fouled flugs, etc.

[Foogee]

Greetings all,

I just had my airbox and fuel tank off to attend to a fuel leak and now I'm having a problem with extremely fouled plugs and a breather hose that's pouring gas all over the garage floor. I had what I think was a stuck float after winter storage and couldn't really diagnose the location, so the tear-down. After I pulled everything apart, no leak.

Anyway, I inadvertently left on a piece of plastic wrap that I had over the air inlet when I first went to crank it over. Naturally, it wouldn't start and I had fuel in the airbox. After soaking it up, I cranked it over (miunus the wrap) and it wouldn't run well. I pulled the plugs and discovered one wet, black one and one black, sooty one. So I stuck in a fesh set and the same thing heppened. The bike was blowing some whitish smoke which cleared up after a brief run but the bike really didn't run any better afterwards.

Probably unrelated, but I just diecovered that I might have incorrectly reinstalled the fuel lines. Should the hose off of the tank marked "R" be attached to the "reserve" outlet on the petcock? I'd swear it was attached opposite that arrangement before I dissambled everything.

Many, many thanks for any help...

[The Buddha]

The tank petcock hose from the front should go to the back fitting on the petcock. The back one from the tank goes to the front in the frame. Also make sure the hoses to the carbs are routed right. That if wrong could be all sorts of problems.
Cool.
Srinath.

[dstylez2001]

Im going through the same thing. I replaced both petcocks, new lines even vacuum and plugs. But im still not getting gas. I put in a see through fuel filter to see it the carbs are getting gas which they are but only on primary. When I hooked the lines back up, I went off of the gstwin picture guide, and still cant understand it. I am stumped!!!

[Chuck]

I bet those fouled flugs are making you fluckin flustered.

Sorry.   

[Kerry]

Greetings all

Welcome to GStwin!

I had what I think was a stuck float after winter storage and couldn't really diagnose the location, so the tear-down. After I pulled everything apart, no leak.

No leak - that's good.  But what exactly did the "tear-down" include?  Did you go as far as pulling the carbs and cleaning out the jets and the float seat area?  If the bike sat all winter until now, chances are good that some of the fuel turned to "gum" and caused some blockage.

The bike was blowing some whitish smoke which cleared up after a brief run but the bike really didn't run any better afterwards.

Whitish smoke = unburned fuel.  This sounds perfectly reasonable, given the flooded condition.  [Bluish smoke = oil in the combustion chamber(s), which is something to worry about.]

Probably unrelated, but I just diecovered that I might have incorrectly reinstalled the fuel lines. Should the hose off of the tank marked "R" be attached to the "reserve" outlet on the petcock? I'd swear it was attached opposite that arrangement before I dissambled everything.

Yes, probably unrelated.  IF you were low on fuel and things were hooked up such that you were trying to run using the ON hose, then maybe.  But since the engine was flooded I'd say you have good fuel flow - at least TO the carbs if not THROUGH the carbs.

You didn't mention your bike's model year.  The frame-mounted petcock and hose placement changed a bit with the '01 model, but THIS DIAGRAM will give you a good idea of how things go.  Like Srinath said, the hoses from the tank should not cross over each other on their way to the frame-mounted petcock, no matter which model you have.

Keep us up-to-date as you gather more info....

[Kerry]

I replaced both petcocks, new lines even vacuum and plugs. But im still not getting gas.

Similar question for you:  What, if anything, have you done with the carbs?  And are you also coming off of a long period of no riding?

I put in a see through fuel filter to see it the carbs are getting gas which they are but only on primary.  When I hooked the lines back up, I went off of the gstwin picture guide[...]

Fact #1: The PRI setting uses the RES hose (attached to the longer brass outlet tube under the fuel tank).

Fact #2:  Both the ON and the RES settings are vacuum-actuated.

Conclusion #1: The RES hose is not blocked.

Conclusion #2: We don't have enough information to know whether the ON hose is blocked...

Conclusion #3: ... but given that the vacuum-actuated RES setting doesn't pass fuel (which is supplied via an unblocked hose), the vacuum portion of the system is suspect.[/list]

If you want to eliminate the possibility of blockage in the ON hose, perform a test similar to the one in THIS OLD POST.  If fuel drains through the ON hose just fine, then the problem is "downstream" - either in the ON/RES/PRI switch itself or in the vacuum hose connection or the carb that's supposed to be supplying the vacuum.

I am stumped!!!

That's OK - no harm done.  Keep breathing, and let's work the problem a step at a time.