Carb drains gas

Ok, second carb question of the evening. Wife's '01 TTR250 has been sitting for about a year without proper gas drainage (yeah, yeah, yeah. I know)...

Moving the petcock to the "ON" or "RES" positions both result in instant pouring of gas out of a small hose that comes off the bottom of the carb and runs down under the engine case where it opens for drainage onto the ground. It's obviously a vent/drain hose by design, but I don't know enough about the carb internals to know what is causing it and what the fix is. Well, besides $$$ at the Yammie house...

Don't know if bike will start as battery is dead...

Thoughts?

Carb gummed up, float is stuck allowing the overflow...

Bleh. Is that a "remove carb and soak in parts cleaner over night" type fix? I'm really not wanting to take a carb apart for any reason.

All the little bits scare me...

You might be able to tap the side of the carb with a screw driver handle and get the float unstuck. If you can't get at it, use a suitable rod and a hammer... place rod against carb and tap the other end with a hammer. I have a special little plastic-head mallet just for this purpose.


If that doesn't work, you might be able to loosen the carb hose clamp and rotate it in place so you can remove the float bowl while leaving everything else in place. After getting the bowl off, you can hose the inside with carb cleaner and maybe it'll be OK... especially after a few rides with fresh gas.

If that doesn't work, you will prolly need to take the carb off and get it cleaned.

I had never had carbs apart before my 79 CX500 and found those were pretty simple once you got inside. And what better place to learn than someone else's bike?

The current symptom sounds like the float sticking down IIRC. Even if the shortcut works for now, any remaining gunk risks the float re-sticking later. And if it sticks in the up position, this cuts off fuel downstream of the petcock, no fun on the road.

--Chris

I there is enough gunk in the float bowl to cause the float to stick, then there is plenty in there to cause partial or complete blockage of a jet or passageway.

I would take it apart, and clean it with carb cleaner and compressed air.

Looks like you have two carbs to work on now, just do one at a time.

turn the gas off, remove the drain screw in the bottom, use a spray can of B-12 Carb Cleaner. Spray liberly into float bowl. Remove fuel line from petcock or carb (easy to get to one) spray into carb. let it sit for a bit to soften up the varnish. Pour some B-12 into the tank with "fresh" gas. you may need to spray the B-12 into the fuel line with the float bowl screw out, this well help push out some of the gunk. This before you do the carb pulling. If it does not fix it then your goin'ta pull the carb. Easy Squeezy, there is only one. B-12 is your friend just don't spray it in your eyes.

Thanks for the suggestions. Gonna give it all a go over the weekend. DaveC's sounds less painful so I'll be trying that one first...

Thanks for the hints, I got a '79 KW 650 LTD with quad carbs, and the right carb is flowing gas out the drain in the bottom. I was having problems at about 65 mph last ride, it was missing, intermittenly.

Sprocket said:

Thanks for the suggestions. Gonna give it all a go over the weekend. DaveC's sounds less painful so I'll be trying that one first...

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Probably enough if it's only been a year, you could also pull just the bowl and liberally spray out any litte hole you see, especially the ones with brass things screwed into them. I'd use at least a whole spray can of B12, then some in the tank from the pour can.

Then run that first tank out not far from home or help, as was previously said gum could stick in the main jet and stop you cold if it comes loose and gets in the jet. Been there done that.