Motorcycle Repair: Carburator Honda XR659R, brass screws, float chamber

Question
With the gas lever on gas poors out of the tube at bottom of the carb.  turn the lever off and the gas stops pooring out.  Is the float stuck or something else?
How do I fix it?

Answer
Sounds very much like it Steve, the float has a small metal strip which as the gas comes into the float bowl rises and pushes shut a small torpedo shaped valve which seals the fuel in the inlet pipe. Of course as fuel is used and the float drops, the valve drops a bit just by gravity, and the fuel can then come in to the bowl again. If you remove the carb from the bike, and underneath the float chamber/bowl will be secured with some brass screws, turn the carb upside down and remove these,  and lift the bowl away carefully off over the float itself. There will be a pin more than likely securing the float, which it pivots up and down on, take that out, carefully again, and you will see the small needle type plastic valve, check it out, just to make sure it is clean, and not worn, it will have a small spring with it so be careful not to lose that, if you put the valve back in and hold it in with your finger, you can blow gently through the fuel in pipe, and it should stop you from blowing through it, take the pressure off the valve and you will be able to blow through etc.If you can blow through it when you press the valve into the housing to mimic the fuel being stopped, then you will need to repalce it, but they aren't expensive reassemble after cleaning, and check the float travels through it's usual working parameters. If you check a manual it will give you the exact level that your float needs to be at for correct operation, it will direct you as necessary, you could also find the info on line, I don't have a book for that bike sorry, but it will probably tell you to very gently bend the metal tab that pushes the valve in to it's housing to attain the correct height, it will also tell you where to measure between, different carbs use different methods, there is no generic measurement unfortunately. It is the most likely thing that is causing the leak, although there is often a drain plug bolt under the fuel bowl, with a gasket, however if it hasn't been disturbed recently, they don't usually just start leaking, likwise with the gasket between the carb body and the float bowl, usually a rubber gasket that fits into a groove, so be careful when you dissasemble to try and keep the gasket from being damaged, check it is supple though, and still flexible, if it is old, it can become well, not brittle, but certainly less flexible, and you would be advised to replace it, probably get a carb service kit, might have the valve in it as well actually

Hope that helps in the meantime,

JonO