Started bike - fuel running down on garage floor

[BF]

With my cancer, chemo and radiation, I haven't been able to ride the bike hardly at all.  However, whenever I haven't been able to ride it, I've been starting it up a couple times a week to get some gas flowing through the carbs and just to make sure everything is still alright. 

Yesterday, went out to the garage and started the bike.  Within a minute, fuel started flowing all over the garage floor. 

What just happened and what do I have to do/need to do to fix it?

I suppose the first thing is to pull the tank and then the air box.....but then, where do I go from there?

I know I've read about this before, but I'm not exactly sure what to search for to get me on the right path to fixing her. 

[Hook#3287]

Any idea of where the leak is coming from?  Fuel line? Petcock? Overflow tube?

I've always enjoyed looking at your bike, it's very cool

[BF]

Any idea of where the leak is coming from?  Fuel line? Petcock? Overflow tube?

I've always enjoyed looking at your bike, it's very cool

No, I don't yet.  I didn't have time to take a closer look....and with work, doctors visits and going to radiation everyday, I probably won't have a chance to look at until Monday next week.  Gas was pouring out on the floor from the front of the bike.....at first, I thought I had a water leak from the hose. 

[The emperor has no clothes]

Sounds like the fuel rail o-rings. It's happened a couple times to me on my Standard. I don't ride it much since I got my I/S. Mine has quit leaking after a day of having fuel saturate the o-rings. If not that I would say a float is hanging up. If so you might get it to stop by tapping carb bowl with the handle of a screwdriver . Go start her up tomorrow and see if it's still leaking. Good Luck 

[John Schmidt]

An old trick I totally forgot about over the years but was recently reminded.....add a little marvel mystery oil or some tranny fluid to the gas. It makes the o-rings swell a bit until you get a chance to pull the carbs and replace them. The o-rings are dried out from sitting too long, I'll bet if you run it for a bit, shut it down and let it sit then go back out a few hours later or next day.....it won't leak.

[gordonv]

The o-rings are dried out from sitting too long, I'll bet if you run it for a bit, shut it down and let it sit then go back out a few hours later or next day.....it won't leak.

Maybe after the fuel has evaporated. Then try it again.

[desertrefugee]

I dunno, BF.  It sure sounds like it could be a stuck float, too.  Might try giving the bowls a coupla raps with the butt of a screwdriver.   Sometimes, that's all it takes to free up a float...(if that's what it is).

[Thunderbolt]

Tap the bowls with the plastic end of a large heavy screwdriver.  That will sometimes cause the float valve to release.  It may have sat too long and it can't slide back up to shut off the fuel. 

[salty1]

Sounds like the fuel rail o-rings. It's happened a couple times to me on my Standard. I don't ride it much since I got my I/S. Mine has quit leaking after a day of having fuel saturate the o-rings. If not that I would say a float is hanging up. If so you might get it to stop by tapping carb bowl with the handle of a screwdriver . Go start her up tomorrow and see if it's still leaking. Good Luck 

BF sorry to hear of your illness, get well soon. I agree with Meathead , your orings have dried but should be swollen closed after the leakage. I've had this happen to my bike after a few weeks of non use.

[Earl43P]

Stuck float?

Wouldn't that put him in great peril of HYDROLOCKING that engine on his next start attempt?

[big poppa pump]

BF, it might be a stuck float or it can be the fuel rings, but judging from the description from your posts I'm leaning more towards a stuck float. Either way I would recommend not hitting the starter button till the time you pull all the spark plugs out.

[BF]

I have to go to radiation this afternoon after work, but I'll try pulling all the plus and see if I have gas there.

[sdv003]

I'm leaning toward the O rings.  The previous owner of my 98 Tourer let it set for quite a while before I bought it.  No amount of getting gas on the rings would prevent a gasoline waterfall.  I didn't know about the Marvel Mystery oil trick, so I pulled the carbs and serviced them.  No leak since. 

I'll pray for you to beat that ugly disease.

[rugguy]

Use a flashlight to look at the fuel rails while the bike is running. If you see fuel dripping on top of the carb bank it's o-rings. If the fuel is coming from the overflow vent below the bike it's a stuck float. Had both situations before. But I'll pray for you to be healed first. Hang in there brother....

[BF]

I finally got around to pulling the plugs and turning the motor over.  It's NOT hydrolocked.  WOO HOO.  

I assume that it's the fuel rail O-rings.  

Is there a tutorial on replacing the fuel rail O-rings somewhere, Shop Talk maybe?  I looked in there but unless I just missed it, I didn't see anything in there on replacing the fuel rail O-rings.

[The emperor has no clothes]

I finally got around to pulling the plugs and turning the motor over.  It's NOT hydrolocked.  WOO HOO.  

I assume that it's the fuel rail O-rings.  

Is there a tutorial on replacing the fuel rail O-rings somewhere, Shop Talk maybe?  I looked in there but unless I just missed it, I didn't see anything in there on replacing the fuel rail O-rings.

I haven't seen one either. I do know some guys have had issues getting them apart. Have you tried getting the gas in the lines and letting them swell back up ? I think it would be worth a shot vs. taking the carbs out.

[BF]

I finally got around to pulling the plugs and turning the motor over.  It's NOT hydrolocked.  WOO HOO.  

I assume that it's the fuel rail O-rings.  

Is there a tutorial on replacing the fuel rail O-rings somewhere, Shop Talk maybe?  I looked in there but unless I just missed it, I didn't see anything in there on replacing the fuel rail O-rings.

I haven't seen one either. I do know some guys have had issues getting them apart. Have you tried getting the gas in the lines and letting them swell back up ? I think it would be worth a shot vs. taking the carbs out.

Not sure how to do that.....other than running the bike once or twice a day to flow fuel thru everything.  Is that what you mean MH?

So far, since last night, I've cranked the bike once for less than a minute after putting the plugs back in.  Still getting some fuel....although it might not be as much as the flood that was happening before.  But then again, I didn't run the bike all that long last night either. 

[The emperor has no clothes]

BF, when it happened on my standard it was because it had sat for a long time and the fuel had evaporated some. After I started it and fuel was back thru everything it leaked. I shut her off and turned off the petcock and let it sit for a day. On that day it still had a very slight leak, so I did it again. The second day everything was good. Some have explained it as the orings shrink without fuel on them. Probably the age of the o-rings doesn't help either. But it's worth trying. Taking the carbs out and all apart is a pretty big job.

[BF]

BF, when it happened on my standard it was because it had sat for a long time and the fuel had evaporated some. After I started it and fuel was back thru everything it leaked. I shut her off and turned off the petcock and let it sit for a day. On that day it still had a very slight leak, so I did it again. The second day everything was good. Some have explained it as the orings shrink without fuel on them. Probably the age of the o-rings doesn't help either. But it's worth trying. Taking the carbs out and all apart is a pretty big job.

Exactly....that part isn't something I'm all that comfortable doing. 

I'll keep running fuel thru it for several days and see what happens.  Thanks for the tip.   

[The emperor has no clothes]

No problem. Hope it works.