Carbs leaking? Here is how to fix it.
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- Опубликовано: 8 апр 2011
- Carburetor leakage, especially significant leaking while the bike is running, can have a dangerous and damaging effect on your bike. The type of carb leakage described in this video will typically leak from the carb overflow tubes, or out through the airbox or pod filters. Fortunately, the repair is neither difficult or expensive, so take a look at this video, and surely you will agree that you can do it yourself. As always, if you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment or message me.
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I've watched dozens of videos and none of them made sense until I got to your video! Thank you so much!
Haha one time I had to take a set of carbs apart 10 times before I found the little piece of grit that was causing the problem. It was down in the bottom of the float bowl and it was a little piece of rubber from the fuel line. Each time I filled the carbs back up, it would float up and clog the float needle, but when I drained the carbs it would settle down at the bottom, so I was always looking in the wrong place for it, at the needle/chamber, while it was always down in the float bowl
OK .... so I may not have you as my first pick for a partner playing Pictionary, still you did a great job explaining how to recognize and repair.
Just picked up my Suzuki Bandit from the shop having a jet kit installed and withing 5 miles noticed same thing as beginning of your video. Called the mechanic who stated something about most likely being a stuck float. Now I know what he is talking about thanks to your video. Thank you for taking the time to post it and help others.
Glad to help
Great video man. I knew mine were clogged, this gave me the confidence to do it. Carbs are way more simple than I thought
Amazing video, couldn't have said it better myself. Keep up helping out man, we appreciate it!
i have cleaned my carbs ,put it back together and it works. I noticed cracks in manifold thing that conects carb to engine and replaced it. Job done Muhaha. Now if i sell my bike i will not sell it as cheap as i was thinking because i know what is inside. Thank you , you earned me money and better bike.
thanks to all the guys that are posting all these intructional videos. I finally fixed my bike. it wouldn't run without the choke on so I cleaned a the jets with 1 piece of wire brush then sprayed it with carb. cleaner yeah!
Thank you for the great explanation! My bike always does this if I havent ridden in a while. My first mechanic told me to just ride it off. Its works, but is embarrassing and unsafe to drive around trailing gas.
dude. awesome video. you simply explained how the whole carb works and why gas is overflowing. thanks
gearhead and environmentally friendly. You my friend are the future! keep it up.
This video is extremely helpful. thank you for taking the time to show people how to fix a leaking carb. With my limited tool budget I'm sure I'll be swearing and scratching my head but I'll have a reference to use. Thanks again.
Thank you for explaining this! I got my first bike, a 1983 Yamaha Maxim 400, and thanks to wonderful Wisconsin weather I have only been able to ride a few times. When it started leaking fuel I have to say I did panic a little. I am clueless when it comes to anything engine related but it's my bike so I want to know how to fix it. The more I searched the more confused I got and then I found this video. The way you explained it made total sense!! I'm ready to pull the carburetor and get her running again! Bonus: I'm not just following a list of steps without any idea why, now I actually really understand how it works. It's like the thingy in the toilet that stops the water from running ;)
You got it :)
God damn. I have learned so much from watching your video blog, man. A huge internet high-5 to you!
hey man thank you for posting this video! helped me pre plan how to fix my mother's boyfriend's bike. i have watched a few of your videos and they are great and very easy to understand. keep posting them!
Thank goodness for videos like this. I have found my offending jet needle and after replacing it, cleaning and re-seating I am ready to re-install carbs. Panic over. And I checked the floats actually FLOAT too !
Thats what im here for bud
Believe me, dont worry about harming the ozone with your carb. Hydrocarbon evaporation from the Earths crust is measured in tons, that little bit of gas is not even a good fart from my horse. But thanks for the video, helps me tremendously.
Ive had this issue for a rediculous amount of time, had a "friend" try and fix my carbs twice, even put in a new carb kit. Yet still dumping out of my right hose, I watched this earlier, and decided first thing tomorrow AM im going to try this, see for 1, if he actually put in my carb kit (ill kill) or if something is just gummed up. What an outstanding video! Ill get back and let you know how this turns out!
