Carbs dripping gas after storage - stuck floats?

[Bolder Biker]

My 1983 GS750ES has been in storage for 15 months but now I have to move it a few miles. I drained the carbs when storing, and now gas drips from the carbs when the bike is running and vaccuum opens the gas petcock (no dripping when engine stopped). Could the dripping gas be due to carb float bowl overflow, in turn due to the floats being stuck in the down (drained empty) position? If this might be the case, is there a way of freeing the floats without removing the carb rack and disassembling the carbs? The carbs are a tight fit in the GS750ES, and removal is not a process to be done lightly. When I have stored the bike over-winter before, I never drained the carbs and never had this problem. Advice born of experience will be much appreciated, especially if carb removal is avoided.

BB

[walt]

You could try removing the tank. Next place a small funnel in the fuel line and fill with gumout.Let it set a couple of days. Drain the carbs and change the oil. Try that or just yank the bank of carbs and clean out the the floats bowls, pilots, mains, float pivots and float needles and seats. If it were mine I would yank the carbs and do it right. Don't mix the parts and treat things as if they break easier than an egg.

[smagnusen]

Certainly could be a stuck float/needle. Even when you "drain" the carbs your not getting the gas out. There are plenty of small areas for the gas to sit and varnish. It's probably better to use a stabilizer.

You're probably in for a carb cleaning, however, you might get lucky:

1. You might, might just free a stuck needle by knocking the bottom and side of the carb housing with a screwdriver or the like - do it nicely.

2. You might be able to open the fuel drain screw and insert a paperclip to work the float up - nicely, of course.

3. You might get lucky with a little carb cleaner up there as well.

However, if you are dumping gas because old fuel laquered together the float needle, then it's more than likely it's laquered up some other important things as well - your idle circuit, etc. Likely, you're going to be pulling the carbs. It's really not that bad... If you do get lucky and get it to stop leaking, I'd look at doing the seafoam treatment.

[scotschult]

If you're looking for a "quick & easy", try tapping on the bowls with a screwdriver handle, hammer handle, block of wood, etc. That just might jar everything just enough to break a float free. May or may not work, and if you can narrow it down to one carb, all the better. The gumout thru the funnel may work also, but based on other posts I've read from you, there may be a time crunch I don't know about.

[walt]

Another reason to look inside the carbs is you could have some rust in the fuel tank. Small pieces of the rust can keep the float needles from seating and allow the carbs to over flow with just the fuel in the fuel line. The rust will look like very fine reddish power at the bottom of the bowls.

[Bolder Biker]

Many thanks for the replies, gentlemen.

I believe that the problem is carb #2 (from the left - i.e. one of the "inside" ones). I do believe that it is a stuck float because after I drained the bowl it took a while to start dripping (i.e. after it filled up again). I have tried tapping the bowl with a screwdriver handle and with a wooden block, but "no go". I also tried getting something in through the drail hole unsuccessfully but I will try a paperclip next as a section of metal coathanger was too thick. If that doesn't work, I will next try Gumout

Frustratingly, I have stored this bike successfully for 23 winters before this using Stabil in the gas. I used Stabil this last time, also, but anticipating a long storage, I drained the carbs, too. I now wish I hadn't bothered as I probably wouldn't have had a problem.

If necessary, I will remove the carb rack but I hesitate because the 1983 GS750ES installation was made very compact, and there is almost no room to move the rack. Also, the boots are the originals and I worry about how stiff and brittle they may be.

BTW, one of the good things about Colorado is how dry the climate is here. With a little care, rust is not the problem that it can be in other parts of the country. Even after almost 25 years, the inside of the GS's fuel tank is as clean and shiny as a new penny. :-D

BB

[wrench]

Simon.... are your Carbs dietary or none dietary? If they are none dietary i would remove the float bowls and apply a liberal dose of lard, if they are dietary then a spray of Pam should suffice. :-D

Hope this advice helps you my friend! :-D

[Bolder Biker]

A postscript: the old wiggling a paperclip up the bottom orifice (of the carb, of course 8O) worked like a charm in freeing the float. No leakee no more. :-D Thanks Smagnusen!

