carb float bowl covers

[codie97]

I have a kawasaki 1978 kz650 sr there were about 2 bowls leaking so i changed all 4 gaskets , now after i run it then let it sit gas is dripping of the bottom of the bowls looks like its coming from the gasket area ,what could be wrong.Some one told me the bowls could be warped is this true?

[DanOz6Five0]

Your floats could be set wrong, or the needles could be sticking, letting too much gas into the bowls

[hot_shoe_cv]

If it is coming from just under the bowl lid you may have failed to get the new gasket seated in the lid groove properly and it could be pinched under the lid.

[jonm61]

If those carbs have drain screws, could be coming from there.

[Jeff.saunders]

Many of the older carb BODIES get damaged by people overtightening the screws. This pulls down the corners of the carb body and causes the leaks. When you look along the plane of the gasket surface, the body should be straight - many have the corners tweaked down a little. Sometimes the gaskets will still seal, sometimes they won't...

This is one of the reasons you should replace float bowl gaskets and not reuse them (similar problem to people resuing exhuast gaskets and breaking studs by overtightening).

[codie97]

If this is the problem what do i do to fix it.

[Jeff.saunders]

If this is the problem what do i do to fix it.

Sadly, for many of the carbs the only solution is to find another set.

I have used a float bowl to press the carb body in a vise and straighten the body, but there is a great risk to further damaging the carb body.

I have used double gaskets on a couple of carbs to work around the problem.

[codie97]

well a friend from work told me to find a flat even surface and use a fine sand paper and hold it down on it and move back and fourh till its even so i did and it worked out well no more leaks they were only off a little do you think this procedure will cause any other problems or will it be fine.

[codie97]

these are the bowl covers not the carb itself that i sanded.

[elr658]

And if the carb bodies are warped, flattening the COVERS does not address the problem.

[codie97]

i dont believe the carb body is warped only the covers because when i took the covers off you could see they curved up so i sande them and now they dont leak.

[elr658]

Cool, you gotta love it when it works.