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NEED HELP ASAP: Fuel leak (My problems never end...)

8K views 6 replies 4 participants last post by  Lumberjack 
#1 · (Edited)
UPDATE: Issue Resolved - It WAS THE carb bowl gaskets after all. Parts ordered and to be installed! THANKS!

I will make this as detailed and as painless to assess, as possible, as to get a more accurate response from you guys.

BIKE: 2001 Yamaha V-star 650 (less than 4K miles, due to previous owners storage)

Issue: After trying to get my bike ready for spring today, I noticed My bike is leaking fuel (rather quickly) from the bottom(s) of the carb bowl (area - it might not be the bowls, as the fuel COULD be coming from the Choke side, and leaking around) BIKE WAS NOT LEAKING BEFORE WINTER STORAGE. ZERO LEAKING WHATSOEVER

How the bike was stored: Last November I put the bike into storage. Full tank of fresh gas + stabilizer, bike was ran with the petcock shut of until it died (no fuel in the pump or lines), and carb bowls were emptied. Essentially a 100% dry system from the petcock to the carbs. Today: All old fuel was drained, replaced with a tank of Shell 94 octane no ethanol (just to make sure the ethanol doesn't mess with my bike - it still has choke issues). So fresh fuel, etc.

Prelim issues that were solved: Fuel pump wouldn't catch. Luckily my dad nice enough to put a LONG a$$ hose on the fuel line coming out of the pump, and sucked some fuel through and got it going! So that issue was solved.

MAIN Issue and how I noticed it: We got the fuel pump going, and so I wanted to make sure ALL the old fuel was gone 100%, so I ran JUST the fuel pump, and had the main feed line (that goes into the carb on the "seat" side/rear side of the carb) dipped into a red canister. I just ran enough to get new fuel going through. ok. Cool, new fuel in the system, battery hooked up. I hooked the main line back up to the carb. Then I smelled gas.

Smell of gas = bad news bear. I had this before, when float needle was messed and fuel was leaking through the "overflow" and down below the air filter (if you know what I mean, that hose that runs down between the two carbs)

Look down, and sure enough, a puddle of gasoline forming - Insta-panic mode! Gas shut off, cloth collects gasoline, carb bowls get drained right away.

OK. PAY ATTENTION HERE, this is the EXACT way I noticed the leak, so maybe it can give you a clue as to what is happening:

-I wiped ALL the fuel off the wet parts (bowls, intake manifolds, rubber skirt that sits below the carbs etc).
-I turned the fuel on, BUT DID NOT have to turn the pump on. Basically the carb bowls filled via gravity and that was enough to start the issue
- I instantly noticed a small little stream/trickle start below the rear carb bowl, directly on the black rubber intake manifold going into the rear carb. SEE ATTACHED PHOTO. Soon after, the front carb bowl began to display a bit of the same symptom, but mainly the rear one
- Once I TURNED OFF THE FUEL, the leak continued, until I drained the bowls into a jar.

THIS brings me to believe that my 0-Ring gasket on the carb bowl cover has dried out cracked and allowed a leak to form.

Would I be correct in thinking this? Or could it be something else?


Additional info: Float needle assembly in the rear carb is brand new as of last october.

HUGE THANK YOU in advance from this Canadian!
 

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#2 ·
All that info but you never say what bike you have. :confused: :D
Yes, it is possible that you have a bad o-ring. You said that one of the float needles has been replaced. Is the carb that's leaking the same one? Even if it is a new needle, it could still be leaking. Might just have a little dirt or trash holding it open. No real way to tell what the problem is without opening up the carb.
 
#3 ·
LOL sorry, it's updated now! 2001 V-star 650!

The carb was NOT leaking before winter storage, though? I installed the new parts, and despite having issues with my carb, once it started and even riding it around, never did I experience any leaks AFTER installing the new parts.

yes, it is on the same carb, though. I thought that MAYBE after taking that rear flow bowl cover on and off, so many damn times last fall, the rubber on that O-Ring is just dead now?
 
#4 ·
while reading your info (before getting to the end) I kept thinking.. sounds like a gasket on the bowls is bad. *other than that sounds like a tricky issue
 
#6 ·
It sure as heck is! From now on, it's going to be gasoline + high end stabilizer, and it is sitting in there all winter, with an occasional startup to get it flowing and moving! Those o-rings and rubber parts are NOT MEANT to dry out, they're meant to sit in gasoline and stay supple!
 
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