fuel height non running

[jamesorcas]

hello.
searched float height and fuel height. Wondering if fuel height when not running should be same as the spec for at idle. I am working on a non running bike finishing carb rebuild. 1981 gs1000g. mikuni bs34 carb.

[Gorminrider]

When your bike is sitting, carbs are not always level. That is, if you have the bike on a center stand, rear wheel off the ground, your carbs may have a definite tilt...versus when you sit and ride on it.. I just follow the manual per float height, ensure the float needles are not leaky(that they actually stop the fuel when the floats tell them too) and don't worry further. By observation, when running, the fuel level is "just below the bowl gasket". Close enough to tune idle with the idlemix screw and the overall idle adjustment.

[Nessism]

I set the fuel level with the carbs off the bike and carbs level. There may be some slight error this way compared to testing on the bike, but the difference is not significant.

[alke46]

If doing it with the carbs off the bike, could you do two carbs at a time just blocking off the one side of the center tee so gas only goes into the two you want it to?

[jamesorcas]

When your bike is sitting, carbs are not always level. That is, if you have the bike on a center stand, rear wheel off the ground, your carbs may have a definite tilt...versus when you sit and ride on it.. I just follow the manual per float height, ensure the float needles are not leaky(that they actually stop the fuel when the floats tell them too) and don't worry further. By observation, when running, the fuel level is "just below the bowl gasket". Close enough to tune idle with the idlemix screw and the overall idle adjustment.

Hello. thank you for replies. I had set float height when rebuilding carbs. I checked the fuel height off the bike set level in both directions. I decided to attach the carbs with 1 R and 1 L boot and set bike on center stand. It is close to level.
carb level fuel height.jpg

The fuel height seems high. Only about 1mm below gasket. I will probably end up adjusting them to 4.5mm below gasket per manual.
I would like to get them adjusted before final assembly so I do not have to adjust more later.
I am wondering if the fuel level drops slightly while idling. I will measure again once I have the bike running and see for myself.

Reason I am being a little fussy is that at my workplace we have a 1977 ford f600 that I just replaced the carburetor. The nice thing about it is that you could adjust float height while it was running. I could hear the difference when it got to the right height.