Help with carb problem....stuck float......next move?

Ok.....I purchased this bike back in August and it has run perfectly until now. Two days ago I go out and find a puddle of fuel underneath the bike. It then started no problem and ran flawlessly.

Today, I ride to work without missing a beat. When leaving, the bike would not turn over......like the battery was extremely weak, and could have been. I jumped it off and began the ride home.

Bike is less than responsive, and begins to stumble badly around 6,000 rpm as though it were starving for fuel or hesitant to take fuel. Usually idles around 1200, but now at about 1000 and not so smoothly.

I assume this is a float problem. Just wondering how I should approach this. I have put nothing but ethanol free gas + sta-bil in the bike since purchased. Was hoping it might be a pump or filter issue, but

finding fuel under the bike, and the extremely strong fume smell says otherwise. Any advise is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

Thanks, I will begin the process this aftenoon. Are there any other NOT to do's?

 

Tink, instead of jumping right in and pulling the carbs I decided to drain the float bowls. I also pulled the plugs, and found them to be drenched with fuel. Hoping that changing the plugs will get me going. I'm thinking that the slow start (due to a weak battery) with choke on yesterday may have fouled the plugs and caused the poor performance. It doesnt explain the fuel puddle under the bike the other day, but gonna give it a try.

 

Take a hard look at the float to assure it's not sinking and when you clean the carbs pay special attention to the needle and seat.

 

Ok....wet fouled plugs almost had me pulling the carbs. I cleaned the plugs, reinstalled them, and the bike is running great again. I certanly learned something in all of this. Lay off the choke for one thing. another is that I can change the plugs in about 45 minutes. Hoping all is well with the carbs. Time and miles will tell. Thanks for the help you guys give here.

 

i got a 84 vf750s bought a carb kit and took the carb off and dont even know where half the rubber rings go ect... i rejetted (i think that means changed out or cleaned all the parts i could that came with the kit down where the float bowls at cause i couldnt get that top part where the diaphram is off so i only did the bottem) i also adjusted the floats and reinstalled the carb and now my bike just backfires at idle, only runs in choke, and when i blip the throttle NOTHING HAPPENS even tho its hooked up and i see the linkage moving!!!!! think its the carb and how do i do that bench test your talking about?

 

Oh man, I don't mean any disrespect but I did a Rochester Quadra puke on an 86 trans am that went like that. bought a rebuild kit and the damn thing still ran like crap. 5 kits later (no im serious 5 of em and too much green tobacco) I learned that if i read the instructions with the kit, word for word and step by step it works. I don't know if your kit came with instructions, sometimes reading instructions is like reading japanesse (even tho they are in english) First start inspecting your installation. Are the carbs seated correctly in the carb holders? (rubber boots to the cyl. head) everything tight? All hoses run correctly? Make neccesary changes and start the bike again. After that my guess is that the pilot needles are gummed still or adjusted wrong (if you messed with those) and quite possibly the carb sync is WAY off. but if the carbs are solid when removed and you weren't able to twist the assembly while out of the bike then the sync is still close but still in need of adjusting to be perfect. Re jetting is replacing the size of jet/ needle. Clymer books are good at stating stock jet/needle sizes. If you need to remove the carbs again, check the jet/needle sizes to what your previous ones were. and to what the book specs are. Re building carbs requires LOTS of patience and focus. good luck dude!

 

Good to hear of the quick repair rc!

 

Ha i wish i had some instructions with the rebuild kit!!! i got stuff that left over after using the kit and i know that aint good hahaha!!!!!!!! i got haynes and they dont tell me nothing about using a carb rebuild kit. also how do i measure the jets? and thanks for trying to help

 

Measuring the jets is something handled by manufacturer. They stamp or mark the jet/needle with a number corresponding to the diameter of the hole (minor in the center) and the length of said hole. The length and diameter are CRITICAL! even changing the length of it changes the way it works. The difference between a 90 and a 92 are impossible to tell with the naked eye and even with .001" increment guage pins. I know cuz i tried. I mushed a guage pin into one thinking i needed a good tight fit to know and it was all messed up. too rich and fowled plugs galore. So with that being said, check your book for jet sizes. Mine (86 VF500F) has 3 different jets each with different numbers. And the earlier models have 2 different jet needle sizes for the downdraft carbs and side draft carbs. You said you didn't take those out so you probably only need the 2. Possibly just the one. (im not sure i have never seen your carbs) The point is to reference your book and ensure that the jet numbers match. If you get that far, if you have confidence in your skills coupled with the PROPER TOOLS, remove the pilot needle jets and clean them. Read your book on this hell even the entire carb rebuild process and judge for yourself if you want to tackle it. But I will warn you. Without patince and focus, you can get extremely upset, even break fragile things. So make the determination before you start cuz if you need to take it in, it'll cost WAY less now than if you break things and bring in a mess of parts.

 

got any pics of your carbs?

 

well i do wanna tackle it but i need them carb kit instructions any idea of where to get them?

 

I am learning right now and i will never learn if i have someone else do it and it will hurt my wallet also so im gonna be doing all my own work and Thats Why Im Here :doh:

 

ill take some pics here in the future and post what im up to

 

Well im grateful for you trying to HELP arty2: i always sound helpless like i do its better than soundiing like a Know It All when your the one asking for advice lol i have all the tools but i have noone to lend me a hand where i live so its all up to me and a FORUM to figure most of this stuff out. AND I GOT ALOT OF TOOLS AND I BUILT ME A WORKBENCH so im on the right path. :first:

Looking for a carb kit instruction guide right now and then i can get this carb done with. When i got the bike it didnt start or nothing. Now it cranks, it starts, it just runs like crap and i dont know why. On top of that right when i got it started for the first time it leaked coolant right out of the metal tube that goes directly into the engine which im guessing i will need a new seal for? the best thing you could do for me is give me a couple TROUBLESHOOTING pointers i will be sure to get back to you and Thanks for your help and advice thus far

 

How do you do the Bench test to check for leaks?