Leaking carbs

[incarceration]

Yeah it looks like it; kind of hard to tell with that supplied photo.

Thanks for the help and I added my signature

I just ordered that petcock. Now I need to get the carbs off and check the float needle correct?

I have a Clymer's manual for this bike so I'll flip through there and try and figure out how to get them off

 

[tom203]

Both lines exit towards rear like this pic
Basscliff has lots of carb info; It's really best to assume your carbs need the full monty treatment and not just float height checking- you can take shortcuts, but most of these bikes have had poor maintenance- it's likely your carbs haven't been cleaned since the Berlin Wall came down.

 

[incarceration]

Both lines exit towards rear like this pic
Basscliff has lots of carb info; It's really best to assume your carbs need the full monty treatment and not just float height checking- you can take shortcuts, but most of these bikes have had poor maintenance- it's likely your carbs haven't been cleaned since the Berlin Wall came down.

Yes, mine has the lines exiting toward the rear or in the direction of the PRI side on the dial

I bought this bike from my step dad a couple years ago. I believe he said he did carb maintenance on it and that's all he does is work on cars\bikes\his RV. Unfortunately now though, I'm away at college so I don't have his advice anymore, but fortunately though I've found this forum!

Anyway, I and he has done some routine maintenance over the years (~2 actually lol) and we got the bike when it had ~7,000 miles on it and I only paid $500 from my step dad.

What consists as the "full monty treatment" for my carbs?

I've been reading around on here about this bike via the "mega welcome post" and links in Bass' sig., so I'm not some noob just coming here crying for help lol - but that doesn't take away from having some questions here and there

 

[tom203]

Ask all the questions you want- that's what this place is about! So more info will help- was this bike running (recently and decently) before this problem ? Maybe your stepdad did stuff properly- I'll give him the benefit of doubt. OK, so just replace the petcock, then recheck float heights; reinstall carbs and see how it goes. The full monty involves a full carb cleaning. Here's a typical link , but there are others on Basscliff's also

http://members.dslextreme.com/users/cbsaunders/gs/gs450_carb_cleaning_guide.pdf

Maybe you can skip this for now and do later. You say you are away at college, where? Might be a member close by for hands on advice . Go back to User CP and put in location

 

[incarceration]

Yeah! It was working great actually. I have just recently switched to unblended gas and was just chocking it up to that but someone else in this thread said it's not that. I switched to this gas about a month or 2 ago.

He rebuilt this bike from another bike he found that was the same model, both weren't running or were running and had issues and he made one good one out of it then sold it to me.

Would the petcock ONLY being bad cause this issue? I thought it was the float needle AND petcock causing this issue?

My bike has always been able to sit (for days or a week at once) with the petcock in the ON\FUEL position and start right up on the first turn-over\crank (given the battery is good.)

Btw, that PDF is awesome! Thanks!

I'm at FSU in Tallahassee right now

 

[tom203]

Going back to your first post, I'd say your float needle seats need attention. BUT you could have picked up a bad tank of gas- and your needle seats are gunked open slightly. What is this "switched to unblended fuel"- these bikes only need good old 87 octane to run well.

With a functioning petcock, with engine off -therefore no vacuum to operate petcock- no fuel will flow in on or res spot. Move lever to "PR" spot and fuel will flow at all times.

Put that FSU stuff in your user cp- Florida is a big state with plenty of members here.

 

[incarceration]

Going back to your first post, I'd say your float needle seats need attention. BUT you could have picked up a bad tank of gas- and your needle seats are gunked open slightly. What is this "switched to unblended fuel"- these bikes only need good old 87 octane to run well.

With a functioning petcock, with engine off -therefore no vacuum to operate petcock- no fuel will flow in on or res spot. Move lever to "PR" spot and fuel will flow at all times.

Put that FSU stuff in your user cp- Florida is a big state with plenty of members here.

Unblended because it's got carburetors and I read around over the hears and heard from various people that the ethenol-free\unblended gas is better for small engines with carburetors. I can get 87 unblended too (as opposed to 93 unblended).

I'll have to take apart the carbs to find out if it's just a bad tank of gas, right?

I just recently changed the front sprocket, chain, and rear sprocket on this little beast and she was running great until this problem lol

 

[tom203]

If you can get ethanol free gas at a reasonable price, do it -Lots of marinas offer it but it's usually too expensive. The 10% ethanol is OK, but don't leave it sitting untreated in your bike for long- If bike has to sit, use Stabil to treat fuel first. A $8 bottle will treat 50 + gallons of fuel. I'm considering using it at all times.

 

[incarceration]

Yeah I have Stabil, it doesn't sit long anymore now that I'm up here in the city; I try and take it everywhere I go.
The price difference for any ethanol free gas is negligible for any octane level cause it's only 2.1G that I need lol.

After reading this PDF you sent me, I am remembering that my tank has a slight amount of rust in it.

I have a couple gallons of Muriatic Acid (concentrated), any ideas how I can utilize this to clean it out?
Should I just pour the undiluted Muriatic Acid inside the tank?
I'm going to need to take the fuel gauge sender off and plug that hole and the top hole where you put gas in it as well, I'm guessing?

Sigh. This is turning into a huge job lol

 

[tom203]

" I am remembering that my tank has a slight amount of rust in it"

I'd not worry about this yet,IF it's just a rust film. You said bike was running well, so it seems unlikely that tank rust suddenly became a problem. Rust flaking off will clog petcock filter real quick and maybe get by to carbs. When you take carbs off, you can look for rust particles on inlet screens at seats if you have them.
Muriatic Acid?? do you play with circuit boards! nasty stuff!

 

[incarceration]

Lol I use the MA to clean with around the house when nothing else works and it's so cheap it came in a box of 2 gallons.

I can't seem to get the throttle adjustment cable off of the top of the carb. I can't get any tool in there to loosen the nut.

How can I get this off?

 

[tom203]

You have removed the gas tank? of course, you have!

 

[incarceration]

Yeah I have the tank off, seat off, and the battery out

 

[incarceration]

I got the pulley cable off that is attached to the throttle control but I cannot find a way to get the other pulley cable off that, when pulled, makes this horizontal bar that is connected to the 2 carbs move side to side. It screws into itself into a little aluminum pipe and has the cable go through it and is locked in

http://img819.imageshack.us/img819/7233/img2013052517072.png

Red arrow: the part that unscrews
Blue arrow: the horizontal bar that moves when i pull up on the part that unscrews
Green arrow: the cable attached to the throttle control, I got that off easily

 

[tom203]

I'm having trouble envisioning this problem - how about a pic with your I- phone? sooner or later a 450 owner will chime in to offer advice!
Edit:Great, you added pic while I was posting

 

[incarceration]

I can take others if necessary

 

[tom203]

I can take others if necessary

The only thing necessary is for a 450 owner to explain how simple it is! You probably need to loosen up cable at throttle grip to get some "looseness" at carb end, so cable can be unhooked.

 

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Already got that one off, I can't find out how to get the other off that I marked with the red and blue arrows

 

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The one I cannot get off is the choke cable

 

[incarceration]

I see the cable is attached to the horizontal rod but I cannot figure out how to get it detached. I'm trying to get the 2 screws off on the top of the one carb that looks like it's attached to the rod but one screw refuses to loosen up lol