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Main Area => General GS500 Discussion => Topic started by: TheDooman92 on April 15, 2019, 05:32:13 PM

Title: 2009 Gs500F
Post by: TheDooman92 on April 15, 2019, 05:32:13 PM
I recently purchased a 2009 GS500F as a summer commuter. It has 14,600km and looks like a very straight bike. I just put it on the road last Friday. Bike seems to run good and idle good. After riding it home Friday from mechanics after safety I parks the bike and did a small inspection. I noticed there was fuel on the side on the carb, some dripping from the nipples on the bottom of the carb onto the motor. No fuel on the ground, it was localized to that area, particularly on the left side of the bike, bit one small drip on the right side. This is a slower leak, I'd estimate a few drops worth over the course of the day, nevertheless it is still leaking. The previous owner did give me paperwork with the bike that confirmed that the carb was cleaned professionally by a local bike mechanic last year. I am new to bikes and not very knowledgeable on what to do or what steps I need to take to figure out/fix the issue at hand. If someone could kindly help me out or point me in the right direction, it would be much appreciated. I have attached some pictures for reference. Thank you so much GSTWINS community!
Title: Re: 2009 Gs500F fuel on/around carb
Post by: TheDooman92 on April 15, 2019, 08:19:35 PM
Refer to pics. Thinking that the petcock diaphragm may be an issue after further research but still not certain.
Title: Re: 2009 Gs500F
Post by: herennow on April 16, 2019, 12:05:24 AM
Is the leak coming from the carb drain screw. Try to gently tighten it. If its leaking from the float seal, then needles are probably sticing and you might have a crankcase full of gas....
Title: Re: 2009 Gs500F
Post by: Kilted1 on April 16, 2019, 06:51:50 AM
Sounds like the bowl drain is seeping a bit.  Rather than just tightening, I'd crack it loose first, there may be a bit of debris in there, then snug it up.  If that doesn't solve it, wipe everything down with a rag and throw a handfull of flour at it.  Come back in an hour and you should be able to see where your leak is coming from.
Title: Re: 2009 Gs500F
Post by: TheDooman92 on April 16, 2019, 05:05:12 PM
Thanks for the advice guys. Much appreciated. I noticed today that there is gas on the outside of the reserve line so I am going to follow ur advice and change the fuel lines be because clearly there is a leak if there is fuel on the exterior of the hoses. I was thinking it could be dripping down from the petcock and onto the carb as well but haven't done any further inspection. Do you think faulty petcock or petcock diaphragm if this is the case? Is there a fix for the petcock as opposed to buying a complete new petcock unit. I have read that you can use a on/off style petcock but would prefer to keep things original. Any other further advice would be appreciated!
Title: Re: 2009 Gs500F
Post by: Numewsm on April 17, 2019, 06:16:59 AM
Remove the tank and check the petcock attachment bolts are tight.  remove and clean the petcock and its rubber gasket.  you can get a rebuild kit for the petcock cheap enough.  Follow the previous advice as well, as a leaking petcock wont get petrol soaking down the pipes to the carbs unless its pouring out, which yours aren't.  Check the float drain screws, and drain the float bowls while you are at it and check the fuel for any bits in it.  The carbs are easy to remove and take apart, and any tiny bits of junk will fowl up the float needle causing leakage into the cylinder. (black bits = fuel line rotting). check the fuel lines as these will slowly disintegrate from the inside over time and fowl the carbs.  My on fuel line just fell off one day!!!!  all fuel lines replaced after that one!!

Hope this helps.  ;)
Title: Re: 2009 Gs500F
Post by: TheDooman92 on April 17, 2019, 10:04:20 AM
Okay I am going to remove the tank shortly, inspect the petcock, drain the carb and inspect for any bits/chunks, and swap out the fuel lines for fresh ones. Is it necessary to drain the tank of fuel before proceeding to take it off? Thanks for the help!
Title: Re: 2009 Gs500F
Post by: grader on April 17, 2019, 11:49:47 AM
when you lift the tank there is a shut off by the petcock that you turn to stop fuel flow from tank, flat screwdriver is required. dont forget to turn it back on when finished.
Title: Re: 2009 Gs500F
Post by: TheDooman92 on April 17, 2019, 09:31:38 PM
Turns out that the leak appears to be coming from the side of the carbs where the float bowls meet the upper part of the carb. Any ideas where I can find these gaskets at a reasonable price to ship to the Toronto, Canada area? I found some on eBay, but estimated shipping arrival is not until mid May and it's getting frustrating taking a cab to the bus station to get to work! Thanks guys!
Title: Re: 2009 Gs500F
Post by: grader on April 18, 2019, 06:10:20 AM
not 100% sure but i dont think fuel is suppose to be that high in the bowls. put a clear fuel line on the nipple buy the carb drain, hold it upright, and open the drain. this will give you the level of fuel in the bowl. set petcock to prime. someone else will correct me if im wrong  :thumb:
Title: Re: 2009 Gs500F
Post by: Numewsm on April 19, 2019, 02:26:23 AM
Sometimes you'll get like a chalky build up on the rubber gaskets.  Give them a good clean and clear out the gasket channel.  As a temp fix, place a very thin bead of gasket sealer in the gasket grove and flatten it down into it. but none on the mating surfaces.  Let it dry and then place the carb gasket on top and put the carb back together again.  Change the J-screws over to Allen bolts on the carbs to.