Leaking gas out of air box

[sloburban]

Well my bike started running poor, missing in the 6-7000 rpm range, and gradually got worse. I didn't know when or if the valves have ever been checked so I decided to start there.  

Three valves were out of spec so I bought Mustang's "Valve Shim Tool" and replaced the offending shims. Thank you Mustang for all your help on this site and via PM"s.   The instructions that were sent with the tool were a big help as I've never been this deep into an engine.  I put the bike back together and she started right up but began to gradually run worse as the bike warmed up.  SHIT! Here we go again.

Now it's time to clean the carbs (thanks again Mustang for your help)  So I pull the carbs, they already look clean but I take all the jets out and give them a thorough cleaning.  Put the bike back together, after waiting a week for a broken throttle cable and when I turn on the gas it starts pissing out of the hose that's connected to the air box.  

The more I touch this bike the more problems I have

 

So I guess I need to pull the carbs again, take the float needles out and clean them?

I just want to go for a fucking ride...

[JetdocX]

One or more of your float valves is leaking.  Could be a stuck float.  Double check your work.  Maybe open one float bowl drain at a time until the leakage stops?  Might tell you which one is the culprit, but it will make a mess.

[Mustang]

check for damaged orings  on the float assemblys if they are mikunis
and if you need float assm orings check the sticky threads for p/n from mcmaster carr for new orings if the orings are leaking it will make it run rich as hell and not very good

patience is the key to working on a steamer  :shock:

[sloburban]

Went out this morning and after trying repeatedly to start my bike it finally started. I tried to start it with the gas on at first but I think it flooded or the gas started leaking out of the air box again because I started to smell gas.

Went back in the house and waited a half hour then went back out to try again. This time with the gas off.

After kicking and sputtering it finally started, half choke.  After warming up a bit I gave it some gas and the RPM"S stayed high and never came back down so  I adjusted the throttle cable until the RPM"S came down to an idle.

It was 7:30 in the morning so I gave my neighbors a break and didn't check the throttle response, but I did let it warm up and turned the gas back on.  NO leaks!!  

Going to take her out later, hoping I can jut ride the cob webs out.

[Mudhen]

Going through the stuck float thing right now on mine...what's the wisdom regarding possible damage for gas in the oil?  I haven't measured my oil drain pan yet...but there's gotta be 6-8qts of gas/oil in it right now...

I was sort of thinking this is a good way to clean out the motor internals...get all that pesky oil off stuff by coating it with gas.  Should be nice and clean now!

 

[Mustang]

Going through the stuck float thing right now on mine...what's the wisdom regarding possible damage for gas in the oil?  I haven't measured my oil drain pan yet...but there's gotta be 6-8qts of gas/oil in it right now...

I was sort of thinking this is a good way to clean out the motor internals...get all that pesky oil off stuff by coating it with gas.  Should be nice and clean now!

 

tryin to run it on premix  are ya ? the gas and oil are supposed to be mixed in the gas tank
how long you been ridin it like that

not long I hope .......the bearings and rings won't like it very much neither will the aluminum cam caps that the cams run in

If your floats only just stuck .get em fixed first  then run some cheap , I use that word loosely as no oil is cheap anymore , but I digress get some regular ol dino oil like 10 w 30 and run it for a day or so then dump it and go back to your regular flavor
you should be good to go as long as you didn't go to Bangor and back with a gallon of gas in the crankcase .!

[Mudhen]

how long you been ridin it like that

not long I hope .......the bearings and rings won't like it very much neither will the aluminum cam caps that the cams run in

If your floats only just stuck .get em fixed first  then run some cheap , I use that word loosely as no oil is cheap anymore , but I digress get some regular ol dino oil like 10 w 30 and run it for a day or so then dump it and go back to your regular flavor
you should be good to go as long as you didn't go to Bangor and back with a gallon of gas in the crankcase .!

Bangor, no...I hardly know 'er!

Went less than 1/4 mile...when it went from running rough to running rough-er, I turned around.  Got that fancy new Vespa in the garage now..don't need the Tiger anymore.

So is it just gravity?  Float sticks, gravity pulls gas down through the system while the bike is dormant - so shutting that little valve thing off would prevent it?   :roll:

Do you run any sort of stabilizer?  I never considered it because I would use the bike so much, but lately it sits for a couple weeks at a whack before getting used...

[Mustang]

its the ethanol in the gas makes the float bowl dirty and a pc of shit gets under the needle valve  

no stabilzer here ...and I leave that little lever thingy on all the time

[JetdocX]

Sorry, dude.  The Vespa is the more reliable of the two???  Daaaaaaaam!

I shut the fuel cock off whenever I let the bike sit for more than a week or so.  Just in case.  Then I hop on and ride away without turning it back on.  You can get about 1/2 a block before it reminds you. :x

[Mudhen]

Sorry, dude.  The Vespa is the more reliable of the two???  Daaaaaaaam!

I shut the fuel cock off whenever I let the bike sit for more than a week or so.  Just in case.  Then I hop on and ride away without turning it back on.  You can get about 1/2 a block before it reminds you. :x

The Vespa is a 2010 with 200 miles on it right now...so hopefully it will be reliable (it's my wife's, though...not mine).

Sounds like the first ride I took on the Steamer back in '05.  1/2 a block from my house...pushing the thing across the intersection.   :roll:

[Sin_Tiger]

I might well have said this before  :roll:  I had the tap on reserve without relising it, warning light not working, rode out of Singapore border checkpoint onto the causeway over to Malaysia and ran dry with 2 km's of uphill still to go before the next checkpoint and another 3 kms after that till the filling station. Luckily a local lad on his 200cc Honda Phantom stopped and gave me a "Leg Push" all the way through immigration, the toll barriers right up to the pumps then just waved and rode off  :oops:  

[Mudhen]

Emptied my drain pan yesterday...just about 2 gallons.  :shock:

No wonder the gas light came on when I started it up, yet there was only about a hundred miles on the trip meter.  Couldn't figure out why I'd reset it at some point other than a fill up!   :lol:

Put the carbs back on and she fired right up.  Then the oil flowed...down the front of the motor and onto the floor...you can see the gasket blown out:



Collateral damage from the gas?  The gasket seems like it's 2 sizes too big now...

Sorry for the hijack Sloburban.

[Mustang]

is it the rubber valve cover gasket ?
I got a spare on hand

[Mudhen]

is it the rubber valve cover gasket ?
I got a spare on hand

Yes, rubber.  I almost stole Zahi's...what the heck, he's probably not ever going to need it again.  But I figure she deserves a new one.

Damn - if we'd have known this a few days ago I could have met you in Lee...or bring the tag over to the seacoast and I'll meet you.  :lol:

Thanks for the offer, though...but I have a whopping 0 rides planned...so not in any kind of hurry.  

Have you ever needed to replace the rubber diaphragms inside the tops of the carbs?  They've always been tricky to get the cover on over but this time they just seemed way stretched out...thinking about getting some of those, too.