Triumphrat

Tabletop · 03-28-2007

Minor problem this morning when getting ready to ride for first time this season. (Finally rid of the snow bank blocking me in -yeah, I know I'm lame for letting that stop me, no excuse, should have gotten the ice pick out sooner :-D .)

Bike hasn't been started in six weeks. Was stored with full tank of gas and fuel stabilizer added.
Turned the fuel petcock to "on" and gas started pouring out of the carbs' overflow hose -and also a small amount out of the right carb's pod air filter.
I'm thinking it's a stuck float, but I'm not too familiar with these vaccuum operated carbs. :???: Could it be something else?

Glenn

CAPTDON · 03-28-2007

Give em a little tap w/ something. Sounds like stuck float! When it stops- run the hell oughta it & all should be fine. I run a little FI cleaner thru the tank once in a while. Made a big diference in the idle & overall running! I now do it regularly! Never know what yougetin your gas these days? :???:

Tabletop · 03-28-2007

Thanks Capt D!

Thought it was the float, but forgot about tapping on the bowl. I'll try that in the morning.

vertwrks · 03-28-2007

I agree with the CAPT, gas varnished up the float. If tappin don't free it then you may have to yank the float bowl, pull the float pin, float and float needle to clean it but hopefully it ain't that bad.

And yes, the answer is always to run the ***** out of it, thats why we have em.

bgaz · 03-29-2007

One thing that can prevent problems is to run the bike with the gas off whey you put the bike up for winter, then drain the carbs using the easy to use drain screw.
No gas sitting in the carbs equals no varnish in the bowls!

I am not sure my petcock shuts off all the way, as when I was doing jet work gas kept dripping out very slowly the whole time.
That is real bad news for winter, you just have the fuel evaporating and getting filled up constantly, with only the additives remaining (gunk and varnish).

Brett

Tabletop · 03-29-2007

I did run it with the fuel shut off when I put it away. Took over ten minutes to run out of gas, which had me thinking at the time that the petcock doesn't shut off completely. So it's probably the case that gas slowly dripped back into the carb, just as bgaz says.

Storing a bike, just another reason I don't like winter.

Kevin57 · 04-15-2007

Tabletop wrote:

Quote:

Turned the fuel petcock to "on" and gas started pouring out of the carbs' overflow hose -and also a small amount out of the right carb's pod air filter.

Just where is the carb overflow hose on your bike? Are you talking about the bowl vent line, which connects to the carbs well above the intake tract? I can't find any overflow provision on my '07 Bonnie carbs. If it makes any difference, my bike originally had the California emissions package (since removed).

Bottom line, if the fuel tap is left on (or leaks through) AND a float needle also leaks through.....where will the fuel go? Will it overflow somewhere before running down the intake manifold and into the engine? I'd hate to trash 50 bucks worth of crankcase oil due to a leaking petcock.

Kevin

Tabletop · 04-15-2007

Quote:

Are you talking about the bowl vent line, which connects to the carbs well above the intake tract?

That is the hose I was talking about. Fuel was also running out of the air filter.

Turns out the needle was stuck. Maybe my last fill-up was contaminated...maybe condensation... :???: but whatever the cause, water in the fuel corroded the springs and needles.

I change the oil every spring when I take the bike out of storage. So, fresh oil, fresh gas, new needles and springs...just waiting for temps to go above 45 and the rain to stop.