Float bowl needle removal

[Wolfn3ck]

Replacing needle in float bowl, maybe I am stupid but how is this removed?

81 R65 full restoration! First BMW I have ever owned very excited to learn all I can from you guys and hopefully add to the knowledge later on.

[BPT]

More knowledgeable guys will chime in shortly but I believe there are 2 styles in our bikes.  One is with a clip, the other involves a 90 degree (?) Turn of the needle.

The one thing I am not sure of is whether the one with the turn also has some kind of clip involved.  It's one of those things that's not obvious at first but once you figure it which way, it's quick and easy, no cussing, rare/expensive German tools required.

[Tony Smith]

Replacing needle in float bowl, maybe I am stupid but how is this removed?

 

You are not stupid for asking, stupid would be too go at it like a bull at the gate and break something.

You need a small pin punch to remove the pivot pin from the float bowl - be gentle. Whilst you have the floats removed it isn't a bad idea to check to see if they have fuel in them, modern fuels containing alcohol attach the original plastic floats. Elsewhere on this site you will find details of what they should weigh.

Once the float is removed, if an MPO (moronic previous owner) has not lost or simply thrown away the keeper springs, the needle will have come away with the float. If you have no keeper springs, buy some. Also, given the age of even the youngest R65 now I would consider replacing the seat as well as the needle - Bing thoughtfully used a "rubber" tipped needle but even so the seats do wear eventually.

[Justin B.]

Are you talking about the float pivot pin or the mixture needle that drops down through the main jet?

[BPT]

Thanks Justin.  I just came back to reply again after I realized that there's more than one thing using the term "needle" and I might have assumed the wrong one.  I think you know I meant the jet needle, but maybe he's talking about the float....  Sorry if I added to the confusion.

[Wolfn3ck]

Sorry guys for not being more specific. I’m taking about the needle that is attached to the inside of the float bowl that lines up to a hole on the carb.

[BPT]

Maybe this will help?

[BPT]

Like this?  This is the one I was referring to, mine has the clip.

[Wolfn3ck]

That’s the one!

[mrclubike]

Rotate needle 90deg back and forth as you pull on it

To weight the float get on of these scales from harbor freight 

[mrclubike]

O and measure how far it is sticking out before you remove it so you can get it back in in the same notch

[BPT]

Ah, nice. So back to my original post, and this us where the smarter guys will be if help. You need to figure out if you've got the clip type or the other one that you have to twist (I think a quarter turn?).  Also, you'll want to remember what notch it was on and put it on the same one upon reassembly.

If you'll be ordering parts, you've seen here that it gets confusing with the terminology. On these, I believe they call it the "jet needle" (which goes into the needle jet).  But you may see other terms for the various tiny parts, depending on where you look.

Do you know the model/type numbers from your carbs?  I don't think there were too many for the R65's but that will help pinpoint exactly what to look for parts-wise.

[Wolfn3ck]

Think I got the right part we shall see when it arrives.

Great call on measuring before removing. Problem is that it is bent and cracked (someone shoved it on) so I feel that it will break off when I try to remove it.
Thanks for the help guys.

[mrclubike]

You should be replacing the needle jet also and do both sides at the same   time to maintain carb balance
 
It doesn't take much wear at all to effect your mixture
We are talking just  thousandths of an inch

You could easily experience 5 miles   or more per gallon   increase in mileage by replacing them depending how worn they are   

[Barry]

You should be replacing the needle jet also and do both sides at the same   time to maintain carb balance
 
It doesn't take much wear at all to effect your mixture
We are talking just  thousandths of an inch

You could easily experience 5 miles   or more per gallon   increase in mileage by replacing them depending how worn they are   

This is good advice.

The difference between one needle jet size and the next is only 0.0008"  so it doesn't take much wear to make a big difference and that one needle jet size would increase fuel flow by as much as 10 %. Not hard to see how that will impact on MPG.