Need help. Flooding
 

Well my hawk has 10000 miles and 4 weeks ago my front cct failed. I checked my valve clearance and all seemed good, but being the kind of person I am I removed the head and had the valve replaced just the same. I replaced the timing chain and install krieger cct and put it back together. While I had the carbs off I adjust mixture screws and shimmed needles and lightened the flywheel. Once back together it started right up. Ran better than ever.

But the next day when trying to start it up it appeared to flood the front carb, it kept popping through the carb and when I took the filter out the front carb was full of fuel. I pulled the front plug let it sit for a short time then it started right up and ran great. This has happened to me 3 times in the last week.

Once I get it started it runs great. Pulls awesome on acceleration.
I need opinions. Could an overly tight cct cause issue? Could came timing out 1 tooth cause a flooding condition? My mixtures screw for the front carb is at 2 1/4 turns out. Could this be too rich? Could that cause flooding? I have been thinking maybe the enrichment cable? I don't think it's a float problem as it only does it on occasion. I haven't synced the carbs yet if that could have something to do with it. I would really appreciate any thoughts as I have had the carbs off several times trying to figure it out.

It could be a stuck goat valve that periodically gets stuck open. Also did you read hawks Carb thread(or was it tweetys carbs thread) whatever look for it in the knowledge base section or technical section. Should help you out there. Nut I would start with making sure nothing is sticking.

I checked my goat valves last week! lol

I see no other possibility other than a float malfunction.

The petcock could also be allowing fuel to flow when the engine is not running, but very unlikely. If both petcock AND float have failed then you would have gasoline FLOODING the airbox as well.

hahaha was typing that on my phone stupid auto correct.

Plus if the petcock diaphragm was bad it would be sucking gas into the rear intake vacuum causing the rear to flood out also

Sorry I see what your saying if diaphragm was not torn but stuck open it wouldn't do what I just said it would just flood the front if the float valve was stuck open

Yeah sounds like a float issue to me as well. Might check the petcock as well, could be that both have some gunk in them keeping them open. Also while you're at it check the tank for debris that could be getting into the float causing it to stick.

Thanks guys. Gonna pull the carbs again and check everything again. I know it must be something stupid cause I never had a problem until I had the head off the bike. What doesn't make sense is that it only does it every once in a while.

Did you remove the float bowls when you had the carbs off?

No didn't take the float bowls off when I adjusted mixture screws or shimmed the needles. I will this time when I gets the carbs back off.

Ok pulled carbs and inspected floats everything looked ok but would a way overly rich mixture screw cause the flooding. I'm kinda second guessing myself but I reset my fuel screws again and when turning in the front it seemed to be out way too much. I wasn't paying much attention but it seemed to turn in more than a couple turns. I reset it and reinstalled carbs again. Started right up but that doesn't mean anything.

The mixture screws have nothing to do with it.

It is caused either by a stuck float or the float valve not closing or sealing for some reason.

I'm glad you chimed in 8541Hawk. I know you know these carbs inside and out. I just thought that maybe if the mixture screw was way off it could flood the front carb on start up. The carb doesn't appear to fill up with fuel while sitting. Just once in a while on startup it will give a cough through the carb then it misses as if it's overfueled. If I let it sit with the air cleaner out or pull the plug and reinstall after a short time it start and runs fine. What are your thoughts?

Maybe check the floats to make sure they are adjusted right. If they are not adjusted properly they could be filling the bowl way to much. Check the manual to see where they should be adjusted.

As the floats are not adjustable on these bikes the things to check would be to make sure the float does not have any holes or cracks ( hold it under some water and look for bubbles) them inspect the float valve. Make sure the tip is not deformed or cut and also cheak the seat to make sure there is no dirt or crud stuck in there.

If it doesn't fill up when it is just sitting then the petcock should be ok but you can check that also while you have the tank off.

But the float and the valve are the only things that can cause the issues you have listed.