Scotschult is correct about the time crunch because I am moving the GS to my new (to me) house, where the garage has sufficient room for all 3 bikes to have easy access to the garage door. The double garage in my current house was stuffed with 2 cars as well as the 3 bikes, so the GS was relegated to being covered up in the far reaches. When I uncovered the bike today, I was reminded of what a beautiful machine it is, and how it deserves a run in the open air on a regular basis. I have owned this machine since I was a young shaver of 32 (now almost 57) and the looks of it still does it for me in the same way it did when I had my nose pressed against the showroom window in 1983.

My sincere appreciation to all of you who replied with advice (except Wrench, see next post ). I will give the bike the Seafoam treatment, with a few canyon thrashes to add an Italian tune-up.

BB

[Bolder Biker]

Simon.... are your Carbs dietary or none dietary? If they are none dietary i would remove the float bowls and apply a liberal dose of lard, if they are dietary then a spray of Pam should suffice. :-D

Hope this advice helps you my friend! :-D

Hello, John, you old reprobate!

Your advice reminds me of the poor English in the Owner's Manual of the 1969 Yamaha YAS-1 that I had in England while a student: "Drain (carb) float bowels". The parts manual for this same bike also had a diagram of a phallic-looking engine internal which it labelled a "cunrod".......sounded vaguely, but disturbingly, rude to me! :shock:

BB

[wrench]

Hello, John, you old reprobate!

Your advice reminds me of the poor English in the Owner's Manual of the 1969 Yamaha YAS-1 that I had in England while a student: "Drain (carb) float bowels"

BB

Whaaaat me old and a reprobate! :shock:

Was that yamaha manual..mannnuallllly typset by a Drunken Cockney Compositor?

btw.. good to see you posting again Simon. :-D

[smagnusen]

Glad to hear that did the trick! Be aware, it could hang up again, so keep an eye on it and do the seafoam soon.

[bwringer]

I've also seen this happen when someone forced a petcock lever that had not been moved in 25 years or so, which allowed deteriorated bits from the petcock to get into the needles and keep them open. A new petcock and a quick cleaning of the needle seats sorted things out.

[Bolder Biker]

I've also seen this happen when someone forced a petcock lever that had not been moved in 25 years or so, which allowed deteriorated bits from the petcock to get into the needles and keep them open. A new petcock and a quick cleaning of the needle seats sorted things out.

I must admit that I have been running the bike with the petcock in the "Reserve" position for 25 years, since the bl**dy thing has always been so stiff as to raise concerns about snapping the little booger off.

I think that the lesson I have learned is to give the GS a run on a reasonably frequent basis. The main problem with this has been having to pay for insurance on a bike that has been stored inaccessibly at the back of the garage until recently. Unfortunately, my insurer doesn't provide a single policy and premium for a number of motorcycles with but a single rider.

BTW, sorry about the delay in responding but I have had my computer system disassembled for a few days while getting the computer area refurbished. However, I am quite happy to spend less time on the computer and more on a bike. :-D

BB

[Clone]

Stuck or sunken floats, drain them for storage, eh maybe, but Ifind from personal experience if I put a fairly strong mix of stabil in the gas and get that into the bowls, I don't have any problems with the carbs when I pull it out of storage. When I did drain the carbs, I ended up with dried out orings.
So, check the floats, give them a shake and check the float valves, also check the petcock. Then use stabil in the future.

[Bolder Biker]

I think that this is excellent advice, Clone. I have always done what you recommend (for 23 years) but then decided to be extra diligent and drain the bowls for this last last, longer storage period. As has become apparent, I now wish that I hadn't drained the carbs, and will now return to my long-established practise of administering a strong dosage of Stabil to the gas before laying the GS up. I, too, have worried about O-ring degeneration over a prolonged period in a drained state.

BB