decomposing floats

[john h]

While doing some carb work I noted that there was a brown residue in the bottom of the float bowls on my 1980 GS-1000E. I sampled the fuel from the tank and it apears to be ok. What I think it might be is the methanol in the fuel that is disolving the floats.
Have any of you seen this before?

[JayH]

Probably just some fuel residue/rust particle combination. It should wipe out easily with some carb cleaner.

Be sure to put an inline filter on your bike. The tank might have some rust in it.

[Dave8338]

Probably just some fuel residue/rust particle combination. It should wipe out easily with some carb cleaner.

Be sure to put an inline filter on your bike. The tank might have some rust in it.

That is what it is...possibly some moisture that was in the fuel or the tank. Not to worry about. Clean the carbs out and put things back together. :-) I disagree on the inline filter. You shouldn't need it if the one on the petcock is still in place and in good shape.

[spyug]

Let me tell you about decomposing floats. Not in a GS mind you but a yammie Virago. Damn near drove me insane.

I got the bike for free and it was my first resto. Took it apart, cleaned everything up and got it running. got it roadworthy and started to ride. first Sunday run it stranded me out in the country about 10 miles from home. It had been running fine then just ran out of steam and stopped. I drained the float bowls and this grit like ground black pepper came out. I figured I had gunge from the tank plugging the jets. Pull and really clean the carbs, clean and seal the tank put on a filter and bolt it all back together. Go for a ride and everythings fine.

Next weekend I go for a longer ride and she strands me again...same exact symptoms.

Pull the carbs again and clean out some more grit. Put it all together and ride a bit...fine again. next ride i get stuck again but closer to home this time.

Carbs off again and in to my pro wrench for an ultrasonic cleaning and complete rebuild and rejet. Back on the bike and everythings good again. Nice longer ride and I think its fixed. Wrong, next short ride and it tanks again. Rip off the carbs again and the grit is back. WTF?????
Can't figure this out. All my mechanic buddies and my pro wrench are stumped.

I clean out the tank and filter gas through a coffee filter. Put on clear gas hose and a new in line filter. Run the bike again and good once again. go for another ride but real leery now and sure enough about 15 minutes in and it craps again. Open the bowl drain....and out comes more grit. That's it 12 gauge time.

Rip the carbs off one more time and I look at everything under a microscope then suddenly the eureka moment. Plastic floats have cracked at a corner where they must have touched a part of the carb wall during part of their travel. Bad design.

I had a hard time finding fresh replacements but did get some and the problem was solved.

As I said it near made me go insane. Now I'm super suspicious of plastic floats. I don't know if methanol could start a breakdown of the floats, perhaps with time, but I do know that they can break down.

Hopefully your problem is just dregs from the tank.
Cheers,
Spyug.

[Dave8338]

Let me tell you about decomposing floats. Not in a GS mind you but a yammie Virago. Damn near drove me insane.

I got the bike for free and it was my first resto. Took it apart, cleaned everything up and got it running. got it roadworthy and started to ride. first Sunday run it stranded me out in the country about 10 miles from home. It had been running fine then just ran out of steam and stopped. I drained the float bowls and this grit like ground black pepper came out. I figured I had gunge from the tank plugging the jets. Pull and really clean the carbs, clean and seal the tank put on a filter and bolt it all back together. Go for a ride and everythings fine.

Next weekend I go for a longer ride and she strands me again...same exact symptoms.

Pull the carbs again and clean out some more grit. Put it all together and ride a bit...fine again. next ride i get stuck again but closer to home this time.

Carbs off again and in to my pro wrench for an ultrasonic cleaning and complete rebuild and rejet. Back on the bike and everythings good again. Nice longer ride and I think its fixed. Wrong, next short ride and it tanks again. Rip off the carbs again and the grit is back. WTF?????
Can't figure this out. All my mechanic buddies and my pro wrench are stumped.

I clean out the tank and filter gas through a coffee filter. Put on clear gas hose and a new in line filter. Run the bike again and good once again. go for another ride but real leery now and sure enough about 15 minutes in and it craps again. Open the bowl drain....and out comes more grit. That's it 12 gauge time.

Rip the carbs off one more time and I look at everything under a microscope then suddenly the eureka moment. Plastic floats have cracked at a corner where they must have touched a part of the carb wall during part of their travel. Bad design.

I had a hard time finding fresh replacements but did get some and the problem was solved.

As I said it near made me go insane. Now I'm super suspicious of plastic floats. I don't know if methanol could start a breakdown of the floats, perhaps with time, but I do know that they can break down.

Hopefully your problem is just dregs from the tank.
Cheers,
Spyug.

Yes Sir...have had and heard of that problem in more than one Virago. I fixed it for good on mine. Fabbed a single carb intake for it...DONE!