Night of hell. Chaos.

[gspower]

A heat gun on the air box rubbers and intake hoses along with spray dry silicone works wonders on airbox assembly. You'll be amazed what a difference it makes. I made a small L shaped tool (about 3/8" with a 6" handle) out of coat hanger wire to help wiggle the rubbers on. A miserable job made tolerable!

What should I use to seal it all up? I'm afraid I might have some air leaks, particularly around the O-ring connecting the air filter housing to the air box and on the boots connecting to the carburetor.

As for the popped front tube, I just ordered a BikeMaster inner tube with a sweet looking valve for under $20 shipped.

So ....

1) I will continue to finish mounting the tire before I do anything. This way when I run into another catastrophe I can move the bike and put an oil pan underneath.

2) I will use the stock air system but only after using a worthy sealant to fill in all the air leaks, if they exist. Last thing I need is an air leak.

3) I think all of the shavings came out and I don't want to remove the pan. It is a pain in the butt on the 425's as there is no simple way to remove the oil pan. I'm going to carefully rethread with an oversized plug, flush it out a few times to ensure everything is gone, and call it a day.

4) I am replacing all the gaskets in the carbs since I have to take them off again anyway. I will keep the stock jets. Gaskets are at my door by tomorrow.

5) I will not be buying the Solid State Power Box. My bike only has the single main fuse, the work involved is daunting to me, and I will not be adding any more mods to the bike. The stator, as far as I know, is fine. The R/R will be upgraded to the Polaris unit. I think this will suffice.

5A) I have screws coming in the mail (mangled a lot of them) to reconnect the battery box and battery to the rest of the bike. Should I replace my old battery with an MF version so that I don't run into issues? I can pick one up for under $60. Can anyone else with a 425e take pictures of their electrical setup (both battery side and airbox side) so I know how everything goes back together? I took on too many projects at once.

[koolaid_kid]

gspower, you may consider something like the Blue Sea 5028. Simple to install and configure, inexpensive, and uses modern blade fuses.

I suggest you get an AGM battery. I like the MotoBatt, but there are lots of choices. Pre-charged, leakproof, lasts years and years.

[allojohn]

Just curious, how did you divide up the existing circuits?

I'm doing the same to a 550.

Thanks,
Tom

I didn't Tom, not smart enough . But it made adding the relay mods a breeze.

[Gorminrider]

..... Prime the carbs. Continue to inspect the oil issue.

Five minutes later I smell gas. Oops! Forgot to stop priming the carbs.

This doesn't sound good. I can leave my carbs on prime and there's no gas flooding out even if I'm usually on the centre stand when I do need to prime...(not often-and some bikes don't even have a prime function-just turning the motor over a bit will get them out of storage-mode)...but it shouldn't make a difference.
When you are going down the road, the vacuum port is going to open the tap wide anyways.

There's Likely only supposed to be one fuse on that bike, same as mine.

[gspower]

This doesn't sound good. I can leave my carbs on prime and there's no gas flooding out even if I'm usually on the centre stand when I do need to prime...(not often-and some bikes don't even have a prime function-just turning the motor over a bit will get them out of storage-mode)...but it shouldn't make a difference.
When you are going down the road, the vacuum port is going to open the tap wide anyways.

There's Likely only supposed to be one fuse on that bike, same as mine.

Actually I think this is pretty normal. Without the vacuum cut off the gas is supposed to flow freely. Perhaps your petcock needs a good cleaning? Also, on the carbs I have there is no real way to adjust the float. they come prefabbed to a certain height and sit freely. If they are out of spec, they are replaced, yeah?

[Gorminrider]

Ok,it's just me then, but I prefer no gas flooding out of my carburetors when tap is set to Prime. The bowls fill to a proper level and stop . If it doesn't stop, I will need to fix the carburetors, not the fuel tap. If however I had gas flowing into the oil sump via the vacuum line, I would suspect the tap's diaphragm.

Lucky me,my float level is settable. A small tab to bend...but Needle and seat would be my first suspects. If your carbs are much different, this won't help you I guess.

