Float Height Adjustment

[Norkie]

Hi all,

I am rebuilding the carbs on my Z900, I want to check the float height level and a special tool is usually required.

Have any of you resourceful people managed to make your own or have you found a way to check the level without a tool?

Much appreciate any help please

[chrisu]

i bought the tool from z1enterprises.com.

you can take carbs off and do a static 'upside down' check or make a tool - something to screw into the carb drain plug with some clear plastic pipe but i bit the bullet and bought one.

[Chris Riv]

Hello, Ive tried all sorts of methods over the years, ive found the best way to get good results is to measure them as per your manual. Fiddling around with fluid is messy & time consuming. I use a single needle valve with sprung plunger glued in position so the float can be accurately measured & if required, the tang on the float accurately tweaked. Its simple & quick & always affords me good results.

Hope this helps you, cheers. Chris.

[Taffus]

Hello, Ive tried all sorts of methods over the years, ive found the best way to get good results is to measure them as per your manual. Fiddling around with fluid is messy & time consuming. I use a single needle valve with sprung plunger glued in position so the float can be accurately measured & if required, the tang on the float accurately tweaked. Its simple & quick & always affords me good results.

Hope this helps you, cheers. Chris.

Was a new one you glued?

[Norkie]

Well, I have managed to create a sophisticated piece of equipment to measure the float height.

Actually it's a plastic clear lemonade bottle cut in half, a funnel to feed the fluid in, and the original fuel pipes. Works well considering.

Question is? In the service manual it states that the level is approx. 1/8th inch from the top of the bowl.

You bend the tag slightly on the float bar to adjust the height if it is too low or high.

I have had to bend the tag quite some way, the original carbs must have been way out.

So is 1/8th correct please?

Any help is much appreciated.
Does anybody know for sure?

[Charlie]

I take the carb set off, turn em upside down sitting in a bench vice and use a vernier to set the float height. I check both sides to avert twisted float syndrome.
The float bowls have to be off to adjust the heights anyway - so I reason I may as well have the lot off at once and make life easy.

I've never had a problem doing it this way

[Norkie]

What do you measure?

What is your datum point?

[Norkie]

Well that idea worked like sh1t

Went to my small local hardware shop, found some 4.5mm clear plastic hose. Luckily it screws straight into the threaded hole left by the drain plug.

Screw it in, fill 'em up, jobs s good un

[z1bman]

kawasaki only quote fuel level + no figures for float height

[Norkie]

Sorry z1bman, that's what I meant.

Attach the plastic hose to the float bowl, let the fuel run in and check the fluid/fuel level by viewing the plastic pipe against the side of the carb body.

Adjust as required by bending the tags

[Charlie]

What do you measure?

What is your datum point?

Float height from the base of the carb float bowl flange (with the gasket removed)

[LTD Project]

I used a piece of clear plastic pipe and some little blue plastic pipe connectors from a tropical fish shop, very low cost. I used a marker pen on pipe to show measurement marks where datum and fuel level should be.

Any way, blue plastic connector sort of self taps into float bowl, attach pipe, in with fuel and hold pipe with marks against side af carb.

Btw, did the whole exercise on a work mate, clamping the carb set in place and making as sure as I could that carbs were level.
Cheap as chips and works a treat.

Three of carbs were spot on but forth was well out and then the "fun" started. Took about 4 or 5 adjustments before right.

I had never done it before but was well pleased with myself after as it was worrying me all the way through the rebuild process as to how it would go.
Good luck.

[Norkie]

Many thanks LTD Project

The workmate idea sounds really good, I was wondering how to hold them in place.

Plastic pipe is sorted, as you say the fun begins if the tags need bending!

I'll post when I've finsihed