Wrong Floats?

[motogotro]

I'm working on a 1982 XS1100L Midnight Special for a friend. The carbs were all gunked up so I put kits in all 4 with new needles and seats. The problem came when I attempted to set the floats. I'm working from memory here but I think the manual said that the float height should be about 1 inch. But the picture in the manual showed round floats. The floats in these carbs are only half round with no float material below the float hinge. This makes it near impossible to get a float height of 1". I was able to get about .9 inch but no more. Are these the wrong floats for these carbs? The carbs are stamped with 4H3 which I think is right for this bike. I went ahead and put the carbs back on but it's still not running right and the carbs are still leaking just a bit.

[mro]

float height 0.906 (+- 0.02) or 23mm (+- .5mm)

Did the kits have "rubber" tip float needles?
If not you have kits for the BS34 II carbs (78/79 early models)


mro

[mro]

BTW,
1980+ carbs (BS34 III) have plastic floats

mro

[81xsproject]

Look in the back of the manual. There is a small section with 80's specific corrections to previous chapters. It will show a diagram with plastic floats and where to measure from. Don't worry about all the 'fuel level' info. It is a PITA and won't get you any better than correctly done float height.

[tadtl1]

82 mns?

Hi,
Its not likely you have an 82 MNS,,since from what can be discerned, there were none that year. The 4H3 indicates a probable US model, and the bike youre working on is likely to be an 80 MNS model. Also, some early manuals, do not have the back section for the late model bikes. So, If you have the 80 carbs, the float setting is sposed to be 23 mm , which amazingly is about .900 of an inch ! My own eighty floats are plastic, not actually round, and the needles are black rubbery tipped. `I hope this helps.

[motogotro]

My mistake, it is a 1980 MNS, not a 1982 like I originally quoted. I'm working on too many bikes and got the year mixed up.

I believe the needles were metal tip, not rubber. The floats are neither brass nor plastic. They have a silver metal hinge and the actual float is made out of that black composit substance that I've seen lots of floats made out of. There is a small nub of float that sticks down below the hinge but it's not much of a nub. In order to get .9" float height the tang for the needle is bent way farther than it should be. In my experience when you have to make such a radical float adjustment there is something wrong. If I get a chance I can pull the carbs back off and take a pic.

[psycoreefer]

is it possible the the floats are just installed upside down?

This Thread has some pictures of what the "plastic" floats look like, really its a closed cell foam of some sort.

[motogotro]

I found the supplement and that looks more like my floats. I'm going to pull the carbs again and see if I can make that setting work. Thanks for all the help

[motogotro]

is it possible the the floats are just installed upside down?

This Thread has some pictures of what the "plastic" floats look like, really its a closed cell foam of some sort.

I tried that when I initially had problems but that was even worse so I'm pretty sure they are in right side up.

[DGXSER]

You have the wrong kits for those carbs.

The early model 78-79 carbs had metal tipped float needles, the 80-81 models had black viton tipped needles. Were the seats in your kit screw in or push in?

Pictures of the carbs and the floats and needle seats would be very helpful. IT sounds like you have the 1980-81 model carbs and floats though.

[motogotro]

I went back through the float adjustment and that looks so much better. The carbs are back on and the bike sounds really good now. I still have a bit of work to do before I can give it a test ride but the carbs seem to be sorted out now. Thanks to all for the help

[motogotro]

You have the wrong kits for those carbs.

The early model 78-79 carbs had metal tipped float needles, the 80-81 models had black viton tipped needles. Were the seats in your kit screw in or push in?

Pictures of the carbs and the floats and needle seats would be very helpful. IT sounds like you have the 1980-81 model carbs and floats though.

I have the push in seats and rubber tipped needles. I was working on a 1972 CB750 at the same time and I think it had the metal tipped needles. I just confused them in my mine.

[DGXSER]

Understood, I get lost in my mind all the time. Its pretty scary journey out.