Issue after carb rebuild! Fort Worth

[Mitchapalooza]

Hi Fellow TX Valk Riders,

I've obtained quite a lot of help from this awesome forum in the past, and am really hoping for some now.  I've got a 98' Standard Valk that sat for a bit too long over the winter without riding and unfortunately, the damage had been done as far as varnish, etc.  It would start right up, though the number 5 carb (throttle side rear) was leaking.  It had done this before, though corrected itself previously.
Now, it was definitely leaking fuel no matter what I did, so I decided it was time for a carb rebuild.

I removed the carb bank and had ordered new RedEye float needles/springs, carb body gaskets, intake/stack gaskets and O-rings for carb drain screws. It looked like it was coming from the bottom of the body, so I assumed that it was a possible failure with the gaskets or stuck float needles.

It took me a while to get around to the project, but eventually got it all put back together.  At first, she wouldn't start, though it ended up being a poorly charged battery.  I went ahead and bled the clutch while I was at it, drained old fuel from the tank and put in a couple of gallons of fresh 89.

After a sufficient charge, she started up, though it took some choke and convincing.  At first, the throttle response wasn't great and I had to give it some gas to keep her running.  I did go ahead and check the petcock functionality by blowing through the body with it closed/open, and it functioned just as it should.

After running it for a couple of minutes and coming back to it the next day, she started right up and idles where it did before.  The issue is, I noticed spray coming from the rear clutch side (Cobra 6x6) exhaust from all three pipes.  Zero spray from the throttle side.

I believe this to be fuel coming from the left/clutch side exhaust and I'm kind of at a loss, as each carb was meticulously rebuilt the exact same and each float bowl had plenty of spring with the new springs/needles.

To me, this would indicate a stuck float that is flooding the carbs to the point of getting into the exhaust.  I tapped on each carb body with a screwdriver handle to see if I could get a different result, though I'm still getting fuel coming out of the left/clutch side when I rev her up.  In fact, I can actually see it pooling a bit at the exhaust tips - scary!

Though I probably should have, I didn't do a desmog on this go-round, as I've never had a vacuum issue on this bike.  As far as I know, everything was put back together as per the Clymer Manual.  The only thing that I may have botched was one of the air hoses coming from the rear of the PAIR valve is kinked after I got the airbox back in.  If I have to take her apart again, I'll just order a desmog kit to eliminate that potential hassle/failure.

Fires right up otherwise, just can't figure out if there's something else I can do aside from pulling the carbs again and going through my work on the clutch side.  I doubt it has anything to do with the vacuum line going from #6 to the petcock, but I suppose that could be the case somehow.  I'm a decent mechanic and have successfully rebuilt many carbs on bikes, ATVs and Rotax engines.

What I did:
-Carbs rebuilt on the carb bank and double-checked that they are in sync regardless
-Pulled all jets and left in ultrasonic cleaner overnight
-All bowls, floats, pins cleaned and checked for issues - found none and came out great
-High, Low, Idle jets cleaned with piano wire and checked in light to ensure no blockages
-Old adhesive meticulously cleaned and new carb gaskets installed
-New carb drain O-rings installed and each pressure tested with Mity-Vac to spec
-New RedEye vacuum caps and EZ retainer rings installed.
-Petcock tested for functionality
-New stacks/intake O-rings installed
-Ensured there is fuel in every carb by cracking drain screw
-Pulled each plug to check for fowling/flooding - they all look the same and don't smell of gas too badly

I live in Fort Worth in the DFW area and any/all help that you fine folks could offer would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Mitch 

[MarcusS]

Chances of three new float needles being bad seems low unless they are off spec or installed wrong. Did you check the float level  after the needle install?

Get a sample of the wet stuff and see if it will burn?  Could just be condensate. 

[franco6]

Did you change all fuel and air line o rings? the ones between each carb? from past experience it s where the majority of leaks occur.

[Mitchapalooza]

I didn't get a sample at the time and unfortunately the bike won't start at all now.  I'm considering just pulling the tank again and doing a desmog on the bike to eliminate the potential for vacuum leak being the issue.

I'm scared that if it was coolant coming out that it could be a cracked head.  Not sure, so I'm going to do a compression test just to try and rule that out.

I'm more than happy to pay someone that knows our bikes well to come and take a look at it with me.  Ice cold beer as well! 

Yes, I double checked all vac lines between each carb, put new Redeye sealed lines on those and double checked #5 to petcock as well.

[RainMaker]

You might send a message to  Big Bill Ferguson, our Yoda of Valkyries, on the general board or via Facebook.  He's seen it all with carbs and can probably point you in the right direction.  He's at Inzane now.

RainMaker

[Valkpilot]

You don't mention cleaning or replacing the slow (pilot) jets.  If not, they are probably clogged with varnish.  When it's bad enough, running all the carb cleaner in the world through the gas tank isn't likely to clear them because the blockage is such that they don't draw the treated gas up through the needle.  New are usually required.

You can test whether fuel flow is working by draining the carb bowls, then cranking the engine until it starts.  Turn it off and open the carb drains again.  If they all have fuel come out, you've got fuel flow to the carbs. 

Carb Chalk Talk

Potential vacuum leaks: http://www.valkyrieforum.com/bbs/index.php/topic,95448.0.html

[xsexcess]

One weird trick (cheesy I know) is to use a non-contact infra-red thermometer to diagnose cylinders running differently.  I've been able to isolate a problem carb before by aiming mine at the exhaust pipes.  If one pipe is a different temperature than the others....it's the one.  Try running at different RPMs to diagnose the stages of the jets.