Right on dude yeah these systems are ridiculously easy to repair once you understand how they work
mrmaxstorey Hey man, took it all apart, no issues with the floats, took them off and tested in water for air bubbles, they werent sticking either. Took out the needles, they have a visible discoloration ring but nothing drastic and look otherwise good? (idk much about motorcycles, learning as i go.) However, in my endeavor i realized that the choke slide bar (no idea technical name) that pulls what look like pins in and out of the carb, one of the pins is actually broken off (which is same side as carb that was dumping. And the slide itself doesnt move freely and nice, it clicks and sounds off. I took pictures off everything, and also have a conditionj of some of the coloration and deterioration of some things in the carb area near the float and all that. Im sorry for my lack of termanology.....If you have somewhere I can send pics that may make this easier? Thanks for your help man! Im actually very much enjoying working this out.
Thanks for the video, good job!
I have an '84 Ninja 900 which I been working on all this year, restoring it the best I can. The bike is almost finished. Guess what's holding it up, yep the carbs.
I rebuilt the carbs and installed new float needles along with some other small parts. The floats looked good. It is still pouring gas all over the place, coming out thru the 2 small holes on the carb inlet, where the air filter gets bolted on too. The carbs didn't do this before i tore into it.
Did you find the problem
Great video. Thanks so much for sharing. I have gas leaking back through the air filter. I'm hoping it's a similar situation.
Quick fix: I was in difficult place to make a larger carb cleaning operation and was able to make the float work again by shutting off fuel while engine running, then the engine will continue running on the remaining fuel in the carbs. When the carbs are nearly empty or empty open for fuel again and wait for the carbs to fill up, repeat a couple of times and your problem is likely fixed :D
That's the most I've ever learnt about bikes! I appreciate its an old video but Thanks for explaining 🙂
I attached a sync vacuum gauge assembly and saw a radically fluctuating needle (not good!), but they were all the same. Used a small plastic tank got off ebay with the sync kit, seems to work pretty good. Well I will check the float height next few days...the carbs look new, I cleaned 'em really good. This bike has been modded, it is not stock. Basani comp exhaust and the jets are 148 main, 98 idle. I did drive the bike home about a year ago, but it didn't idle below 2000 rpms.
Thx for your help
Worked a treat on my CBR600, many thanks!
the further the sealant is form the engine and thus the cooler it stays, the longer it will last. I have bikes with repairs like that lasting for years, some it only lasted a few weeks. Enjoy it now, and in the meantime keep an eye out for cheap replacement parts. Good job!
@zrultima Can you isolate where it is leaking? From the overflow hoses, or from a gasket, or the little plastic tubes that run between the carbs?
Thank you for sharing this information, two of my three bikes are leaking and I was so afraid something really bad can be the cause, now I will try this first, only problem is one of my bikes is a V twin and carbs are really hard to reach.
Check out my video on removing/installing v style carbs its not that hard
Thank you sooo much just. Bought a 1981 kz 550 ltd and one carb has this slow drip from the over flow valve..... this helps a lot. I'll be pulling the carbs soon!
Great tutorial. My 1980 yamaha cafe racer project as been giving me hell from the beginning. Fuel is coming out of my air box!!!!!
Glad to help! It could be gas from the gas cap, but first make sure there is no gas pooling in your airbox. Gas in the oil is the big thing, track the level of your oil in your sight glass to make sure it is not going down or especially up, if you don't see any in there then you are probably ok. Any semi-open containers of gas sitting around nearby?
Thanks for the video, very easy to follow. I had a similar problem with fuel overflow into my air box and leaking everywhere. Bought a rebuild kit and the with the rebuild kit the floats sat to low so I reused the the old gear and just changed the O rings. But it's still leaking.
You might be leaking around the float needles if they are all crusty, or in the needle chamber, or the floats themselves might be sticky
@zrultima Remember that both the floats and the float needles need to be able to move totally unencumbered. While you are in there check your float heights (I have another video up for that), which can also cause overflowing if they are off. Also be sure to tighten up all of your float bowls extra tight.
Great video. Learned a lot in just a few minutes.
@YoshiMan246 It could be a slight air leak, or a partially restricted fuel line. Also, you may r may not be jetted properly, if you have pod filters or an upgraded exhaust, you need to change your carburetor jets. Finally, can you confirm that all 4 of your cylinders are firing? If you have a dead cylinder it may act like that.
