Need advice/help - gas leaking after my wreck

[twinwillows]

Started working on repairing my XS1100 special after my wreck (I went off road & the bike went end over end).

Bike starts & runs fine but I've got gas running out the airbox. I take it there is something wrong with one or more of my carbs that allows too much gas to flow..

I've never been into a carb to know what to look for. Anyone have a suggestion?

Also, do I need to pull the carbs out to sort this out or can I get into them while they are installed?

Thanks,
Twin

[DiverRay]

You can try tapping on the underside of each carb, and see if that stops the leak. You probably have one or more floats "stuck" in an open position from the wreck. IF that does not work, you WILL need to remove the carbs, and check the floats and seats on the fuel inlet side. The carbs stay together for that, but still may need to do it.

[kevxs]

i'm no expert just a guy who has spent way too much time reading these forums.
my guess is you should pull the carbs and make sure your floats are floating. they may be getting stuck and not shutting off the fuel flow. might just need a clean / inspection. they also have been known to get stuck on the bowl gaskets so make sure there is clearance between the float and gasket.

i've also read that some guys have goood luck just tapping on the bowls with a screwdriver handle to get the floats unstuck, but if you have luck like me you probably have to take a carbs off and have a look.

[natemoen]

Could also be that during the endo you knocked some crap loose that was in the tank, maybe a filter tower came off, and some gunk got down into the float needles and they cant close.

No matter what ends up being the cause, for some reason your floats are not shutting off fuel flow to the carbs. That causes the carb bowls to over flow and then the gas runs out. In a good situations all the gas runs out the airbox. In a not so good situation some or all the gas goes into the cylinders and into the crank case. This then thins out the oil and you lose a bearing, or several bearings. So check your oil for signs of gas being in there. If there is gas, even a little, DO NOT start that bike till you get the floats fixed and the oil changed!!!

[DGXSER]

Yep, one way or another, your float is not pushing hard enough on that needle valve to close off the fuel flow when the bowl hits the "enough" line.

Like Ray said, sometimes when the bowls go dry, the floats drop lower than usual and get stuck the sides or the gasket. Sometimes, a tap on the bowl sets them free. The darker side is that something got bent a bit going end for end and you might need to replace the seats and valves and check the floats over.

[twinwillows]

Could also be that during the endo you knocked some crap loose that was in the tank, maybe a filter tower came off, and some gunk got down into the float needles and they cant close.

No matter what ends up being the cause, for some reason your floats are not shutting off fuel flow to the carbs. That causes the carb bowls to over flow and then the gas runs out. In a good situations all the gas runs out the airbox. In a not so good situation some or all the gas goes into the cylinders and into the crank case. This then thins out the oil and you lose a bearing, or several bearings. So check your oil for signs of gas being in there. If there is gas, even a little, DO NOT start that bike till you get the floats fixed and the oil changed!!!

Thanks for the heads up on the thin oil/bearing issue. I'll make sure & not start it any more as I don't want to add any more work to myself!!

[natemoen]

Thanks for the heads up on the thin oil/bearing issue. I'll make sure & not start it any more as I don't want to add any more work to myself!!

Thats what we are all here for, to help other learn from past experiences!