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 Post subject: [KH400] Airbox Removal
PostPosted: Wed Dec 09, 2020 12:33 pm 

Joined: Sun Jun 12, 2011 7:15 pm
Posts: 299
Location: Maine/Nova Scotia
Hi All,

Are there any tricks to removing carbs from a '77 KH400? I've never had a triple with a stock airbox before.

I bought a mint 1977 KH400 earlier this year. It's started leaking a bit of gas from one of the carbs, even with the petcock closed and I wonder if it's not residual fuel sitting in the float chamber leaking from somewhere (stuck float?). It's hard to tell as a little bit of fuel seems to make a big puddle on the floor!

I don't want to get too aggressive with pushing the carbs against the inlet hose. I've loosened the airbox attachment screws, removed the element, etc. Should I use a heat gun to make the tubes more pliable?

I'm appreciative of any thoughts or comments.

thanksl
Frank


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PostPosted: Wed Dec 09, 2020 2:27 pm 

Joined: Tue Jul 24, 2012 6:06 pm
Posts: 1135
Location: Honolulu
You should be able to squeeze the rubber tubes and push them into the airbox or remove them. If the tubes are too brittle then you might need a new set.


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PostPosted: Wed Dec 09, 2020 4:23 pm 

Joined: Thu Jun 09, 2011 11:25 am
Posts: 3137
Heating the air tubes with a hair dryer should get them pliable to remove them from the bike, then, loosen the carb clamps, and "wiggle" the carbs off their mounting spigots to the rear of the bike.

When you remount the carbs, before final tightening of the clamps, set a straight edge over the carb tops to set them all level with each other.

Also, set the float levels while the carbs are off.

I trust you are reinstalling the air box and ducts, to do otherwise is inviting more problems than needed. A replacement K&N insert filter into the air box also helps (many swear by the Uni filter in the box, I swear at them, and even worse, individual Uni's on each carb).


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PostPosted: Wed Dec 09, 2020 4:29 pm 

Joined: Sun Jun 12, 2011 7:15 pm
Posts: 299
Location: Maine/Nova Scotia
Thanks guys, I appreciate the info. I think the tubes are fairly new (at least they look like they are) but it's getting cold up here and that doesn't help. Heat gun to the rescue!

Has anyone ever heard of float bowls becoming porous and leaking? It's such a tight fit in there and I can see drops of gasoline hanging under a float bowl but I can't see where it's coming from. I'm guessing it's coming out an overflow tube but the bike runs really well - maybe because it's always rich, lol. But one of my thoughts was that maybe it's actually weeping through the casting, even though I've never heard of that happening before.


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PostPosted: Wed Dec 09, 2020 6:11 pm 
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Joined: Thu Jun 09, 2011 7:03 am
Posts: 4603
Location: Milang, South Australia
Old float bowls (and bodies to a lesser extent), can leak. They can become porous if they have been in, say, a coastal environment, salt air, for a long time. The fuel can wick thru the zinc casting, hard to find if you don't know about it!!

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"One day, your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it's worth watching." : anon.


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PostPosted: Wed Dec 09, 2020 7:27 pm 

Joined: Thu Jun 09, 2011 11:25 am
Posts: 3137
Float levels on Mikuni carbs used on just about every two stroke Kawasaki were always set too high, which let the mixtures work rich. Simple reset of the float levels usually brought the mixture around to right. If the liquid levels/float levels were too high, excess fuel could easily slosh into the overflow tubes in the bowls.

I have not seen many porous float bowls, mostly I have seen ham-fist'd "mechanics" over tighten the bowls to the bodies, warping the gasket surfaces, though. I have seen others coat the outsides of the bowls with fuel proof spray clear coatings, I would think that would help with any porosity issues

When I got one year's new TZ250, the engines had porous cases, with no updated parts. I lived in Central Kalifornia then, and found a place in San Leandro on the Bay Shore Freeway that did a lot of aftermarket intake manifold epoxy filling for Jet Ski parts. I had the cases epoxy filled, never had an issue after that. Same thing occurred to brand new Suzuki RG500 square four racer cases (they were magnesium castings), porous, and they too got epoxy drawn through their porosity voids, never had problems after that.


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PostPosted: Thu Dec 10, 2020 8:45 am 

Joined: Sun Jun 12, 2011 7:15 pm
Posts: 299
Location: Maine/Nova Scotia
It will probably be a couple of days before I get back into this but I will report my findings. I do intend to leave the OEM setup, the bike only has ~3300 miles on it and runs like a champ. The PO had the top end rebuilt (honed only with new pistons/rings I believe) and some other miscellaneous work done. It's a hoot to ride!


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PostPosted: Thu Dec 10, 2020 10:45 am 
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Joined: Wed Jun 08, 2011 11:34 pm
Posts: 9826
Location: North Central NC
Frank wrote:
It's a hoot to ride!

A friend near me got one and I was surprised at the bottom end torque it has. It felt stronger down low than an H1, and not bad at the top either.

How have you been, Frank?

_________________
If it surges, that's normal, upshift.


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PostPosted: Thu Dec 10, 2020 6:20 pm 

Joined: Sun Jun 12, 2011 7:15 pm
Posts: 299
Location: Maine/Nova Scotia
Good Jim - good to hear from you! I used to ride with a guy I worked with who had one of these (I had a Honda 750F) and he could do anything I could, and I've always wanted one. The PO was having issues with the occasional plug fouling (it happened to me once) so I stepped up to a hotter plug and it's been fine ever since. It's completely stock and a keeper.

How you been?


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PostPosted: Thu Dec 10, 2020 6:35 pm 

Joined: Sun Jun 12, 2011 7:15 pm
Posts: 299
Location: Maine/Nova Scotia
It turns out that our riding season is pretty much finished up here given that it snowed last night and they started sanding the roads. It's a sand/salt mixture which is hard on vehicles. Unless it rains enough to clean the roads that is, but we've had a pretty decent riding season this year.


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