carb leakin

[Anonymous]

I have a carb leakin on my gs 550es when the bike is off for a while. isn't the petcock supposed to stop gas flow when there is no vacum on it also does this mean my float valves are shot

[Jethro]

Yes and yes. As long as the petcock isn't set to prime, the fuel should not flow. However, the carbs and fuel lines are still full of fuel. If you have fuel leaking out the air box or filter or into the engine then the floats are either set wrong or your needle valve is stuck open. The floats themselves rarely have anything go wrong.

[jhw84]

I had a bad float, and my bike would dump gas out of the overflow when leaned over, usually when running, or if I rode a while, then parked it.
It is a possible problem, just remember, if you get new floats, be sure they are set to the right height.

[KEITH KRAUSE]

Remove your float bowls and inspect your float needle valves.
A wear ring around the tip of the needle can get large enough to cause a leak. A weak valve spring can too. Check the sides of the valves for any small burrs. A damaged o-ring or gasket on the valve's seat will cause a leak. You may be lucky and just have a bit of dirt interfering with the valve. If your valve has a screen above it, clean that too.
Be sure to keep each valve with its seat. Don't mix them up. They wear as a set.
Even if the petcock is sealing, there's enough gas in the fuel line and carb passages to allow a bowl to leak over.
You may want to check your petcock for leaking too. There's a chance gas has entered your crankcase.