Fuel flowing over motor when running

[Valkrider62]

I store my bike eight months of the year starting in April.  I was told by the service manager at the Honda dealer in Mesa, Arizona to add stabilizer to the gas.  (I added Star Tron Enzyme fuel treatment which will stabilize fuel for two years and it sold by Honda Dealer.)  Ride the bike to get stable through out the fuel system.  Shut the fuel off and run the bike until it runs out of fuel.  Disconnect the battery, cover the bike and place in storage.
December I took it out of storage, connected the battery, turned on the fuel and turned it over twenty times or more before starting.  Before long gas was pouring all over the engine.  I could use some help since this is my first Valkyrie.  What is keeping the floats from stopping the gas when the bowl is full?  Do I need to have the carbs rebuilt?

[sdv003]

Could be the O rings on the fuel rails are leaking.  I had the problem you describe after purchasing the bike from a PO that had let it sit for a while.  After I started it, the gas was pouring out thru the fuel rail.  I had to pull and rebuild the carbs to fix it, as none of the recommendations to swell the gaskets worked.  Rebuilding the carbs is not hard, you just have to be methodical.  It took me and a friend most of a day from start to finish.  Good luck.

[signart]

When you ran it out of fuel, anything normally immersed is going to shrink and adhere itself to whatever it is in contact with in some places and not in others. If not in temp. controlled environment, vulnerability to condensation also. Once you have fuel to the fuel rails for a while, you might get lucky on next start up.

[Attic Rat]

could be a stuck float

[Valkrider62]

Carburetors were rebuilt last year if that helps.  It sound like I need to find out where the gas is coming from?

[Brewer]

Look under the tank with an 'non sparking' light and turn the fuel on to see where the gas leak is (remember to turn the fuel back off)

It might be: Petcock, any of the fuel lines, the fuel rails.

Fuel rails are part of the carb assembly after the flexible fuel line connects to the carbs. This part has multiple o-rings that age and crack.
Red-eye tech has a kit with improved o-ring material and instructions.
 

[hukmut]

AND,   btw,  just to put my .02 in,   do yourself a favor and replace those float needles while you are in the carbs. Easy to do, and FAR cheaper to do than a hydrolock repair.
Those float needle valve springs are tiny and after all these years doing their job, they have gotten weak and tired.
Consider it a "need to do".

Ride safe.

[salty1]

I'll say your Orings on the fuel rails have dried out. Now that they have been bathed in gas they will swell and seal the passage way again. After 24 or so hours try running it again you'll probably find the leaking gas has quit. If you think a float is stuck open be careful of a hydrolock. FWIW

[longrider]

I agree with salty1 .  I purchased my third valk this last spring out of Vegas.  PO had let it sit for months without running.  It was leaking fuel as you describe.  I just started it cautiously till fuel started to run  a couple days in a row and the orings swelled up and have given no issues since

[Valkrider62]

Thanks to everyone.  I will wait to see if the o-rings swell up again before taking it to a shop.

[RDKLL]

What part of Mesa? My block is sided by Gilbert, Main, University, and Lindsay.

Hope the o rings swell back up

[Pappy!]

Would either be the fuel rail O-rings or the bowl seals. Both should swell up after a couple of starts and an hour or two in between. Doesn't mean that it shouldn't be fixed. Lesa's Valk does the same thing through the bowl seals. Hers takes an hour or so to swell up. I just put a paper towel down and start it long enough to fill the bowls. Carbs had been cleaned but not re-built. There is a difference! Am thinking yours were cleaned instead of rebuilt as well.

[Valkrider62]

I believe the Honda shop is in Gilbert near 60 and Power.  How does a person know if the gas is going into the cylinder if a float is stuck?  Once the starter is engaged is the damage already done if there is gas in the cylinder?  The owner said the carbs were rebuilt at the dealer.  He also said it cost almost $900 the have them done.  Who knows if he had other things repaired at the same time.

[salty1]

If a cylinder is full of fuel and you hit the starter, it would sound like you had a dead battery. If you suspect a hydrolock just click the starter switch to tell if the bike is going to turn over.  Problems beyond the hydrolock itself don't always show up.

[westnek]

if I think there's a chance of  fuel in the bowls at first  start after storage , ive pulled the plugs and taken a insulated piece of wire and inserted the wire into the cylinders and  checked to see dampness  and or a odor of gasoline; if no traces of  theses symptoms I re-install plugs and start it== this is my own dumb idea ,not saying its proven  or great idea SO feel free to jump in members    ride safe all

[Valkrider62]

I don't believe I have a lock up situation since it turns over without any resistance and starts right up.  I have been starting the bike from time to time this week and at this point it is a drip down the outside of the left rear carburetor. 

[Valkrider62]

I have finally be able to start the bike without gas flowing all over.  It only took a week of starting it from time to time before the seals has swollen enough to stop the leaks.

[longrider]

glad to hear that its running.  keep an eye on it but you're most likely good to go

[jmann]

I would still change the fuel rail orings. One of these days it may start leaking and not stop and you might not be in your driveway when it happens. I just changed mine and while time consuming it wasn't that difficult. I didn't want to be caught away from home with a bike leaking gas. Parts from redeye including new intake orings shipped was only $29. Pretty inexpensive repair. 

[BF]

I'll say your Orings on the fuel rails have dried out. Now that they have been bathed in gas they will swell and seal the passage way again. After 24 or so hours try running it again you'll probably find the leaking gas has quit. If you think a float is stuck open be careful of a hydrolock. FWIW

^^This^^   

[Ricky-D]

Most all difficulty and problems occur when taking the carburetors apart. This also includes breaking the

carburetors.  There is no reason to mess with the carburetors if there is no problem or the problem

has disappeared. There is no preventive maintenance indicated for the carburetors other than a dose

of gasoline additive occasionally, depending upon the fuel you are using.

***

[Steve K (IA)]

Most all difficulty and problems occur when taking the carburetors apart. This also includes breaking the

carburetors.  There is no reason to mess with the carburetors if there is no problem or the problem

has disappeared. There is no preventive maintenance indicated for the carburetors other than a dose

of gasoline additive occasionally, depending upon the fuel you are using.

***

 Agree 

Also I would say...lesson learned.  Don't drain the gas.  I never drain mine.  Add SeaFoam at storage and once more halfway through the riding season.  No carb problems on both my Valks, 2001 & 1997.

Did have a scare this past summer on my I/S.  Turned out to be torn diaphragm in the petcock.

[Valkrider62]

Thanks again guys for the great info.  I learn more about these bikes each time I read your feed back

[MC Flannel]

did you ever find out where the fuel was coming from?  if not consider this... i saw that you said you just stored your bike for the winter but you never commented to wether or not you drained your carb bowls.  if you just ran it out of gas it does not empty the fuel.  you may have had a sticky float caused by some varnish build up on the needle or the float mount pin.  this will cause the bowl to just fill up and never shut off. after running it for a while the float may have come unstuck (lucky you believe me).  just a word of advise, make sure you drain those things before storage.  pretty easy process, its just a little screw on the side of the carb that you turn out a couple turns and drain for about an hour or so then tighten the little screw up.  just take care when you tighten to just barely snug them or you can distort the end of the screw causing them to leak past.  hope this helps