Carb float height strangeness

[anzacinexile]

OK guys, first post in the new home with a strange question.
Bike runs horribly rich so stripped and cleaned the carbs no problems. However, on trying to set the float heights according to the manual, it should be 4.4mm above the float chamber mateing surface. Useing the clear tube method, mine is about 10mm BELOW BUT I have set the floats so they a virtually hitting the roof of the chamber but the level is still 8 mm below.
In any event, looking at the chamber, 4.5 mm above would virtually fill the whole thing which is wrong.
Any ideas - misprint in the manual maybe
Thanks guys.........

[Fazerider]

It's not a misprint, the level should be where the manual states. I recently had difficulty with the tube method of measuring fuel level too though, getting some reading very low. Never got to the bottom of why I couldn't get a consistent reading that way. It wasn't a blockage in the drain hole because the fuel did flow at similar rates.
In the end I cut off the fuel supply and compared levels by draining them into a narrow jar.
There was one carb in the bank that was high... but I knew that anyway because the fuel was seeping out of the slow jet, and that wasn't a float level issue but the seal around the needle valve that had failed.

[anzacinexile]

Cheers for that, I thought I was going bonkers.
Anyone know. the physical measurement with the bowls off (like the good 'ol days)? Got the buggers on the the bench so dont want to put it all back together just to check the heights

[Nebuchernezzer]

I'm looking to do this soon,  do people really have trouble with the tube method? It seems straight forward but I've seen a few comments around saying it's wildly inaccurate... Doing it on the bench (hoho)  seems easier since the cards will be out anyways.