bs34 floats...?

[fredintoon]

Hi madjap,
what happened on my XS11 (same carbs except there's 4 of them) was one time when the bike ran out of gas (on purpose, I was checking how far it'd go on reserve) and I poured in my jerrycan of gas one of the floats had sunk down far enough that the float needle tilted and jammed.
Luckily, whacking the carb with a screwdriver handle jarred the system enough (and perhaps the foul language helped) that the gas fountain stopped flowing.
Just perhaps, with you being forced to use aftermarket parts and all, it's that your floats/needles/seats would work OK if the floats didn't fall so far?
Perhaps a chunk of something put in the bowl bottoms?

 

[gggGary]

Perhaps if you take a post a pic or two one of these times when the bowls are off? We really want you to get to the bottom of this.

 

[Bob Kelly III]

it really makes it tough..... because the floats are not supposed to rotate that far down..... but being after market floats evidently they do !
which makes it practically impossible to re assemble the carbs and get them to work..... tapping on the carb to get the float unstuck has worked for me as well on many occasions but when the needle is cocked sideways and jammed its not likely to work very well.
and then if he ran out of gas they might stick again.... not a good answer to the problem
so limiting the swing of the floats is the best answer as I see it. the idea I posted of bending the tang on the frame of the floats isn't likely to be enough but something of that nature is needed to make a permanent fix.
maybe, just maybe.... setting the float height and needle tang as per factory specks.... and holding the carbs above the head will allow you to see if the float needle's are coming out so far as to jam up the works. i believe that is the problem but one can't be positive <GRIN>
..... I've been wracking my brain trying to figure out an easy fix to stop the floats from rotating so far but other than bending the tang i've drawn a blank !
....
perhaps just assemble the things and then beat on them with a rubber hammer till they stop leaking ????? desperate times call for desperate measures ! LOL
....
Bob.....

 

[madjap]

it really makes it tough..... because the floats are not supposed to rotate that far down..... but being after market floats evidently they do !
which makes it practically impossible to re assemble the carbs and get them to work..... tapping on the carb to get the float unstuck has worked for me as well on many occasions but when the needle is cocked sideways and jammed its not likely to work very well.
and then if he ran out of gas they might stick again.... not a good answer to the problem
so limiting the swing of the floats is the best answer as I see it. the idea I posted of bending the tang on the frame of the floats isn't likely to be enough but something of that nature is needed to make a permanent fix.
maybe, just maybe.... setting the float height and needle tang as per factory specks.... and holding the carbs above the head will allow you to see if the float needle's are coming out so far as to jam up the works. i believe that is the problem but one can't be positive <GRIN>
..... I've been wracking my brain trying to figure out an easy fix to stop the floats from rotating so far but other than bending the tang i've drawn a blank !
....
perhaps just assemble the things and then beat on them with a rubber hammer till they stop leaking ????? desperate times call for desperate measures ! LOL
....
Bob.....

HAHAHA! I played 'Whack a carb' on my buddy's dribblin' sporty (much to his SHOCK) and fixed it. WAILED on my 54 Chevy leakin carb once with a 2X2 and fixed it. ANd yes, I tried that on these suckers and nope. Just a few days til my new floats arrive and the test shall continue. I saved my old needles and seats and I promise, I'll dress these babies up like a 28 year old Playboy model and work some photogenics here once they arrive.

 

[Bob Kelly III]

KOOL can't wait to see the outcome... when the needles come out far enough to cock sideways there is little hope that a whack upside the head is gunn'a fix it ! LOL ... the floats have allot of leverage on the needle and if their trying to float and their needle is jammed it's just going to jamb it all the harder ...... it's a flaw..... they should not go down that far.... perhaps the floats themselves are bent...who knows !
HOPEFULLY the new floats will fix it first try....... it could happen !!!!!!! HA !
......
Bob......

 

[TwoManyXS1Bs]

There's a stop tab that you can tweak to keep the float from over-rotating...

 

[Bob Kelly III]

Exactly ! but use 2 pare of plyers to bend it , or you might bend the float frame all askew !
.....
Bob........

 

[madjap]

Cool, I don't THINK it's over 'dropping', because when I have them in they never seem to 'catch' or the needle never seems to be at a weird angle, BUT that's when the bowl is off - so things could change when gas is actually flowing thru it I guess. I don't know anything anymore! This morning I woke up and I saw a coffee cup dancing a polka and my wife was naked in bed beside me... WHAT THE HELL is going on in my world????

 

[Bob Kelly III]

if it were me ...I'ed just adjust the float level to 24mm and make real sure their not sticking in anyway.... and try it again because it should shut off the fuel when the float bowl is full....
I had one that gave me hell years ago and I could not get it to stop overflowing..... I tried every setting known to man
nothing worked..... finally out of desperation I tossed the floats in the watering trough..... the darn things sunk to the bottom !!!!!!!
( they were brass, and I shook them several times and never heard any splashing around in there)
I opened the little holes on each float and drained them real good and soldered them back up...and it worked great !
...... evidently they were completely full of gas ....not just a little bit ! LOL
......
Bob.........

