Leaking Needle/Seats

[rneal55555]

After sitting for a month couldn't get my 80G started seemed flooded. Plugs were wet etc, etc. To make a long story short I've got gas in the oil so I'm gonna pull the carbs and plan on replacing the needle and seats.

I pretty sure I've seen posts about needle/seat kits that cause more problems than they fix I just can't remember who made them and I can't find the posts.

So the question is does any body remember or am I just remembering wrong.

I have some kits I bought a couple of years ago name on the package is Tour Max(made in Japan) but I can't remember where I got them.

[Snow]

The needle and seats are fine in those K&L kits - it's only the jets your have to worry about.

[Ken Talbot]

Remember, Russ, if you've got gas in the oil, you have leaking needle(s)/seat(s) as well as leaking petcock(s). If either one is working, it won't leak gas. If gas leaks, both have failed.

[rneal55555]

I know I'm gonna set the tank with fuel in it somewhere and stick the fuel lines in some glass jars to see which on or both.

[HobbyMan]

I don't trust the Tourmax kits. They were leaking from day one.

[randy]

I recently got a tourmax petcock rebuild kit from partsnmore for the XS400. The plunger on the diaphram was 2mm SHORTER than the original one!

I wound up using the original diaphram with the new o-ring off the tourmax kit and no leaks.

A couple of years ago, had the same problem on the XS11 using the K&L petcock kit.

Seems the aftermarket kits aren't as closely reverse-engineered as they ought to be.

[rneal55555]

Ok so who has had good luck with which kits and where did you get them?

[Douglas Money]

So, where's a match when you need one. I just got the carbs back on and 2 of them are leaking. It appears the needles are not shutting off. I was so careful when I put them back together. I wish I would have just sent them out to have them done. Anyone want a try at them. I guess I can pull them back off and see whats up. I triple checked the float height and the movement seemed fine. I hate motorcycle carbs.

[TopCatGr58]

Hey Russ,

Several places to get kits, but you don't need total kits like jets and such as long as yours are okay, main the float needle/seats and O-rings/washer depending on what year/model, along with the bowl gasket.

Doug,

You've got the older carbs, did you verify that your floats actually float, don't have leaks? Also, did you get new needle valves and seats? The metal tipped ones can get a slight groove in them that won't always line up with the seat!

I'm trying to remember what Prom said about reconditioning the metal tipped needle valves, emory cloth or such? With the seats, you can take a drill bit, turn it backwards against the seat. Others suggested Q-tip with metal polish on it!?
T.C.

[Douglas Money]

New needle and seats, checked and rechecked float height. They werent leaking before I did them. 1& 2 are leaking, 3 & 4 aren't. I'll just have to pull them apart again and recheck.

[HobbyMan]

Is there any way to seal new leaking floats? I would not like to replace the new ones. What makes them leak? Do you suppose it is bad machining on the metal seat?

[ZXDavid]

One thing I have done that cures a leaky float valve whether new or old is to take a QTip, cut it in half and chuck it up in a Dremel tool [ any drill would also work ] and dip it in polish like Turtle chrome cleaner and polish up the seat. Just stick it in there and spin her up. You can do this a couple of times if you like. Then look at it with a magnifying glass. Also look at the float needle under a glass also.

[prometheus578]

"Don't make me repeat myself, young man!"

Seat:
Unless you've got some pretty serious damage(too rare to even talk about), take a Q tip, some chrome polish and clean up the seat. Clean it out mit der schpray Karb Kleaner. (Take off the debris screen on the seat, first.)
Needles: Get new float needles. I don't care what they look like, nor just in what good condition YOU think they are, get new ones. Just about any brand of dealership should have these in stock. (They all buy from the same distributor... K&L Supply). Expect to pay about $5 a piece.
Most importantly... Hook fuel to the carbs and "bench test" them BEFORE putting them back on the bike.
Set the carbs up side down with the bowls off and hook up the fuel. Blip each float a few times to clear the trapped air in the lines, dry the seat area... and sit and watch. When you get tired of watching, do something else for a while, and then come back and check. The weight of the floats will hold the needles down, stopping the fuel.
Put the bowls back on, prop the carbs right side up, and watch again. The lowest point of the carbs is the "air jets" on the intake side. If it's gonna leak... it'll leak from there.
Ok... carbs not leaking anymore? Good, you now have my permission to put them back on the bike.

[HobbyMan]

while my tank is off for dent repair, I will do this. You know Pro, you should never have to repeat yourself because we can just scroll up or do a search through all your posts... Sometimes I scroll though my old posts thinking about how dumb I am.

[prometheus578]

"I second that motion!"

So do we, Hobbyman, so do we!


Oh when will you ever learn not to leave yourself so open to my abuse? You're like the step-son that I never had!
"Go to your room and put your leg irons on!"