Float Valves created equal?

[egsols]

I've been chasing leaking carbs for a while now.

I just replaced all float valves and seats with new aftermarket ones.

They leak. I looked at them under a magnifying glass and they don't look the smoothest (I can see the milling marks)

If I put my vaccuum pump on the fuel line and hold the valves down with my fingers, (floats removed) they don't hold anything above 2 psi.

I bought the carb kits online for $15.00 a peice, included gasket, float valve and seat, main jet, pilot jet, main needle, idle mixture screw and spring. Did I get what I paid for? The dealer wants $45.00 a pop for float valve and seat. Is that what I should be getting or are any other decent makes for float valves and seats that actually work?

As an aside the PO was chasing the same problem. He took it to several places, as I can tell from the receipts. The last place, a Yama dealer, says they replaced the valves and seats but wrote on the work order for him to always turn petcocks to off. The valves I took out had a groove on them but they had maybe 1000 miles on them tops.

[mro]

So far I've been lucky and have had no problems with carb kits for the XS.

Think Prom had posted about polishing the seat with a q-tip and chrome polish...

I was working on a industrial gas engine and the float needle and seat were bad. Stuck float needle on the end of a piece of vac hose, dipped it in some polish and then spun it back and forth in the seat. Worked great, no more leaking.


mro

[AlanB]

Hi egsols,

New valve seats would not have a worn groove after 1000 miles, even if they were made of play-dough..........

I don't think I would be going back to that shop...... Even they didn't think their work was any good!!

AlanB

[egsols]

Hi MRO,

What make of kits are you using?
I tried using some compound on them, they looked smooth but still wouldn't seal.

Hi AlanB,

No worries about going back to that shop, they closed their doors last year.

81xsproject has done some conversions using viton tip valves from a xv920. They have the threaded seats. I tried a set of viton valves from a 80 using my 79 seats but I had to adjust the float tangs too much and they were binding slightly.

I think I'll try the xv920 valves and see if that works.

[mro]

78/79 carbs, kits were from bikebandit
80+ carbs, from mikesxs


mro

[Flatlander]

Steel wool

I use #"00" to "0000" steel wool on the float valve mating surfaces. Spinning them in my fingers.
If it's a rubber tipped valve, obviously this will not polish, but it will remove the gunk from them.
Just my 2 cents.