xs650 flooding... praying to the carb gods

[beer9000]

29 mm on both sets of floats still leaked too. any other ideas?

[Tattooo]

29 mm on both sets of floats still leaked too. any other ideas?

What I would do is take them off of the bike....... Hook the fuel line to them turn on the gas and tilt them and see if you can create the leak off of the bike........

[beer9000]

ok, I'll try that tomorrow. Been at it all day, time to go cry in the corner and come back later without frustration fueled ham-fists... thanks for all your help today bud

[TriNortchopz]

Maybe it time to check float level by seeing the actual float level using the clear plastic hose method, this Amal has a dot to indicate level:



Got a drain on the bottom of your float bowl? - do the same thing with a clear piece of hose...set 'em up, use 30mm float height to start (since they leaked at 29), and in you case, install them so you can see the actual float level with carbs on the bike;

From the XS650 site:

"I just could not get the float levels correct by measuring them according to the specs. Then I tried this technique where
1. I took off the carbs
2. Set them up so they are level just like they would be on the bike.
3. take off one of the float bowl drain plugs
4. put a clear plastic hose tightly into the drain plug hole (size 5/16 fits very tight but it can be threaded on with force.)
5. run the clear plastic hose down a coupe of inches to avoid a pinched line then looped it up so the end was higher than the top of the carb.
6. Create a temporary fuel supply to feed the fuel intake line. I put a small funnel tightly on the end of the gas intake line. Then I poured fuel into the funnel slowly until the floats reached the top and stopped the incoming flow of fuel.
If the floats do not shut off the fuel then gas will start coming out of the back of the carbs. Obviously your adjustments are off if that happens. Remember, lower float levels ( for example 22 mm in comparison to 24 means your floats are allowing more gas in at 22, not less. So 24 is leaner, 22 is richer)
7. Pour gas into the funnel and keep pouring until the fuel in the clear tube will not go any higher. Then you know your floats are shutting off the fuel to the carbs.
8. The fuel level in the clear plastic tube shows how high the fuel level is in the float bowl. From there I can tell which way I need to adjust the floats, up or down.
9. It still is kinda messy as the gas has to be emptied out of the carb each time an adjustment is made, and there usually are several adjustments for each carb.(but you got a drain hose on the bottom of the carb).
When the fuel level in the clear plastic tubing is even with the bottom of the float bowl flange (where it joins with the top of the carb) you are in the ballpark. That is where I stopped and my bike runs perfectly.
You could try doing this while the carbs are on the bike but I wouldn't want to. Much easier to adjust if the carbs are off and easily accessible.
If the tube is leaking, a little leakage is ok ( a drip now and then) a stream is not ok. Get a different size tube.
Some folks buy an extra set of float drain plugs, drill holes in them and put on a nipple to make a very tight fit. I did not have the time to order, so I just used the 5/16 tubing and forcefully screwed it in. It worked fine. .."

http://www.xs650.com/threads/carburetors-leaking-gas-into-air-cleaners.20365/

[Tattooo]

^^^^^^ Now that's one hell of an idea.............^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

[beer9000]

awesome guide, good find... thank you.

I thought I'd test the seal with the carb on the bike before setting up to do the clear tube float test. Took off the bowls, put in the carbs, then held the floats up and turned the fuel on... still a leak directly from the same air filter, none getting past the needles..

so, that told me that excess fuel was getting in somewhere else other than through the bowls. I bypassed that other inlet in front of the carb, just ran the line from the petcock directly to the T on the carbs themselves. set the floats back down to 29mm, put the carbs back together, turned the fuel on, and NO LEAK........

I am very hesitant to feel excited.. gonna change the plugs and see if it will start without anything feeding to that extra inlet

[TriNortchopz]

Is that other inlet for vacuum to control the stock vacuum operated petcock on the gas tank? Stick your nose in the crankcase oil filler hole to make sure the engine oil in the sump is not fuel contaminated before starting.

[farmall]

does it have to do with this second inlet in front of the carbs???

TNC called it.

That is absolutely a vacuum port. Same as other XS I've worked on. Your carbs are probably fine.

Check yer oil as he advised because fuel makes lousy lubricant.

[Tattooo]

TNC called it. That is absolutely a vacuum port.

Yes Tri did......

But I thought the OP said he checked to see if the gas was flowing from that hose????? Plus I thought he had two petcocks not two hoses....... Oh well........

I guess this is where a manual and better pics would have come in handy??????????

[beer9000]

my bad everyone. Guess I missed it when TNC said that. this is my first build and only my second bike, sorry for coming off like an asshole. Trying to only make worthwhile threads for problems that haven't been fully addresses before, but obviously I don't understand how it all works well enough yet to even correctly diagnose problems.

better pics and better explaining needed for sure. but thanks everyone for working with what you had, some really great info came out.

[Tattooo]

better pics and better explaining needed for sure. but thanks everyone for working with what you had, some really great info came out.

I'm really glad it worked out for you.............