Z1000A1 Float Bowl Drain Screws

[r3sc]

Hi All,

After a recent rebuild of the carbs on my A1 I’m having trouble getting a good seal on the round brass float bowl drain screws.

I’ve tried standard size o rings, slightly larger o rings with a bigger cross section, I’ve tried silicone rubber seals Punched from a sheet of 3mm thick silicone rubber sheet, I’ve even tried different o ring materials like Viton but I’m still getting an annoying little weep which after a while drips onto the top of the motor staining it brown.

Any thoughts as to why I’m getting this problem and is there a solution I’m missing?

I’ve ordered a piece of PTFE bar and I’m going to turn it to 9mm o/d and part it off just thicker than the depth of the recess in the float bowl and see how that goes.

Any input would be welcome.

Cheers.

[warren3200gt]

Whats the o ring seat face on the bowl like? A scratch, bit of crap or uneven surface there and it'll weep through by the thread.

[r3sc]

I’ve checked them out and they look ok. I’ve even superglued a small disc of 240 grit wet an dry onto the end of a piece of 9mm steel bar and tried to dress the face by hand to ensure it’s smooth.

I’m really trying to avoid taking the bowls off again if possible.

[warren3200gt]

Okay, bit of a trick I learned way back when. When you can't get them to seal but you do have some gasket paper. Cut a 12mm washer from gasket paper. Put that on the drain plug first followed by the o ring.
Benefit is twofold. When you tighten the drain plug the thickness of the paper pushes the o ring harder against the bowl face and the papers larger diameter makes a seal against the larger bowl diameter.
Works every time and any excess paper can be trimmed with a sharp knife when the plug is tight.

[r3sc]

Thanks very much for that. Not a bad idea. I’ll have a go at that!

[tlc]

I had similar problems. I did have one float bowl that needed replacing but maybe it’s your screws themselves.

New are available here https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/372816183092