fuel problem

[jeepnhal]

new member/gs owner here.sorry this is my fist post.will do an intro post when i get prctures downloaded.

i picked up a 1985 gs550es,great shape low miles.the owner had just "rebuilt"the carbs.not sure what he meant by that but im assuming cleaned them up.
the problem is when i looked at it no leaks,took a test ride no leaks,everything ok.
drove it 20 miles home and when i got there it was overflowing gas from the (overflow)??line under carbs.it also seems that there is gas in the crankcase.so am i looking at a clog?stuck float?.im thinking not a stuck float because they were just apart but could it be??
any help appreciated.

 

[Omianan]

Is the gas leaking from only one Carb? If yes, it could be that the "rebuild" included cleaning off the exterior of the float and there now may be a "pinhole" in the float which has now allowed gas inside the float which has hindered the ability of the float to shut off the gas flow. Just somewhere to start.

 

[BassCliff]

Greetings and Salutations!!

Greetings and Salutations!!

Hi Mr. jeepnhal,

You've got a nice looking 'cycle. Welcome to the forum.

You will find a couple of maintenance lists in your "mega-welcome". Go through those lists to ensure your bike gets the TLC it needs. It sounds like you could have stuck floats. Tapping on the carb bowls with a screwdriver handle could un-stick them. More than likely you've got some grungy float valve seats that need to be cleaned, or replaced if they are worn (unlikely). Also check your vacuum petcock for proper operation. With a vacuum petcock, even in the "ON" position the fuel should not flow if the engine is off. But I would recommend the full carb clean/rebuild procedure found in your "mega-welcome". These bikes love clean carbs and a tightly sealed air intake system. You'll find all kinds of GS lovin' on my website. Please visit so as to get a lot of answers even before you know the questions.

Anyway, I just stopped by to welcome you to the forum in my own, special way.

If there's anything you'd like to know about the Suzuki GS model bikes, and most others actually, you've come to the right place. There's a lot of knowledge and experience here in the community. Come on in and let me say "HOoooowwwDY!"....

Here is your very own magical, mystical, mythical, mind-expanding "mega-welcome". Please take notice of the "Top 10 Common Issues", the Carb Rebuild Series, and the Stator Papers. Now let me roll out the welcome mat for you...

Please click here for your mega-welcome, chock full of tips, suggestions, links to vendors, and other information. Then feel free to visit my little BikeCliff website where I've been collecting the wisdom of this generous community. Don't forget, we like pictures! Not you, your bike!

Thanks for joining us. Keep us informed.

Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

 

[jeepnhal]

ok..update.the fuel was overflowing from the airbox breather line.i think i read somewhere here that its caused by a faulty petcock??
carbs looked nice inside,not rebuilt cause the gaskets looked original

also i let it warm up and it seemed to idle high,not sure if its related to the same problem or not

 

[jeepnhal]

ok and another update.
i drove the bike home with petcock on primary,i think that may be a big reason of fuel in airbox.im gonna put her beck together after cleaning the mess and go for a ride.
the only thing bothering me is the fuel coming out of the overflow hose was brown and nasty ,however the fuel in the tank was only dark gold.
either way im gonna clean everything up including flushing the tank,add fresh fuel ,change oil and plugs and go for a spin

 

[BassCliff]

Hi,

Have you gone through the maintenance lists in your "mega-welcome"? There are certain procedures that must be accomplished to establish a baseline for further troubleshooting. Usually there are no shortcuts.


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

 

[jeepnhal]

Hi,

Have you gone through the maintenance lists in your "mega-welcome"? There are certain procedures that must be accomplished to establish a baseline for further troubleshooting. Usually there are no shortcuts.


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

i sure have.great info by the way..everything looks great on the bike.no ripped boots,clean.im pretty confident that it was because of my not knowing primary was to start it.i will know either tonite or tomorow when i get it back together.
besides some gas coming out airbox drain tube it was running/idling perfect.

 

[Harry P.]

Check your oil for a gas smell, I've heard of fuel overflowing and getting into the engine. Could be trouble if your running it.

 

[jeepnhal]

Check your oil for a gas smell, I've heard of fuel overflowing and getting into the engine. Could be trouble if your running it.

you are correct.there was gas in the oil.i picked up four oil filters and 2 gallons of oil so i can flush it out real well.definitely dont want to cause any unneccesary damage.thanks

 

[Guest]

Sounds like you got it all figured out with the petcock being the problem. Woulda been my first uneducated guess for sure.
The bike should run fine with the petcock being in the prime position but when ya turn the bike off the problems start.
Does it not run if in the "run" position?
If not ya might wanna look into buying a new one.

