Are my float seals leaking??

[Guest]

Ok so admittedly ive never paid any attn to this before yesterday, when i pulled my carbs off for new jets. So it may be a silly question, or a semi serious problem...laugh if you wish.

With my petcock (which is perfectly funtioning) in the ON position, my fuel line is empty (its clear so i can see it) when i shut the bike down last it was not. Is this natural, and if so WHERE is the fuel going, and if its not natural does this mean my float valves/needles are bad? Comments? Thanks
Oh yeah...this is over the period of a couple of days...not like i go out to start the bike after just shutting it off and the fuel line is empty...
TCK

[chef1366]

I don't think gas will evaporate in closed conditions. If you have a bad float seat o-ring the gas will seep in from the bottom of the seat and over fill the float bowls and end up in your crankcase. Same with the needle and seat. The fuel will seep through the needle and seat and end up in the crankcase.

Does your oil smell like gas?

[TheCafeKid]

I don't think gas will evaporate in closed conditions. If you have a bad float seat o-ring the gas will seep in from the bottom of the seat and over fill the float bowls and end up in your crankcase. Same with the needle and seat. The fuel will seep through the needle and seat and end up in the crankcase.

Does your oil smell like gas?

I dont know ill have to check that. But yanno..the more i think about this the less it makes sense for my floats to be leaking. If there were fuel in my fuel line all the time why would i need to prime the carbs after it sits a few days...its quite possible that like you say they are leaking...but all of them? I need to think that the amount of fuel in the fuel line isnt enough to even fill all the float bowls. Ill check that oil though. Last time i changed it (and it was recently since i seemed to have a richness problem) it was thick and not foamy, and didnt smell like gas. I cant see thru my sightglass, but i havent been able to since i bought the bike and even without oil in it (thats another thing i need to to when i change all the gaskets is clean that glass.) so i couldnt tell ya...my carbs dont have orings on the float needles or around the seat, it has a lil red washer. Shrinkage may also be an explaination as it has gotten colder around here by quite a margin. I do worry about the gas leaking down into my cylinders tho and thats why i asked. ANyone else?

[chef1366]

On second thought if your petcock is good don't worry about it.