After 23 years of not riding, I picked up a 1988 600R that would turn over but had the carbs disconnected due to fact that if you gave it fuel, it would run continuously and pour across the top of the pistons and run down into the case (Both the vacuum shutoff o-ring and the selector gasket in the petcock were worn and have since been replaced and that issue is no more). A spare Keihin CVK32 came with the bike and the previous owner (Not rider) said that he thought that the previous owner had monkeyed around with them. I pulled the carbs apart (Unfortunately dealerships and the internet are lacking with measurements for the needle and pilots to be able to verify with calipers) and cleaned everything with carb cleaner and only found one clogged pilot; all of the needles and screws were straight, the diaphragms were rip free, the floats wee not compromised, the float valves sprang back and had a good sealing surface and the pilot surfaces were all pristine looking. I put it all back together and got nothing out of it, no catch even with the choke on. Pulled the carbs apart again and adjusted the float bowls to the Haynes manual (17mm), put them back in and still nothing, pulled the carbs out and frisbee'd them across the driveway (Cracking one). I set the floats richer and made sure that fuel was flowing and she started and was running until my daughter noticed the leaking gas from the cracked carb, shut it off and noticed the case sight gauge filling up, pulled the tank off, and then drained the oil and replaced the filter. Replaced the cracked carb with one from the spare set along with numerous o-rings (which is about the time that I realized that the petcock had sealing issues and repaired that) Re-installed the carbs and got it running with the choke and messed with the idle **** to get it away from the choke start (Needed to idle between 1500-2000 to be happy, under 1500 and she is hesitant at low rpm's. I have messed with the pilot screws to get the low rpm's to be less hesitant and had her running enough to get to the DMV to get the plates and title changed over (She had to be hauled home in a trailer because no matter what I tried, she wouldn't start back up). Adjusted the floats almost as rich as they can go and got her to start up and run on two occasions but now no more.
I kept richening up the floats and the pilot screw because the spark plugs were staying white.
If the factory air filter is not contacting both side of the airbox, will that draw too much airflow and screw up the carburetor?
She has 15K miles, I checked the valves today (I will never again complain about having to adjust the valves in my daughter's Civic) and they are perfectly within tolerance (A little to the tighter side), I compression tested her and the readings were 145psi-152psi across all four cylinders, the plugs are all gapped to specification.
I am now getting ready to donate her to a cancer foundation as a tax write-off, just so I do not push her over on her side pour gasoline on her and set her ablaze (My patience is waning); anyone have a thought to something that I have not tried?

 

hahaha, welcome to KF and congrats on your patience.

I would prolly just replace the needle/seats in the bowl and verify that the floats are not cracked.

 

Thank-you, I tested the floats by holding them underwater and looking for escaping air and they passed inspection. Carburation has always been one of the voodoo sciences to me, but from what I have found, if your idle and start-up are bad, the pilot screw and the floats/bowl/pilot are more than likely culprits for a fuel issue, what have you heard?

 

I took the carbs off again today, adjusted the floats so the fuel level is like the Haynes manual calls for 0.5mm plus or minus 1.0mm and she still will not catch, but will occasionally backfire (Timing issue?). Today with the joy of gasoline allover the garage floor, patience was reached and Craigslist has a new listing.