Gas leaking from hose under bike...? - Page 2

**GearJammer** · 07-12-2010, 01:40 PM

In agreement with others here......it's definitely a float problem. Either the needle valve is hanging up like Cagie mentioned and not allowing the float to cut off fuel flow coming into the carb, or the float level is incorrect as flitecontrol & Jerry have pointed out.

**ronbang** · 07-12-2010, 03:31 PM

So these guys who cleaned the carb didnt do a good job i guess? i mean before they cleaned the carb the bike needed to run at half choke or it would die and then as it was idling and you gave it throttle it died...after they cleaned it the bike starts now with no choke...so maybe they messed somthing up in there? i mean i payed 200 bucks to have it cleaned out right...

**flitecontrol** · 07-12-2010, 03:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ronbang

So these guys who cleaned the carb didnt do a good job i guess? i mean before they cleaned the carb the bike needed to run at half choke or it would die and then as it was idling and you gave it throttle it died...after they cleaned it the bike starts now with no choke...so maybe they messed somthing up in there? i mean i payed 200 bucks to have it cleaned out right...

Holy Moley! Wish I knew they were charging you that much! Did they remove and install the carb too? There's a guy in Virginia (carbworx.com)that cleans them ultrasonically and replaces any bad parts for around $40 + shipping and does a great job. Jack also does a great job, but not sure what he charges.

Definitely take it back with the understanding that you want it fixed right and won't pay any more. Out of curiosity, was this a dealership (Honda, Yamaha, etc.)?

I can't be sure, but it certainly appears that they charged you top dollar for less than top quality work. If they are a reputable shop, they will make it right at no cost. If they don't, report them to the Better Business Bureau. Always a good idea to check a business' BBB rating (available online) before doing business with them.

**GearJammer** · 07-12-2010, 03:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ronbang

So these guys who cleaned the carb didnt do a good job i guess? i mean before they cleaned the carb the bike needed to run at half choke or it would die and then as it was idling and you gave it throttle it died...after they cleaned it the bike starts now with no choke...so maybe they messed somthing up in there? i mean i payed 200 bucks to have it cleaned out right...

They didn't necessarily mess anything up per se, but it sure sounds like your float simply needs another looking at. Maybe they'd check it out for free since they did the work ? $200 isn't the worst price for a carb cleaning and it might only need a minor adjustment......they probably cleaned it just fine, just missed the float needle valve or float level part......no fun for you, of course, but it could definitely be an honest mistake on their part.

When I cleaned the carb on the 250, after putting it back together and before re-installing it on the bike, I held the carb and slowly turned it upside down to see if I could hear the float moving in & out of place inside there. Heard no movement, so opened it up again and noticed that the needle valve was hanging up so the float couldn't move. I took a small file and c-a-r-e-f-u-l-l-y smoothed out the seat that the needle valve drops into. That did the trick.......

**GearJammer** · 07-12-2010, 03:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flitecontrol

Holy Moley! Wish I knew they were charging you that much! Did they remove and install the carb too? There's a guy in Virginia (carbworx.com)that cleans them ultrasonically and replaces any bad parts for around $40 + shipping and does a great job. Jack also does a great job, but not sure what he charges.

Definitely take it back with the understanding that you want it fixed right and won't pay any more. Out of curiosity, was this a dealership (Honda, Yamaha, etc.)?

I can't be sure, but it certainly appears that they charged you top dollar for less than top quality work. If they are a reputable shop, they will make it right at no cost. If they don't, report them to the Better Business Bureau. Always a good idea to check a business' BBB rating (available online) before doing business with them.

$40 ??? Man, that's an EXCELLENT price! No kidding.......indie shops in this area charge $150 hr. to clean carbs.......and would quite possibly charge the full $150 for one carb of this type.......

**bB2NER** · 07-12-2010, 04:24 PM

I'm thinking needle valve is not seating properly too.

**flitecontrol** · 07-12-2010, 08:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GearJammer

$40 ??? Man, that's an EXCELLENT price! No kidding.......indie shops in this area charge $150 hr. to clean carbs.......and would quite possibly charge the full $150 for one carb of this type.......

That's what he charged per carb on the dual carb VN750, which to me is more complicated than the Rebel carb. It's no wonder he stays busy. But then, carbs are the majority of his business .

**ronbang** · 07-12-2010, 09:51 PM

Is it possible for the carb to get all gunked up and make the floats stick in like two days after getting it cleaned and cleaning the tank...like i stated in my other post about my tank....my tank was little rusty on the inside but i cleaned it VERY WELL...4 liters of Evaporust sat for about 2 hours a side shook the hell out of it also...rinsed well 8 liters of rubbing alchol 4 at a time shook around drained then gallon of gas shook around and drained...tank was basicaly spotless new inline it worked fine then the next day i seen it was leaking gas...i dont get it its getting to be more of a pain in the ass this bike...can i ride it with the gas leaking since it dont leak when you give it throttle just when you stop...=D im guessing wont pass inspection leaking gas either

JunkyardDog · 07-12-2010, 10:26 PM

It is not possible for the carb to get all gunked up in 2 days from the evaporation of gas, but ANY tiny, and by tiny I mean almost microscopic, piece of foreign material gets into the carb, it could prevent the needle valve from seating. Thats why fuel filters are such a good idea. Also, it is possible for the float to become mechanically stuck open if it is not installed right. I had that problem with my first Vulcan 750, and even though it was still under warranty, I didn't want the dealer to mess it up, as it was a brand new bike. It was the rear carb, so I pulled the whole mess (and Vulcan 750 carbs are a mess, 10 times harder to remove and replace than the Rebel carb) I pulled the float bowl off the rear carb, and found a piece of flashing from the manufacturing process was rubbing on the inside of the float bowl. I sanded it down, put everything back, and it worked fine for more than 80,000 miles.

Most needle valves have a small clip that holds the needle in place, and a small pin that holds the float in place, and if either of these parts are not put in right, the float can stick, sometimes the needle can fall completely out.

$200!!! I would clean carbs all day long for $25 apiece, off the bike, plus any parts they actually needed (I'm not the type to claim they need something they don't). I would even guarantee them for 30 days if used with an aftermarket fuel filter. If a carb is going to mess up after being cleaned and/or repaired, it's going to do it in less than 30 days. I don't have an ultrasonic cleaner, and that sounds like a good idea, but I have never needed one. Jerry.

**GearJammer** · 07-13-2010, 02:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flitecontrol

That's what he charged per carb on the dual carb VN750, which to me is more complicated than the Rebel carb. It's no wonder he stays busy. But then, carbs are the majority of his business .

At those prices, he's certainly found his niche......he won't be lacking for customers. Good business sense on his part and commendable as well......

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