GStwin.com GS500 Message Forum

Main Area => General GS500 Discussion => Topic started by: rizp on September 28, 2004, 08:36:33 AM

Title: Carb grime on outside pic and question
Post by: rizp on September 28, 2004, 08:36:33 AM
Hey guys, the other day I started my bike to warm it up and noticed when I came back out that the drain on the left side had a little drop of gas hanging from it. I also have been noticing that the carbs are awful grimy looking. I took a closer look and found that the grime smelled like gas. I thought I'd take a couple pics and show you all to see if there's any underlying pathology I should be concerned about or am I ok having just tightened the drain screw and cleaned off the grime? I was especially concerned because after tightening the screw, the positions of the screws don't match each other, Right vs. Left. I Hope it's nothing serious...

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v466/rp8400/Carbgunk.jpg)


Regards,
Riz
:thumb:

p.s. I took the pic. like 2 weeks ago. I just found about about photobucket from someone else's (pantablo?) recent post. photobucket rocks.
Title: Carb grime on outside pic and question
Post by: Kerry on September 28, 2004, 10:12:36 AM
The differing screw positions don't bother me at all.  And if the "grime" was indeed caused by the leaking drain then it shouldn't be coming back.

Just keep an eye on the carbs.  If the grime DOES return then we can look into other ideas.  (Leak in intake manifold?)
Title: Carb grime on outside pic and question
Post by: rizp on September 28, 2004, 08:55:16 PM
Kerry,

Thanks for the info about the screw position etc. I agree with your logic on the grime, it's what I was figuring myself. I'll definitely keep an eye on it. As for a leak in the intake manifold, wouldn't that have an affect on the idle, or how the bike ran? Frankly, aside from the fuel starvation problem (solved with the Pri switch when going onto the highway) she runs very well.

I just wanted to make sure I wasn't riding around with something majorly screwed up and fixin to do some damage. I would've been really cheesed if I handn't posted and later discovered that my flux capacitor or something was outta whack.

If anyone thinks of anything serious I might wanna check, totally lemme know.

Regards,
Riz
:thumb:
Title: Carb grime on outside pic and question
Post by: john on September 28, 2004, 10:02:52 PM
Eh, it doesn't look that scary.  I wouldn't lose sleep over it.
Title: Carb grime on outside pic and question
Post by: Kerry on September 28, 2004, 11:40:04 PM
Quote from: rizpKerry,

Thanks for the info about the screw position etc.
No problem.  Now, would you mind sharing the secret of the oval "windows" in your pic?  (Software package, effect name or process, etc.)

Thanks!  :thumb:
Title: Carb grime on outside pic and question
Post by: rizp on September 29, 2004, 10:36:32 AM
Kerry,
my pleasure.
It's actually not too hard to do:
I used Adobe Photoshop 5.0 LE.
1. I made ovals around the areas I wanted to focus on. I selected each oval to be a new layer in the image
2. I applied Gaussian Blur and lowered the contrast on the original picture (called the background layer). the areas that I selected to be new layers (the ovals) were not affected by the blur or contrast adjustments.
3. I then collapsed the layers (so now everything would be affected by any further adjustments) and added text and arrows.

Hope it helps!
Regards,
Riz
Title: Carb grime on outside pic and question
Post by: Kerry on September 29, 2004, 11:02:39 AM
Thanks!  I thought about buying PhotoShop Elements at Wal-Mart last night, but it was ~$60 ("Haven't I seen it cheaper somewhere else?") and the only box they had was all beat up.

("Huh? Kerry cares about appearance after all?  What do you know?")  :dunno:
Title: Carb grime on outside pic and question
Post by: Daniely on September 29, 2004, 11:04:08 AM
With the amount of pictures you take Kerry, the fact that you care about how things look does not suprise me one bit...lol.

-Daniel
Title: Carb grime on outside pic and question
Post by: SPARKPLUG1977 on September 29, 2004, 11:46:53 AM
Kerry, I'll send you Photoshop CS if you like.
You must, however promise to keep posting all of your informative little instructions.
Title: Carb grime on outside pic and question
Post by: Kerry on September 29, 2004, 12:14:08 PM
Quote from: SPARKPLUG1977Kerry, I'll send you Photoshop CS if you like.
How much will it cost me?  We ARE talking about a legal transfer of license, right?  :roll:
Title: Carb grime on outside pic and question
Post by: SPARKPLUG1977 on September 29, 2004, 02:25:18 PM
Costs nothing, a good friend of mine is a software developer for hewlitt packard. he gives us beta copies of the developer software. It's legal enough.
Title: Carb grime on outside pic and question
Post by: Kerry on September 29, 2004, 03:22:39 PM
Sounds OK to me.  How do I get it?
Title: Carb grime on outside pic and question
Post by: SPARKPLUG1977 on September 29, 2004, 04:11:07 PM
PM me your address.
I'll send it in the mail.
Title: Carb grime on outside pic and question
Post by: Alias on September 29, 2004, 10:09:15 PM
Careful with that screw. The previous owner of my bike (jackass!) over did it and cracked the bowl. I thought it odd that it leaked after I replaced the gaskets. Upon inspection it has a hair line crack. I fixed it with gas tank repair kit.