bs34 floats...?

[xjwmx]

Gary is thinking you might be trying to use plastic floats in brass float bowls, if there's a difference, which he's looking into.

I can't follow which has been whittled on, what works on a bench, and so on. The floats in the picture have that sleeve I was talking about, the little black tube. Without that they're not reilable.

I don't suggest you do this, at least not yet, but I had a needle hanging in a seat for some reason and not going all the way up to shut off the flow. I took a pocket knife and made a very light chamfer around the inside of the neck of the seat, which cured that. Don't let any shavings get in the seat or bowl.

 

[gggGary]

Did some looking and confirmed there are no interference issues either way with brass floats or foam floats in either type float bowl.
Some pics for reference, this is an old beater set of carbs no floats were "set" for height. Gratuitous gggGary float pin remover shot included, there is hole drilled through the c-clamp anvil so the pin head can be pushed out.

MJ gotta ask you have checked that the gas tank vent is clear or cap open, vacuum line from petcock is not leaking fuel?
hmmm glad I was never in a SD traffic stop back in the day...

 

[gggGary]

Note where the float height is being checked on each type float. Black rubber caps are on the pilot jets just in front of the mains?

 

[madjap]

Not where the float height is being checked on each type float. Black rubber caps are on the pilot jets just in front of the mains?

Yep, the caps are in place and stick in there pretty good (when I put the bowl on I can kinda 'feel' the rubber cap compressing. I'm on a chopper gggGary, so I only have the vented gas cap and just a manual petcock. I would like to say thank you for all your help! It's GOT be something I'm doing wrong. It isn't conforming to ANY of the rules I'm used to playing within!!!

 

[xjwmx]

I remove the pins with this. Slip the blades under the head and squeeze. It's too weak to hurt the pin, but the bevel of the blades wedges the pin loose. Just put the pin back in loosely, it's blocked from coming out.

 

[Hyde]

Note where the float height is being checked on each type float.

Phewf! I was starting to second guess myself after seeing the pic lol.

 

[gggGary]

Chopper, how does the engine sit compared to the ground ie tipped back aways?
Have you loosened the cap, to be sure?

 

[Bob Kelly III]

Ok what MJ described is the floats are set too high ..... that's all,.... nothing more, nothing less.....
turn on the gas and they fill the float bowls and then gas starts running out....... simply set too high ....(or stuck float)
remember when you want to LOWER the gas level in the float bowls you have to Raise the floats sense you have the carbs up side down adjusting them ..... the higher the floats are the less gas in the float bowls..... invert the carbs the way they go on the bike and the lower the floats are the less gas you have in the float bowls.....
in my mind all you need to do is raise the tang about 1/32" on each float in each carb. this will allow the float to Float and at the top turn off the gas like it should.
I had trouble measuring mine as I didn't have a MM ruler come to find out I didn't need one and 1" would have sufficed....
sense you've done it so many times now and it's driving you bonkers ... adjust the tangs to where there will be less gas in the bowls....
don't re mount the carbs just plug in the gas line and turn it on.... holding the carbs level
.... If like Gary asked if the engine is tilted back a bit that will effect the float level and you will need to adjust the fuel level to where there is a bit less in the float bowls. just keep adjusting them a small amount at a time reducing the amount of fuel in the bowls each time
till you get the over flow to stop.... then angle the carbs a bit like your going up a steep hill you don't want to have gas pouring out then either
if they do adjust them a bit more..... this should only take about 2 more tries.... just do one carb till you know where that tang is supposed to be then do the other ! saves ware and tear on parts and sanity !
You can do it ... don't loose your temper ...walk away first ! count to ten and then scream ! but don't screw up the parts !
..... waiting for the new parts won't help you're going to have to do it the hard way .... the go- no- go.... way !
it's only right when they quick pouring gas out ... but then you'll wonder is there enough gas in the float bowls and that is where the tubing I was telling you about allows you to see where the fuel level is ! so you know....
you want the fuel level at the top of the float bowls not half way down the float bowl !
.....
Good luck !
....
Bob........

 

[madjap]

Chopper, how does the engine sit compared to the ground ie tipped back aways?
Have you loosened the cap, to be sure?

It sits pretty level, I didn't extend the front end, just raked it.

 

[madjap]

Ok what MJ described is the floats are set too high ..... that's all,.... nothing more, nothing less.....
turn on the gas and they fill the float bowls and then gas starts running out....... simply set too high ....(or stuck float)
remember when you want to LOWER the gas level in the float bowls you have to Raise the floats sense you have the carbs up side down adjusting them ..... the higher the floats are the less gas in the float bowls..... invert the carbs the way they go on the bike and the lower the floats are the less gas you have in the float bowls.....
in my mind all you need to do is raise the tang about 1/32" on each float in each carb. this will allow the float to Float and at the top turn off the gas like it should.
I had trouble measuring mine as I didn't have a MM ruler come to find out I didn't need one and 1" would have sufficed....
sense you've done it so many times now and it's driving you bonkers ... adjust the tangs to where there will be less gas in the bowls....
don't re mount the carbs just plug in the gas line and turn it on.... holding the carbs level
.... If like Gary asked if the engine is tilted back a bit that will effect the float level and you will need to adjust the fuel level to where there is a bit less in the float bowls. just keep adjusting them a small amount at a time reducing the amount of fuel in the bowls each time
till you get the over flow to stop.... then angle the carbs a bit like your going up a steep hill you don't want to have gas pouring out then either
if they do adjust them a bit more..... this should only take about 2 more tries.... just do one carb till you know where that tang is supposed to be then do the other ! saves ware and tear on parts and sanity !
You can do it ... don't loose your temper ...walk away first ! count to ten and then scream ! but don't screw up the parts !
..... waiting for the new parts won't help you're going to have to do it the hard way .... the go- no- go.... way !
it's only right when they quick pouring gas out ... but then you'll wonder is there enough gas in the float bowls and that is where the tubing I was telling you about allows you to see where the fuel level is ! so you know....
you want the fuel level at the top of the float bowls not half way down the float bowl !
.....
Good luck !
....
Bob........