@zrultima Check your float needles, if the one carb that is leaking is the side that your kickstand is on, then almost definitely your float needle on that carb is stuck open
Thanks for the video
I have the same bike and am having trouble with my carbs. If you look at the carbs from the top you will see the piston on each carb. Well where the needle from the piston goes into is fuel coming out. Two of the carbs have no fuel coming out and are bone dry but the other two are pouring out. When a screwdriver is pushed against the far right syncronisation screw the leaking stops. There is a also a hissing that stops with the screwdriver, any help would be appreciated,
@dwidthekid What do you mean the engine turns like a key in an ignition? Does it sound differently while its cranking than it did before?
Thank you again, I will check that video, you are saving me from a lot of frustration not to mention the money.
Thats what Im here for bud
mrmaxstorey I owe you a cold beer.
Have you checked the float height? How about the floats themselves, were there new ones in your kit or are you using old ones which might be damaged and not floating so well anymore? Finally whats the condition of your float needle chamber, where the needle sits, is there possibly some corrosion in there that is preventing the needles from seating properly?
Nice job Max!
By the way, if your video camera is like mine, it will have variable close focus depending on the zoom. It's counterintuitive, but most zoom cameras will have better close focus limits when set to wide angle. So, if you find that it can't focus because the camera is too close, try zooming to wide angle and you will be able to hold the camera closer. Strangely, the loss you get from wide angle is less than the gain you get from ability to hold the camera closer.
Cheers.
Does it overflow when you fill to the very top, or just moderately full? Also what year bike?
Brilliant, brilliant video, many thanks.
Quick question. My 2002 (ok, not exactly vintage but it has gone round the block) leaks a small amount of fuel (not like the amount in this video) from one of the hoses down by the rear brake pedal - i am assuming this is the overflow hose you refer to.
I'm guessing that this is due to a sticky float and that i should overhaul all the carbs? Or just open it up and see which one is not playing ball?
Carb overflow is the most likely problem, right?
This is exactly what I needed to see! Planning a carb strip down after mine leaked just like this!
I'm looking for a video that shows close up and in focus the 4 carbs being separated
What do you need to seperate them for?
A good tip for stripped screws, use valve lapping compound on a screwdriver. I've actually gotten a screwdriver to bite so hard I snapped the tip off my screwdriver a quarter inch from the tip of the tip, and it was like a standard #8 Phillips, not a tiny screwdriver either.
@Drumnguy77 That does sound like the needle is stuck open, either the float is stuck or the needle got dislodged when you were reinstalling it, or something like that.
Great video, thank you, video and explanation were great, might include how to adjust float level to the proper setting
based on the manufacturer's specifications. Mine wasn't stuck, (on my Polaris ATV) just wasn't adjusted properly. Keep up the good work on the videos !
Awesome easy to understand video, thank you!!!!
@dwidthekid Are you sure it wont go in? You are not stripping the threads? Look down into the spark plug hole and see if you see anything in there blocking its way, your engine may have eaten a valve
10:05 top tip, replace all the cross head screws with allen head ones! No more stripped screws.
Just wanted to say you are the man thanks for the help....to anyone who need help on a bike ask this guy
Hi and thanks for you tutorials they are great help and I have learned alot form you in maintaining my Suzuki GSF 600. Although i have rectified this issue earlier on with the carbs I know have an issue with the tank overflow pipe under the engine (it keeps pouring out petrol when I top up fuel) can you advise me on the possible causes, much appriciated
@Miralis27 The choke richens the mixture of the air and gas, either by blocking off the air, adding more gas, or both. If you have fuel leaking it is probably not directly associated with the choke, probably something else
How far up did you fill it? And which overflow tube, form the carbs or the tank?
Right on man, I just picked up 2 of those same bikes, Im about to make 1 out of the two. It sounds like you are overflowing, check the float height and that the float/needle/pin is clean
Since your first carb is lower when the bike is on the kickstand, sometimes it will leak even if the overflow is coming from a different carb. Re-check those float heights, the needles, and the floats that they dont have small leaks and are still floating well. As for your leaking bowl, theres not much that can go wrong there. Either the gasket is in good shape and the bowl is tight, or it isnt. Try tightening it some more. Might be worth replacing the screws with allen heads for a tighter seal
Awesome dude....well explained!!!
