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Main Area => General GS500 Discussion => Topic started by: Lonestarbear on January 30, 2007, 08:49:40 PM

Title: Fuel Valve on Prime
Post by: Lonestarbear on January 30, 2007, 08:49:40 PM
Ok, so i admit...i accidentally left my fuel valve on prime. and, i haven't used it in a couple of weeks. Now, i'm afraid to start it...it's a 2006 (i bought it last summer, new)...

First question--what's the likely damage to the bike? (i haven't started it at all, since i realized the prime error)
Second question--do i need to change my oil? Or should i just drain the carburetor?

These are the steps I plan on taking--
1) drain carburetor
2) drain oil
3) replace oil

Should that be sufficient?
Title: Re: Fuel Valve on Prime
Post by: CirclesCenter on January 30, 2007, 08:51:25 PM
Yes, change the oil and filter.

You should be fine.
Title: Re: Fuel Valve on Prime
Post by: pingpong on January 31, 2007, 12:03:23 AM
Leaving it on Prime is fine as long as your float needles are fine. The fuel gets shut off once it reaches the needles. If the needles are set wrong or faulty, fuel would overflow out of the bowls. As long as you don't see any fuel on the ground, you're probably fine.
Title: Re: Fuel Valve on Prime
Post by: Jughead on January 31, 2007, 12:16:30 AM
Quote from: pingpong on January 31, 2007, 12:03:23 AM
Leaving it on Prime is fine as long as your float needles are fine. The fuel gets shut off once it reaches the needles. If the needles are set wrong or faulty, fuel would overflow out of the bowls. As long as you don't see any fuel on the ground, you're probably fine.

+1
Just pull your Dipstick and see if there is way too much in the Cases.Turn the Motor over with the Ignition off and Smell in the Dipstick Hole.If you don't smell Gas your OK.
Title: Re: Fuel Valve on Prime
Post by: CirclesCenter on January 31, 2007, 09:42:46 PM
Quote from: pingpong on January 31, 2007, 12:03:23 AM
Leaving it on Prime is fine as long as your float needles are fine. The fuel gets shut off once it reaches the needles. If the needles are set wrong or faulty, fuel would overflow out of the bowls. As long as you don't see any fuel on the ground, you're probably fine.

This we know, but what I'm going to say here is that if there is ANY doubt whatsoever, change oil.

It won't hurt anything, whereas the alternative can.
Title: Re: Fuel Valve on Prime
Post by: natedawg120 on February 01, 2007, 07:46:55 AM
safe side change oil. I say smell the oil, cause you will be able to smell if some gas had gotten in there.  Changing the oil is cheap though so why not :laugh: :laugh:
Title: Re: Fuel Valve on Prime
Post by: Lonestarbear on February 01, 2007, 11:02:02 AM
Ok, so second dumb question...I am trying to figure out HOW to drain the carb. Is there an easy way to drain the carb without taking it apart? Is there some drain screw/plug like in the oil?
Kenn
Title: Re: Fuel Valve on Prime
Post by: scottpA_GS on February 01, 2007, 11:27:27 AM
Yep.. there is a small drain screw on the bottoms of the float bowls  :thumb:
Title: Re: Fuel Valve on Prime
Post by: scratch on February 01, 2007, 11:35:52 AM
Picture here: http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=27357.msg289176#msg289176
Title: Re: Fuel Valve on Prime
Post by: CirclesCenter on February 01, 2007, 07:05:37 PM
Quote from: scratch on February 01, 2007, 11:35:52 AM
Picture here: http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=27357.msg289176#msg289176

Scratch, FTW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(again!)
Title: Re: Fuel Valve on Prime
Post by: Lonestarbear on February 07, 2007, 01:55:13 PM
holy smokes. you guys are awesome. thanks so much.
Title: Re: Fuel Valve on Prime
Post by: Kasumi on February 07, 2007, 02:01:17 PM
Come on this is an indestructable engine. Just start it. It'l be fine. I bet you can't get enough fuel in there to ruin it before it gets burned off. You could probably turn the engine without oil a couple o times not that i recommend it but i don't think your going to kill it. Ive seen/heard of worse situations.
Title: Re: Fuel Valve on Prime
Post by: scratch on February 07, 2007, 04:37:26 PM
Quote from: Kasumi on February 07, 2007, 02:01:17 PM
I bet you can't get enough fuel in there to ruin it before it gets burned off.
...From the crankcase?

What's FTW?
Title: Re: Fuel Valve on Prime
Post by: NiceGuysFinishLast on February 07, 2007, 05:23:41 PM
FTW = for the win
Title: Re: Fuel Valve on Prime
Post by: rob1bike on February 07, 2007, 05:25:41 PM
Ftw~fu..the world
Title: Re: Fuel Valve on Prime
Post by: el_crispito on February 17, 2007, 09:04:56 PM
I did this, too.  Actually, some jack-off did it for me a while ago.  When I bought the bike, the guy had had some work done on it to get it going (it had been sitting in a garage).  Everything was copacetic.  Until I started to have float problems.  My carbs would overflow, I got terrible mileage.  Thought I had bought a lemon (though a beautiful one--like the god of lemons) but, upon 4th dissection of bike, found that they had incorrectly routed the fuel lines.  I re-routed them, cleaned out my carbs (checking to make sure the float height was cool), oil/filter chance, and fired her right up.  No big deal.  And I was a NOOB (maybe the lord and master of NOOBs at that).