carbs leaking

[raivis]

on my 6 gs my left side(as ur sitting on the bike) is leaking.  the leak is messing up paint on one of the engine covers.  what i was wondering is with the frame fuel switch, ould i turn it half way between on and prime to stop fuel flow? not sure exactly what kind of valve it is but i know some valves would actually work like that   since im not riding very much right now was thinking about parking it like that.  just until i can disassemble the carbs

[BaltimoreGS]

In the ON and RES positions your petcock should not flow any fuel from the tank with the engine off if it is working correctly.  It has a diaphragm that allows flow only when it receives a vacuum signal from the engine.  The PRI position bypasses that and flows fuel all the time.  Any fuel after the petcock (fuel line from petcock to carb, float bowls on carbs...) will still be able to leak whatever fuel is in them.  Is the leak coming out the overflow hose on the carb or leaking out somewhere on the carb/fuel lines?  If it is the latter you may have a damaged fuel line or bad/pinched float bowl gasket.  It would be a good idea to make sure the float bowl drain screw is tight.  Also make sure the carb boots are tight.  Good luck

-Jessie

[JAY W]

Hi,as jessie says also you may have a sticky float valve (dirt on the valve) or there is an O ring in the valve seat that could be leaking.

[mister]

If you want to park it so you can sort out the leak later, turn off the fuel at the Undertank Petcock not the Frame Mounted Res Pri On one.

Michael

[raivis]

its hard to tell exactly where its coming from.  i know if i crack open the bowl screw the gas comes out orange for a second then clears up.   a friend told me something about sometimes gas grows algae or something when it sits.   looks like the fuel is coming from higher on the carb. 

[BaltimoreGS]

If your gas is turning orange it is probably caused by rust in the tank.  If that gets bad it will clog the jets.

-Jessie

[raivis]

from what i can see the tank is clean.  i don't see any rust inside.   its an 06 with like 2000 miles. 

[BaltimoreGS]

What usually happens is condensation collects in tanks over time.  Water being heavier than gasoline settles in the bottom corners of the tank causing surface rust.  It is hard to see by looking in the filler neck.  To combat it you can add dry gas type products periodicly and keep the tank full or coat the inside of the tank with one of the various products on the market.

-Jessie

[raivis]

ok well anyone know y they are leaking  how hard is it gonna be to fix.  i am mechanically capable but i just haven't took apart motorcycle carbs.  only the carbs on my three wheeler

[BaltimoreGS]

Depends on where the leak is coming from. If it is coming out of the over flow then you may have a float sticking or a bad worn float needle/seat.  If the leak is coming out of the carb body take a look at the float bowl gasket as a starting point.

-Jessie

[the mole]

If there is rust there's a good chance some has got into the needle/seat and is stopping the needle shutting off the fuel flow. If so, dismantle and clean. Not a hard job, just note carefully where everything comes from as you take it out. A digital camera is your friend if you're new to this.