I've noticed that when I park my bike there typically is a water spot below it, I can see it dripping from somewhere. Any ideas what may be causing this? I parked at work this morning and noticed the last 10 feet as I was coming to a stop had a pretty consistent water line. Well, I think it's water anyway. It evaporates and is gone, it's happened in my garage a few times and never stained or anything, so I figure it must be water. I don't think it is gas, as I have about 100 miles on the tank right now, so I don't think it's any overflow gas spilling out. Anyone seen this before? I searched and didn't come up with anything.
Assuming you haven't ridden thru water or parked the bike in the rain, there is really only one place water comes from on the bike - the engine breather on top of the cylinder head. It's not a lot of water, just steam from the engine, but it does collect in the airbox (assuming you have it) and drains out onto the ground.
That being said, you'll need to figure out if it is water or gas for certain. Next time it drips out, catch it on a clean rag and smell it. If it smells like watered down gas and oil, that's normal. If it smells like straight gasoline, you have a problem.
If it has whiteish powder it could be battery acid.
Otherwise, yea to what he said.
Cool.
Buddha.
Good catch Buddha. I saw the "lack of a stain" and dismissed battery acid. But it could be diluted or rinsed away.
Thanks, I'll check on that. Sorry for my lack of investigation, usually when I have noticed the wet substance I am about to walk into work so I'm sort of in a hurry. I did get on my knees this morning and see that it was coming from a small black hose that is right in the bottom middle of the bike. I pulled my battery last night and checked it, it looks super clean, and I did not notice any possible leaks from it, so it must be either steam from the airbox, or gas. Is it normal to have a lot of this? There was a puddle under my bike this morning after I parked it. Only ran it for 15 minutes before I parked.
You have a puddle ???? water ? You sure you have a GS500 ?
Ooooo your seat have a rip in it ??? I've seen bikes take in water especially those with these huge buttons in their seat, the thing will soak up water and it will release it over time and with physical movement and weight and what not.
Or other things like gauge cluster or other things may be filling up with water during rain and releasing it over time.
Cool.
Buddha.
Quote from: The Buddha on May 06, 2016, 06:36:23 AM
You have a puddle ???? water ? You sure you have a GS500 ?
Ooooo your seat have a rip in it ??? I've seen bikes take in water especially those with these huge buttons in their seat, the thing will soak up water and it will release it over time and with physical movement and weight and what not.
Or other things like gauge cluster or other things may be filling up with water during rain and releasing it over time.
Cool.
Buddha.
No rip in the seat. I store it inside, I am pretty sure the PO stored it inside, so I am not sure that this bike has sat out in the rain ever. I have only owned it for a week though, so I can't be totally certain. The water comes out a little black hose in the bottom of the frame. A puddle may have been a small exaggeration, but it is definitely not a couple drops. I'll try to snap a pic when it happens again. This morning it was a 12-15" circumference puddle that was definitely not a couple drips. This was just after I warmed it up for 3-5 minutes in my driveway. I am not concerned as it runs great, but I am sort of curious as this seems unusual.
Isn't there a water drain hose that comes out of the bottom of the fuel tank as well? I'm not sure what would cause it to drain like that, as I've never seen anything drip from that hose on my bike...I just know it's there ;)
A 12 - 15 inch circumference (around) circle is 4 - 5 inches in diameter (across).
Did you mean 12 inches across cause that sounds like a lot. I suppose if you are parked on a smooth non-porous surface that is a lot different than if you were on rough asphalt.
This might be the gas tank drain hose. When water goes around the gas cap bezel it drains down through a hole which is forward and to the left of the gas fill hole (I think.) So maybe there is water condensing in that area, collecting, and then draining out through that hose when you park. When you park at work do you maybe park with the front end pointing downhill? Or some way that is different from how you park at home?
It's hard to imagine that really happening, but maybe that's because the desert weather here isn't conducive to moisture doing anything let alone condensing.
This small black hose that the mystery liquid is draining from??
