TOPIC:

Hi,

I am rebuilding the carbs on my 1977 KZ1000 LTD. My plan was to set the float height first by measuring the height of float to gasket surface (25mm for my bike). I even bought one of those guages for doing this from Z1 Enterprises.
I will then verify using the service fuel level method and re-adjust if necessary.
My question is: Where do I measure the 25mm from? There is a little flange/lip running around the gasket surface which makes a difference of about 1-2mm. So do I measure from the top of the lip or from the actual gasket surface? I hope this question makes sense to somebody.
I also seem to get inconsistent readings from using the service fuel level method but I think I can get this to work.

Any advice/tips on this subject will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks, John

The place where the gasket sits is flat. This is where you measure from... the method you are trying to use is a waste of time. The floats have been bent up a zillion times over the years. Use a hose and use the SERVICE FUEL LEVEL method. If you get inconsistent results, it is because there is air in the line or you are doing something wrong. Hold the hose steady and don't move it after turning on the gas. Once the hose fills, tap it or GENTLY blow into the hose to dislodge air bubbles. Let the level settle as all four carbs will have to fill and this takes some time without engine vacuum drawing gas.

WG,

i have searched the forum for your bench sync method and cannot find your post on it. Can you repost it? Also do you have a pic of where to put the hose and what it should look like.

George,

Thanks for the reply. I guess that measuring tool for the float height from Z1 Enterprises was a waste of money. The tool is too wide to sit down on the gasket surface so it sits up on the lip and causes an incorrect reading.
As far as the service fuel level, I have one carb at a time fixed perfectly level in a vice (gently with plastic soft-jaws). I guess it makes more sense to do 2 carbs at a time so I can use the fuel supply "T" that goes between 2 carbs.
I don't know why I keep getting air in the hose, I will re-make thehose gauge thing. Maybe I left the hose too long and it looped back down.
I was holding the hose while it filled, not letting it move. My Kawasaki manual for KZ1000 also says to just not move the hose but my Kawasaki manuals for my KX250 and for my W650 actually say to wait until the level setles then slowly lower the hose a few millimeters before taking a reading. I will see if it makes any difference.

Thanks again, John

George,

Thanks for the reply. I guess that measuring tool for the float height from Z1 Enterprises was a waste of money. The tool is too wide to sit down on the gasket surface so it sits up on the lip and causes an incorrect reading.
As far as the service fuel level, I have one carb at a time fixed perfectly level in a vice (gently with plastic soft-jaws). I guess it makes more sense to do 2 carbs at a time so I can use the fuel supply "T" that goes between 2 carbs.
I don't know why I keep getting air in the hose, I will re-make thehose gauge thing. Maybe I left the hose too long and it looped back down.
I was holding the hose while it filled, not letting it move. My Kawasaki manual for KZ1000 also says to just not move the hose but my Kawasaki manuals for my KX250 and for my W650 actually say to wait until the level setles then slowly lower the hose a few millimeters before taking a reading. I will see if it makes any difference.

Thanks again, John

The little gauge you were sold has one fixed leg and the other slides laterally to accomodate different sized bowls. It is sticky but it does slide where it will sit down ON the gasket mating surface of most any carb. The is an L shaped piece that then slides up and down on the scale so you can do the adjustment to the float.

Here is a pic of the SERVICE FUEL LEVEL method I swiped from somewhere.

exactly what i needed!

I just bought the liquid level tool from Z1 and it helped immeasurably. I tried the initial float setting procedure, and like WG said, it was a waste of time. When using the liquid level tool, it took about 30-50 seconds before the level would stabilize.

I used airline from an aquarium for my tubing. It was about 60 cents a foot. I heated up the plastic over a candle and stretched it out a little to cause it to deform a bit. This hardened the plastic enough that it would hold the thread and narrowed the cross section diameter enough to allow the tubing to fit in the drain hole.

I did all four at once and it was a major PITA. I hear that bad float adjustments can adversly affect low rpm tuning. I guess that means that it was worth the trouble.