Drain carbs on GS1100G "L" model

[Guest]

Is there a drain tube to drain the float bowls on a GS1100 G motor?
I think I see screws to drain t bowls,but no tube to connect a drain hose to.
Any suggetions?

Bob Young

[Cipher]

remove the drain plugs? I have a different bike but theres bolts inserted intot he bottom of the bowls
a piece of paper towel will soak up the gas its not a deluge. make sure pertcock is not on prime

[gsrick]

No there isn't. The fuel will drain out the screw as you loosen it. Either put something to catch and divert the fuel to the side like a cut in half water bottle or something that will absorb the fuel like a rag.

[chuck hahn]

Tuna or cat food can under the 10MM boolts at the bottom of the bowls. Drain carbs and blow some compressed air down the fuel line to dry the holes in the jets. Doing the air will assure the holes are clear of fuel and dry so next time the carbs are filled the bike will start and run like the day the storage procedures er done.

[Bob Young]

Chuck: Thanks for the idea of a tuna.cat food can. I did it (not very easily with a plastic KFC bowl.); sure would have been nice if they would have put a drain tube like some other bikes. The compressed air is a good idea, although I'll have to take the drain plugs out again. Carbs #1 & #4 no problem; Carbs #2 & #3 no easy way to do it. Skinned knuckles and all. Next drain the tank, then some Seafoam to let soak in the carb bowls and run through the tank with some fresh gas. This may take awhile, but I'll post when it's done and the results. Took a few tips from YouTube videos which may work in my case, but it sure beats the heck out of taking to a service shop where who knows what they'll do and then there's the $$$!
Thanks again for the tips.

Bob Young

[gsrick]

Chuck: Thanks for the idea of a tuna.cat food can. I did it (not very easily with a plastic KFC bowl.); sure would have been nice if they would have put a drain tube like some other bikes. The compressed air is a good idea, although I'll have to take the drain plugs out again. Carbs #1 & #4 no problem; Carbs #2 & #3 no easy way to do it. Skinned knuckles and all. Next drain the tank, then some Seafoam to let soak in the carb bowls and run through the tank with some fresh gas. This may take awhile, but I'll post when it's done and the results. Took a few tips from YouTube videos which may work in my case, but it sure beats the heck out of taking to a service shop where who knows what they'll do and then there's the $$$!
Thanks again for the tips.

Bob Young

So I'm guessing by your post, you recently bought the bike. Correct? If it's been sitting awhile, you would do yourself a favor and time by just pulling the carbs and doing a proper cleaning. At minimum, make sure the pilot jets are clear. Does it currently run?

[chuck hahn]

Can blow air with the bolts loosened a turn or 2...lay rags under the bowls to catch the residuals that will come out.

[Bob Young]

gsrick:

No we bought the bike in 2001; it was my wife's bike; she passed away Aug.11th of this year after battling breast cancer the second time around. I just turned 80 years old and weighed my options of being injured in an accident with no one to care for me or my dogs. So I decided to sell the bike. It ran fine when I last rode it in May of this year. Obviously, it doesn't run well now and I don't have the money to have it repaired by a shop. The money from the sale will go to pay the mortuary.
This is not a sob story; just the way life goes some times. The bike is not a parts bike; it just needs to be ridden. When we were riding more, we never had a problem. Sure hope I can get it running again.

Bob Young

[gsrick]

gsrick:

No we bought the bike in 2001; it was my wife's bike; she passed away Aug.11th of this year after battling breast cancer the second time around. I just turned 80 years old and weighed my options of being injured in an accident with no one to care for me or my dogs. So I decided to sell the bike. It ran fine when I last rode it in May of this year. Obviously, it doesn't run well now and I don't have the money to have it repaired by a shop. The money from the sale will go to pay the mortuary.
This is not a sob story; just the way life goes some times. The bike is not a parts bike; it just needs to be ridden. When we were riding more, we never had a problem. Sure hope I can get it running again.

Bob Young

Sorry to hear of your loss Bob. If it were a year ago I'd say Eric could help you out, he's in Reno, but he himself is battling Pancreatic cancer and is in no shape to help out. There is another chemical treatment that may help, but I don't remember what it was Earlfor used. Maybe he'll see this and chime in. I think it was Carb Medic or something like that. Said it worked wonders on a 450L he bought. I use Berrymans B12 which is basically the same as Seafoam, but I'm not sure how well either work on jets that are fully clogged. I heard Eric tell me he drained the carbs and poured B12 right into the fuel line to fill the carbs and let it sit for a few days and it worked on some bikes that weren't too bad. He said the bike will fire up and run on the B12, but it will smoke quite a bit. Can't hurt to try I guess.

Warning, don't let any of the get on the paint.

[Bob Young]

gsrick:
Thanks for the reply. Far too many folks are affected by cancer; families or patients. After I drain the tank I had intended to let some seafoam sit in the bowls for a day or two. I imagine it would smoke for a bit burning the chemical off. Got some other things that need my attention right away, but I don't want to wait much longer.

Bob Young

[Charlie G]

Bob,

You could mail me the carbs and I could rebuild them for you.......I'll PM you my phone #

[Bob Young]

Thanks, Charlie. I've got quite a few details to do since my wife's passing, so my time to work on the bike is not what I'm used to. Just draining the tank and running some seafoam through it is going to take time I don't have. The longer it sits the worse it'll be. I didn't remember how long it had not been ridden, so I was real surprised when it wouldn't run without the choke.

Bob