[Steve]

Actually I think this is pretty normal. Without the vacuum cut off the gas is supposed to flow freely. Perhaps your petcock needs a good cleaning? Also, on the carbs I have there is no real way to adjust the float. they come prefabbed to a certain height and sit freely. If they are out of spec, they are replaced, yeah?

OK there are a couple of things to clear up here.

1. There is no "vacuum cut off". The vacuum OPENS the fuel flow, it is a spring that pushes the plug back into place. Turning the petcock to the PRIme position mechanically pushes the plug open, allowing fuel flow.

2. If you have stock carbs, the floats ARE adjustable.

.

[gspower]

OK there are a couple of things to clear up here.

1. There is no "vacuum cut off". The vacuum OPENS the fuel flow, it is a spring that pushes the plug back into place. Turning the petcock to the PRIme position mechanically pushes the plug open, allowing fuel flow.

2. If you have stock carbs, the floats ARE adjustable.

.

Kind of what I meant with the vacuum line on the petcocks. Without the vacuum cut off, fuel flows through the petcock freely. Tomato, potato. As for the carbs, I saw no indication that they were adjustable. On my last set of carbs there was an adjustment screw. No such area on these. Not doubting you -- just curious.

EDIT: Answered my own question. There is no screw on my model, I just have to bend it to spec. When I checked the manual though, it states that the correct float level for all models is 25.6-27.6mm. For GS450 models, however, the correct level is 21.4-23.4mm. Mine is a 425, only manufactured for a year. Ermmmm .... ?

[megatwin]

I always bench test the carbs before I put them on the bike.
Put the carbs in a vice,loosely,and using a lawnmower fuel tank for a fuel supply,check the fuel level in the carbs,to about 1/8 to 1/4" below the gasket surface on the float bowls.

[gspower]

I always bench test the carbs before I put them on the bike.
Put the carbs in a vice,loosely,and using a lawnmower fuel tank for a fuel supply,check the fuel level in the carbs,to about 1/8 to 1/4" below the gasket surface on the float bowls.

I appreciate your suggestion but at this rate I would like it to be absolutely perfect. Maybe someone with a 425 or with knowledge of assembling this carb can tell me. The carbs have been totally disassembled, dipped in carb cleaner, sprayed with carb cleaner, otherwise cleaned, jets thoroughly inspected, floats replaced, gaskets and o-rings replaced. Not going to half ass it now that I'm on the home stretch.

[Gorminrider]

Your bike is nice but not that special. Neither are your carbs.The correct float level from the Clymer manual is indeed 26.6-27.6mm..

I appreciate your suggestion but....or with knowledge of assembling this carb can tell me.

I don't think you do appreciate it. Useful tips like megatwin offered will ensure you have done as much as you can "perfectly" before installing.It also aids comprehension. Disassembly,and cleaning alone doesn't ensure they will work.

[gspower]

Your bike is nice but not that special. Neither are your carbs.The correct float level from the Clymer manual is indeed 26.6-27.6mm..

The manuals make it really difficult to ensure that everything is right as they either cater to the 400 or the 450. There are minor changes between the 3 bikes, which is why I like to double check before I spend hours beating myself up over wrong information.

I don't think you do appreciate it. Useful tips like megatwin offered will ensure you have done as much as you can "perfectly" before installing.It also aids comprehension. Disassembly,and cleaning alone doesn't ensure they will work.

I do appreciate it. Realistically, though, I do not have a lawnmower tank just lyin' around to experiment with, nor do I really have the resources to do as megatwin suggested in my small rural shed, with no other alternative than to order parts and tools via the internet, as I don't have reliable transportation to do it myself. Additionally, my question pertained to the exact float level height, which wasn't answered. I have the utmost respect for the guys on this board and for anyone who helps me, for free, to complete my project. Thanks for the reply. It answered my question.

GSP

[snicrep5]

learn somethin everyday. never heard of the 425. looked it up, looks nice. never heard of spray silicone. 2 cents

[megatwin]

Well,you can use your fuel tank as a fuel supply.
Setting the fuel level,as opposed to setting the float level will give you a much more "perfect" result.
But then again,what do I know about a 425?

[tkent02]

I wouldn't use a Clymer mnual for setting any spec. What does the Suzuki manual say about setting the float?