Floats stuck after hibernation. Any quick fixes that don't involve taking carbs off?

[Guest]

So my gk has just come out of hibernation and started easily enough and runs great but the carbs are dripping heartily.

I'm assuming the floats are stuck having been sat for six months resting on the bottom of the bowls.

Just wondering if anyone knows any clever tricks to loosen them up that'll save me having to take the carbs off?

Thanks in advance gsers

[azr]

hammer...........or rubber mallet.

[GelandeStrasse]

Cheers, I'll give that a shot, I already gently gave one carb some taps with a screw driver handle but no joy so far. Think I was being too gentle!

[eil]

If the floats are stuck bad enough that a gentle tap doesn't free them, it's time to take the carbs off the bike for a full strip-down and GSR-style cleaning.

[GelandeStrasse]

Luckily the bike is in good condition and was stored properly so even if it has to come apart it'll be OK. It runs great, sounds even better! I'm crossing my fingers that the carbs were dry and 24hrs soaking in fuel along with some engine vibration may free things up.

[tkent02]

Are you certain it isn't dripping from the fuel tees between the carbs? Quite common for them to dry out and leak a bit, letting them sit in fuel a little while usually fixes the leaking.


If you floats were stuck it would be super rich and would run like crap.

[GelandeStrasse]

Yes it could be the T's, I can't see where it's coming from just that fuel is dripping down to the bottom of all four carbs. I'll try again later and see what happens

[Cyrano]

Another quick fix possibility is to drain the carbs with the fuel switched off. This will allow the floats to drop and in turn the needles will drop away from their seat.

Then give them a tap with an aforementioned heavy soft object.

Then turn the petrol back on. This gives a chance that the offending article will be dislodged or flushed away from the needle seat.

If it does work, drain the carbs again to remove the said detritus. It's worth a go.

[GelandeStrasse]

Cool, lots of good suggestions guys, thanks for the input

[bccap]

I stick a couple of ounces of this in from time to time. You can get it at Taiwan Tire......

http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/lucas-fuel-treatment-0380119p.html#.VUOl6JOJT4c

[GelandeStrasse]

Hope it doesn't come to that but thanks for the tip. It had fuel stabilizer in the tank already.

Taiwan Tire LOL! Did you know if you google 'Crappy Tire' it comes back with 'Canadian Tire' Made me chuckle, someone at CT HO keyword search must have a sense of humour.

[chuck hahn]

Drain the bowls and take a real small funnel that fits the fuel line and fill the bowls with Berrymans B12 Chemtool carb cleaner and let sit 15 minutes or so. It will eat the gunk up and even wick up the pilot jets and emulsion tubes and eat the crud off them as well. Drain the bowls and prime from the tank. Then dump the berrymans from the bowls into the tank as well as the rest of the fresh can and run it thru. It will be like new again.


May tap on the bowls a bit to be sure the floats are all the way up when you reprime them.

[GelandeStrasse]

Gold dust advice man, never heard of B12 either. I've found the Honda brand carb cleaner very good, a big difference been that & the stuff you get at the basic auto store.

I'm off to see if it still leaks now it's had 24hrs to soak...

[chuck hahn]

NOT the carb spray..its the liquid that is for adding to the tank..friggin awesome stuff. I wont even use Seafoam anymore.

[chuck hahn]

This.......