454 Carb question

[advcyc]

I have a 84 454 LTD that I am bringing back from the dead. I got it up and running over the weekend after the requisite carb cleaning. There was some frightning thick black varnish in there, but it's all gone now and things look ok, albeit a bit flat on the throttle.

Anyhow, one thing I noticed on the carbs when they came off, is that between the carbs in the front, near the tops, is a sizeable black plastic tube. It has a large nipple on it as if a hose should go here, but I dont see any loose vacume hose on the engine. This tube would feed into the backs of the main diaphrams so I assume that there should either be vacume here or its just a relife tube for the diaphrams?

One last detail is that it is located about where the throttle/choke cables link up to the carbs.

Thanks for any help! I am a bike carb newbie (used to old Holley's and Edlebrocks)

-m

[Bilby]

It's probably just a ventilation tube for your carbs, and used to have a line leading ( where... back to the air box i think... ) you can check the parts diagrams at http://www.buykawasaki.com ( under owner info - parts diagrams ) and look up the carbs to see for sure what that part is called / for, but as long as you don't feel any suction there when the bike is running, you should be okay.

[JimmyD]

It's an overflow/vent for the carb. Moreso a vent than an overflow, though.

Some bikes have a clear tube running to this fitting, others don't even though most parts diagrams usually show a tube running to it. Nothing to worry about at all. Mine didn't when I pulled my carbs for the first time and I was in the same mindset as you.

[Bilby]

... That's what i thought. But my mind wasn't really working very well yesterday, is all >_>

[advcyc]

Thanks for the info guys!