Author Topic: Water in carbs (Read 4971 times)

bonobandit4 · « **on:** April 13, 2006, 10:50:46 AM »

Just thought I'd post my recent experience with water getting into my tank/carbs as a warning to others. If you notice water pooling around your fuel cap, check the drain asap! When I drained the tank, it was full of rust sediment. Even though I had an in-line fuel filter, some sediment obviously made it through. Here's a picture of the mixture that I drained from the float-bowls... UGH! You can see the separation clearly. And the sediment.

Here's a picture of the color of the sediment that drained from them when I flushed with carb cleaner. It's very dark rusty red. Some solid gelatinous substance also same out. Not good!

interfuse · « **Reply #1 on:** April 13, 2006, 12:08:27 PM »

If I were you I'd be looking into a tank liner. Do a search for POR-15 or Kreem tank liner.

PitterB4 · « **Reply #2 on:** April 13, 2006, 12:17:42 PM »

I can't believe you don't have blocked pilots!

+1 on the liner.

bonobandit4 · « **Reply #3 on:** April 13, 2006, 12:44:43 PM »

Quote from: "PitterB4"

I can't believe you don't have blocked pilots!

+1 on the liner.

There's no guarantee the pilots won't be blocked. I haven't torn the carbs open completely. I only cleaned the chokes, and flushed the bowls thru the fuel bar and drain screws! Don't get me wrong. That was a lot of work as is. I did plenty of replacing of throttle springs. I even learned a quick trick to removing the throttle cable. If you manually open the throttle by compressing the spring, you can loosen the throttle nut and then rotate the entire carb bank CC a few times - voila - the throttle cables off in only a few seconds.

Yeah, I know. It's half asst, but if I get it back together, and it ISN'T leaking fuel (needing new O rings and such) and it's running well... I saved myself some dough. If not, I take it to my mechanic for a thorough cleaning/repair. Or, send it to Jay.

I already have the POR 15 and the tank off and dried. Just need some trusted method for plugging the fuelcock holes and such...

PitterB4 · « **Reply #4 on:** April 13, 2006, 12:49:47 PM »

My gas didn't look nearly that bad and I was loosing 1 or 2 cylinders at idle every few thousand miles due to blocked pilots.

For plugging the holes, I cut pieces of 1/8th inch plywood to the size of the petcock and the cap. I then cut some sheet rubber to match. I drilled holes in it to match the mounting holes and bolted them on. Worked great. I think I chucked them but if not, I'd ship 'em out to you if you want.

bonobandit4 · « **Reply #5 on:** April 13, 2006, 12:53:13 PM »

That just reminded me about my "trusted" mechanic. The fuel filter that I spoke about previously... was put on with the flow in the wrong direction. I had to replace that too obviously. Maybe I should just take the time to do it myself? If I've gone this far, how much harder is it to crack 'em completely open?

bonobandit4 · « **Reply #6 on:** April 13, 2006, 12:58:50 PM »

Quote from: "PitterB4"

My gas didn't look nearly that bad...

LOL! That is pretty ugly 'eh. I'm so ashamed.

bonobandit4 · « **Reply #7 on:** April 16, 2006, 12:01:10 PM »

Well, I cracked them open myself and this is the nightmare that I found...

I guess that's what water/winter/rust can do. Should be good when I'm done, but I found something a little wierd. My mains are 105's, which seems okay since I have an aftermarket Yoshi, full 4 into 1. However, my pilots were capped with a rubber stopper. Is this common with Jet kits?

Thanks!

Thief400 · « **Reply #8 on:** April 16, 2006, 12:48:41 PM »

Yes the rubber caps are suppose to be there, If you leave them out some fuel will bypass the main jet and the bike will run rich. With the plugs in place all the fuel goes though the main jet then up to the pilots. Which Yoshimura pipe do you have 4 into 1 or the 4 into 2 into 1

bonobandit4 · « **Reply #9 on:** April 16, 2006, 12:59:39 PM »

Thanks! My bad... I meant 4-2-1. Actually, I think it runs a little rich now. It backfires occasionally, and I've got black soot inside the tail pipe.

bonobandit4 · « **Reply #10 on:** April 21, 2006, 10:38:12 AM »

Thought I'd just update this thread with where I'm at in this process...

So I got everything back together, and put onto the intake manifolds yesterday. I poured gas into the fuel lines, and I could barely get anything more than start with chokes and then a very very low idle. It ran great with the chokes open. Well that makes sense when you're not getting any got darn vacuum! I sprayed some starter fluid around the manifolds and the rpm's sky rocketed. I'm starting to think this was causing me to lose cylinders for a long time now, and the reason why I was running rich and back firing. I'm sure I aggravated it during this process. At least I know what the problem is tho. It shouldn't be difficult replacing the manifolds and/or seals. I hope! Famous last words.

interfuse · « **Reply #11 on:** April 21, 2006, 12:43:10 PM »

Sounds like your running lean. Not rich.

If you add choke and the bike behalves better, then you have a lean air fuel mixture. Probably caused by sucking in extra air at the manifolds like you described.

The reason it smells "rich" is the lean fuel mixture doesn't ignite in the cylinder and spews raw gas out the tailpipe. If the pipes are hot the mixture can ignite in the pipes and cause backfiring.

Red01 · « **Reply #12 on:** April 21, 2006, 01:54:12 PM »

Makes sense. With vacuum leaks at the manifolds, you'd have to run it rich to get it to run at all.

bonobandit4 · « **Reply #13 on:** April 23, 2006, 05:31:11 PM »

Lean? That sounds right. I think I understand what's happening - but didn't quite reason it out right.

Thanks! I'm excited that I'm getting somewhere, but I don't have time to do all this right now. With the summer picking up that means yardwork, and I seem to have burned a pickup coil in my electronic distributor on my Javelin last week. I'd like to get that back to points, and replace the coil. No rest for the weary!