noob gas smell

[kerrfunk]

So the PO rode about 200 miles in 2008 (total).

I've put about 75 miles on this week, and put some SeaFoam in before a ride today... seems to me it's running better, and the smell of gas is much less, and the vent tube looks better.

I still plan to help someone do my carbs this winter.

[kerrfunk]

Okay ignore the previous post. Optimism at its finest. Last night I decided to park outside (with cover) to keep the garage and house from smelling like gas.

Though the idea may be unthinkable to some, I think I need to take it somewhere and have a shop fix it (plan A), unless I can find someone local who has the skills, tools, availability, and interest in teaching me (plan B).

Plan A: I know a shop or two locally that are recommended. What can I expect to pay for service? Based on what I've said, do all four carbs need rebuilt, does just one need adjusted? Something in between? What kind of time are we looking at? An hour, a day, a week?

Plan B: my zipcode is 19475, I'm in the Philly burbs. I can ride to your place if you're under 50 miles...

[beergood]

An experienced mechanic should be able to do the job in under a couple hours. I know that when my bike was still pretty close to stock I could get the carbs off, tinkered with and back on and everything else assembled in about an hour and a half. It is annoying work, but not difficult. So I Would hope it wouldn't cost you more than a few hundred bucks max, but this is all guesswork.

I have heard a few horror stories of shops asking for a sizable deposit for older Japanese bikes like ours, just to ensure that we will come back and pick them up (seeing as how there are so many of them, and they aren't all that expensive).

[kerrfunk]

I talked to a guy today. His guess (sight unseen) is that parts would be maybe $80, if all four carbs need rebuilt, and labor is about $280. He named another possible issue (the petcock) that could run another $100, so his TOP estimate was $460. Couple days so he can get the parts.

In the meanwhile, I shut the petcock off and put the bike back in the garage.

[beergood]

With parts that honestly sounds pretty fair. I strongly suspect that completely rebuilding them is overkill, but not a bad idea. It will be one less thing to worry about down the road. And if carbs aren't done correctly they can be a constant headache.

[robertbarr]

This might help understanding the petcock business:

http://www.cycleorings.com/petcock.html

... actually, it needs revision. There is a chance your petcock can leak slowly with no vacuum applied; in fact, I just replaced a petcock on a 7-year-old Suzuki for that very problem.

The way to test is to connect one end of a fuel line to the large fuel tap on the petcock, hold the other end of the fuel line into a gas container and wait a while. Watch for any accumulation of fuel in the container. If there's any at all, your petcock needs rebuilding or (preferably) replacement with OEM.

[kerrfunk]

welp, as I wrote a few posts ago, I made an appointment to have the carbs looked at.

In the meanwhile, I have run a few tankfuls through (about 250 miles) and lo and behold, as the first responders suggested might happen, I'm not seeing any problem any more. I've put more miles on it in two weeks than was put on the rest of 2008.

Maybe I'll delay the shop visit.

[beergood]

If your bike is running well, and not leaking gas, then don't mess with those carbs.

I am the first person to tear into a set of malfunctioning carbs (which seems to be the default state of my bike, or at least it was). But when they are working, leave em be. You don't want to end up in a situation where you created a problem where there wasn't one.

[kerrfunk]

The gas leak continued, so I took 'er in. Just got it back.

The shop did the predictable things (all with consent, of course):

rebuilt each carb (#2 was leaking pretty heavily)
replaced the fuel lines
replaced the spark plugs (one was uncleanable)
oil change and filter

It cost a bunch but now it's in super running order, so I'm not upset.

It no longer idles around 3-4,000 and it seems to respond very well.

Hopefully I won't need to be back to this part of the forum for a long time, at least not because of running issues with my bike...