Topic: Float gasket uhh help

[Mavryk03]

OK guys need some help! I just rebuilt my carbs on my 75 CB550F and got it all back together and started up ran fine, then let it set for a week or so while i was working on some other stuff went to start it the other day and it started and ran for about 5 secs and shut off. So i figured i forgot to flush the fuel lines after i installed a filter in the gas tank so i got rust in the carbs again so took everything apart last nite clean it all up ran air through everything and started to put everything back together. So here is my problem the rubber gaskets on the float covers seem like that have been stretched out and bigger then they were before, they are new just bought them from bikebandit, b/c they were already a pain in the a$$ the first time putting them on   , so didn't know if there was a way to get them back on the float cover by maybe giving them a little heat to shrink them or do i need to buy new ones dint really want to buy new ones and spend another $60-$70 dollars so if anyone has any tricks that would be great thanks guys

[Skunk Stripe]

Were they round by any chance? I had to get round ones and they are the biggest pains to use. I ended up using model grade super glue sparingly in the gasket groove to hold it down.

[flybox1]

they've swelled..  happens when they come in contact with fuel.
let them dry them out. they will shrink back to normal 

[Mavryk03]

Skunk Stripe, yeah they are rubber and round it's like they were just alittle too big in the first place but they fit  . FLYBOX 1 yeah i though about that too the the fuel had made them swell alittle i laid them out last nite to dry so how long should i let them dry? thanks for the info guys ever little helps 

[flybox1]

over night should do it, but if you've got a heat gun, it might help.
i resorted to cutting mine to fit and glueing w superglue. no probs in a more than a year.

[Mavryk03]

OK i figured over nite would do it, and someone else told me about cutting them but i was like wouldn't the fuel leak out where you cut it them didn't say anything about super gluing them if the other way doesn't work i might have to cut them and glue them thanks again

[BobbyR]

You can glue those gaskets to the bowl using clear nail polish.

[Mavryk03]

nail polish really that, it wont eat the rubber away will it?

[BobbyR]

nail polish really that, it wont eat the rubber away will it?

No, just brush some in the groove and push the gasket down until it dries and u are done..

[Mavryk03]

sounds good and cheap thanks alot i will give it a try.

[flybox1]

BobbyR's tips are as worthy as his avatars 

[Mavryk03]

i would agree hopefully for him, that is his GF if not she is nice to look at

[flybox1]

i would agree hopefully for him, that is his GF if not she is nice to look at

  if it was, he's got a new one every few days 

[c(b)hris]

I put mine in a pot of boiling water for about a minute and they shrunk back to their original size immediately.

[BobbyR]

i would agree hopefully for him, that is his GF if not she is nice to look at

  if it was, he's got a new one every few days 

My Wife is hot, but I do not change them every weekend. I am getting on in years and any of these babes would kill me.   

[Mavryk03]

I put mine in a pot of boiling water for about a minute and they shrunk back to their original size immediately.

i will have to give that a try as well thanks

[Mavryk03]

i would agree hopefully for him, that is his GF if not she is nice to look at

  if it was, he's got a new one every few days 

My Wife is hot, but I do not change them every weekend. I am getting on in years and any of these babes would kill me.   

if your wife is hot as well you need to put her pic up there she prob kill you wouldn't she

[Mavryk03]

thanks guys got them back in just let themn dry out got eveything back together and slapped the carbs back on got it running then fuel was linking out of the top of the bowls. it is an ongoing process but i will get it to work  thanks again

[flybox1]

fuel would leak out the oveflow tubes before it hits the top of the bowl.
you might have something else going on there with your float height, or fuel valves.
tip: next time you turn on your fuel to fill your bowls, have a chunk of wood or a rubber mallet handy.  (gently) tap/hit the sides of your bowls to release the floats. sometimes they stick in the 'down' position.

[Mavryk03]

i will check that out today when i give her a start let you know thanks

[Mavryk03]

hey flybox 1 so took the carbs off again and check everything took off the float bowls and let the gaskets dry out a day or so and put everything back together and no fuel was leaking out anywhere the floats were dry all around and no fuel coming out of the over flow. So starting checking everything when i turned the fuel on and if your sitting on your bike the 2nd carb from the right side was not filling with fuel so i gave it alittle tap and opened the screw on the bottom of the float bowl and nothing so i keep tapping it finally got the fuel to run in there, so now i have fuel have spark and air and it wont start now  . It keeps turning over and over and gets little burps like it wants to start and then wont so i just can figure it out. I do have air pods,got rid of the air box so don't know if that would be a problem? Also took off one of the air pods the first carb on the left side and put the palm of my hand over it and tryed to start it and it was sucking my hand so when i took it off fuel was all over my hand and in that part of carb so don't know what that means if anything. Thanks for all your help so far
Matt

[flybox1]

sounds like you had a stuck float/float valve on #3.  but you got it to fill.  good.  
have you done valve clearances, and set timing?
got a fully charged batt?

what height did you set your floats at?
should be at 22mm, with AF screws at 1.5 turns out.

needle position might need adjustment because of your pods. 
(tuning carbs to pods is not my cup of tea, so hopefully others will chime in with suggestions)

[Mavryk03]

yeah the battery was full  but started to die since i was craking on it i do have it on a charge thow, i will have to check with my buddy for the valve clearances, and set timing and height of the floats he did all that for me while i working on something else will get back to you thanks for the help. 

[bollingball]

22MM really?

[flybox1]

22MM really?

yeah

http://www.sohc4.net/index.php?q=content/cb500550-carb-id-and-specs

[Mavryk03]

OK so get this i go out to the garage yesterday to check and make sure there was no fuel leaking anywhere i think my petcock has a leak it's always dripping so another to fix on her. so there was a little fuel on the motor and i think it was coming out of the fuel line on the left side that runs to the carbs so i need to some new fuel line and prob put a zip tie or a clap. Looking around i didn't see any other fuel linking anywhere so i was like maybe she will start so i tapped on all the floats bowls just in case they were stuck, hit the start button and she fired up for about 10 secs i was like what the hell  so i closed the choke and tired again and she fired up and ran at about 1200 rpm but when i closed the chock it started to run ruff so i closed the choke again and it ran fine so i opened it again and tired to adjust idle with the ideal mix screw and got it running OK and took her around the block but about half way around she started to chock herself out and shut off so then closed the choke and she started up again and ran fine so i drove back that. So i think the floats maybe getting stuck and now the ideal screw is messed up b/c i was just turning it?

[flybox1]

 recheck your float heights.  they might be set too high, and when you ride around, and the fuel level adjusts, its prob flooding your jets.

working your choke lever correctly? 

[Mavryk03]

alright i will recheck the floats again. You know i though maybe i was working the choke wrong so i will check myself before i wreck myself lol   I will let you know thanks again

[Mavryk03]

OK so i think i got the carb issue worked out no leaks and fuel is flowing, but the other day i got her started and to keep it running i had to keep giving her Little throttle so it wouldn't die so i was trying to adjust the idle screw that it the one on the right side top with the little spring correct  if not what do i need to do to get to run about what 1000 or 1200 rpm i got a carb synchronize i just need her to stay running so i can adjust the slids.

[Mavryk03]

bump bump