[blake mccollum]

Ok i have a 81 cx500 custom my left carb started leaking from the overflow. I suspected a bad float or needle after inspecting the carb i revealed that gas is also leaking from the air filter side of the carb and soaking the air filter with fuel! I need advice and maybe i wont have to buy more parts...

 

[need4steed]

Sounds like a stuck needle/not seeding well. Get a container that u can fill with water. Try hooking up the carbs with the bowls off. See if the carb in question stops the flow of water when u lift the bowl up to simulate the bowl filling up.

 

[need4steed]

And u can't hate them. They need to have sweet nothings whispered to them.

 

[blake mccollum]

Ok and at this point im whispering sweet threats to them.

 

[rickbert]

Ok and at this point im whispering sweet threats to them.

Ahhh but once you get them working right you'll love them....and you'll love them so much better than you'd ever love fuel injection cuz you can't polish fuel injection to a nice brilliant shine like the carbs !

 

[rattliff]

Pull the float needle and visually inspect to see if its chewed and verify that the seat is intact and free of debris. I had a similar, though not as severe leak on my left carb when the bung plug covering the slow idle jet deteriorated and a tiny piece lodged between the needle and the seat.

 

[blake mccollum]

That would be true if i was a expert detailer like you rickbert.

 

[rickbert]

Blake,



Well good luck getting them running right, I know that's the most important thing of course...that's the harder part.....the shine comes easy, later !

 

[vanmor]

I've had that happen to me on every thing from a lawn mower to my cars. You have trash in your bowls and in the needle seat. 9 times out of 10, I have never had to take my carbs apart.



There is a drain screw or bolt on the bottom of you float bowls. Crack those open and let the fuel drain out. If you have a vacuum type petcock, don't over heat your starter trying to get your bike to start. If you have some other way of supplying fuel (a bottle with some fuel hose and a double nipple to connect to existing fuel line)that would be nice. If not, whirl the starter like you were going to start normally. Let is sit for a minute, then run the starter again. You can repeat til your float bowls are full again.



The bike should start. It should run better. If it's still running a little funky, repeat the process again.



Sometimes carbs have to be totally rebuilt to correct any problems. I find that I've only had to do that when there was a lot of fine silt that got past the filters or a bike has set up for a long time.

 

[rickbert]

I think what Vanmor is getting at is if you drain the gas out of the bowls that the float will drop all the way down (which it normally doesn't do since there's always gas in the bowls) hence possibly releasing what debris might be preventing the needle from seating. It's the EASIEST thing to at least try FIRST w/out taking the carbs off again...no guarantees of course.



If you have the vacuum petcock simply disconnect the vacuum line from the r/h carb and suck on it like a straw hence you will provide the suction and it will fill the bowls back up quickly...then obviously return the line back to the r/h carb and start her up !

 

[vanmor]

Rickbert is right. It's something to try first before you get the tools out and take the carbs off and rebuild them.



Carbs can be a bit much for the first timer but everybody has to do it sooner or later. It's not that hard but you have to have a very clean work area and not tighten down to much on the screws.



I do the afore mentioned "sucking" on a tube to draw a vacuum on the petcock. I just didn't want to admit to it !

: P

 

[blake mccollum]

I took the bowl off and my float needle is wore out. Anybody have one for sale instead of oredering one?