 

[jeepnhal]

Sounds like you got it all figured out with the petcock being the problem. Woulda been my first uneducated guess for sure.
The bike should run fine with the petcock being in the prime position but when ya turn the bike off the problems start.
Does it not run if in the "run" position?
If not ya might wanna look into buying a new one.

the bike should run fine when in prime??it was leaking after a few minutes..while running and kept leaking when i shut it off.

heres the deal alittle more clearer
brought bike home with petcock in pri position.got home,bike leaking out of airbox drain.shut bike off still leaking..
had fuel only in front area of airbox,nothing got onto filter.
drained crankcase-- gas in there


previous owner claimed to have '''''rebuilt"carbs.i took them out and they are very clean,nothing clogged or stuck,no pinholes in floats.everything seems ok in the carbs
however gaskets are old so im guessing his rebuild was more like a cleaning

i did buy some intake boot to engine o-rings today at dealer and i was gonna slap them and the carbs on thinking my problem was the petcock in wrong position..should i just buy a petcock instead of taking a chance??

i assume if the floats were at the wrong level the carbs would be dripping not the airbox

 

[Guest]

the bike should run fine when in prime??it was leaking after a few minutes..while running and kept leaking when i shut it off.

heres the deal alittle more clearer
brought bike home with petcock in pri position.got home,bike leaking out of airbox drain.shut bike off still leaking..
had fuel only in front area of airbox,nothing got onto filter.
drained crankcase-- gas in there


previous owner claimed to have '''''rebuilt"carbs.i took them out and they are very clean,nothing clogged or stuck,no pinholes in floats.everything seems ok in the carbs
however gaskets are old so im guessing his rebuild was more like a cleaning

i did buy some intake boot to engine o-rings today at dealer and i was gonna slap them and the carbs on thinking my problem was the petcock in wrong position..should i just buy a petcock instead of taking a chance??

i assume if the floats were at the wrong level the carbs would be dripping not the airbox

How deos the bike run with the petcock in the "on" position?
They all leak(that I know of) if left on prime, on the garage floor and into the crankcase.

Oh and as for the carbs many re-use the old gaskets and they can *look* clean and not be CLEAN.
If it were mine, I'd figure out the leak as long as it runs correctly.

 

[davidduarte]

make sure you replace the petcock, or Brian might "head to the roof with a rifle" Once you read your mega-welcome, you'll see what I mean.

 

[koolaid_kid]

make sure you replace the petcock, or Brian might "head to the roof with a rifle" Once you read your mega-welcome, you'll see what I mean.

I carry his spare clips, and I can tell you he means business.

 

[jeepnhal]

How deos the bike run with the petcock in the "on" position?
They all leak(that I know of) if left on prime, on the garage floor and into the crankcase.

Oh and as for the carbs many re-use the old gaskets and they can *look* clean and not be CLEAN.
If it were mine, I'd figure out the leak as long as it runs correctly.

well,by the time i got home it was dripping pretty bad from airbox drain.
but the the crankcase was full of gas so i shut it down.i didnt have a chance to turn it to on position and run it.
yea the gaskets were old but the carbs werent leaking so im assuming they are doing their job.
it ran just fine.no stumbling,idling fine,great power.

is it possible for the airbox to get gas in it even if its running??doesnt make sense to me but neither does the airbox filling with gas ha

 

[jeepnhal]

make sure you replace the petcock, or Brian might "head to the roof with a rifle" Once you read your mega-welcome, you'll see what I mean.

ive read the mega welcome and i know what you mean

but funds are tight after buying this thing,i still have to reg and insure it and id hate to replace the petcock if it aint broke yet.i do plan on changing it when and if it goes

 

[jeepnhal]

I carry his spare clips, and I can tell you he means business.

haha i belive it

 

[Guest]

Petcock

Petcock

I took my stock petcock all apart and cleaned it real good. Even did a little blow and suck test on it and it seemed to work. But after installed, it didn't work. I could never trust it. So I just clamped the gasline off with some tiny Vicegrips. That after a few months cut a hole in the gasline and dumped gas all over. I checked on Petcocks and they were asking 85 dollars for them. So I'm going to try a 5/16 inline petcock for 20 Bucks. Will that work? Or am I just sucking and blowing for no reason.

 

[Guest]

well,by the time i got home it was dripping pretty bad from airbox drain.
but the the crankcase was full of gas so i shut it down.i didnt have a chance to turn it to on position and run it.
yea the gaskets were old but the carbs werent leaking so im assuming they are doing their job.
it ran just fine.no stumbling,idling fine,great power.

is it possible for the airbox to get gas in it even if its running??doesnt make sense to me but neither does the airbox filling with gas ha

Sounds like you need to replace the petcock. Yes fuel will drain into the airbox if its bad. The fuel will gravity feed, it has to go someplace.
I know nothing about the petcock you're talking about. Anyone?
Check Z1. As far as I know they have the best product for the price.
Its what I have on my bike and it works perfect.

Keep us posted!!

 

[jeepnhal]

Sounds like you need to replace the petcock. Yes fuel will drain into the airbox if its bad. The fuel will gravity feed, it has to go someplace.
I know nothing about the petcock you're talking about. Anyone?
Check Z1. As far as I know they have the best product for the price.
Its what I have on my bike and it works perfect.

Keep us posted!!

im sorry but let me make sure i understand..fuel would go into airbox even if bike was running??cause it was leaking while i was driving on highway.was also leaking while parked.definitely leaking on highway cause my buddy following me got some gas on his windsheild..sorry for all the questions

oh and i wasnt asking about that inline petcock...mike10 was.but yes z1 does have it