82 GS750T with a leaky carb!

[Anonymous]

I have a stock 82 GS750T with 20,000 miles on it. I have only had it for a couple of years. Recently, it has started leaking gas from both sides of only the left-most carburetor. I took the carbs off and cleaned out all 4 as best I could without making any adjustments to anything. I didn't take out screws or anything. I just cleaned what I could see. It ran ok afterwards. However, a few days after replacing them, the same one started leaking again.
I was told that with a bike that age, the carbs should probably be rebuilt. I would also like to do some mods to my bike.
I like the looks of the 4 individual air filters. I understand, however, that the carbs would need rejetting for the bike to perform correctly with these filters.
I have a few questions.
1) If I only rebuild the 4 carbs, will I have to resync?
2) If I rejet the carbs and go with the individual air filters, will I also have to change the exhaust?
3) Rebuilding or rejetting seems like it would not be very difficult. Isn't it basically just replacing parts?
4) I'm sure it would vary, but what should I generally expect to pay for someone to resync my carbs since I don't have the tool for that?

Thanks very much for the help. I have searched this site many times in the past and found it very helpful. I have just recently signed up to this great site!

[Jethro]

You might have a stuck float needle and a leaking fuel tap. The left will leak more becasue of the bike sitting that way on the sidestand.

Anytime you rebuild carbs they should be synched. Sometimes you can get away without if you don't seperate the rack, but I'd recommend you do and clean them right.

Pods and a stock exhaust aren't the best match, but I'm sure you can jet it to work. You might lose a little low end response (or is it high end?) I'm not sure.

3) Rebuilding or rejetting seems like it would not be very difficult. Isn't it basically just replacing parts?

Sorry, have to poke fun at your comment here. It is just replacing parts, and road testing, and reading plugs, and replaceing parts again, and testing, and tweeking, and then replacing parts again, and testing, and replacing parts, and reading plugs, and...

A vaccum synch tool costs about $45 through Dennis Kirk. You'll pay more than that to have them synched at a shop. It's easy to do and you'll know is was done right. It's the second best under $50 tool I have bought, with my $15 impact driver at number one!

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the info.
Sorry 'bout the novice comment.
Is there really that much testing, rechecking, and so fourth that must be done?
Is one more difficult (rebuilding or rejetting) in any way than the other ?
The bike is in good shape for what I paid for it. I would just like to do as much as I can myself to, of course, save a little and most importantly ride again. (If your bike budget is like mine NONEXISTANT, you know where I'm coming from!)

[Jethro]

Sorry 'bout the novice comment.

Oh no, nothing to be sorry about! If you knew how much trouble I went through to get my bike jetted right, you'd understand my cynicisim!

Some folks get it right the first time, then some others take years to get it right. In my case, I thought my bike was jetted right, until I melted a head from it running too hot. That was an expensive mistake! On my recent bike, I replaced the pipe and it required rejetting. I had some jets to play with laying around, but still ended up shelling out about $50 on other jets to try. The money isn't the real issue to me, it's the time (as important to me as money). It took me months of messing with the carbs until I got it right (which I hope it is).

And guess what? I'm on the hunt to find a stock exhaust and airbox! That's another story...