crazy carb question

[seabreeze-1]

looking at draining my float bowls...there are rubber hoses connected to the bottom of each carb ..then those rubber hoses connect to one hose. what are those hoses for??
can I just drain my carbs without disconnecting those hoses??
dave

[cranky]

... NOT a wrench, but I thought from the reading I've done, that those 4 hoses ran into
one hose and that hose was where the gas came out when Ya drained the bowl....

[Nails]

It's an overflow, so that if a float sticks open or otherwise fails * the gas will drain under your bike instead of into the motor. Without the hoses it'd drain onto the motor, which is better than into it.

* This is more of an issue for bikes with gravity feed when you forget to close the petcock. I once filled the crankcase with gasoline this way.

[seabreeze-1]

good to know...saves me from getting my paws in there to unclip those hoses. want to empty the floats...fill them up with seafoam and let them sit for a night.

[Nails]

How will you fill them?

[seabreeze-1]

ive seen videos where you can disconnect the fuel line going into the carbs and pour seafoam that way with the help of a funnel.
some guys run the bike while doing so with a 50/50 mixture of seafoam and fuel. i just want to pour seafoam..let her sit overnight then drain it.

[ekap1200]

No need to drain the seafoam. Add to the fuel tank one ounce per gallon... Using a 3mm allen socket and a long 1/4 drive extension , open the bowl drain screw on one carb at a time after finding the end of the common drain hose ( on the bottom of the float bowl ) and placing in a suitable container. Start the bike after each bowl drain to avoid prolonged use of the starter to fill the bowls. THE 3MM DRAIN SCREW IS ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE BIKE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE CARB BOWL.....Don't go crazy and over-tighten the screws, or you will strip the allen head....If allot of crap comes out and you want to flush them just repeat the procedure.

[Nails]

I don't know for sure, but you might be able to fill the float bowls through the drains, perhaps with some syringe affair. I'd fill them slowly.

It seems like you're getting to the point where it makes sense to pull the carbs and remove the float bowls to clean them right. You'd want to have fresh o-rings on hand. I've had the carbs off in the past two weeks, and a few times in the past few months. (Don't ask.) A PITA, but certainly not impossible.

[seabreeze-1]

Im the third owner of the bike..the first guy did very little riding. when owner number 2 bought the bike, it had been sitting unattended for a year or so. the bike wouldn't start for the second owner..bike went to the garage..mechanic put some cleaner through the tank. owner 2 road it around town. when I picked it up 6 months later, the bike starts fine..idled a little rough when engine is cold..i found going through gears 1 2 3, she seemed to flutter during acceleration. once the revs are up shes got good pic up and go. Ive since put about 1200 highway miles with about 3/4 can of seafoam and she seems to rum better. so id like to have some seafoam sit in the carbs over night to make sure I get her all cleaned up. id like to avoid taking the carbs off and apart...
d

[voyager55]

I'd check carb sync to

[Nails]

I missed this the first time.

ive seen videos where you can disconnect the fuel line going into the carbs

I've found that connection to be difficult -- way harder than disconnecting those overflow lines. I usually disconnect/reconnect it when the carbs are part way off.

[seabreeze-1]

good point voyager 55..
i think ill run some more seafoam...change my plugs and carb sinc. :)

[triton28]

The hose from the fuel pump to the carbs can be removed and as long as the key is in the OFF ignition switch position there will not be any gas flowing from the pump. There may be a small amount of back drainage from the hose to the carbs and a small amount from the pump, but that's all there would be.
Connect an elevated length of hose, to this hose from the pump, and rig a way to fill the carbs through this elevated hose/funnel arrangement.
Just a thought,
Dave