Fuel leak at Carb - I have the bank out, looking for advice, done this before kind of thing, please.

Pretty Red ('97) is sitting in the garage with the carb bank sitting on my workbench. Long story, short, notice fuel dripping from the belly pan, noticed fuel sheeting down the engine side, stripped down to exposed carbs, see fuel spewing out of what Partzilla calls "Joint Set, Fuel" (http://www.partzilla.com/parts/detail/honda/HP-16047-KE7-003.html) tube that connects the forward carbs. I suspect it is the the gasket where the Fuel Joint Set enters the front right carburetor (http://www.partzilla.com/parts/detail/honda/HP-16040-MZ5-600.html), interesting that there are 6 in the pack made up of three sizes.

Has anyone done this repair? I need to split the carb bank and hope I only need to release the choke "Starter Lever" that connects across the front and across the back carbs.

I have a Honda Service Manual I bought with Pretty Red when I bought her new in March. 1998. I can read the manual, etc. but was hoping someone on here might have some tips, advice or suggestions for breaking apart the bank, replacing the gasket, other gasket or maintenance tips while I have the carbs out.

I'm thinking I'll replace all four gaskets (sets?) at each carb.

Thanks in advance for any help.

Bill

 

First off, Welcome to the WORLD. I can't unfortunately help out with your issue, but site member Squirrleman is one of our local carb gurus so hopefully he chimes in soon. If not, maybe shoot him a PM.

 

What is the recent history of the bike--has it been sitting in the garage a long time, a daily rider, etc? Has it been dropped?

If sitting long, then the orings in the fuel tubes can dry up and shrink such that they will leak a bit until they get wet again and swell up to fill the gap and seal again.

If recently dropped, then the tubes may have been dislodged and can be rotated slightly to get them to reseat. Or the tube was broken when the bike fell over.

Also if sitting long and not ridden recently, then it is much more likely to be the float valve is stuck open and the bowls are overflowing out thru the AIR tubes. i would inspect the bowls first before breaking the carbs loose from the rack.

 

Brobably a little of both. I rarely take her out any more, but do try to fire her up every month or so. I dropped her in turn 7a at Sears point in September of 2014. I fully repaired her and rode a few hundred miles since the repair, but she has sat many months since the fuel leak started early this year, I think it was March. It used to be a steady drip drip drip, when I fired her up yesterday it was an obvious spew of fuel right at the insertion point of the tube. So that at least confirmed what I thought it might be. I even bought a dentist mirror as previously I could not see the actual leak.

 

The only real pitfall for splitting the carbs apart is the springs that hold tension on the linkage paddles and between the throttle shafts. If you are not paying attention or are not expecting them they tend to disappear if not careful. I recommend working on a large surface over a white sheet to help keep track of the small parts. The cross over tubes are not very strong so you need to be careful not to damage them as well.

 

Try to rotate the fuel tubes slightly back and forth, that will sometimes get them to reseat and stop leaking.

You could try to test them on the bench to see if the leak stopped, if it was from the fuel tubes and not the air tube. But since you have them off the bike, may as well open the bowls and clean everything and inspect the tubes carefully for cracks due to the fall.

i'll let the squirrelman advise you on breaking the rack loose from the plenum plate--not for the faint of heart...

 

Yikes. Springs are like bees, they're fine unless/until you F with them.

 

PM sent to answer your PM questions, Bill. eaceful:

 

I either can't figure out PM in this forum's format or I am not getting the joke or it's both. Sorry. I'm not seeing a reply.

 

Try again, Bill. :smug:

As usual, you should always heed any advice from Kenny Bobby or Toe Cutter, both acknowledged carb wizards.

 

What ever you need about carb rebuilding.

http://www.motorcycleproject.com/site_map.html

 

Wow. This is an amazing resource. Thank you.