Instead of guessing and speculating why not just follow it back and see what it connects to............or am I thinking too hard :dunno_black:
Quote from: sledge on May 07, 2016, 02:28:45 AM
This small black hose that the mystery liquid is draining from??
Instead of guessing and speculating why not just follow it back and see what it connects to............or am I thinking too hard :dunno_black:
Lol, no. You are right. I just thought if it was common I wouldn't look into it, hence the thread. Since it doesn't seem all that normal I will look into it further
Is there a chance someone added a radiator to your bike?
Well somebody had to ask:
It's gas, and it's getting worse. Crap. I'm at work right now and my bike is pouring gas when I start it. Any ideas what the heck this could be? Can I pinch the hose? It's literally pouring out. I'll upload a video. This is not good. I'm stuck at work right now unless I can get this fixed.
Here are a couple pictures of after I pulled into work and my bike was off. You can see the stream of gas from when I pulled in and then backed it into where I parked.
http://imgur.com/a/BaUUM (http://imgur.com/a/BaUUM)
Then here's a video taken right after these pictures, I was SHOCKED at how much gas is pouring out. It's gas. Any ideas on how to fix this? It's pouring out the little black hose that comes from the gas tank.
Ok, upon further inspection and googling, it may be possible that I was running it on PRI, which from what it sounds like the gas leaking out could be quite normal in this position. Unfortunately, in my freaking out this morning, and from when I ran out of gas 2 days ago, I moved the fuel switch around quite a bit so I don't know where it was when the fuel was pouring out today. I am going to try to run it in "ON" and make it to a gas station that is like .5 miles down the road at lunch and then just cross my fingers it was me being a dumb newbie who doesn't know anything about this bike. Praying this is just something silly and the bike will be fine after I get a tankfull and run it in "ON"
If i'm not mistaken, there are 2 hoses that come from the tank: the main fuel line that goes to the frame mounted petcock, and a water drain hose.
If the main fuel line is leaking gas, it should be doing it all the time - not when starting / shutting off the bike. If the water drain hose is leaking gas..... well, that's a whole other problem.
The good news? Since you've been riding the bike with this problem already, it's pretty safe to say that you can ride home from work (at your own risk of course). The bad news is that you'll have to figure out exactly which hose is leaking and why.
For what it's worth - had you not said it was "a hose coming from the tank", I would tell you that your carbs are overflowing, and you need to check your float height & float needles. Keep that in mind.
You beat me to the "post" button.
Still, it's a good idea to check that all the fuel hoses are routed correctly from the tank / petcock / carbs. Check your float height with a clear tube, and inspect your float needles.
Even on prime, the float needles should shut off the fuel flow.
Thanks Rich. I am hoping I can get 'er home today without too much of a problem. I appreciate your helpful posts!
Made 'er home at lunch today. Topped it off at a gas station, still was leaking the whole time though. :( Dang thing. Wife's gonna be pissed, "you paid how much for that bike and now you have to fix it right away!" Hope it's an easy fix. Can't ride it anymore since it's spewing gas
I am rooting for you Torstein... I too hope it's an easy fix... keep us posted !!
That is just the reality of owning a motorcycle. There is always maintenance to do and people seem to skimp on their maintenance before they sell a vehicle.
I think used motorcycles that do not require attention are like figments of our imagination, like unicorns but without the sparkly unicorn poop.
Get it fixed fast before what happened to my 89 Honda hurricane (bike started on fire going 60 me in ditch) happens to you due to something super easy and super cheap to fix. Gas lines I replace on all bikes I buy now cause u never know how much light has degraded them over the years before u got it and are super easy and cheap to replace.
Didn't get much time to mess with it last night, but it looks like there is gas leaking from the airbox. I was trying to figure out how to shut off the fuel at the tank petcock but I can't get my hands near it. My plan is to drain the carbs, and pull the airbox (if I can figure out how) and see if I can figure out what is going on. Then I'll go from there.
remove the seat unbolt the bottom of the gas tank then lift tank up but not completely off and there will be a screw to turn the gas on and off and the underside of the tank were the 2 hoses route to. Just get it fixed as soon as possible gas leaks can get bad.
