leaking gas from carb

[thr3shold]

I started my bike today, after it has been sitting for a few months and I noticed it started leaking gas out of the leftmost carb while sitting on the bike. I removed the pod air filter and found it was coming out of one of the little holes in the throat that the filter was covering. The holes are on the bottom of the throat of the carb. I've got a '80 gs1100et and I sent some pix of my carbs and someone ID'd them as being nonstandard. 33mm roundslides? I can't find my original post anymore. Some help would be gtratly appreciated, thanks.

[Anonymous]

typically what happens is the carbs are gummed up from sitting with fuel in them.. The needle/float is not doing its job correctly and needs cleaning.

[KEITH KRAUSE]

typically what happens is the carbs are gummed up from sitting with fuel in them.. The needle/float is not doing its job correctly and needs cleaning.

I second that.

[Anonymous]

Hi!

I just had the same problem - found that my #2 cylinder wasn't running and the jets were all gummed up in the same carburator:-( .

Cleaned all the carburators, and today when I get home, I'll find out if that was the problem - I hope so......

[thr3shold]

Can I just drown it in carb cleaner to do the job or do I have to take it apart?

[KEITH KRAUSE]

Can I just drown it in carb cleaner to do the job or do I have to take it apart?

Take it apart. Carb cleaners will make any rubber parts inside, such as the diaphragm and o-rings, hard and brittle.

[thr3shold]

thanks for the info!

[earlfor]

The float needle cannot leak if the petcock isnt faulty and lieaking in the first place allowing fuel to get into the floay bowl. You need a petcock.

Earl

[whodatpat]

There is a stock answer to your problem for all 1980 GS's
1) If the gas is coming out when the bike is turned off. Even a small drip, replace the OEM petcock with a Pingel. (Search Pingel on this site to find out why, but the OEM one is the one really bad thing Suzuki did to these bikes.) You should probably just replace it anyhow, that is the worst petcock they ever made.
Go to http://www.schnitzracing.com/
Order a;
1902C Adapter, Petcock, 1.968" Center To Center (50MM) - Suzuki $8.95
And a;
6211 Petcock, Single w/Reserve $52.95
You will need to cut an inch off of the Petcock. Several people have left detail directions on this site for you to do this. Basically carefully rip off the screen, cut an inch off of the crome pipe, and snip an inch off of the screen and reassemble. Follow Pingles directions for the gooey gasket and enjoy.
2) Go ahead and splurge and get carb rebuild kits. Usually about $70 for 4 on ebay.
3) Look up Robert Bar on this site, and get the new orings from him (like $12.00)
4) Buy a can of the carb dip with a basket inside. ($10.00 at any autoparts store.)
The carburetor cleaner in a spray can is good for cleaning them up after the dip, but it will not get off the thin layer of varnish from gas that is inside the carbs. Follow the directions on this site and you will be ok. I have limited (meaning none) mechanical ability and have a great set of carbs now for less than $100.00.
Sometimes I think they should rename this message board Petcock/Carb Info, instead of Technical Info.
Patrick
1980 GS850 G

[Anonymous]

Similar issue - standard solution not working - help?

Sometimes I think they should rename this message board Petcock/Carb Info, instead of Technical Info.
Patrick

After reading up I agree.... I am presently having the same basic issue. Starts, runs for 10-20 sec, gets rough, and dies no matter how much throttle I try to keep it running with. Then I get a stream of gas coming out the air manifold drain hose.

A more knowledgeable friend and I took the carbs out, opened up every hole and jet, and blasted them with carb cleaner.... they were pretty much spotless to begin with though. The float valves seem well behaved, #3 was maybe just a little weaker on the spring but that's it. There was no obvious scoring or grooving either, and the o-rings arund the seat sat tight,

After puting it all back together, the same exact thing happens. Half a cup of gas, right out the same tube, just as/after it dies.

It doesn't leak gas at all when it's off... so I don't think the petcock is likely, right?

'82 GS1100EZ, stock carbs & filter arrangement. <19K miles and has (for the last 2 years sinc I got it) always started right up & run great..... I've let it sit still a lot more often this season though, and after the winter it did need a shot of carb cleaner in the bowls to start the 1st time.

Any help would be appreciated - thanks.
Nick

[thr3shold]

thanks for the tip, I rebuilt my carbs about a year ago, but I don't ride the bike at all and it just sits and sits(I haven't gotten my license yet, trying to do those little circles with this big bike is damnable hard). I appreciate the petcock info, but I work at a hydraulic shop and know damn all there is to know about O-rings and where to get them. I'm not knocking that guy, but they are dirt cheap if you know where to get them.

[Anonymous]

update - gas flood source revealed

Well, we figured it out. It was embarrassing. The bloody oil had an additional 3-4 LITERS of gas in it! and as soon as oil pressure sent it up to the head it was spitting out the cyl head breather pipe into the air manifold. Apparently I might have left it on prime on the sidestand for the month that it was idle... I had just done some gas tank work. Yikes.

Oil & filter changed... only the recommended 3.2 L this time - and runs a-ok. I'm going to flush this oil out now and put in a new batch.... should be good to go.

It was pretty funny though, scrambling for a 2nd - and then a 3rd - jug to drain the oil/gas into Good thing we were working outside.

Nick

[KEITH KRAUSE]

The float needle cannot leak if the petcock isnt faulty and lieaking in the first place allowing fuel to get into the floay bowl. You need a petcock.

Earl

Earl, there's enough gas in the fuel line and the fuel passages feeding the carbs, to leak past the floatvalve(s) and overflow the bowl(s). Especially if the bike is on the sidestand.
If a clear fuel line was installed, many of us would see the gas level has dropped by the morning. This happens much more often than we think and it's much more common on the sidestand than the centerstand.

[whodatpat]

thanks for the tip, I rebuilt my carbs about a year ago, but I don't ride the bike at all and it just sits and sits(I haven't gotten my license yet, trying to do those little circles with this big bike is damnable hard). I appreciate the petcock info, but I work at a hydraulic shop and know damn all there is to know about O-rings and where to get them. I'm not knocking that guy, but they are dirt cheap if you know where to get them.

I recomend taking the Motorcycle safety calss through your local comunity college, opr wherever elce it is offered. It is much easier to do the figure 8's on there tiny NightHawks, and you may pick up a little somthing in the class to boot. Good luck on the other stuff.

Oil & filter changed... only the recommended 3.2 L this time - and runs a-ok. I'm going to flush this oil out now and put in a new batch.... should be good to go.

Been there too. That is how I figured out the Petcock and Carbs were hosed up in the fiorst place. One more filter and oil change right away should do the trick with getting the last of the gas out.
Patrick

[Anonymous]

oh yes...

The same thing happened to me this week. I took the bike in to have the fork seals replaced and a new tire put on the front, and the idiots turned the petcock to prime, thinking they were turning it off.

I got home, and gas was dripping from the overflow hose. About two cups in a day, before I figured out what happened. I drained the oil and there was a good quart or two of gas in there.

The petcock is brand new, so I don't want to get a Pingel just yet (should have done that to begin with), so I put an inline shutoff switch between the petcock and the carbs, so in case something happens again or it fails, I can easily shut off the gas just to be safe.

I'm getting the tank painted this winter, so I may go the Pingel route then.