Thanks bob. This last time I set the float RIDICULOUSLY 'high'. Like they should have shut off with about 1/4 inch of fuel in the bowl or less. I think they were at 38 or 40mm. BUT, it was so crazy that it could have been the needle being at too much of an angle with the tab. At any rate; No change!!! I fab'd a sight tube to see where my level was and checked it 6 times as turned the petcock off and on, tapped the bowl, adjusted floats... NO CHANGE. It just climbs up and up until it's just ABOVE the bowl edge and then GUSH... out the back of the carbs. Last year I had this issue but I determined (or I THOUGHT I had determined) that my one float was dragging on the bowl gasket. I tweaked the float over until it cleared everything and that fixed it for my 'mock up' and rides. NOTHING had changed since that time. It's uhhhhh... brain deadening.

 

[madjap]

It sits pretty level, I didn't extend the front end, just raked it.

Oh and I have NOT tried loosening the cap, I will try that! You never know and at this point if you told me to lick each tail pipe tree times and fart the star spangled banner, I'd try it!

 

[Bob Kelly III]

ok when you had the floats adjusted so high that the needle was cocked to the side and jammed up that is obviously TOO HIGH
and they wouldn't work that way because they Jamb..... as the floats dangle down the needle valve will jamb open and not function at all
so that's too far.... lower them a bit to where the needles don't jamb try again and use the sight tube to see how much fuel you have
no sense in using the sight tube if they are leaking out the back in an over flow condition as it won't show you the captured fuel level then , you'll see the level in the fuel tank,....not the float bowl )
then repeat that till you have them shutting off the fuel when the float chamber is full but not over flowing
go to the stock settings.... I think it's 24mm to the top of the float from the bowl gasket surface.....
..... hold the carbs over your head and look at the needle valve and see if it's cocked sideways if it is that is what is giving you so much hell !
it's not the float setting it's the needle jambing !....
in Gary's first photo with the picture of the floats the float on the right should be the one we are dealing with ... the plastic one notice the tiny tab on the left of the frame straight up from the float pivot on the left it's barely visible but it's there. you may be able to bend that tiny tab towards the pivot hole a bit to reduce the floats swing down a bit ( reducing the floats movement downwards and preventing it from allowing the needle to Jamb..... I have only needed to bend this tab once in all my years of carb fumbling ! and it helped stop the needle from jamming and that may be what you need.....
carefull if you try to bend that because the rest of the float will bend first making it all out'a whack, 2 sets of pliers on that frame to bend that little tab.....
that should Not be necessary...... but I think we are dealing with floats that are not OEM and are allowing the floats to swing to far open and allow the needles to jamb up.
can you take a picture of your carbs upside down with the float bowls off and close up ? so we can see what your dealing with ?
....
I'm about out of ideas here guys .....if that don't fix it I suggest buying OEM Floats and trying again ! because the aftermarket floats don't seam to work worth a darn !
....
Bob......

 

[madjap]

I am gonna take a pic but for now I'm back to work and domestic servitude. Ya know, I'll bet, all told, I've rebuilt, repaired and re-rigged 100 some carb sets over the years of tinkering with bikes. THESE have been the 'trickiest' (that being said, this is the only issue I've had with this set of carbs). I even re-did a CBX set of carbs once that had turned to oxidized lumps and WALLAH, put em on and the bike fired and ran first twist! Put the manometer on them and they were even set perfect! So, this ain't my first rodeo but I'm definitely wearing the clowns gear on THIS issue...

 

[Bob Kelly III]

LOL ! Yah ! well that was my discovery as well ...these are the pickiest carbs I have ever came accross
I wish you luck on those carbs !
....
Bob.......

 

[650Skull]

 

[madjap]

View attachment 102318

HEYYYYYY! Have you been in my garage??!!!!

 

[650Skull]

Set of carbs that have been sitting on a bike for over 7 years.........are yours that good???

 

[madjap]

Set of carbs that have been sitting on a bike for over 7 years.........are yours that good???

Not sure what you mean...?

 

[650Skull]

You did indicate i have been in your garage taking pics of your carbs....................the pic i posted is from a set of carbs on a sitting bike, that hasn't been used for over 7 years

 

[madjap]

You did indicate i have been in your garage taking pics of your carbs....................the pic i posted is from a set of carbs on a sitting bike, that hasn't been used for over 7 years

OK, I thinks I see whatcha mean. Mine are clean and all because I've had them apart 9600 times! Yours look super clean too.