 

[Hyde]

So I've been trying to not hyjack the thread but this is certainly relevant to the topic matter and may really help out Madjap or not, but it helped me. There appears to be 2 conflicting sources on the forums for float measurement. 1 source is to measure off the round portion off the plastic floats, the other is per Gggary's pic to measure off the squared corner of the float for the 22mm height. Gggary and I have been having a good chat in private convo so I'll share the difference in float tang positioning with pics:

Gggary's BS34 float tang and position:



Hyde's float tang using the round float measurement:



That's a significant difference. Gggary was kind enough to send me the Manuel pics as well:



We can all find reference to both measuring positions when scraping out the forums for floats posts. My tangs were not adjusted to current position by me (except to correct a small 1mm difference). Mine were set by Rick at Oldskool so we appear to have 2 different approaches to the float debate.

 

[xjwmx]

if it were me ...I'ed just adjust the float level to 24mm and make real sure their not sticking

Should be 22mm with those floats. That's accepted as normal. 24 would be pretty lean. BTW I found richening only about 1/2 mm was like going up maybe one pilot jet size. My experience anyway, nothing scientific at all.

 

[gggGary]

Should be 22mm with those floats. 24 would be pretty lean. BTW I found richening only about 1/2 mm was like going up maybe one pilot jet size. My experience anyway, nothing scientific at all.

I remember your comment about doing that from what 3 YEARS ago?
a thread about foam float height specifically, I started it a few minutes ago.

 

[fredintoon]

- - - This morning I woke up and I saw a coffee cup dancing a polka and my wife was naked in bed beside me... WHAT THE HELL is going on in my world????

Hi madjap,
either your hope of marital bliss was interrupted by a local earthquake or you really should reconsider taking whatever meds you are on.

 

[madjap]

So I've been trying to not hyjack the thread but this is certainly relevant to the topic matter and may really help out Madjap or not, but it helped me. There appears to be 2 conflicting sources on the forums for float measurement. 1 source is to measure off the round portion off the plastic floats, the other is per Gggary's pic to measure off the squared corner of the float for the 22mm height. Gggary and I have been having a good chat in private convo so I'll share the difference in float tang positioning with pics:

Gggary's BS34 float tang and position:

View attachment 102467

Hyde's float tang using the round float measurement:

View attachment 102468

That's a significant difference. Gggary was kind enough to send me the Manuel pics as well:

View attachment 102469

We can all find reference to both measuring positions when scraping out the forums for floats posts. My tangs were not adjusted to current position by me (except to correct a small 1mm difference). Mine were set by Rick at Oldskool so we appear to have 2 different approaches to the float debate.

OK, so who's right? YOU or gggGARY??!!! I want to see this unfold! (as I rub my hands together fiendishly). I measure mine off the round part of the float. Well, that is to say I DID do it that way! My repair manual says to do it that way in the pic, HOWEVER it's also describing the brass float when it's discussing this method. BUT, I literally have done every mm increment from 21 to 30 using that method and I still get a soggy diaper. COME ON floats GET HERE already!!!!

 

[Bob Kelly III]

Thank you Guys for the correction 22mm it is !
float height is very critical in these carburetors....there is no doubt about that !
However a small amount of error shouldn't sink the ship so to speak .... but I could be wrong here !
as xjwmx mentions a bit less fuel in the bowl may well translate into a leaner condition but in my mind that would be a very slight change
......
(my opinion not based on experience fwiw)
Bob........

 

[nj1639]

Reference post #50 above, Hydes pics......
The pic of Gary's carbs float setting will bring the fuel level up towards the top of the carb bowl. Hydes pic of the float setting will set the fuel level about halfway up the bowl. I've tested both settings with a clear fuel line attached to the drain on the bottom of the carbs, held up alongside the carb body.
So, which is correct?
I've read where the ultimate test is by using the fuel line as a visual and having the fuel towards the top of the bowl, not halfway.

 

[xjwmx]

^The H supplement says to use a clear tube and it shows exactly where the level should be in the tube. What it doesn't say is that is a touchy way to measure -- the problem is if you ever hold the tube higher than it was before, the reading is wrong because fuel can't flow back up through the float valve. I think the thing to do is tape the tube somewhere solid before you open its valve, and don't move it. OR you could make a small downward motion with the tube on purpose and then stop and then measure, before you have a chance to move it up again....

 

[gggGary]

I'm pedaling as fast as I can, the head wind is killing me! Trying to get to first fire on "Period Piece" to prove out my float setting theory. Pipes and aftermarket mufflers on, carbs on. Just gotta put on the temp tank, make sure I have spark and hit the button!

 

[gggGary]

Yes fuel level setting by the tube method is VERY touchy, an air bubble anywhere will screw the pooch on where the level looks like it is. It's much easier with the "foam float" bowls cause they have a side exit to hold a tube and a screw drive stop valve.
qucik how to is have the tube in place and supported some copper house wire make handy temp brackets, then open the petcock quick and fully) (to prime if you have a vacuum type) to fill the float bowl. check, note level. shut off petcock, use tube to drain bowl into catch bottle, repeat till you consistently get readings that are the same.

 

[weekendrider]

With the tubes held securely, it is possible to run the motor. This will let you actually see the floats working as the level rises and lowers. Kill and start the bike several times and you can get an idea of your bowl level.