Hydrolocked! Advice?

[neetones]

Hi all. I bought my 99 Tourer about a couple months ago with 30K on the clock. I've ridden it every other day or so and it's been nothing but wonderful. Records indicate that carbs were serviced last year.

Today, I took it out and parked it with the petcock on. About an hour later, there was a ton of fuel dripping out the left side. Haven't pinpointed the leak yet, but the much larger problem is that it's now hydrolocked.

I pulled the plugs and ran the ignition a few times and a ton of fuel pumped out the #2 cylinder and a bit from the others.

I blew compressed air in as well to help get some of the fuel out. I'm leaving it overnight with the plugs out to see if more will evaporate.

What else should I do? I'm worried about things getting damaged.

Any help would be appreciated!

Nitin in Ojai, CA

[Chrisj CMA]

You have two problems. First, your petcock is malfunctioning. I replaced mine with s Pingel after rebuilding it only lasted a year. Second the cylinder that gushed fuel has a bad float/needle valve in that carbo. Both need to be addressed to avoid future damage.

[gordonv]

Have you broken anything?

Did you hit the starter and try to start the engine, before you pumped the fuel out?

No damage, no foul.

Like Chrisj said, 2 issues make a hydrolock. Both need fixing.

[neetones]

I definitely hit the starter before pumping the fuel out, but am not sure that there's any damage. Where should I look for damage? I didn't hear any grinding or clattering...just the clunk of the hydrolock.

Also, after repairing the carb and the petcock, anything else I need to do to start it up safely without damaging it?

[hubcapsc]

Where should I look for damage?

I'll add to this question: can you see the brokenness if you
take the starter off and look in there?

-Mike "I hate taking the starter off..."

[h13man]

I definitely hit the starter before pumping the fuel out, but am not sure that there's any damage. Where should I look for damage? I didn't hear any grinding or clattering...just the clunk of the hydrolock.

Also, after repairing the carb and the petcock, anything else I need to do to start it up safely without damaging it?

Change the oil.

[da prez]

Pull the plugs , crank over the engine. If you can see puffing from the plug holes and no unusual noise , then maybe no hydro lock damage.
  Hydro lock damage usually results in not cranking over.  I have a shortcut method I use on engines when condition is unknown . (this is a suggestion O N L Y)  Remove the air cleaner. Crank over the engine (if it cranks) a couple times. With the engine ignition off , Give it a small two second shot of starting fluid. Crank it over. If it tries to start , you may be OK. U S E this as a test only. D O not run it on starting fluid.
 A Valk will not run with the air cleaner off (very well). If you have access to another fuel supply , try starting. D O the fuel repairs.

                                              da prez

[neetones]

Just peeked again and there's fuel leaking out of the exhaust on cylinders 2 and 4.

Damn.

[Mooskee]

There are a couple of other threads on this 1500 tech board that discuss hydrolock and the symptoms. Search hydrolock, perhaps you can glean some goo info about how to troubleshoot it. From you r post and fuel running out 2 & 4 pipes, it sounds like you need to rebuild your carbs and replace the float bowl needle valves. You definitely need to correct the problem with the petcock. Either rebuild it or replace with a Pingle setup. First assess if you have damage such as broken teeth on your starter.

[gordonv]

This one shows the sheared off gear teeth, that the starter meshes and turns the engine over with the starter.

http://www.valkyrieforum.com/bbs/index.php/topic,70846.0.html

The starter can turn the little gear, which tears off the teeth from the other one or together. The rear cover comes off, and a lot of things removed, to get to them and replace. Then back together.

You can remove the starter, and with a flashlight look inside to inspect.

Or just ride. Start the bike. If you can get the engine to turn over and start, after a few months, I wouldn't worry to much about it anymore.

If you hit the starter, and the engine doesn't turn over, with the bike in gear, roll the bike and release the clutch to have the engine rotate a little. Then try the starter again. If it then works, you've broken teeth. The gears of the starter can turn the engine over, if there is no teeth on the engine gear.

[neetones]

Good news. I pulled the starter and don't see any damage to teeth. I purchased a carb rebuild kit so between that and the petcock rebuild, I hope I'm in the clear.

Thank you to this thread!

[gordonv]

Just as long as you learned what and why a hydro lock happens. This also brings it up for others, hopefully, before they have one.

Damage is caused when a hydro lock happens, and you then press that starter button a second time.

Just an FYI, it would be better to add your location to your profile, in case you can get local help or meet ups.

[dpcarson]

After a hydrolock issue you should change your oil also. 
No broken teeth, no problem.  Just get those carbs and petcock done. If you have been riding it regularly and it has been running fine, instead of totally rebuilding the carbs, you can change out the float valves with the carbs still on the bike.  It is a pain, but still easier than pulling everything apart.  If you are going to do it on the bike then Replace all the float valves too.  They are too cheap not to. 

[neetones]

Update!

So after waiting on some parts, I finally got her running again. Here's what I did:

- rebuilt stock petcock
- rebuilt carbs (they were already recently cleaned so I just replaced bowl gaskets, float valves, cleaned)
- changed oil
- changed fuel filter screen
- new intake runner o-rings

She starts up fine but she is still spitting fuel out of the exhaust and onto the floor. Won't hold an idle without the choke!

What do I do now?

[hubcapsc]

The petcock could be so broken that a rebuild won't
fix it. Gas could flow down the vacuum line to #6
and end up going out your pipes. If you look at your
spark plugs and #6 stands out as gross and wet, that
could be it.

-Mike

[Ricky-D]

Won't hold an idle without the choke!

This pretty much indicates poor fuel supply.

Since you say everything else is good, I'd say it's probable the low speed fuel galleries are clogged up to some degree.

[Chrisj CMA]

I repaired a hydrolock bike and it was the plastic float in the offending cylinder that was the culprit

[neetones]

Hi everyone. Thank you so much for the help.

I haven't had time for a shakedown ride yet, but I think we're looking good. Once I got it up to temp and adjusted the idle, she seemed to run okay.

Count me among the people who have recovered from a hydrolock thanks to the support of the forum!