@ElderPromethean Where was that gas coming from? The exhaust pipes?
Grate stuff mine dont seem to be shutting off givung the bole to much juice and my over flow pissing out fuel
Best video i have ever viewed!!!!!! You freakin drew it out, now i get it!!!! Best help ever"!!"!!!!!!"
should the float hit the needle immediately with movement or should it move half way up before it hits the needle ? what should it be like. cause i stopped the problem where it would leak fuel out of air box so i opened the carbs and made it where it hits the needle faster cause not its not draining out of the air box it flooding the engine
my 86 goldwing is leaking heavily from ?an overflow?
ran fine when put into storage 4 years ago but obvious victim of bad gas.
have to take the bike apart just to get to the carbs
@ElderPromethean You gotta clean them like I showed in the video. If it is not this exact problem, then it is something close, like crusty needles
great video man helped me out alot.
I have an 81 yamaha special leaking gas from carbs when running. I wanted to know. if I took the carbs out....would I have to have the carbs re-synchronize.?
Very helpful video for me, thanks so much
thanx alot man found your videos very informative< i knew nothing until now keep it up thanx bro
Thanks for this video... you are a good teacher.
Thats the kind of stuff I like to hear in the morning
So I have a few problems with my carbs, and hopefully you can help. I have a kawasaki kz750, my carbs recently had new floats and needles installed, and their levels are okay. No stuck floats, no adjustment needed. My first carb leaks from the overflow valve, but I'm confused, because the fuel level isn't even high enough to reach the overflow tube. My third carb leaks excessively from the bowl-body mating surface, even though the o-ring gasket is new and undamaged, but this only happens when th
When you turn the fuel back on the rush of fuel washes the needle clean and it seats properly. You may have to do this several times but it has never failed me on a bike or a car since the 1950's. On an old car you crimp the rubber line from the gas tank to the fuel pump with a vice grip and follow the same procedure.
MrMaxstorey explains this process well and does the job right. However, if the leaking is happening when the bike is not running it could just be bad o-rings on the drain screws. Every bike is different but I have heard of guys just pulling the valve body out and apply a thin coat of copper sealant to the body/oring and reinstalling. I have even heard of some cheapskates plugging the drain hose and having no problem for years. Lets just say this is what a friend of a friend of mine did. Just be safe out there.
@dwidthekid Oh well you may have fouled the plugs after flooding the engine when the carbs were leaking. Also make sure all of your air conduits are tightened well and that there are no vacuum leaks.
Thanks for watching, Im glad the video helped you. Usually you can take old gas and oil to most auto parts stores, and they will recycle it for you. If not, your local dump is the next best place
Nice video...
I have some carb leaking problem, I opened carb of my first motorcycle and now it is leaking. I think it has more to do with seal so I bought type 3 aviation gasket sealant and still not much luck. It drips very slowly any idea how to solve that problem?? And another question how did you remove the bolt that is right beside the float hinge? (8:30 in video right below your index finger)
@trufbros1 Make sure your needle moves in and out of its chamber freely, float heights are set appropriately, and that it is not leaking from anywhere else like a float bowl gasket or bad fuel lines
Ive noticed that a lot of new riders have this irrational fear of the carburetors, they always take them to the shop because they think as soon as they open them up, a whole bunch of tiny parts are all gonna jump out springloaded. I take this tone in this, and my dozens of other videos on carbs and other maintenance techniques, not just to show the semi-competent how the process done, but also to instill confidence in the novices who just dont know yet that they do have the skills.
Great video! learned everything i needed thanks!!!
Excellent video
@spelunkerd Thanks for the advice, that was on my old camera now I just use a flip cam, very easy to use but not much ability to adjust the picture.
Thank U. Great explanation!
e petcock is on prime. Also, I currently have the airbox off, and i just ran the engine with no air filters and noticed two things. My first carb, when the engine is running shoots out the air/fuel mixture out of the intake side of the carb; not constantly, but every ten seconds or so. Also, when the engine shuts off, either the first and fourth or the second and third carbs will smoke out of the intake side. Sorry, it's a lot, any help is greatly appreciated.
