why am i leaking gas?

[Steve]

Bass Cliff's site is hugely helpful and he also has a 1980 GS850 so you'll find a lot of info specific your bike.

I don't have a site to compete with BassCliff, but I do have an '80, an '81 and an '82.

On top of that, I have spent the last four weeks in a Holiday Inn Express.

I guess that would make me a freaking GENIUS with the 850s?



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[oldgsfan]

Steve, you ARE a genius and your valve spreadsheet was a godsend when I did my valves a few months back!

[Steve]

Steve, you ARE a genius and your valve spreadsheet was a godsend when I did my valves a few months back!

Before you rave about it too much, I guess I had better get busy and get out the corrected version.

A mistake was found by a very observant user, I have made the necessary correction and am in the process of starting to get it distributed.

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[achim1313]

Alright the screw on the bowl...bottom part of the carb, sorry still trying to learn all the names. Anyways the screw that is closest to the engine and on that outside when I go to tighten it it never gets tight, seems like it just spins. Anyways that's where it seems like the leak is coming from. Would a longer screw work or what?

[oldgsfan]

You really should read the carb cleaning tutorial on Bass Cliff's website -

http://www.mtsac.edu/~cliff/storage/gs/mc_maint/GS_CV_Carb_Cleaning_Series.pdf

I think you're talking about the float bowl screw, which should have a small gasket on it. And, no, I don't think a longer screw will help.

[cowboyup3371]

Could that screw be stripped? Have you tried a screw from another bowl to verify? May have to invest in a new bowl, screw, or a helicoil.

[Planecrazy]

Not quite true, Mr. Planecrazy.

I was rather dreading the acquisition of a bike with the "dreaded '80 petcock" when I got Junior.
I was very pleased to find that the G models have a 'normal' petcock, it's only the GL models without the lever.

.

I appreciate the "heads up" on the 850G models, but I believe most of the other '80 bikes (standard or L) also had the "leverless" petcocks. My 550L, for example, was "leverless," and I believe several other non-G bikes may also have had the "dreaded" petcocks. Incidentally, my petcock never gave me any trouble - guess I was one of the lucky ones, hehe! For a very short time I owned a 1980 1000G, and if memory serves me correctly (and it might not) that bike also had a leverless petcock.

Regardless, those Holiday Inn Express stays have obviously served you well, Buddy!

Regards,

[achim1313]

You really should read the carb cleaning tutorial on Bass Cliff's website -

http://www.mtsac.edu/~cliff/storage/gs/mc_maint/GS_CV_Carb_Cleaning_Series.pdf

I think you're talking about the float bowl screw, which should have a small gasket on it. And, no, I don't think a longer screw will help.

i think the gasket on that is gone. after completely drying it that screw is the only place where the gas is leaking from. will that mean that I have to get a new bowl or just a gasket?

[cowboyup3371]

Have you tried to swap out screws to see if that hole is stripped? Is the washer that goes with that screw still in good shape? Or are you talking the actual gasket that is around the entire bowl?

[achim1313]

the screw is fine I tested it in the slot beside it and it would get tight, but it won't in the hole it's suppose to go in. it just keeps spinning freely

[achim1313]

i also put a screw i knew was good in it and it also spun freely

[cowboyup3371]

You'll want to look into getting a new bowl or at least get a helicoil and put a new crush washer on it. I had a similar issue with my oil pan and that's the way I ended up going (helicoil/crush washer)

[achim1313]

alright thanks. hopefully that will stop it

[Skateguy50]

If its the one I am thinking of... do you mean the drain screw at the bottom? Mine just uses a oring on that, but if its stripped that would help you much.

I am cheap so take my advice with a grain of salt but I would first try to fix what you got and keep it simple. If you remove the float bowl on the carb in place the float could fall out and the little pin with it and lots of mess... so if you want to really inspect it take the carbs off the bike, drain the other float bowls and flip the carbs over to check that one out.

If you keep it in place and plan to rethread it anyways if it fails... I would just go up to a standard size bolt a hair bigger and thread that in with a new gas resistant oring and call it good enough. As a last ditch effort a small rubber plug could do it.

[achim1313]

If its the one I am thinking of... do you mean the drain screw at the bottom? Mine just uses a oring on that, but if its stripped that would help you much.

I am cheap so take my advice with a grain of salt but I would first try to fix what you got and keep it simple. If you remove the float bowl on the carb in place the float could fall out and the little pin with it and lots of mess... so if you want to really inspect it take the carbs off the bike, drain the other float bowls and flip the carbs over to check that one out.

If you keep it in place and plan to rethread it anyways if it fails... I would just go up to a standard size bolt a hair bigger and thread that in with a new gas resistant oring and call it good enough. As a last ditch effort a small rubber plug could do it.

no not the drain screw. it's the 4 small allen head screws that connect the bowl to the carb