Like Rich said earlier...if the hose is coming from the air box, rather than from the fuel tank as you indicated, it's probably a stuck carb float. I had the same problem with my bike from the day I bought it. It was a cheap, and relatively easy fix, which helped to keep the wife's anger at bay ;)
A size 2 flat screwdriver with a 9" shaft (think insulated electricians flatblade) is your friend here.. as mentioned remove seat and lift tank a few inches... then reach right across with the driver and turn the little screw on the inside edge of tank petcock 90 deg to the right! .. I think it to the right?!
Quote from: rscottlow on May 10, 2016, 11:37:05 AM
Like Rich said earlier...if the hose is coming from the air box, rather than from the fuel tank as you indicated, it's probably a stuck carb float. I had the same problem with my bike from the day I bought it. It was a cheap, and relatively easy fix, which helped to keep the wife's anger at bay ;)
what did you do to fix the stuck carb float?
Quote from: Torstein on May 10, 2016, 06:50:43 PM
Quote from: rscottlow on May 10, 2016, 11:37:05 AM
Like Rich said earlier...if the hose is coming from the air box, rather than from the fuel tank as you indicated, it's probably a stuck carb float. I had the same problem with my bike from the day I bought it. It was a cheap, and relatively easy fix, which helped to keep the wife's anger at bay ;)
what did you do to fix the stuck carb float?
http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=26604.0
Quote from: Torstein on May 10, 2016, 06:50:43 PM
Quote from: rscottlow on May 10, 2016, 11:37:05 AM
Like Rich said earlier...if the hose is coming from the air box, rather than from the fuel tank as you indicated, it's probably a stuck carb float. I had the same problem with my bike from the day I bought it. It was a cheap, and relatively easy fix, which helped to keep the wife's anger at bay ;)
what did you do to fix the stuck carb float?
Take the carbs apart and take a look. Mine actually had a teeny tiny hole in one of the floats, and over time it had filled with fuel preventing it from being able to float. I'd guess that's a pretty rare occurrence, and it's probably just a matter of adjusting the floats to the proper height and cleaning the carbs. Either way, should be an inexpensive/free fix!
Thanks ya'll! I hope to find some time to rip the bike apart soon and do this. Unfortunately, life is busy. 2 young kids, crap going on every night, all weekend, etc. So who knows when I'll ride again. Super bummed, riding season is finally here and I am not riding. Boo. Hopefully it's an easy fix.
Quote from: Torstein on May 11, 2016, 11:08:53 AM
Thanks ya'll! I hope to find some time to rip the bike apart soon and do this. Unfortunately, life is busy. 2 young kids, crap going on every night, all weekend, etc. So who knows when I'll ride again. Super bummed, riding season is finally here and I am not riding. Boo. Hopefully it's an easy fix.
I know the feeling. I've got two little ones of my own...I find myself sacrificing sleep in order to spend a little more time working on the bike when necessary. Speaking of...I really ought to make time to do an oil change and some other routine maintenance (on my GS and on my truck)...
Maybe try to get in touch with another twinner locally who would be willing to give you a hand, especially if you've never done any work like this before. At the very least, watch a couple of youtube videos in advance of starting the project so you're a little more familiar with it. I'd never even seen the inside of a carburetor before I fixed my GS, and I was able to find just about everything I needed on this forum.
Ok, got the tank off today so I got a better view of the inside. The airbox shows some wetness from gas, but it's not bad. The filter seems fine, so I may just keep it.
I was going to check the float heights and I turned the petcock to PRIM and gas just started leaking out the hose at the bottom, same hose as usual. This time I was able to trace the hose and found it's the hose that is connected with that "T" adapter thingy between the carbs. So clearly the floats are way off (or just stuck) and overflowing like crazy as the gas leaks right out that connection.
#57 or #64 in this diagram (not really sure which) is where the hose is connected that the gas flows freely out.
