Wet Setting Floats - Yes or No

i put mine in a old oil jug then in the lawn mower

 

agreed...the drained-off gas is good enough for the lawn mower......assuming you have a lawn to cut.......or starter fluid for a backyard firewood pit....

 

Given that it's drained from a clean set of carbs, I don't see why it wouldn't be good for anything you might want to put it into.

 

I don't have a lawnmower or a gas can I suppose I can buy a gas can, I guess it can't hurt to have a gallon of gas lying around.... do vapors escape from those red gas cans? I'll have to put it in my single storage closet outdoors along with all my other stuff...

 

Question...When wet setting the carbs outside of the bike, they will no doubt be as close to level as possible. However, when actually installed on the motorcycle, they are at a pretty good tilt.

Is this accounted for in the specs, or is it fine to at least check them in place before deciding if you need any adjustment? if the measurement is taken in the center of the bowl, then should it not be an average of the two measurements?

Not trying to be lazy, just curious. The carbs only take 10 minutes to remove...

 

On the Left: Windshield Washer Fluid

On the Right: Massachusetts Regular Gas w/ 10% Ethanol

I set them with the Washer Fluid.
Close enough for Government work.

 

Yes and yes. It is accounted for in the specs; and the FSM has this long, drawn-out unnecessarily overly complex method for checking them on the bike. But even with that, you have to prop the bike up so they're level.

 

Rick,

Where do you get your float gauges ???

 

Have adjusted mine a few times now. I made a cheap stand out of 2x1 which I then clamp to my workmate bench. Gives me a nice chest level view of the carbs. I have tried using water or mineral spirit in place of gasoline. But the water is not accurate and the mineral spirit is expensive since I tend to use a lot of fluid. Just got used to being efficient with gas. My temporary fuel tank is an old weed wacker tank. On is above the carbs, off below. Here are couple of YouTube posts I made.

A 2x1 would work just as well as the steel bar I used to help in bending the tab.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viuA-3Y2MmA

Here is one that some may find interesting. Using a clear float bowl just for kicks. Check at the 3:25 mark.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5dN0_OTyvs

 

This.

Head over to Marshall's Hardware, just north of Miramar Road by the train tracks. There's a Starbucks and a chinese buffet place nearby. Bonus: they stock Kroil.

 

Anyone ever have an issue with new floats sticking shut? Moving the float up and down isn't clearing them for me. K&L carb kits were okay, I thought. Maybe they'll break in? I was running on three cylinders when I fired her up, and upon checking my work, one of the damn needles wasn't opening properly.
And after doing a few more bowl adjustments, another needle started sticking shut. Yes, my floats are the right side up...

 

If it's the needle that's sticking, you'll have to clean them deeply with Carb Cleaner and some tin foil as sandpaper. That stem in the needle should depress easily and bounce back immediately. While you're add it, make sure you clean/tin paper the stem that holds the float to the float hinge pillars, and make sure that's not bent.