no matter what the source of your gaskets, a little lubrication on assembly will make a difference. on float bowl gaskets/O-rings, I always work a little silicone grease into it, then rub clean, then assemble. really, it does help with troublesome leaks.
Good luck
Randy
D.A. newb with yet ANOTHER leaky float bowl Q
Thanks guys. The tank doesn't look bad. I also tested both floats manually while on the bike and they shut off nicely. I did get some in-line filters to prevent future clogging because I sure as hell don't want to have to pull the carbs again once I get this leak fixed! But just in case I do I am also going to install a double shut-off disconnect between the tank halves. I read about that trick on this site too.
Before I pulled the carbs the front of the bowls would weep when I turned on the petcock with the engine off. That means the gas level must be getting higher than the gasket line right? That's what bothers me about making the float height less than currently set. Also, the Keyster float assembly sits slightly higher (a 1/16th inch maybe) than the old one but not a real concern. For background info, I disassembled/cleaned both carbs and set the floats with the sight method with the carbs off and held (nearly) horizontally. The float height measures one inch for the one carb I pulled. The other is still on the bike for now. Not feeling super optimistic about the Honda gaskets being the big fix. Thanks, -pb PB - Yes, the fuel level is rising too high. One-inch is already about 2mm in the direction of a lower fuel level. If you're confident that the needles and seats are capable of sealing, then I would say maybe your floats aren't floating. Take them out and give 'em a shake, you may hear fuel sloshing around in there. If you do, you can try to repair them, I've been about 50% successful:
Hold them in some boiling water and see where the bubbles come out. It's usually a pin hole leak near the bottom, or the solder joint. Get the old fuel out by wicking it with a paper towel. Clean the area and solder it up with as little additional solder as possible. Recheck it in the boiling water. Sounds so simple... -48
You know just having another thing to try (like testing the floats in boiling water) keeps the problem solving process fun. I noticed that one carb bowl had a crimp in the gasket so maybe one side has a float that won't float and the other a bad gasket. Could be two leaky floats but the odds seem better that only one is bad.
Either way I'm jacked - thanks! Let us know how it comes out and -
All the usual precautions with boiling water, fuel, and soldering irons applies. Make sure to wick out all the fuel before attempting a repair, and only use a small soldering iron. In fact, the floats are available new from Honda so I would go that route if you find that one or both of yours are bad. -48 Hey PB - I may not have been clear in my previous posts. You can tell if it's leaky just by shaking it and listening for fuel sloshing around. The boiling water trick just tells you where the holes are and if you got them sealed up. If you can't hear anything sloshing about then it's probably OK. If they both pass, and your float heights are 22.5mm or greater, then its a fuel contamination or needle and seat issue. Maybe fuel getting in around the brass seat somehow. Should be either a fiber or aluminum crush washer at that location, and the boss in the casting should be smooth for it to seal against. Now I'm really out of suggestions...
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