Gas from Overflow - 78 1000E

[salty_monk]

Every now & again I get a gas spot on the floor, the bowl overflow tubes are wet but it seems to be primarily from the #1 carb (difficult to see as they are all together).

Generally seems to happen after it has stood on the sidestand (the skunk leans way over on the stand - more than any other GS I've seen & mine is especially as the stand is worn). It appears to puke when you stand it upright.

It doesn't do it all the time & doesn't appear to do it on the centrestand....

What's the bets?

Skunk tank is coming off for rust treatment issues soon so possible there is some rust in there - possibly also in the bowls if it can get past petcock filter.

My bet is that some rust is occasionally interfering with the petcock & stopping it from closing off every time or could it just be that the bike leans so far over gas is migrating from #4 to #1??

There is no gas in the oil so it's not getting that far....

[tkent02]

Put it on the center stand and have a nice day.

[Nessism]

It might be worthwhile to measure fuel height. Maybe the level is high and when on the side stand a little more is seeping in, which then hits the overflow when the bike is stood up.

[Guest]

It might be worthwhile to measure fuel height. Maybe the level is high and when on the side stand a little more is seeping in, which then hits the overflow when the bike is stood up.

ditto. My 850 was doing the same thing and just needed a float adjustment also there was some fine sediment in the float bowl so maybe it was holding the float needle here and there?

[salty_monk]

I was planning to check the bowls when I take the tank off next so it won't hurt to measure the float levels I guess... Was wondering if a stuck float would do it, levels would show the same thing I guess

I haven't been into them in 3 years or so & I did get rust particles in an inline filter for the first few 1000 miles (So I know it can get past the brand new OEM petcock filter - not sure how it does that!). When I stopped getting particles I removed it... as it was gradually melting/deforming & I didn't want to wait for it to start to leak.

Dan

[Don-lo]

Both a slightly worn needle/seat or fine rust particles will allow gas to slowly pass. On the sidestand (especially wayyyy over), #1 carb is the lowest point in the fuel inlet line, so that needle/seat has the most pressure on it. Also, when a carb is not vertical, the float is pushing sideways on it's pin, eventually binding. Finally, even if the float was not binding, the force pushing on the needle is diminished by the angle from vertical (right triangle theory).