problem with gas tank

[JayGTI]

hey everyone,

sorry but i did a search, trying to look for the same problem for an answer but i only found similar problems but not the same. And i also coulnd't post this in the repair section so i am posting it here.
I left the bike over the weekend in the garage and when i got back after the weekend, i noticed that there was a little puddle under the bike. So i thought hmmm probably a small oil leak. I took the bike out of the garage and then i saw a dripping trail of fuel behind me. I inspected the bike for several minutes to find where the leak could be coming from and i saw that it came from directly underneath the reserve fuel tank. There was a square piece of plastic, with a cloth like or flint like piece in the middle of that square. That's where the fuel was leaking from. This is my 1st bike so i really have no idea what the problem is and really need some help. I can only learn through expirience so this will be, unfortunatley, a good start.
A friend was suggesting that it might be the fuel filter???

[TDodge7]

thats what it sounds like , or the rubber fuel lines around the filter split , i'd take the tank off and inspect your lines and it won't hurt it to stick a new filter in there while you're at it . also if you don't have a huge jumble of hoses above the left carbs then someone has probably removed your "octopus" and you should remember to turn both petcocks to the off position when you're done riding .

[D. P. Larmee]

Is it possible that what you are referring to as a reserve tank is your airbox? Could be a sticky float and fuel coming out the back of a carb into the airbox. A picture may be in order to remove any confusion.

[dbeardslee]

it came from directly underneath the reserve fuel tank

There's only one fuel tank. The petcocks have a tower inside that draws gas from several inches up inside the tank when in the 'on' position. When you switch to 'reserve' it draws from a separate orifice at the bottom of the tank. A picture of where it's leaking would be helpful.

[JayGTI]

sorry i didn't know, but you are right D. P. Larmee, it is the air box. i thought it was the reserve tank.
So basically the air box got flooded with fuel, and i will need to clean it out? I know i saw that in my search earlier. I'll read up on what i need to do to get it fixed. Thanks for the help and helping me figure out where the air box is and the reserve tank is!

[CatatonicBug]

Is it possible that what you are referring to as a reserve tank is your airbox? Could be a sticky float and fuel coming out the back of a carb into the airbox. A picture may be in order to remove any confusion.

That's what I was thinking... No reserve fuel tank anywhere on these things. The airbox has a 1" square that drops out the bottom center of it. It was originally a drain/vent with a filter in it, in case water got in there. If the fuel is backing up from one of the carbs, it can easilly get dumped into the airbox and come out that drain hole. I'd say you're looking at a stuck float/needle valve in one of the carbs. Take the air filter off and see which carb the fuel is coming from.

[D. P. Larmee]

You probably want to check the oil for gas too, because if it made it past the floats to the airbox, there is a chance that it went the other way into the crankcase as well.

[JayGTI]

just looked it over with a buddy who is pretty knowledgeable with bikes. He pretty much explained to me what you guys said, and he told me what i needed to do. I am gonna do the whole shebang! Rebuild the carbs, change the filter, change the oil, clean out the fuel tank, and i noticed i need new rubber rings (the ones that go around the carbs and airbox, they are kinda starting to crack). Oh yeah it was also leaking a little out of the far right carb.
The whole thing was my fault, because i kept the petcock in the on position. I didn't know any better, but of course i learned now not to leave it always on!
Now i just need to find one of those manuals and TIME, something i don't have right now.
Thanks everyone!!!,

Jay

[latexeses]

JayGTI,
Check for a member here whose handle is CatatonicBug. He has most if not all of the manuals on his webpage, free for the download.

[CatatonicBug]

Manuals can be downloaded from the link in my signature. Don't worry too much about the "rubber rings". They are double-walled, and the inner wall is normally not in as bad shape as the outer ones. Work on the other parts first, and then think about replacing those pieces later. You can also repair them if they truly are cracked all the way through. I haven't done it myself, but I'm sure someone around here can give some guidance on that.

[DGXSER]

The whole thing was my fault, because i kept the petcock in the on position. I didn't know any better, but of course i learned now not to leave it always on!

Actually, this is not true. If your float valves are in good condition (which yours are not) then you can leave the petcocks on all day and night for all year and no fuel will leak past them. What happened to you was a symptom of the bigger issue of the bad float needle valves.

Now I still turn my petcocks off when not in use, because I do not want to find the puddle under the bike or the crankcase full of gas. If I turn them on and they leak out a little or the bike runs way rich, I know this is the issue and can fix it before those symptoms develop.