I am at wits end with my carburator!!!

[markjs]

I will pick up the needles, but replace them as needed ok?

I'll let you know

[pggg]

At least the 50%oil / 50% petrol mix would of flushed the engine out by now

[fredintoon]

Clean engine parts

About gasoline in the sump. Buddy's dad asked him to do an oilchange on his Austin Devon "because it's starting to rattle". Buddy crawls under there with his wrench and his one gallon catchbowl and pulls the drainplug. 2-1/2 gallons of oil & fuel mix pours out, a gallon in the bowl and the rest on the floor. The Austin had a mechanical fuel pump running off the camshaft. The pump diaphragm had failed and dad's expensive undercoating job had sealed up the fuel pump's external drain passages so the pump was happily filling up the crankcase. "Every wear surface in there was nackered" says buddy "but it was the cleanest engine I ever worked on"
So Mark, do an oil change eh?
Fred Hill, S'toon.

[markjs]

Oh I did an oil change right off but thanks.....

[markjs]

Well Prometheus so far no leaky leak....but, bet I get a summer out of them old needles.....4 free needlesthat i don't need I I did win....naw? How bout I bet ya $1.....meaningless but I am a man of my word so put your money where your mouth is?

[markjs]

It's a whole summer later and those needles were just fine, and still are. So had you, and I made that silly bet, I'd have won prometheus578. Trouble is, even if I had your four free needles, what exactly would I have won, being as I never needed them in the first place?

[prometheus578]

"Might have won back your time and labor."

Took me like 5 removals of the carbs though to get her all sorted out

Ok, so you're the 1% that didn't need float needles.(at least not this year)
But, as stated, they were worn.
Will you be pulling the carbs again next year, or maybe the year after? Hard to say.
Had the needles been replaced... you probably wouldn't need to pull the carbs again fer another 25-30 years.
It's nice(and I'm pleased) that they weren't needed(at least not now),but replacement would have bought long term piece of mind.

[underdog57]

Piece of mind or wits end ???hmmmm....
Gotta agree with Prom even with what little knowledge he has ...........
But then whats life with out some adventure !!

Bob

[boyat68]

I am on my 6th removal of the carbs and at least 5 sight tubes (Ken's method) adjustments of the float height. All of the needles look good, have polished the interior of the needle seats and have had three of the needles turn loose and flood the carbs. I have adjusted the floats so that all sight tube levels are the same and left them for ten minutes and it seems that one of the needles will malfunction and let in more fuel and flood the carb after being stable for that ten minutes. I finally bit the bullet and order kits fron MikesXS on saturday, but still want to see why those needles will not stop the fuel, so spent three hours today trying to stabilize the floats after removing the floats and recleaning everything about five more times. The needles are stabilized, but I dare not put the carbs back on the bike until I get the new seats and needles next week. In the meantime I must spend some time time breaking loose the pucks on the front rotors as they seem to have stuck to the rotors. Can't move the heavy bit$* out to the center of the garage where I can use the jack or the hoist to work on the brakes.
I am open to a suggestion on how to retract those small pucks.

[John]

I use a C clamp to compress the calipers. Works really well.

[skids]

If it is a model G, check those orings around the fuel valves. I believe that the plastic floats are not likely to develop holes, but hopefully you don't have one taking on gasoline!

Originally posted by boyat68
(snip)and it seems that one of the needles will malfunction and let in more fuel and flood the carb after being stable for that ten minutes. (snip)