(http://images.powersportsnetwork.com/fiche/images/Suzuki/1989/Motorcycles/2103_12.gif)
could it be the A/C? my car makes a puddle in the summer... :)
Assuming it is not simply overflowing b/c the petcock is faulty or set wrong, I have had bikes that develop carb overflow/leaks due to rust or other particulates preventing the float from seating properly, in cases where it is a hug PIA to remove the carbs (think cbx/6) I run the bike and tap the float bowl where it is leaking with the handle of a screw driver to try and free up any grit that may have gotten stuck in the float seat. Sometimes it works sometimes it doesnt but its worth a try.
Ok, got a little farther today.... tank is off, airbox is out, and i'm trying to pull the carbs but running out of time.
couple things......
1) my airbox did not have a drain hose attached to it, wtf?
2) my gas tank does not have a vent hose attached
do either of these hoses actually matter? i think the airbox one probably doesn't, but the tank one? does that need to attach somewhere or is that just for air?
the hose i'm holding in the picture is where the gas constantly leaks out from between my carbs. the hose is routed out through the frame and to the ground. is this normal?
(http://i.imgur.com/kul5KLY.jpg)
also, does anyone have a link to a diagram of the hoses and where they should route to? i want to double check everything on this bike because at this point i don't trust it with missing hoses and whatnot. i was able to drain 1 carb bowl, but the other one the screw is totally stuck. i need to order replacements, any idea where? i couldn't find any. thanks in advance!
The hose diagrams get posted in this forum regularly. I think a search might turn them up for you.
Quote from: lucas on May 12, 2016, 06:49:15 PM
The hose diagrams get posted in this forum regularly. I think a search might turn them up for you.
You're right, sorry
(http://wiki.gstwins.com/uploads/Main/hoserouting.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v443/jcp8832/top%20view_zpsdgdjolxi.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v443/jcp8832/GS500fuelcocks_zpsfcb7992c.jpg)
Thank you Jack. :bowdown:
Added hose top view to my post above.
Ok, thread update as I finally got an hour to work on my bike.
Pulled the carbs off, opened up the bowls, both floats looked great, seemed to function just fine, everything looked pretty clean. Took some carb cleaner and cleaned out all the jets, holes, bowls, basically anything I could, and am now in the process of putting it back together. I'm hoping there was just some small debris stuck somewhere in there causing it to overflow.
I'm hoping to have it put back together this weekend and hopefully I'll have better results without fuel pouring out of my carbs.
I ended up ordering new float bowl drain screws as one of mine got stripped to hell when I was removing it. I did notice on the end of the drain screw from the carb that I am pretty sure is the culprit, there was some thick, sludgy oily substance. Not sure what that was, but hopefully with a cleaning it opens things up and things start running better.
Update:
Put the bike together after cleaning out the carb bowls/jets. The floats seemed totally fine, they moved freely, though I didn't check the float height...
Put the bike back together, changed the oil, started it up and it idles at 6-7k, my guess is I have the throttle cable too tight. Is there a good way to know how tight to put it back together? I'm used to working on bicycles, and any cable slack is bad, so I tighten cables a lot. Also, it still leaked a bit of gas, my guess is the floats need to be adjusted. So I'm going to pull it back apart and check the heights. Should have done that originally, but I was just hoping for an easy fix with a stuck float or something. So, back to the garage I go. The saga of the 500 I bought and never rode continues...
Update:
Pulled the bike back apart, did my best to measure/bend tabs to stop fuel from overflowing from bowls, buttoned everything back up, still leaking. I guess I'll pull it all apart and bend them the other way, I must have bent the tabs the wrong way or something.
Also, I pulled one of my fuel lines off the tank, and there was a metal piece that came with it, is there a good way to reseat the metal piece back into the hole in the tank? Not sure if I'm describing it correctly. It's like a little metal spout that the hose connects to, when I pulled the hose off, the piece came with it, so I just reinserted it and pushed really hard. There seems to be a small leak there now because of this I'm assuming. Goodie, 2 fuel leaks! :icon_eek:
In regards to cable slack - there should definitely be a little. With the throttle cable, you should be able to wiggle the throttle tube a little bit before it starts to open the butterfly valves. There should be a spec for slack in the service manual - I think it's measured right by the carbs though?
