Tried all of the standard stuff- why am I still leaking fuel?!

[henniejay]

I have a 2000 gs500e. Had it for a year.
It had a lot of carb problems when I got it, it leaked gas, fuel lines were mismatched from the tank/petcock, poor jetting, so many things.

One year later, and a bunch of fixes, and I love how my bike rides. Idles perfect, even power, accelerates how I like it, cold blooded as these bikes are known to be but whatever.

Problem is, two carb kits later (gaskets, float needles and needle seats), the carbs are still leaking fuel into the airbox! Slow leak I think, and it doesn't seem to be leaking into the engine (oil has always smelled fine, changed a couple times this year). But it reeks at intersections, and only gets 35ish mpg.

I remember someone saying the aftermarket float needles and seats just wouldn't work for their bike, and to use genuine Suzuki parts. Is that ridiculous? Both times I've replaced the needle valves and seats I've used the aftermarket sets on ebay.
Is there anything else I should be trying? I've checked all other gaskets and set the float height to spec. Floats themselves don't appear to have leaks.

It's so frustrating because everything about the bike is operating fine besides the gas dripping out of the airbox.

[radodrill]

Have you checked the float level?  If it's set too high, it can overflow into the airbox.

[henniejay]

Float level is at ~14, checked each time I've had the carbs off the bike.

[radodrill]

Float level is at ~14, checked each time I've had the carbs off the bike.

best way to check is to attach a u-tube to the bowl drain nipple and set the petcock to prime; with the bike vertical the level should be just to the top of the bowls.

[The Buddha]

Well ... the original rubber parts are good. The new rubber - suzuki genuine or aftermarket makes no difference, they are all less than the original.
You can still get some decent life out of it, use 3m gasket maker just on the rubber, and that helps keep em wet with gas, and seal up a little ... Then yea there is the float level ...

You dont keep dropping rebuild kits in it when the first one didn't work. You did something wrong, and you need to find out what that is before dropping the next one in.

Cool.
Buddha.

[BockinBboy]

Yes, for some reason many folks have trouble with the aftermarket needles on these carbs.  Bombsquad's 90's refresh thread comes to my mind, but there are plenty more members with the same problems from using them.  Unfortunately needles are one of those few things you have to go OEM for replacement on these bikes.  At the same time though, if they are others who have not had problems with them, they don't typically show up on the board because they didn't have a problem and wouldn't notice it 

- Bboy

[The Buddha]

Bench test the thing for leaks before fitting it back. I do it to every carb that comes by for any carb work.
Cool.
Buddha.