Fuel Leaking From Bowl Vents

[mmaddix]

I just bought some rebuilt carbs from someone I really didn't check them out to much before I installed them so I don't really know what was replaced besides the floats being the new plastic ones. Well I installed them and I turned the fuel on to see if the bowl gaskets would leak after the bowls fill up and they didn't but the bowl vent line for the #3 and #4 carbs started dripping fuel. I started the bike and it runs good but when you rev the engine or if its idling for a few mins fuel would start dripping out of the bowl vent line for the #3 and #4 carbs again. I am guessing the bowls are overfilling but why would they be? Or maybe its something else.

Thanks everybody,
Mark

[natemoen]

Ok, well let's start small. is the fuel line connected to the lower tee's nipple?

[GARTHXS]

Maddix if you are free this week maybe Tue or Wed maybe I can swing by and check it out

[James England]

It's probably the float needles sticking. I had an awful experience with a set of 'rebuilt carbs' which I got from someone in the US who claimed to be an expert on them (and who has posted on this forum knowledgeably about carbs and lists on eBay). I've never seen such a mess and they did exactly the same thing as yours... and more....probably because they were missing parts, float bowls not tightened up and full of blasting grit, amongst other things.

You'd be far better off doing your own carbs.

[mmaddix]

Ok, well let's start small. is the fuel line connected to the lower tee's nipple?

No the fuel lines on the lower and vent lines on the upper. The lines are hooked up right. If they weren't I would have all the fuel going into the carbs comming out of the lines instead of just a few drips a second. I've done it before.

[mmaddix]

It's probably the float needles sticking. I had an awful experience with a set of 'rebuilt carbs' which I got from someone in the US who claimed to be an expert on them (and who has posted on this forum knowledgeably about carbs and lists on eBay). I've never seen such a mess and they did exactly the same thing as yours... and more....probably because they were missing parts, float bowls not tightened up and full of blasting grit, amongst other things.

You'd be far better off doing your own carbs.

I am hopping I dont have to take them apart but if I do I will. Thanks for the info.

[James England]

I am hopping I dont have to take them apart but if I do I will. Thanks for the info.

Hopping won't stop you needing to take them apart but itmakes it more difficult....

Actually, it's nowhere near as complicated as people sometimes think (me included... that's why I paid out for the useless 'rebuilt' carbs). Just do one carb at a time and it's basically the same process x 4. I rebuilt mine with Georgefix kits and noticed an instant huge improvement.

[natemoen]

Was not trying to be insulting, I don't know your skill/knowledge level and now we know they are hooked up right.

So there are not many options at this point. Something is causing the float needles to not seal. Either there is crap in there holding the needle open, the float is hanging up on the gasket, the needle and seat are damaged and can't seal, or the seats are not tightened down( or.the gasket washer is missing). Only way to know is to pull the carbs and find out.

[James England]

Only way to know is to pull the carbs and find out.

I second that. Taking them off is easy enough. The important bit is to undo partially the screws on the top bracket of the airbox (having completely removed the one that holds the bracket to the frame), then lever the bracket forward so it goes under the lug. This gives just enough extra clearance to pull the airbox backwards and down off the carb mouths, without having to squash the rubbers and need 6 sets of fingers.

[mmaddix]

Was not trying to be insulting, I don't know your skill/knowledge level and now we know they are hooked up right.

No I understand I was saying in the past I have hooked them up backwards. I wasn't meaning to be a smart a** if that's how it came off. I appreciate any input no matter what because sometimes its the simple stuff we forget.

[mmaddix]

Well I took the bike for a ride down the road before I take the carbs apart and I made it about 2 miles then the bike just cut off and will not start. The bike was riding fine before it died. I made sure it has gas which it does and gas is actually getting to the carbs and it is but it will not start even after letting it sit for almost a hour. Do you think this could be caused by the carbs. I am going to pull out the spark plugs and hook them back up to the wire while attempting to start it to make sure they are getting a spark but after that I really don't know what to do.

[motoman]

Like others stated.............wasting your time untill you pull that carb bank, at the least remove the bowls and blow all orfices with carb cleaner........that's the LEAST your gonna get away with doing................

[James England]

If you go to the trouble of removing the carbs from the bike and stripping them to clean them, then I would eliminate them from any future problem diagnosis by removing all the jets, cleaning them thoroughly and then using carb rebuild kits to renew the jets, needles etc. You have a supplier (Georgefix) in the USA who sells great kits. The problem with a piecemeal approach to carbs is that they are not the most accessible items on the bike. You could replace one float valve needle one month and still have three others to fail in the next 6 months or whatever. It's never-ending. It's better to spend $50 on rebuild kits and do the job right..... once.

After my dreadful experience with the 'professional' (PM me for the name) in the USA (which left me $80 out of pocket on import duties, even after returning the carbs, and a Mastercard charge-back for the return shipping fees), I stripped my own carbs in under two hours and replaced all the jets etc using Georgefix kits. I replaced the diaphragms too and have had a year of 100% completely trouble-free performance so far.

[Lloydo]

Fuel leaking from bowl vents

A few years ago I had the same problem. I found that the tabs on the floats actually had a "dimple" worn into them where the float pin hits them. Smoothed that out & they haven't leaked since.

[mmaddix]

So I took off the #3 and #4 float bowls and noticed that the float needle nut in the # 4 carb was loose. I took the float out tightened the needle nut, reinstalled the float, and made sure the float was at the correct height. once everything was put back together nothing is leaking with the fuel turned on.

Thanks everybody.

Please see next post about not starting.