TOPIC:

I pulled the carb assembly off then one by one pulled the bowls,jets,needle & seats and tops off , diaphrams and pistons out and sprayed with carb cleaner then blew with compressed air. Put the carbs back on yesterday and it started but ran badly. I found #3&4 cyls were dead. I checked and no fuel to those carbs. I'm guessing I'll have to pull the carbs again ARRRRGH!! What should I look for to get fuel to those carbs? I'm gonna REALLY hate putting the carbs back on again. The boots between the carbs and air cleaner box are like hard plastic and a big time PITA! Are the boots supposed to be that hard? Seems like they could make them softer and easier to work with.

Hey mike the boots just get hard from age,heat.You should have 1 line that feeds 1&2 carbs,and another line to feed 3&4,or 1 line that tee's off and feeds the same way,check at the end 3&4 feed line for fuel,I'm thinkin that bike has a set of 34mm cv's on it like my 1100 had,maybe you have the feed line pinched somewhere i would have to think that otherwise you would be spilling gas everywhere if one wasn't hooked up.

Mike,
Before you struggle to pull them and put them back on, Try filling the floats with the petcock on prime. and open the float drains one at a time to check for fuel.

If you still need to pull the carbs off again make sure the float valves are operating freely and not stuck in their seats. If you have access to a strong air compressor blow out every passage real good. Float height will play a role later but first you need to get gas in the bowls. BTW Be real careful with those diaphrams!

Gearbanger, What year was your 1100? From what I can tell 81-83 there is only one fuel line shared by all 4 carbs. There is also the vacuum line for the petcock.

Mike, be sure to blow the fuel line out as well, but not the into vaccume line towards the petcock.

IMHO The best person on to ask any carb questions is WiredGeorge. If he states something it is as good as gospel.

Good luck

Post edited by: Kz1100a3, at: 2006/08/24 09:32

Geerbangr, No lines pinched that I could see. Kz1100a3, You are correct. There is only 1 fuel line. Yep I tried the prime and bowl drains and no fuel. I made sure the seats were clean and needles moved freely.Looks like the line or what ever is cloged for 3 & 4 carbs. If I filled the two carbs via the vent/overflow hose then she runs great until the 2 carbs run out of fuel.I did find new boots listed at Z1 for $60 OUCH! IF they are soft it will make the job MUCH quicker and easier. They do need to be replaced so I guess I will bite the bullet and order them in a couple of weeks. I could go with pods but I remember the pain that was on my KZ1000 years ago with getting the right jets etc and it was a pain every time at the car wash and heavy rains also. I don't want to go there this time. I did ask over a wiredgeorges' site and was told to seek profesional cleaning. I think I'll pass on that. I can buy a 5 gal bucket of Berryman Chem-Dip and a manometer and still be $$ ahead if it comes to that. It looks like that may just have to be the route I go but since I'm still riding the Honda I'm in no big hurry and will see if cleaning the passage and new boots do the trick first. I was hoping there was some secret shut off valve or something I bumped and could cure it while on the bike. Thanks folks. Mike

Mike;
it sounds to me like you may have trash/rust in the little screens that cover the float valve,check those first.
you will have to remove the philips head screw and retainer to get the float valve out,sometimes they can be a pain,don't use much pressure on the pliers to get em out as they can deform to the point of not being able to function properly.

Jeff @ Z1 has replacement float valves and screens.

I have a good set of airbox boots that I am not using, u2u me if your intersted.

Thanks Craigpuckett. You have a PM:) Yep I pulled the seats and made sure they were clean(screens & where needle is) and the o-rings in good shape. Probably gonna have to take the assembly apart and soak each carb. Sounds like a better all around plan. At least I'll know they are all clean and adjusted properly when done.