Kawasaki Concours Forum
The C10, aka Kawasaki Concours - The Original => The Bike - C10 => Topic started by: WiConnie on October 14, 2011, 02:38:17 PM
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Howdee :)
I'm all set to do my own overflow tubes but would like to know the consensus on how far they should extend above the top edge of the bowl. I've seen one member that did his own has them at about 4mm. Is there a optimal height that I should shoot for?
Thanks much,
Barry
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4mm is to low, you'll get sloshover. I set all my installs at 8mm. At 10mm the fuel can intersect the air correction orifice and start to discharge into the carbs - can't have that. Steve
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Thanks Steve...much appreciated....especially from the guru!
Barry
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4 mm has worked ok for me.
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I did mine a little too low (4mm) and I do indeed have slosh over. Of course I flog the cr@p out the bike too. I was one of the first DIYers when we first posted directions. The 5 minute JB weld epoxy did not work either. Good thing i did a press fit.
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The 5 minute JB weld epoxy did not work either. Good thing i did a press fit.
Gotta stay with the original formula.....good stuff....
Q: Is J-B Weld resistant to water and/or gasoline?
A: When fully cured, J-B Weld is completely resistant to water, gasoline, and about every other petroleum product or automotive chemical. For wet-surface or submerged water or gasoline repairs, see our J-B Stik or Waterweld product information.
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Standard JB Weld does not stand up to current formulations of gasoline. You will wind up with little donuts of it loose on the tubes. Press fit (by SiSF, shameless plug) works quite nicely.
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SteveJ is completely correct (as usual) original JB weld is fine is gasoLINE, not so much with gasoHOL. The ethanol will attack the JBweld. Voices of experience here. Steve
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Great...another reason to hate the crap the government says we gotta burn...it's crap, have to use more of it to get where you're going...etc, etc. Plus it dissolves JB Weld..
Do you think that the ALUMALOY type product would work if an aluminum over flow tube were used Alumaloy Part 1 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZ5sD9hQTyw#noexternalembed)
What is this "press fit" you speak of :o. Is it where the hole the pipe fits into is just a smidge smaller than the pipe and the pipe is forced in or is the pipe somehow expanded once it is in place.
Just removed and installed carbs this morning for the first time...not that tough....I used the "Roll the airbox boots back" method and used lots of silicone spray during the install. Warmed the airbox boots with a hair drier...they snapped right back into place. I used to have to use a ratchet strap on the airbox on my Honda "F" bikes
Barry
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yes, the hole is bored smaller than the tube. You better make a jig to hold the bowl when boring / pressing though, or your results will be equal to my first attempts before I built the jig. Let's just put it this way - you're gonna be hunting some kind of epoxy if you don't have a jig. also, don't cut the tube once it's installed, or you'll vibrate and loosen the press fit. Also, be careful to not place the tube to deeply, or you'll obstruct the drain screw hole. HTH, Steve
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And that's why I had Steve do my overflow tubes. Screw up your float bowls and you will probably pay about the same for 1 float bowl as having Steve doing it for you.
edit: $80 for a float bowl from BikeBandit.
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Just removed and installed carbs this morning for the first time...not that tough....I used the "Roll the airbox boots back" method and used lots of silicone spray during the install. Warmed the airbox boots with a hair drier...they snapped right back into place.
Geeze - I wish I'd read that yesterday morning!! :P
Might have save me some struggling.
Took me about 20 minutes of wrangling just to get the "deep down inside" throttle cable attached, then got in an extended fight with the airbox boots.
You experienced folks would probably roll in the floor if you could see me in the midst of this "learning curve"!
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Geeze - I wish I'd read that yesterday morning!! :P
Might have save me some struggling.
Took me about 20 minutes of wrangling just to get the "deep down inside" throttle cable attached, then got in an extended fight with the airbox boots.
Rick...I always find it best to only remove the choke cable while the carbs are still on the bike. I pulled the carb rack out the left side of the bike then removed the throttle cables. Before the install I removed the air box, washed it all up nice and pretty, warmed the boots with a hair dryer, rolled the boots back and used a zip tie (like a cheap hose clamp) on each one to hold it in place. All while sitting at the kitchen table which made things much easier.
After I installed the airbox I sprayed lots of silicone on the 8 boots....pushed the carbs in from the left after attaching the throttle cables. The carbs went in on the high side then I slowly lowered then(pushed them down) ... and they eventually snapped into the intake boots. Cut the the zip ties off the airbox boots, re-warmed them with the hair dryer, rolled them right back onto the carbs.
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press fit with locktite
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press fit with locktite
Loctite is a brand name not a particular product; please be more specific.
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Test results are in...Cliff Notes Version....
1....On an old bowl I tried the JB Weld technique......the JB Weld broke down after about a week and the seal started weeping ever so slightly. Got the gray doughnuts as mentioned in an earlier post. No drips but damp at the over flow nipple.
2....replaced the brass tube with an aluminum one and tried the Alumaloy repair as seen on You Tube....fail :o
I may be on a mission to find a sealant that can survive in today's mix of gasoline. Testing a product called Seal-All for the next week. Will report.
