Guest advcyclist Posted August 18, 2012 Share Posted August 18, 2012 After purchase, I purged all the bad fuel from the bike and replaced with fresh non-ethanol. Replaced the fuel line from the tank to the fuel filter and replaced the filter. All fuel leaks stopped... until yesterday. I noticed the distinct smell of dripped fuel when I opened the garage yesterday. Checked my previous repairs and all was secure and dry. Flashlight led me further down, below the carbs. There is a small, occasional drip that is pooling on top of the intake. It appears to be dripping directly from some type of port on the bottom of the carbs. See the pic for further clarification. I'd like to get this sorted ASAP and most likely depair while I have everything apart. Does anyone from the forum sell a de-pair kit or are the pieces needed just sourced/made by the owner? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 18, 2012 Share Posted August 18, 2012 From the carb diagrams I have, it appears to be dripping from the float chamber. This can't be normal. Sorry for my lack of knowledge and silly questions. It's been over a decade since I've dug this deep into an engine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 19, 2012 Share Posted August 19, 2012 You have a stuck float valve or dirt in the needle valve the float controls. I have just had the exact same prob. Remove tank & air box top & filter, bend the tabs back on the screw's holding the airbox lower onto the throttle bodies, undo & lift the tray off the carbs. I can't remember if the belmouths came off before the tray but they are a bayonet fit trapped between the carb tops & air box lower. Remove carbs & drain. Place upside down in a cardboard box to prevent escaped parts dissapearing. Strip & clean the offender, blow out with an air line, clean out fuel inlet filter. I would leave the rest alone if they are ok & not depair them. Smear a bit of o-ring grease on the float bowl gasket & reverse process to re-assemble. Before putting the tank back on get a 4ft or longer lenght of fuel pipe & funnel, conected to the carbs, get a mate to hold it up away from the bike. Fill with fuel check for leaks/flooding & if all ok put the air box & tank back on. I ran the bike up at that piont as well to make sure all was ok with the engine running. Regards Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 19, 2012 Share Posted August 19, 2012 sounds easy enough and I've done everything you've outlined with the exception of removing the carbs. Looks like it's a rainy day Sunday project for me today. Will it be necessary to synch the carbs after this project? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 19, 2012 Share Posted August 19, 2012 Yup... trial by fire is my modus operandi... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 boy y'all are a talkative bunch... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer airwalk Posted August 20, 2012 Member Contributer Share Posted August 20, 2012 had the same (or very similar) problem with my '95. only success stopping it was to replace the O ring-type float bowl gskts with genuine honda "kits". disturbingly expensive as I recall. tried sealer,etc. & ended by just paying the money after poor (non) results, removed & replaced carbs twice, tedious. I seem to recall there were other small O rings in the kits (for around bowl drain screws,etc.)took 15 or so years for this "weeping" that eventually dripped to develop, hopefully it'll be that long before I need to do it again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrmatt Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 Do you know if the drip is coming from around the bowl gasket or through the drain screw, or through the overflow hose? Through the overflow means that a float is stuck, but if its coming around the bowl or drain screw then you have a bad gasket. The drip in the picture is on the drain, but it could have just accumulated there as the lowest point. The problem with all those rubber gaskets is that the replacements cost way too much like airwalk said.. If its a small O-ring you might be able to find one at a hardware store, although it might be the wrong rubber compound for use with gas. Just FYI on future repairs, you don't need to remove the lower air box from the carbs before taking them off, its actually better to leave it all together so it can act as a frame for all the carbs and they won't get moved around during removal/install. Getting them back in can sometimes be a pain, especially if the boots are old. I think I put the boots on the lip of the bike side, installed the front, and then pushed the rear down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 much appreciated. I'm fairly certain the leak is coming from failed gaskets. when I pulled them apart, the fuel was seeping around the screw threads. I'm now trying to find some NOS without breaking the bank. also fun pulling all the gasoline toffee and varnish from the float valve screens. sent from my intergalactic space modulator Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer gll429 Posted August 20, 2012 Member Contributer Share Posted August 20, 2012 ok... wow.. i didnt think you would remove the plenuim.aka airbox bottom holding the carbs together... if i were you.. go to auto store.. a gallon of GUNK carb dip.. NOT berryman!!!! only GUNK!!! next.. the $1 store.. buy 3 tin foil pans big enough to fit the carbs abd be shaped around them. fit one pan around the carbs.. place in a second pan.. leave flat.. pour crab cleaner over the carbs and let them soak.. a good 5 hours should have them looking new... remove carbs.. and either flush them with water until the water stops turning white.. or place them in a full 5 gallon bucket of water and let them sit for 5 min... if you have compressor blow them out..if not.. go to a gas station and the mechanic if you use his for 2 min. rebuild your carbs.. and synchronize them.