SPRING!! YESSSS!! but a small problem....

[bubba]

Well riding season is here again in the great white north. The old girl fired up (with a little prodding) after 6 months hibernation. Runs great as usual. Butt I noticed gas dripping from what appears to be the far right carb bowl. Could be between the first and second hard to tell. Anyway, it only drips while running and doesn't seem to affect how it runs. Any ideas what this might be? I looked at my manual but not much help there. I wanted to check in here before I started to remove any parts. Thanks for all replies.

 

[tom203]

Well riding season is here again in the great white north. The old girl fired up (with a little prodding) after 6 months hibernation. Runs great as usual. Butt I noticed gas dripping from what appears to be the far right carb bowl. Could be between the first and second hard to tell. Anyway, it only drips while running and doesn't seem to affect how it runs. Any ideas what this might be? I looked at my manual but not much help there. I wanted to check in here before I started to remove any parts. Thanks for all replies.

As you sit on bike #1 carb is under your clutch hand, #4 is all the way to right. Is leak between #1 and # 2 or on other side?

 

[bonanzadave]

Sounds like you have a stuck float or needle seat. Dump in some Seafoam and ride the heck out of it. Or pull the bowl and shoot it with carb cleaner while you rattle it a bit.

 

[bubba]

As you sit on bike #1 carb is under your clutch hand, #4 is all the way to right. Is leak between #1 and # 2 or on other side?

It is on the other side. On the throttle side.

 

[bubba]

Sounds like you have a stuck float or needle seat. Dump in some Seafoam and ride the heck out of it. Or pull the bowl and shoot it with carb cleaner while you rattle it a bit.

I would try that but with all that gas coming out I am afraid of catching fire

 

[Redman]

I would try that but with all that gas coming out I am afraid of catching fire

I have had gass running all over hot exhaust, no fire.

Does sound like a stuck float. Doesnt leak when bike is off because the automatic petcock shuts off.
(leave petcock on PRIme and you will then see it leak again).

Maybe the Seafaom might take care of it after a while, or maybe dropping the bowl and spary carb cleaner up in the float needle might take care of it. This is with the idea that is some gummed up gas keeping the float needle from closing well.

Or maybe the float needles are worn and needing replacement. THey come as a set of the float needle and the float seat, about $30-35 a set, and probably want a new oring also. So for 4 sets that is a bit of an investment, so try the other things first.

Or maybe you can try just thumping the carb with a rubber mallet or hammer handle or something, maybe that might rattle somethning loose.

Tell us more how it goes.

Am suprized that if the float is leaking enough that gas is running out that it doesnt effect how it runs. My experience is that that cyclinder will not be firing at all.

Wonder if maybe the gas is leaking from the little tube that go between the carb 3 and 4 (and 2 and 1). THis tube have o-rings that can fail after 30 years. Maybe take a better look to see where it is leaking from.

.

 

[chuck hahn]

Tap on the bowls with the end of a wrench .

 

[bonanzadave]

I have had gass running all over hot exhaust, no fire.

Dumb luck. Dont ever F with gas without a fire extinguisher handy.

 

[bubba]

O.K. I will start with the simple things first and work up from there. Although past experience has been it is almost always the most expensive/hardest thing to fix, be it the bike,car,house,wife,etc. But who knows maybe I will get lucky. I guess it wouldn't hurt to dump some Sea Foam in it anyway just on GP. I will keep everyone posted on how it goes and who was right. One other thing. Can anyone recommend a good but not too expensive carb sync tool? Just for my own casual use.

 

[singletrack]

Can anyone recommend a good but not too expensive carb sync tool? Just for my own casual use.

If you want to go real inexpensive, you can make your own with some clear vinyl tubing and motor oil. I did this, cost me about $12 bucks in materials plus I ordered the 5mm carb sync brass adapters from Z1, couldn't figure out a cheap way to make my own. If you buy 1/4" o.d. vinyl tubing (lowe's sells 15 feet for $3.50) it slips on nice and tight to the adapters. You'll need about 30 feet of tubing. It's not pretty but it does work!

Here's a pic of my setup. This was under vacuum and I got it pretty close to even. It's VERY sensitive.

 

[SqDancerLynn1]

What can sometimes help Is to drain the fuel bowls and refill them several times to wash away the crap.. Ot pinch the fuel line until it runs out then allow it to refill

 

[dr_fosg8]

Did you try putting the fuel cock in the PRI position to see if it will leak? Of course if yours has the prime option. I would lean towards the o-ring on the fuel delivery tube between 3-4.

 

[bubba]

^^^What he said^^^

You can use PRIme to free-flow fuel into the bowls. If it still leaks, seafoam in the tank and tap the carb body just above the bowl with the handle of a screwdriver.

I am in the process of dipping my carbs and although the connectors between the carbs have double o-rings, it was still unhappy to find two split o-rings.

Careful, you could have the plastic fuel supply Tee cracked...

X2 on the fire extinguisher. GSR can help fix a lot of things, but once it's melted into a puddle, you're gonna need more than a valve adjustment and carb sync

Oh, are you sure the gas isn't coming out of the airbox or connection to the airbox (overflowing carbs)?

- JC[/QUOTE
Thanks. I am not sure of anything but the leak is either from the bowl on the far right carb of from between the two. If the tapping and refilling doesn't work I am going to take the tank off and get a better look. This is something that developed over the winter. It didn't leak when I stored it last fall. What I do is put some Stabil in the tank, run it for a while to circulate it, then pinch off the fuel line with a hemostat and let it run dry.
To get it going Sunday I fut the petcock on prime to fill the bowls then switched. The petcock was not on prime when it was running/leaking.

 

[bubba]

Well hell has frozen over and pigs have flown. I got out my plastic hammer and rapped the bowl a few times fired her up and....... NO LEAK! I guess it was the stuck float after all. I must be living right. I even took her out for a short ride to confirm. Everything is good except I discovered my tach is not working:twistedevil:. It's always something. I will tear into that next. The drive was leaking a little anyway so I will put in new O rings and check the cable.