Have you checked that the float needle is shutting off the gas flow? With the petcock set to off and ONE float bowl removed, push up on the float needle with your finger and turn the petcock to prime. If gas runs past your finger, your needle isn't doing its job. And how are you measuring the float height? There's a very specific way to measure it in the manual, and it needs to be followed to the letter.
Quote from: Torstein on May 31, 2016, 01:07:28 PM
Also, I pulled one of my fuel lines off the tank, and there was a metal piece that came with it, is there a good way to reseat the metal piece back into the hole in the tank? Not sure if I'm describing it correctly. It's like a little metal spout that the hose connects to, when I pulled the hose off, the piece came with it, so I just reinserted it and pushed really hard. There seems to be a small leak there now because of this I'm assuming. Goodie, 2 fuel leaks! :icon_eek:
I think you can pick up a replacement petcock for around $30 on ebay. Pretty sure that brass nipple isn't supposed to come out... :confused:
I pulled a tube out of a tank petcock years ago and removed it from the hose and tapped it back in tight with a light hammer and it never came out or leaked again.
You can tell if your throttle cable is too tight if you can't wiggle the throttle tube like Big Rich said. Also you should be able to twist the throttle and let go and you should hear the throttle valve clap against the idle screw.
Speaking of idle screws, check that your idle screw isn't turned in too far.
I started detaching the hoses at the frame petcock and pulling the hoses through... much easier than trying to re-attach them to the tank with that little room to work with. Easier to drain them too without gas flying everywhere.
Thanks again for the suggestions/ideas. I'll just lightly tap that tap into the tank with a small hammer. I figured it's probably just not seated well enough. The second time I pulled it apart, I took the hoses off at the petcock much easier to work with them this way.
As for the floats... my needles look OK, though maybe the one is just degraded enough for the fuel to leak? Is this common? I suppose I could just buy new needles and see where that gets me.
As for measuring, I got a digital measuring caliper, but was having a hard time lining up exactly where to measure from, I understand it's from the bowl gasket part to the top of the floats, but I couldn't figure out how to get the floats lined up and whatnot to get the right measurement. So at that point, I figured I'd just bend the tabs a little bit to see if it would get the needles to close that tiny amount they are probably off. I may have bent them the wrong way though, so maybe I'll just pull it apart again and bend them back the other way a little bit. IDK... I read guides online and I have a Clymer book but I just couldn't figure out the best way to measure. My bad, I probably did it wrong. I found it hard to keep the floats in 1 position and measure at the same time, seemed like they would move a little bit and then my measurement would change each time because of that.
Good news, is when I put the bike back together this time, I got the throttle cable just right, and when the bike was running, I had a good idle, so I am pretty sure I can repeat that again. I did back the idle screw all the way off and confirmed that it wasn't causing any issues with it, but I appreciate the suggestion there.
I am definitely learning more about how this bike works then I ever did with my other bike, which is both good and bad. Good because I like tinkering and learning stuff, bad because I owned the bike for 1 week before it broke and now it's perfect riding weather and I've been down and out for 3+ weeks now. Boo.. Anyway, back to the garage as soon as I find time.
Quote from: Torstein on June 01, 2016, 06:08:41 AM
I am definitely learning more about how this bike works then I ever did with my other bike, which is both good and bad. Good because I like tinkering and learning stuff, bad because I owned the bike for 1 week before it broke and now it's perfect riding weather and I've been down and out for 3+ weeks now. Boo.. Anyway, back to the garage as soon as I find time.
Dude, I feel your pain. One. Flipping. Thing. After. Another. Going on 2 months waiting on parts and flakey people. Wish you better luck.
aside from checking your float needles rember theres a o ring under the seat... if that o ring has faild you will never get the fuel to stop flowing, they should just pull out with a little resistance, if they just fall out then you know the orings are poked
http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=56601.0
scroll down about 3/4 the way and theres a lovely pic of the seat and oring
Quote from: jeZZa on June 01, 2016, 07:36:53 AM
aside from checking your float needles rember theres a o ring under the seat... if that o ring has faild you will never get the fuel to stop flowing, they should just pull out with a little resistance, if they just fall out then you know the orings are poked
awesome, thanks. i have not checked that specific o ring, i'll make sure to pull it out and take a lookie. that definitely could be the culprit!