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer V-FORE Posted August 20, 2012 Member Contributer Share Posted August 20, 2012 PM sent... also on the de-pairing, I have an extra set of plates I purchased. I will look for them tonight & will send them for the cost of stamps & a Gary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 PM sent... also on the de-pairing, I have an extra set of plates I purchased. I will look for them tonight & will send them for the cost of stamps & a Gary Much appreciated and I grabbed those gaskets you recommended. Grassy ass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 ok... wow.. i didnt think you would remove the plenuim.aka airbox bottom holding the carbs together... if i were you.. go to auto store.. a gallon of GUNK carb dip.. NOT berryman!!!! only GUNK!!! next.. the $1 store.. buy 3 tin foil pans big enough to fit the carbs abd be shaped around them. fit one pan around the carbs.. place in a second pan.. leave flat.. pour crab cleaner over the carbs and let them soak.. a good 5 hours should have them looking new... remove carbs.. and either flush them with water until the water stops turning white.. or place them in a full 5 gallon bucket of water and let them sit for 5 min... if you have compressor blow them out..if not.. go to a gas station and the mechanic if you use his for 2 min. rebuild your carbs.. and synchronize them.. I don't have a synch tool and I'm hoping with the minimal dis-assembly I've done that I will avoid having to synch these when re-installed. The varnished bits I'm pulling out of the float screens are not much bigger than coarse coffee grounds. Hoping to just clean the chambers, valves and replace the float chamber gaskets for smoother operation. I removed the plenum and velocity stacks to give them a good polish with some steel wool since they had a bit of oxidation built up from the years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer gll429 Posted August 20, 2012 Member Contributer Share Posted August 20, 2012 . I removed the plenum and velocity stacks to give them a good polish with some steel wool since they had a bit of oxidation built up from the years. \ there is your problem... you removed the part that holds all carbs together.. "IN SYNC" yes the tubes and stuff do help.. but the plenum is the main piece. i would sync with out fail... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 . I removed the plenum and velocity stacks to give them a good polish with some steel wool since they had a bit of oxidation built up from the years. \ there is your problem... you removed the part that holds all carbs together.. "IN SYNC" yes the tubes and stuff do help.. but the plenum is the main piece. i would sync with out fail... I would disagree. The carbs are still "together" and held as such with the bracket in the center and all the linkage. I have not removed or changed anything associated with the choke rails or throttle position springs. They are still one unit and act as such. The plenum and air filter box are just another piece on top directing the air. I'll know for certain when I button everything up, and I appreciate your info. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beck Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 As it seems like the carb boots are always one of the biggest items in the way of easily fixing things like these fuel leaks, had anyone ever consider replacing the boots with some sort of generic silicone items, cut to size. I suspect silicone will not harden with heat and age as the rubber items do, and can make doing work under or on the carbs much easier to do. Beck 95 VFR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 As it seems like the carb boots are always one of the biggest items in the way of easily fixing things like these fuel leaks, had anyone ever consider replacing the boots with some sort of generic silicone items, cut to size. I suspect silicone will not harden with heat and age as the rubber items do, and can make doing work under or on the carbs much easier to do. Beck 95 VFR I'd have to say mine are surprisingly pliable after 19 years of sitting. Granted, my VFR has ridiculously low miles compared to most, but rubber degrades just as quickly when exposed to air and time as any other set of conditions. I'll clean them as well and lube with a bit of petroleum jelly to seat the carb bodies on re-install. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 22, 2012 Share Posted August 22, 2012 Woohoo; new float chamber gaskets are here and will go on tonight! Hopefully riding again tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer V-FORE Posted August 22, 2012 Member Contributer Share Posted August 22, 2012 Good News!! Congrats Enjoy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 28, 2012 Share Posted August 28, 2012 necessity is the mother of invention... Using my bike workstand as a makeshift gravity fuel tank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 29, 2012 Share Posted August 29, 2012 necessity is the mother of invention... Using my bike workstand as a makeshift gravity fuel tank. Now THAT 's funny. I have the same Park stand and have done the same thing working on my Viffer. Hope your bike is coming along. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 29, 2012 Share Posted August 29, 2012 She lives and runs well on the stands. The tank and fairings will go on this evening with some low altitude test runs through my local farm roads. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 29, 2012 Share Posted August 29, 2012 Nice work! So you think it was a stuck float combined with bad gaskets? Absolutely the case. The gaskets were leaking on at least two of the float chambers around the screws and one of the floats was varnished to the chamber wall. I picked out dried, toffee bits of gasoline varnish from all 4 float valves and blew even more bits out with compressed air. All of the gaskets were dry-rotted and, literally, compressed into their channels so much that I had to scrape each one out with a tiny screw driver. It was also necessary to scrape the carb surfaces with an exacto razor blade and wire brush the gasket channels to eliminate all the dried gasket residue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 30, 2012 Share Posted August 30, 2012 I'm stoked this morning as I finally got her buttoned up last night and rode in to work this morning. Everything I had been frustrated about earlier is gone! The throttle response is much crisper as is the power delivery. It's just so smooth and linear now progressing through the gears that I cannot believe the simple transformation from cleaning out the float chambers and replacing those gaskets. I did not touch the needles, nor delve beyond the float chambers and the bonus was no synchronization necessary. The idle smoothed out considerably as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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