Can carb bowls come off while the carbs are on the bike?

Well I made a newbie mistake putting my carbs back together and put them together so that the drain screws all point to the inside instead of the outside. I think this is the reason I am having trouble starting the bike. Can I pull the bowls off the bottom of the carbs and switch them around without having to remove the carbs from the bike? I really don't want to try and deal with putting those stupid boots back on if I don't have to. I just might scream! Thanks in advance for y'alls help!

 

I'm not for sure what bike you have but on my 750 maxim you can only put the bowls on one way.

 

I've got a 650 Maxim. Maybe they are on the right way and you just have to access the screw from the other side of the bike... i.e. in order to open the left side screws you have to put the screwdriver in from the right side? Maybe it's just been a long day and I'm losing my mind.

 

Drain screws should alternate left rear right rear on the rear of the bowls.

 

Sorry explain that again? I'm gonna snap a picture and you can tell me if I'm an idiot or not, haha. BRB

 

This picture is taken from the left side of the bike looking across the carb rack. I'm also noticing that one of the bowls is leaking too. Guess I'll need to address that as well. It seems to me that the nipples pointing straight back on the bike are where the clear tube goes, but the screws are pointing inwards when it makes sense that they'd be pointing outwards, right?

 

If you are standing at the rear of the bike the drain screws on the bowls on the first carb should be facing towards the center of the bike.

 

Your okay they are not on backwards.

 

Well that's good to know. But at the same time leaves me stumped as to why the bike is not starting, haha. Thanks a lot for your help. I guess I'll pick up some starter fluid tomorrow and see what happens!

 

yep their backwards but before you do anything try to get the clear tubes on and check the floats like they are, if their wrong you'll have to pull the rack to set them anyway.
i think pulling the rack off would be easier than changing the bowls on the bike
it gets easier the more you do it

 

I don't think it's the floats that are the issue (well, ok they probably are AN isue since I didn't realize that they were adjustable when I put them together) but I was thinking that the bowls being on the wrong carbs would cause a problem with the cold start circuit as well due to the location of that itty bitty reservoir which lines up with the tube on the carb body. Guess that's going to be my project for tomorrow.

 

Sorry its getting late I looked at the picture wrong they are backwards it still should not be causing your problem they will still only fit one way on the carb.

 

the bowls are basically just a container.

however, everyone says there is a hole in the bowl that could effect the richness circuit. or whatever it was. my 81 didn't have those holes. don't know about the 82 i had 25 years ago.

and yes they are on wrong. the two on the left should have the drain screws facing to the left. not to the right. same as the right side.

as pollock suggested using clear tubes to check wet fuel level. it's much easier having the screws on the outside. rather then on the inside.

i think it is possible to change the bowls on the bike. but it's not worth the extra time that will be needed doing a job that you really can't see. you'll spend far less time doing the extra steps and taking the rack off.

 

you know there's a we we itty bitty hole in the bottom of that itty bitty reservoir, right ?

 

i never did see that wee itty bitty hole you all say to have.

but who knows how many owners that bike had. it could have had the bowls swapped out as some point and time.

 

Take them off & start again, how could you mix up those bowls ? You did put all the parts into their own numbered container, while you were cleaning ? If you didn't what else got mixed up, go straight to jail, do not pass go & do not collect any praise.

 

The Placement of the Bowls will have NO effect on Performance.

You MAY have put them on just the way they came-off.
Incorrect positioning of the Fuel Bowls is a Dead Giveaway that an inexperienced person have preceded you working on the Carbs.

Use a Magic Marker or a Sharpie to mark the Bowls before you take them off.
Carb Cleaner will dissolve the Marker when you are ready to put them back on.

To never mix them up, ... Dimple the Bottom of the Bowl in the Circle of the Enrichment well with a sharp-pointed Center Punch: ⚀, ⚁, ⚂, ⚃ -or- scribe them: ①, ②, ③, ④

 

Correct.

The cold enrichment port is the same on all the bowls, only the drain screws are right and left handed.

Something else is wrong.

 

Everybody's kind of overlooking the obvious here.

Bike still doesn't want to start.

FLOAT LEVELS weren't "wet" set, or the float bowls would be facing the right way.

Carbs gotta come back off anyway; you're "shortcutting" and it doesn't work, the less you put into this the longer it's gonna take.

 

The carbs were partly apart when I bought the bike. The PO said he'd been very thorough cleaning the carbs and I followed the pictures he had taken to put the carbs back together. Looks like I'm going to need to fully disassemble everything and do my own due diligence. I wanted a project and it looks like I've gotten it!

 

PO's have a lot to answer for!

 

PO doesn't always mean Previous Owner, more often than not it means Pi$$ed Off!

 

Hey, the PO rode my '81 over to my house when I bought it.

It took me over 8 months to where I felt safe on it, and it was reliable enough to ride more than 10 miles at a time.

 

How long is that 650 Seca going to take ??

 

It's a long term project. I have two and a half rideable bikes (Norton needs some work.)

I should get it actually running within the next couple months, then the real fun begins.

 

You only live once. Might as well die doing something you love.

 

I second that BillB.

And Bigfitz52, I'm sure my dad would be willing to help a bit on the Norton, he had one brand new before I was born.

 

OH, help not necessary. I too bought mine brand new, back in the day. Every mile on it is mine and every time it's been apart it was me doing the work.

 

If you live anywhere where its COLD outside; the bike is going to be HARD to start.
That applies to everybody.

A little "Goose" of Starting Fluid may bring life to her.

Then, you start factoring-in:
How well is the Bike Tuned-Up.
Strong Battery
Clean Carbs
Valves, ... right on down the line.

It was -8 Below Zero, here, last week.
I wouldn't have been able to start my bike for a free case of Bud Light.
But I would have tried.

 

Bit of an update. Took the carbs off and pulled off one of the bowls. When I look at it, it looks like it's lined up right. Isn't this skinny tube here



supposed to line up with the little reservoir well here?



Also, I haven't given up yet, but is there anyone on this board who rebuilds these carbs for a fee? I'm realizing pretty rapidly that I'm not very well set up for this project in my current situation. If I were at home with all my tools and workshop this would be a different story.

 

And I didn't realize until I took the other bowls off that the siphon tube spot is in the same location whether the drain screw is on the left or right side. I guess I was thinking these things were mirror images of each other. Got them switched around for now, but my question regarding a "pro" rebuild still stands. There are too many things that need to be done with these carbs for me to do while the best workstation I have is my kitchen countertop.

 

the carbs are intact. but they DEFENITLY need to be cleaned. everything is gummed up in there. that's why the bike don't run.

 

Well I went back and re-cleaned the carbs. The whole shit and shebang, and she fired up with a little ether and kept running. It kind of had me stumped because I really dont think the carbs looked any cleaner the second time through than the first. I did set the float levels though and I think that made all the difference! Now it's on to the brakes to get this guy back on the road.

 

Even with my limited knowledge coming from the XS11 rebuild a few years ago, I can tell you carbs are more picky than women. Even the SLIGHTEST fraction of a screw turn can make the whole bike not want to run. Enjoy it while you can, keep it running well, and hope it's at least a while before you have to get back into the carbs.

 

More picky than a woman? You have never met my ex! Either that, or you have managed to purchase Satan's XS1100!