Quote from: jeZZa on June 01, 2016, 07:36:53 AM
aside from checking your float needles rember theres a o ring under the seat... if that o ring has faild you will never get the fuel to stop flowing, they should just pull out with a little resistance, if they just fall out then you know the orings are poked
this has GOT to be it. I was off of work today, so i tore everything apart again. I was able to pull one of the seats out with almost no resistance, the other one seems to be stuck pretty tightly in there. The suspect "problem" carb is the one with the totally degraded o-ring. yay. I really feel good about this one. That degraded seal HAS to be what is causing my leak. Time to find the part and order up. Thanks!
good luck :thumb:
Ugh, I am desperate.
I replaced the o-ring seals inside both carbs (2 o-rings per carb). I replaced the gaskets in both carbs. Put everything back together. Still getting fuel overflowing. Does anyone have ANY other things I can try? This bike is about to get sent to the dump.
Quote from: Big Rich on May 31, 2016, 04:45:59 PM
Snip
Have you checked that the float needle is shutting off the gas flow? With the petcock set to off and ONE float bowl removed, push up on the float needle with your finger and turn the petcock to prime. If gas runs past your finger, your needle isn't doing its job. Snip......
Also if the fuel is flowing even while on On or Reserve you have a problem with your frame mounted petcock.
Quote from: lucas on June 08, 2016, 12:51:18 PM
Also if the fuel is flowing even while on On or Reserve you have a problem with your frame mounted petcock.
Its not. Only overflows when the bike is running. Ordered new float needles today even though mine look fine.
Quote from: Torstein on June 02, 2016, 12:26:30 PM
Quote from: jeZZa on June 01, 2016, 07:36:53 AM
aside from checking your float needles rember theres a o ring under the seat... if that o ring has faild you will never get the fuel to stop flowing, they should just pull out with a little resistance, if they just fall out then you know the orings are poked
this has GOT to be it. I was off of work today, so i tore everything apart again. I was able to pull one of the seats out with almost no resistance, the other one seems to be stuck pretty tightly in there. The suspect "problem" carb is the one with the totally degraded o-ring. yay. I really feel good about this one. That degraded seal HAS to be what is causing my leak. Time to find the part and order up. Thanks!
FIXED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The fix was on one of my seats that the needles go in, the whole seat was corroded. When I pulled the carbs apart after your original suggestion of checking the gasket on the seat, I only pulled one of the seats off, the other one seemed to be "stuck" in there, so I assumed it had a great seal and the seat was fine. Today when I was tearing them apart again, I took a plyers and yanked the stuck seat out. It was super nasty, totally corroded and needed to be replaced. Upon replacing the whole seat and the o-ring, I put everything back together and she purrs like a kitten. I was able to ride again for the first time in a month and a half. SUPER PUMPED!
Here is what I learned from this experience and any wisdom I would pass along to others that are dealing with a leaking set of carbs.
Buy a carb repair kit, it contains the needles, gaskets, o-rings, needle seats and replace everything in the carb. Use the kit and replace everything in the carb, the kits are cheap and since carbs are finicky and get gunked up super easily, it's worth it to just replace all the small parts that can go bad. If I would have just done that right from the start, I would have fixed the problem right away. The only good thing about this whole experience is that I can now tear my bike down super quickly and put it back together just as easily. Thank you to everyone for all the helpful suggestions while I was troubleshooting my gas leak. You guys rock!
Here she is getting her first tank of gas in a month and a half...
(http://i.imgur.com/cmHGaMN.jpg)
HOORAY!!!!!!! :woohoo:
I am super happy for you Torstein!!! And thank you for sharing your experience and what you found out... surely it will help people in the future!
:woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: