Float issues?

[jdw03n]

I've done a search on "leaky carb" and such, and think I have this figured out, but thought I'd tap the wonderful knowledge base.  I'm still really bike newb, so if I'm asking stupid questions bear with me

A little background on the situation:

I was riding back from school the other day and ran out of gas.  I thought that was odd, because I hadn't put that much time on the bike.  Idiot me then put together a few things....stronger than usual smell of gas around the bike....stand seemed to be melting into the asphalt quickly when parked...

So my EXTREMELY observant self got to looking, and realized that the carb was dripping gasoline from the drain hole on the bottom of the left side carb.  Slowly.   The gas was running down the sidestand, hence the dissolving asphalt.  This also explains why my bike was running out of gas.

The research I've done here seems to indicate that this condition may be caused by a float problem, aye?  Wanted to get an idea before I newbcracked my carbs open and started looking.

[5thAve]

Sounds like an easy and sensible place to start. For sure you want to check out this link:
www.gstwin.com/float_height_check.htm

[The Buddha]

Bad Float gasket will run on the outside. Not from the drain.
High float will dump into air box.
You may have a bad drain bolt itself or a cracked bowl. If indeed its comming from the drain.
Cool.
Buddha.

[jdw03n]

Got the carbs off today.  Airbox looks clean, so no issue there.  Hard to tell where the gas was coming from, since (a) I'm brand new at wrench turning, (b) this is the first time I've even pulled the plastics off of mine, much less anything else, so (c) I bathed myself and everything within 20 yards in gasoline in the process.   Handy Clymer manual helped a WHOLE lot!

You should see my diagrams for my disassembly. 

Tomorrow I'll clean the carbs and give everything a good look for cracks while I'm at it.  Wish me luck.

[jdw03n]

This is becoming interesting...its easy to destroy brass parts in removing them.  S'ok, I needed to rejet anyways

[Streebek]

You should ask Buddha to see if he can sell ya some new jets....if you haven't already taken care of that.   

[jdw03n]

Got a message out to him as we speak

Got the carbs broken down and cleaned.  Ordered new o rings/gaskets all around, the float bowl gaskets were getting a little brittle.

I thought this was odd enough to mention:  This is one of the jet needles.  It is bent pretty well.  Thought that was unusual, ordered a new one.

There were 122.5 mains in there, 37.5 pilots.

[Streebek]

Coolio.   Buddha would probably suggest to upgrade to the 125 mains and 40 jets.   But I am just speculating.