Carb problem advice
 

So the bike sat a lot of the winter with the tank off for a repaint. Trying to start it I'm getting fuel from the rear carb overflow(right between the carbs) it ran on both cyclinders from what I could hear but still was pushing a bit of fuel out of that overflow.

My float/needle is stuck/plugged right? I tried a little tapping and was recommended to close the tank fuel valve, run it dry, then try again. Opening the float bowl drain would be easier(I've had that damn tank on and off 3 times this week) better/worse? Should I just pull the whole bowl?

I have a longer distance date in 3 days and would much rather ride this than take my car so time is of the essence! haha seriously tho, I just want my baby running again...

Remove, clean carbs, replace ruined orings and gaskets[, reinstall, go ride

Alright... cleaned them last winter... figured they'd make it more than a year...

Am I understanding the carbs right in that this float is stuck 'down' and is not being lifted by the fuel?

Possibly, or it has a crack in it and is full of fuel and, therefore, won't float, or there is a piece of debris between the float needle and seat preventing them stopping the fuel flow.

Letting them sit is what got you...peoples experience will very. But seeing as many bikes as a do (I do fleet service on 92 carbed bikes at 4 locations) plus my regular customers, others that get referred and my own...
with the current gas we get in the US..letting a carbed bike sit 4-8 weeks stored is a pretty fair bet you will need to clean them before it'll run right.
I've seen that drop to 2 weeks and go as high as 6 months and the owner report no observed problems. So many variables..from gas quality and additive packaged in the tank, to additive added by owner, to storage location with temp swings that differ greatly from one location to another... Anyone claiming they KNOW you will be able to store a bike XX weeks with out issue is guessing based on their personal experience. They may be right in thier guess, but just as likely may be worng..

I gotcha, I guess I meant I 'hoped' they would make it more than a year... On the plus side, guy at the local shop gave me his extra set of carbs last year so if the float is cracked/logged I have a spare... *&$% I was hoping I didn't have to take them off this year.


So final answer is pull the carbs?

In a word, YES. :^ )

So just to clarify, you ran the bike with no tank?

Did you drain the bowls at all?

For the future, stabilize the gas first, then let it run. I have found going "dry" is not a guarantee it will stay good & functional after storage.

Also, if possible drain the tank totally dry and fill it with new gas before the refire.

Much clogging happens when guys do the spring refire with cruddy gas which immediately clogs the jets.

I would doubt broken float, more likely a stuck float valve. It can be cleaned in carb cleaner and reused or just replaced.

If you Really want to do it right, drain gas, fill tank with VP leaded 100 and store.
The race gas will hold for many, many months..loosing some power but not turning to sludge.
Ive stored bikes with VP100 for almost a year at a time...and had the bike start first try... and this is in Central Texas summers, and winters.. Your milage may very

I personally add Startron to the tank (like Stabil), prop up my tank, then fire it up (before winter storage), let it totally warm up, then I turn the petcock off and let the carbs run out of gas... When it starts stumbling i hold the throttle wide open to run the gas out of the lowest part of the tank (the main jet is deeper in the bowl than the pilot).

After it shuts itself off I pull the tank and drain the gas into my jug, then pour it into my car...

Anything left in the tank or carbs has Startron in it, but there isn't much left...

Starts back up every time in the spring.

James

Weveryone has their little tricks I treat my winter fuel with a very healthy dose of Startron, and Lucas fuel additive. In the spring I siphon out the gas throw it in my suv, then fill with pump gas, marvel mystery oil, and a healthy dose of fuel injection cleaner, use a vacuum pump to open the petcock to wet the carbs, let it sit for 4-6 hours then fire it up. Do the same for all my power equipment, so far in 20 years I have never had a carb apart...

If its not shrunken bowl gaskets leaking, check your engine oil for fuel dilution/overfilling as well. Often times the bowls overfill you will get gas down in the cylinders,past the rings in to the crankcase.
Ive seen more than a few bent connecting rods from bad cases of it where vacuum operated petcocks fail to shut off completely.

+1 on that doc, I have seen full hydraulic lock on the pistons due to leaking fuel. You can do huge engine damage.