Gas Leaking from Carb..

[thewright1]

Hi All,

I know it's a holiday but what better time to work on your bike right?? You have all your family, and there is usually at least one person who knows what they're doing when it comes to bikes (or at least acts like it haha).

OK, so here's the situation, I'm in the process of restoring my XS1100 and i've changed a ton of things on it (more to come in a later forum) anyway, I put my fuel tank on, started it up, and there is a ton of gas leaking from my left carb (keep in mind the bike sat idle for about 3 or 4 years). I'm thinking maybe there is something there that isn't working . Take a look at the picture to get an idea of where the gas was leaking from, I was thinking that maybe I got some hoses crossed somewhere but I dont think that's the case. Has someone run into something like this before:

I took off the breather, that is where the fuel is leaking from:

[mro]

If you have 80 or newer carbs it would be kinda hard to hook up the two fuel lines wrong. Sounds like you have a float stuck or debre holding the float needle open.

You did clean the carbs?

mro

[foreda]

Float valves

Sounds like the float got stuck or you have a leaking valve. Sometime a little tap on the float bowl will help. Yes.... If you hook the fuel lines where to the vent lines, it will definitely over flow.

[mro]

If you hook the fuel lines where to the vent lines, it will definitely over flow.

78/79 carbs (BS34 II) have the vent tubes, 80 (BS34 III) and newer do not.

mro

[jmnjrpa]

Don't look like the carbs been cleaned. You will have to disassemble, clean them, and I would install new kits.

[thewright1]

Hey all,

Thanks for all the comments. Since the bike was sitting for so long and there's no telling what other problems I might run into, I ended up taking it to a motorcycle mechanic. In the future I plan on taking on tasks myself, but you guys definitely pointed me in the right direction. Thanks!!

[XJOK2PLAY]

Good luck w/ your mechanic... Wright1.

Hope you can get it goin' w/o it costing ya an arm, leg, and another appendage...

The fuel leak was probably a simple fix...
Sticking floats, crudded up carbs, leaky floatvalves, leaking petcocks... very common problems that we all have dealt w/ at one time or another...

Sometimes you can simply rap on the carb bowls, and it'll shake the floats & float valves enough to straighten them up...

There's plenty of info here, and guys willin' to help guide you through it to save a bunch of $$$...

But, I understand that sometimes a place to work on it, tools, self doubts... all can be factors, too.

Good luck, hope you get it goin'.
Regards,
Bob