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Message started by bwlinux on 12/05/06 at 16:49:15

Title: Fuel leaking onto top of engine
Post by bwlinux on 12/05/06 at 16:49:15

The other day I took the wife's bike out for a spin around the block. After a few minutes of riding I started smelling gas. Oooops! I took it back home figuring I probably needed to replace the fuel line and related hoses since it was a '97 model.

This evening I started looking into the leak. When I started it up there was no leak, no cracks in the hoses, nothing. Then after about 5 minutes of idling I noticed the gas leak. It appeared to come from under the gas tank. I found the hose that was leaking the gas. It doesn't seem to plug into any. I traced it back and it goes to the right side of the carb towards the rear. After pulling the gas tank off I noticed there's 2 of these hoses running up along the frame. They connect into the carb on both sides toward the back and they are just open on the top end.

The clymer manual does not identify they and I can't find anywhere to plug them in.

I can send pics of the hoses in question if my description isn't clear. I need to fix this though because my wife really wants to ride and she's threatening to go get a v-rod :o if I don't get this fixed soon!

TIA

Title: Re: Fuel leaking onto top of engine
Post by Reelthing on 12/05/06 at 17:19:11

those are the vent hoses if you have gas leaking from them it sounds like a float issue - either with the float it self or more likely the rubber tip on the needle - dosen't sound like the diaphram or you'd have gas all over the place w/the engine running or not - might be a good idea to check the air box for gas and check if the engine is too full of "oil" - by the way does it run bad like this or just leaks out the vents?

Title: Re: Fuel leaking onto top of engine
Post by thumperclone on 12/05/06 at 17:23:31

^^^what reelthing said^^^as long as your petc0ck isnt turned to PRIME....

Title: Re: Fuel leaking onto top of engine
Post by firsts40 on 12/05/06 at 18:49:39

Every once in a while I get a little smell of gas for a few minutes and then it goes away. I have never been able to find where it comes from. I can only think that it is from a vent hose. ???

Title: Re: Fuel leaking onto top of engine
Post by bwlinux on 12/05/06 at 19:04:36

Reelthing wrote:

Engine oil level looks good so I think it's safe to say I don't have gas flooding into the cylinder

I took the air filter out and there's a strong smell of gas but that might normal. Looking inside the air box though there appears to be be a moist stain like that of gas after it evaproates.

It's hard to keep the engine running when the gas starts pooring out. Of course the gas doesn't start leaking until it's been running a few minutes. during that wam up time it runs good.

So it's time to rebuild the carb?

When I'm teaching people to ride motorcycles I always stress the fact of turning off the fuel valve, sure wish I had that option on the Savage without doing the mod that I've seen on this forum.

--
Brian

Title: Re: Fuel leaking onto top of engine
Post by bwlinux on 12/05/06 at 19:08:11

thumperclone wrote:

^^^what reelthing said^^^as long as your petc0ck isnt turned to PRIME....

Nope, not on prime.

Tonight when I was looking at this I had moved it to Reserve because it seemed to run better. I figured that was because the tank was getting a little low. In the ON position it would die pretty quick like running out of gas.

Title: Re: Fuel leaking onto top of engine
Post by Reelthing on 12/05/06 at 22:10:34

bwlinux wrote:

might not need a rebuild just a needle valve - easy enough to pull the bowl and have a look see #13370-24c80 - around 35 bucks for the needle and seat

number 19 unless 24 has hole in it is liable to fix it up

http://images.powersportsnetwork.com/fiche/images/Suzuki/1996/Motorcycles/1886_10.gif

Title: Re: Fuel leaking onto top of engine
Post by bwlinux on 12/18/06 at 16:24:49

Just an update, the bike is back on the road. Hooray!

I replaced the valve and needle. While I was at it I shot some carb cleaner through out. It seems the previous owner didn't completely understand how to use a phillips screw driver so I went ahead and swapped out the screws while I was at it with some allen head ones
M5-0.8 16mm for the bowl and M5-0.8 12mm for the top.

I fired it back up and left the aircleaner out so I could watch for fuel flowing back into it. After about 10 minutes of idling I'd get a little trickle back into the air box but only when it would idle for long periods of time. NO GAS coming out the vent lines though, this was good!

I took the bike out for a full tank of gas ride (~100 miles) and it ran like a champ. When I got back I put 2.2 gallons in for 115 miles. We haven't had the bike long enough to know if that's good fuel mileage.

When my wife decides she wants that Harley she's always dreamed of, I've found me a fun bike to customize. This little savage is a blast to ride. Drag bars, forward controls and a comfy seat and I'll have a great bike to cruise around on. :)

Title: Re: Fuel leaking onto top of engine
Post by Reelthing on 12/19/06 at 07:17:47

Sounds about right - those mikuni phillps carb screws are a little harder than plastic but not much and seem to have loctite on them - sure do pop the first time you break them loose - you did the right thing - throw them in the trash and put in the allen heads.

The mpg sounds dead on normal.

The vrod and other heavy bikes are fine rides but they're more of an event - you get use to having the light weight savage around to just jump on and run to the store or whatever and you'll miss it if it's gone. Guess they're like utility bikes or something, handle well, decent mileage, quick enough, light @ 352lbs, not much maint just keep enough good oil in them and go.