Gettin' the Carbs Off; Kawasaki ZX-11

[JMHJ]

So I'm looking for a gas seep (which I think may be the number 1 float bowl gasket, but don't know). I'm to the point of pulling the carbs off, but I can just wiggle them up and down in the intake (boots?) (while pulling, both hands), but am not getting anywhere. Have the clamps loosened. It seems like I'm pulling pretty hard (like as hard as I can with the available grip locations.

I don't see anything I want to pry on on the carbs themselves. Any other tips or tricks? There's a YT video of an Australian guy doing it, but they appear to come pretty easily for him.

I'll try to post some pics tonight or tomorrow. Of the leak staining too.

 

[Nessism]

First thing, is loosen the airbox mounts and slide it back as far as possible. Then pull the carbs back, out of the boots attached to the head. Once the carbs are out of the boots in front, it's a wrestling match to get them out the rest of the way.

 

[JMHJ]

Airbox is totally off, and I can't get them out of the boots; they've moved maybe 1/8". The bands/clamps are pretty loose there too...

Here's some of the gas staining:

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[JMHJ]

​Left side (where the leak is).

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[JMHJ]

Right side. Rest of them seem Ok.

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[Nessism]

Sounds like you are going to need rubber boots that attach to the head. Your old ones must be hard as a rock, and resisting pulling the carbs out.

 

[JMHJ]

Ok; I'll work them up and down some more next time I try, before pulling; see if I can loosen them up like that.

 

[steve murdoch]

The same as installing you might need to add some heat to make the manifolds more pliable.
I use a hair dryer on the Honda.

 

[Carter Turk]

The same as installing you might need to add some heat to make the manifolds more pliable.
I use a hair dryer on the Honda.

Agreed on the heat. Had my carbs off for few days, went to put back on with temp at 36 outside, not happening.

I have a 33 year old Bosch Heat gun, that did the trick. Guess some caution would be suggested if gas is still in float bowls, as I was reattaching my dry empty carbs.

 

[JMHJ]

Awesome, I'll have a go at that...

Got them out, still tough. Pulled the bowls off of 1 and 2, and the o-rings were really flat. I think that's the prob. Decided to save $30 (not 60...) and leave the other 2 alone.

I could squeeze the intake boots, and they seem Ok...

Just had a thought - the carbs came off with a pop sort of; some of the valves looked closed, so maybe there was a vacuum being created...? Wait nevermind; that's dumb; even with those throttle plates closed it can't be airtight.

 

[Rijko]

The carbs are off, now ... and if they have not been serviced for some time, you really should check and clean the other 2 carbs, too.
Check the "Top 10 Newbie Mistakes"

 

[JMHJ]

No doubt. Supposedly they were, a couple years ago (I'd hafta look at the records again). Bike was running pretty good - like, I didn't have any complaints. There was a bit of stuff in the bowls that looked like reddish dirt (rust maybe...). Another sidenote: intake valves have some gunk near the stems (like not at the mating surfaces), from what I could see.

I noticed I could see down the port that's under the red tubing on 2 of them, but the other 2 were wet in there... that's probably not good.

 

[Nessism]

Pulled the bowls off of 1 and 2, and the o-rings were really flat. I think that's the prob. Decided to save $30 (not 60...) and leave the other 2 alone.

Your logic escapes me.

 

[rphillips]

Ed, just different folks with different ideas... Couldn't say either is wrong, as I can see both sides,.. "Hoping" he's all good now...

 

[Rijko]

When i was young i had a different way of wrenching than i do now.
Lack of knowledge, and funds, experience, all played a role.

I would attack the problem and avoid 'unnecessary' cost, maybe not realizing the 2
remaining carbs have equally old, flat gaskets that could start leaking soon,
or just hoping they won't.

Not realizing the dirt found in the leaky carbs that probably made the float valve stick
sometimes and caused the carbs to overflow likely is present in the other 2 carbs.
Or just hoping it is not

Not having the experience yet to know how few of those gambles would pay out.

I agree, each to their own.

Budget is one thing, knowledge and experience we can help with.
This forum buzzes with that.

 

[JMHJ]

I'm old and I still don't know any better, but yeah I'll buy that; I went ahead and ordered a couple more bowl o-rings (makin' more $ than I ever have in my life, and still having to watch it... I'd like to go political here, but I won't). The idea was that the others looked good; only took off the nbr 2 one to see if there was any diff in the look of the o-rings between one that was leaking and one that wasn't.

So the guy in the YT video I watched shot carb cleaner through the pilot and main jet circuits, then compressed air. Any prob doing with doing that?

The bowls look pretty good on 2-4 in this pic, but looks like a little something at a few of the allen head screws on the gang rail part. I probably would've tried to change those airbox side boot o-rings (racetrack ones), but I can't find them (unless they are round and you just shape them in...), and they look great compared to the 2 float bowl ones I accessed.

I think I'm going to order the intake boots too.

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[JMHJ]

That doesn't look like rust, it looks like sand from the lake, lol.

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[Rijko]

Good thing you checked
I like how clean they are apart from the dirt in there, guess you don't use fuel with ethanol ?

 

[JMHJ]

No, we've got access to 100% gas still so I put it in anything that might sit. PO said they used only 100% too unless on a trip and it was unavailable (bike's been all over the place from what I gathered from him and hid dad - coast to coast, way up in Canada, etc.).

My last bike (from the Denver area; not sure what was available up there at the time) had white crud in some of the pilot jets, etc.

 

[Rob S.]

Let us see a pic when it's back together...or before.