS/TM/CVK are 2mm OD, the groove they sit in is about 1.6mm deep X 2.2mm wide. Shown is a float bowl from a 1985 Canadian version GSXR750R which were early TM series 29mm flat slides.

 

The only downside of the rubber gaskets is when the are wet with gas they swell and will not go into the groove unless you heat the rubber to remove the gasoline. A few minutes with a heat gun usually shrinks them down enough to go back into the groove. Its a pain to do but if you don't the gasket will pinch somewhere and you will have a substantial fuel leak.