Yes, thats the same type i use..a 3/8 clear wall filter . When i got the bike a few months ago it didnt have an inline on it and now i see why.
Great video thanks. Now i understand why my carb leaks.
@YoshiMan246 Its actually not too hard, get yourself a digital touchless thermometer, like $15 on ebay or autozone, and track the temperatures of the header pipes as they warm up. Start with the bike cool, start it, then track the temps of the pipes as they heat up. If one doesnt warm up then you are not firing there, or one warms up way faster than the others, it is burning way too lean. This is a preliminary test but it could let you know wheres the problem. Also, did you synch the carbs yet?
on a 72 Yamaha at2 125. i have gas not coming form the over flow tube it fills up the cylinder and drips out the exhaust flange. this is float height? and would you happen to know what it should be set at?? thanks
To remove a hinge pin use a spring-loaded centre punch on the end. One click usually does it.
Thank you , very informative video
I got a Suzuki 185 and it leaks out of the primer hole after I cleaned the carp so we rebuilt it and it still leaked then we got a new primer and it still leaked and yes the float is good
@mrmaxstorey my 150cc scooter has been leaking like crazy, I'll put a full tank (1.76gal) and the next day it will be down about 1/2 of gas. Once it hits the 1/2 mark it doesn't leak anymore though, I opened it up and the leaky spot seemed like it was coming from the fuel line input, I do not believe the clamp was any good, I tried tightening the clamp up but then it still started leaking, I'm going to buy a new clamp soon, do you think it is the clamp that is broken? Or is it something else? TY
Can you tell me the name of the part where the needle goes in and out of? I think the problem is that it has worn so there is not seal so fuel is pissing out. I am not sure whether it's the main jet, idle jet, needle jet etc.
Very helpful! thanks!
Thank a lot! Very good info for 1st timer...
What i did was after cleaning the needle i took out the petrol from the petrol tank and cleaned the tank and made a very fine filter for the petrol tank to stop the crap constantly clogging onto the needle. It really helps if you find your self constantly pulling apart the carb apart to try and clean it and fine that it just keeps on leaking.
On my 1983 Suzuki gs550l, I have a carb leak thats really stumping me. I've replaced both needle and seats, and from looking at it, everything seems to function properly. I have yet to test or replace the floats for being poreis. But I am really stumped when the carbs sometimes do no leak at all. I THINK,,, they seem more likely to leak when its cold. Maybe the bowl gaskets?
What would happen if one cylinder is overloaded with fuel? would it be enough to kill the motor? (im sure I have float valve problems. After sitting all winter my oil was diluted with gas) I have no gas dripping from my carbs though...On blocks even in gear (first and second) it runs great. While riding it dies soon after taking off (smells gassy) could the sloshing caused by the motion cause my problem. Thanks for your response earlier, hope i dont sound stupid, i know nothing bout carbs.
fyi,guys. take lots of pictures with your smartphone before removing the carburator
Better tip: shoot a video when doing it. First time my friend forgot how to put everything back in place and second time he filmed it and it helped A LOT!
ihave a problem with my 1994 yamaha fj1200.... you see my fj is old and the manifold has a tiny hole at the bottom and theres gasoline leaking on it(and my fj releases t0o much white smoke)they say my carburator was over flowing so i rebuilt it and cleaned it with a compressor.. then i checked my sparkplugs,,, all of them looked ok except for one.., the problem with the other sparkplug was theres a smooth rust on it.ado i have to change my sparks or did the carb cleaning did the work?
hi mrmaxstorey
i have a 99 yamaha r1 yzf. i have noticed a leak from the crank bolts right behind the stator cover and infront of the counter sprocket ( smaller sprocket). do u think putting a copper washer on those two bolts would stem the leak or i should do something else. thanks
Some times you vent in carb on the rail plugs and cause none of the floats to seat..like a vaperlock
You can just blow air through the fuel line while moving the float up and down the listen for a sound difference
Thanks for the help! Fix my gy6 carburetor.