[Coot]

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Hello all, I'm new to the group. I have a 81 gl11oo and need to adjust the floats, the
manual states to measure the float height at the arm, but doesn't state at what point to do this. Is it where the arm meets the float or parallel to the float needed. I've always adjusted floats at the end of the float. Any help or tips would appreciated, Thanks Coot.

 

[goldwingnut]

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Welcome to the board coot. You adjust the floats on the float edgeto the float bowl on all four corners of the float. Make sure their all the same distance so the floats all give a consistant pressure to the float valve. You may have to carefully bend and twist the floatand tangin a few directions.

 

[SoulvilleUSA]

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Hey Coot!



Welcome to the board! Good to see another M'Elvis'ian on here! I just finished getting my 82 into running shape. Let me know if you ever need a hand.



Sterling

 

[weewillywing]

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goldwingnut wrote:

Welcome to the board coot. You adjust the floats on the float edgeto the float bowl on all four corners of the float. Make sure their all the same distance so the floats all give a consistant pressure to the float valve. You may have to carefully bend and twist the floatand tangin a few directions.

That's putting it perfectly.

 

[don_berry]

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when I rebuilt my carbs, the only hard part for me was setting the floats. I ended up putting the carbs in an oven pan and testing them off the bike. I would add gas, then remove the float bowl to check it out. You can also use a clear tube bent up to see where the level is. Sounds like a pain, but it was not too bad. For me, it was the only way I could get it right and I got tired of taking them off the bike because they were not right.

 

[chumbiwumba]

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You turn the carb body upside down. You need a tool that can measure from the flange (edge) of the carb body where the float bowl butts against, to the top of the float itself.

What I found that made this easy is a machinists vernier caliper. The made in China ones are as cheap as $8 at a swap meet. As you open the caliper a rod extends that is used to measure depth. I lock it in at 15.5 mm (.610") and butt the lower handle of the vernier against the float and use it as a square and use the depth extender to measure the distance to the flange. Takes about less than 3 minutes. If you're really anal you can double stick a piece of metal onto the vernier handle and make an L shaped square to measure across the float.

 

[Coot]

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Thanks everyone, What is themeasurement from the edge of the floats to the bowl edge for a 81?And also what angle should the carbs be held at when adjusting, the book states a little less than 90 degrees, just when the floats drop?. Thanks again, Coot

 

[johnmac]

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My Haynes manual is not clear on how to set the floats on my '85. What I did was to pre-set the caliper to the correct spec, then hold the carb so the needle valve is "open". then slowly tip the carb until the needle just seats. Then measure from the gasket flange to the top of the float. Be carefull to just barely touch the float. This worked for me.

 

[brianinmaine]

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Amazing - I was all set to post this question myself tonight! I was under the impression I was supposed to measure from the body to the point where the needle just moves. Now it seems I should measure to the top of the float itself. The Haynes guide does say to do it <90deg, so I measured by resting the whole set just off the edge of my workbench and sitting on the floor. That way the carb was right side up. I'm going to have to take'em off again to make sure the heights are right on 15.5mm.

 

[Coot]

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Are you sure the 15.5 mm is not to the float arm on a 81 gl1100? Clymer states "Use a float level gauge or small ruler and measure the distance from the carburetor body to the float arm" page 201. On page 97 it states the measurement should be 21mm from the bottom of the float to the surface of the carburetor, but this is for the gl1000. thanks Coot

 

[Coot]

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Adjusted the floats to 15.5mm reinstalled the carbs and it started right up, thanks for the info, Coot

 

[FitzAl]

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Floats are almost always measured from the float itself rather than the arm. The Honda book for the GL1100 says to measure from the float.

 

[ErvinB]

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Hello all!

I am new to this forum and to an old 81 GL1100. I have been attempting to adjust the floats and appreciate all of the information that has been provided. Now, I am a visual person... my Clymer manual is crappy to say the least with its pix of the float and how/where to measure it from! Does ANYBODY out there have a decent picure of a float adjusted correctly? If I set mine like the manual says to the float arm,the floatis not flat by a long shot but at a fair angle. Thanks in advance! Looking forward to riding this someday SOON.

Erv

 

[Coot]

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Hi, my manual said the same. Do as goldwingnut says and adjust the for edges of the float to 15.5 mm.

 

[ErvinB]

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Coot,

Thanks. I read you previous posts and will give it a try - did you adjust yours to the float arm at 15.5 mm and follow that line down the floats or did yougoto the bottom of the floats? I have had the carbs out a few times now, and filled the crankcase with gas twice (learned the last time..). I would like to only do this once more! Thanks again.

Erv

 

[Coot]

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Erv, To the bottom of the float on all four corners, Going to sync them in tomorrow, Coot

 

[exavid]

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:waving::waving:Welcome to the Best Goldwing Site on the Internet, ErvinB!:waving::waving:

You might want to check out this site, it's for the 1000 but has a lot of info some of which might help.

http://www.[highlight= #ffff88]randakks[/highlight].com

 

[ErvinB]

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Guys - thanks for the welcome and the info! I had cruised Randakk's site earlier and printed out a 4 page procedure for carb installation and synchronization. This time I noted his comments on the GL1000 float adjustment - and assume that other than the measurement the method is the same.

Erv

 

[ErvinB]

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Coot,

Hey, just to follow up I did adjust them as described and all seems to be well! I did not have a vacuum set-up to syncronize with when I did the float setup so I used the manual adjustment described somewhere of measuring the butterfly openings in each carb... got me to within specs between carbs on each side - but not side to side. Later able to dial it insolidly witha coworkers syncrounit. Runs great and looking forward to a ride after I visit the local DMV this week sometime. Thanks again. Safe riding.

Erv

 

[twisty]

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ErvinB wrote:

Coot,

Hey, just to follow up I did adjust them as described and all seems to be well! I did not have a vacuum set-up to syncronize with when I did the float setup so I used the manual adjustment described somewhere of measuring the butterfly openings in each carb... got me to within specs between carbs on each side - but not side to side. Later able to dial it insolidly witha coworkers syncrounit. Runs great and looking forward to a ride after I visit the local DMV this week sometime. Thanks again. Safe riding.

Erv

Let us know how it all works out when you get it synced?


Twisty