carb troubles

[krushchev]

Hi everyone,
I'm new to the board here. I've been lurking for a while and finally decided to be a member. I bought a 97 GS last August from a local who had bought it to fix it up and sell it. He said he had cleaned the carbs out cause the original owner had left it in storage without properly repairing it. I don't think he knew what he was doing.

Anyway, I've rejetted the carbs with 40/125 jets and replaced all the gaskets and seals. Idle air screws are turned out 3 times. also installed a fuel filter. The problem is, I've noticed that the fuel is flowing even though the petcock is switched to ON or RES. (on PRI, the fuel doesn't look like it's flowing except when the engine is running.) With the fuel flowing, the carbs (I think it's the left side) overflow and fuel spills into the airbox and drains out of the drain hose. A LOT of fuel. I've just disassembled and reassembled the carbs to check for a stuck float valve, everything seemed fine. But, it's still doing the same thing.

argh. It's been a month since I've rode around and I'm suffering from withdrawl.  

[TheGoodGuy]

humm let me guess.. guy forgot to put the vacume lines back in (there is one blocked vacume outlet on the carb and the other has a pipe in it) or switched the pipes around.

ON and RES are vacume activated meaning they only work when the engine runs, PRIme is free flowing gravity feed.

Yours seem like its been switched.

Take it apart and then if you got a clymer manual (like the one above where you can buy it) and fix it yourself.

I am sure someone else here with more experience will come on in and tell you which pipes go where.

[krushchev]

the manual isn't too clear in which pipes go where.

basically, I have the bottom-most tube (the one going into the T-connector) coming in from the petcock. the vacuum tube (the one connected to the left carb) is also coming from the petcock. then there's the top-most tube (the other one connected to the T-connector) just hanging there.

I also have a weird petcock it seems.

                             ON
                                     RES
                             PRI

which seems to be the reverse.

Just tried to start up the bike. my ears are ringing from the loudest backfire I've ever heard. checked the spark plugs. the left one was wet. both were carbon-fouled. no fuel spillage though. yet.

any ideas anyone?

[Kerry]

It's possible that the plate on your petcock (stamped with ON, RES and PRI) has been rotated 180 degrees.

Until you get a repair manual, you're going to want to get real familiar with the "OEM Parts" area of BikeBandit.com.  They have diagrams for all of the subsystems of the bike, by model year.

I just checked the diagram for the '97 FUEL chicken and it is chopped off on the right side.  But there's still plenty there to get you set up right.  Be aware that the fuel filter/outlet inside the fuel tank has been "spun" 180 degrees for the sake of the diagram.  Hose #6 (the ON hose) really connects to the shorter REAR outlet, and hose #5 (the RES hose) really connects to the longer FRONT outlet.

Hose #3 connects to the lower T-connection between your carbs.  The hose attached at the upper T-connection drapes over your airbox and is left open to the air.

The other diagram that should be useful to you right now is the one showing the '97 CARBURETORS.

[ac_nvmax]

Even with the tank and chicken fixed you will still get carb petrol overflow when the engine starts suckjing. You need to fix that problem first by adjusting the float height.

[krushchev]

okay. I've got the clymer manual. the carb hoses seem to be connected correctly. I've lowered the float height since it seemed to be too high to begin with. it looks like the left carb is sucking in fuel in ON and RES with the engine off. but the bike won't start now. left plug is still wet.

I've also noticed that the under-tank petcock is installed backwards. meaning, with the shutoff switch facing the kickstand side.  :x

thanks for the help, you guys.