carb over flow drains like crazy

[thatguy]

Hello-

im going to be as detailed as i can, so hope this is easy to understand.

from the left side, my #1 carb is leaking from the drain tube like crazy. that cylinder exhaust pipe is also different color from the rest.
i rode the gs around the block and when i got back there was gas spewing from the drain tube on the carb. i put a pan under it and it eventually stopped.
i started the bike back up, rode it across my parking lot and back, shut it off and gas was pouring out again.

i briefly skimmed the service manual and saw section about float adjustments...would i be safe to say that is what needs to be done?


one other thing. the previous owner did a crap ass job of welding some pipes on this thing. i dont know if they are the stock ones or not but the welds are terrible. anyway, the welds are leaking and ugly so i was thinking about just wrapping them up for now so i dont have to look at them and so i dont have an exhaust leak.
is/could this exhaust leak cause any idling/running issues i need to address?

 

[Steve]

Well, the FIRST thing you need to do is to give us a clue what bike we are talking about.

It has to be a '79 or older, but that's all I can guess.

Actually, the fix doesn't really care what year or what size bike, but you need to get used to mentioning it EVERY TIME you ask a question, or just create a signature that will show it with every post you make, whether you are asking a question about it or not.

Your float valves are leaking. Could be some crud stuck in them, could be worn seats. Could also be a simple matter of being set incorrectly. I am going to go out on a limb here, and guess that you have not done much maintenance on the bike. Standard items that most of us will do before ever throwing a leg over the bike include carb rebuilding, valve adjustment and electrical system inspection. Some bikes have their own specific items to add to the list, but EVERY bike gets those basics.

.

 

[btbarb]

Hello-

im going to be as detailed as i can, so hope this is easy to understand.

from the left side, my #1 carb is leaking from the drain tube like crazy. that cylinder exhaust pipe is also different color from the rest.
i rode the gs around the block and when i got back there was gas spewing from the drain tube on the carb. i put a pan under it and it eventually stopped.
i started the bike back up, rode it across my parking lot and back, shut it off and gas was pouring out again.

i briefly skimmed the service manual and saw section about float adjustments...would i be safe to say that is what needs to be done?


one other thing. the previous owner did a crap ass job of welding some pipes on this thing. i dont know if they are the stock ones or not but the welds are terrible. anyway, the welds are leaking and ugly so i was thinking about just wrapping them up for now so i dont have to look at them and so i dont have an exhaust leak.
is/could this exhaust leak cause any idling/running issues i need to address?

1. If the float levels are set wrong, yes they could leak. Stuck floats, crap in the float valve seat, or bad petcock could cause overflowing carbs too.

2. Check your list of maintenance items on your mega welcome for carb rebuild and petcock fix info.

3. Yes, exhaust leaks will affect idling/running - how much depends on on much is leaking and where. Don't think exhaust leaks could contribute to carb overflow problems.

4. Modify your online profile, add your bike info to your signature and your location. Go to USERCP, you'll see edit location, edit signature etc.. Bike info helps those trying to answer your questions, location info may show there is another member close to you that can help out.

 

[thatguy]

yeah sorry, posted in a hurry as you can tell.
working with a gs750L '79

I have had no time to do anything with it do to work.
I will drop the carb bowl and start snooping around.
as far as the exhaust leak goes, some one did a terrible welding job and it just has a smaller hole. I will seal it up for now until i can afford a new exhaust.

 

[Steve]

yeah sorry, posted in a hurry as you can tell.

Actually, I think most of us missed the video that showed you typing your post. :-k

We have NO idea how much of a hurry you were in.

Coouldn't have been too much of a hurry, if it took over a week to come back.

.

 

[thatguy]

Actually, I think most of us missed the video that showed you typing your post. :-k

We have NO idea how much of a hurry you were in.

Coouldn't have been too much of a hurry, if it took over a week to come back.

.

yeah.....
anyway, back to the leaky carbs.

 

[spyug]

/could this exhaust leak cause any idling/running issues i need to address?

Yes absolutely but one thing at a time. Back to the carbs.

There is no history on carb cleaning or rebuilds so I'm going to take it that they have not been touched in recent memory. If that is the case then there is no point in putzing about. They need to be pulled, disassembled, dipped in carb cleaner for 24 hours then reassembled with fresh O-rings. On reassembly, you will need to make sure your floats are set to the correct height too. all of this is covered very thoroughly in the carb rebuild tutorial (s) on Cliff's site.

Once rebuilt, they need to be bench synched but before reinstalling the condition of the intake boots and intake boot O-rings need to be established. And now parts put in if needed. If the boots or O-rings are cracked air will get in and it will be impossible to set the carbs properly. The same goes for the airbox. It and the connector tubes need to be pretty much airtight.

Once the carbs are back on and the engine runs you will need to do a dynamic synch using a vacuum gauge. Once that is all done then you need to look at the pipes. If the pipes have holes or cracks you will get backfiring, especially on deceleration.

First things first, sort out the carbs. Overflowing is a serious issue as it indicates something is plugged or is not doing its job (float needles) and can be dangerous as in a fire can start.

Good luck.

 

[thatguy]

Sounds great.
Carbs will be worked on shortly. The carbs boots are nice, not hard or rotten at all. So i guess I am in luck there.
I do need to get a foam filter. Some one apparently thought it was a good idea to remove it and re-install the metal is sits on. So...filter, carb cleaning/rebuild, float adjustment, carb sync.
Thanks for the info guys!

yes, i did notice how dangerous the gas leaking all over the hot pipes was...scared the crap out of me when i saw the stream of fuel. Lucked out on that thing not catching fire.