Barry
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I don't use any sealant.
My bowls don't leak.
Maybe that's why most guys send me thier bowls; experiences like yours is my best sales tool! Steve
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Steve,
:) I like a challenge! I've gotten rid of all my bikes that I liked to wrench on so I have to have something to do at the workbench.
I used to love to bring home old Hondas and fix them up to sell but the market is so darn soft I can't hardly seem to break even on the resale.
Tonight I dug out another old Honda bowl and made it leak....then put a bead of solder around the base of the tube...so far so good.
Gotta travel for the rest of the week so it's sittin on the bench covered and with some test paper under the nipple...will check when I get back home.
I suppose I'll get tired of smelling like gasoline soon, surrender and send my bowls to you.
I know the heartbreak of hydro lock. Had a friend leave his perfect CBX on the side stand with the petcock open last summer...one touch of the starter button in the morning and the #1 rod turned into a pretzel.
Barry in Cloudy Wisconsin.
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Well, rest assured that i did more than a couple sets til I got the system down pat. It quite litterally only takes a few minutes to do a set of bowls now, but it took jigs and alot of sets to get to this point.
to bad on the CBX, they're a very cool bike, sad to come to such an inglorious ending. steve
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Seal all will resist I think. Been awhile since I have used it. I used to use it to seal gastank pinholes with JB over top to protect the seal all from rock chips.
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Green loctite will fix a loose press fit, and gas will not eat it. Red will work with gas also.
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Since we're talking about fuel I found this interesting
http://www.americanmotorcyclist.com/news/11-10-14/AMA_supports_congressional_effort_for_more_study_of_ethanol-blended_fuel.aspx (http://www.americanmotorcyclist.com/news/11-10-14/AMA_supports_congressional_effort_for_more_study_of_ethanol-blended_fuel.aspx)
The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) applauds U.S. Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.) for introducing a bill that calls for new research into the effects of certain ethanol-blended gasoline...........................................
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Dunno about green goop, I use el-cheapo 2-part-poxy with no problems. And if you make the toobs too short the fuel does indeed flow over whenever you hit a pothole. The road builders around here are particularly skilled at bumps and potholes, so I'm gunna pull the carbs and make up some longer toobs. Since those Wallies won't fix the roads.
Made up a steel sleve out of a 2 inch piece of Falcon fuel line and use that as a sort of a "crimp tool" and put it over the toob and beat it with a hammer. That basically "crimps" the toob in the hole and it doesn't move. Sort of like a press fit if you don't have a press.
No doubt SISF has a better jig for doing it, and yawl should just send your carb bowls to him. ;)
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Seal-All seems to be holding up after 24 hours....dumped the gas out of the bowl and took a look at the product...still flexible and showed no signs of degradation..added a second coat....I'll fill bowl again when it's set up and then will let sit for another 72 hours.
Game 6 is just about to start...Miller time :)
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It's a donut, a JB Weld donut.
(http://inlinethumb08.webshots.com/20167/2525077020101026374S600x600Q85.jpg) (http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2525077020101026374AZitxC)
Fortunately, I press fit the tubes in as well, and the JB Weld was for good measure. I did it before we figured out that the JB Weld wouldn't work.
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It's a donut, a JB Weld donut.
(http://inlinethumb08.webshots.com/20167/2525077020101026374S600x600Q85.jpg) (http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2525077020101026374AZitxC)
Fortunately, I press fit the tubes in as well, and the JB Weld was for good measure. I did it before we figured out that the JB Weld wouldn't work.
Awww. Ain't that a cute wittle donut.
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I do know what does work really well is Pro-Seal. I too did my over flow tubes and the JB weld failed but I did a press fit so it did not matter.
Pro-seal is made for airplane tanks but I have tested on tanks with that use ethanol and it does work .
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Do you know which particular pro seal product Mike?
Wayne
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http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/appages/ps890.php (http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/appages/ps890.php)
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At $83 per pint, i'd just send them to SISF.
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I also build and provide the drain tube system with each set, along with all instructions on layout, etc... Steve
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I dont see why Kawasaki stopped putting these tubes in their carb bowls?
My 1980's Z750 ltd had them in.
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Probably an EPA (or some other agency) mandate I would think. With them, gas can pour straight to the ground.
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Well at least that was one rule change that does make some sort of sense!
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Actually, the Kawasaki 1200 voyagers have the same bowls WITH the overflows, all models from 86 to 03. that model has a fuel pump, so I figure that the overflows are in case of a fuel pump failing on. . On the connie, I expect the factory figured that since it had a vacuum operated percock, that should prevent any overflowing. steve
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Steve, did the overflows re-route back to the gas tank?
That would seem to be a sensible precaution for a fuel pump ON failure situation, rather than just venting it
The vac gas tap was probably seen as a great idea when new. But as time goes by and rubber hardens / perishes it becomes a less attractive proposition!
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I guess I must be a glutton for punishment. I drilled and tapped the bowl, threaded some thick wall aluminum tube and torqued it in with red Loctite. If I had to do it over again, I'd send them to SISF.