Started my 82 GL1100 today
- Thread starter The Chief
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slabghost
Well-known member
stuck floats smack them a few times with the handle of a screwdriver. Turn the fuel valve off and run until it sputters then fuel on and watch for leaks. You may have to smack the carb bodies a few times to get the floats loose. I'd add 8 oz of automatic transmission fluid to the fuel. This will help clean the whole system and lubricate the fuel a bit which helps the floats to move.
Good advice from Slabghost. Hopefully, it's that simple.
Also, there are quite a few passages and pipes that deliver the fuel to all 4 carbs, all of which are sealed with o-rings. If a float sticks, the gas usually goes into the intake and makes the engine run very rich. If a float bowl gasket is leaking along with a stuck float, you'll get an external leak. If an o-ring has dried and/or cracked, and the trans fluid won't cure it, you're lookin' at pulling the carbs.
Was the fuel drained prior to storage? Check the drain plugs on the carbs.
Also, there are quite a few passages and pipes that deliver the fuel to all 4 carbs, all of which are sealed with o-rings. If a float sticks, the gas usually goes into the intake and makes the engine run very rich. If a float bowl gasket is leaking along with a stuck float, you'll get an external leak. If an o-ring has dried and/or cracked, and the trans fluid won't cure it, you're lookin' at pulling the carbs.
Was the fuel drained prior to storage? Check the drain plugs on the carbs.
Over the years I've made many a mistake with my GL1100 stdaspenstate, in the 12 years I've been learning about it, one of the biggest ones was turning off the gas at the petcock for more than a month or so, especially in the winter time. But that does not make me immune to advise!
For years I would shut everything down for the the winter and this obviously included shutting off the gas, this manifested itself as a really bad leak from the carbs all over the engine, the minute I turned it all on again.
So my Advise is this, don't let those carbs dry out, all those O rings and such need to be wet with gas, all the time.
I never had the problem since I stopped turning off the gas!!
For years I would shut everything down for the the winter and this obviously included shutting off the gas, this manifested itself as a really bad leak from the carbs all over the engine, the minute I turned it all on again.
So my Advise is this, don't let those carbs dry out, all those O rings and such need to be wet with gas, all the time.
I never had the problem since I stopped turning off the gas!!
hmmmmmm yes i can see that happening easy in the right conditions no way of store is rock solid perfect ...thats for sure ....run the the bike once a week or so is probably the besst thing to do ...hard to keep up a routine with me ...
The following is an extreme case of bad results from an open petcock:
The '83 I'm rebuilding sat for over 10 years with a full tank of gas and an open petcock. The PO got sick and the bike wasn't run for over a year, then was taken to a shop because it wouldn't start. Nothing was done to it, as it needed a new battery, then the poor guy died a few months later. The bike sat in the back lot for the next 9 - 10 years until I bought it. There was still some NASTY gas in the tank, and quite a bit went into the #4 intake. None leaked out of the carbs.
Like Joedrum said, if you can run it once in a while, leave the gas in it. If not, may the force be with your float valves! (Hopefully, not the force of gravity!)
The '83 I'm rebuilding sat for over 10 years with a full tank of gas and an open petcock. The PO got sick and the bike wasn't run for over a year, then was taken to a shop because it wouldn't start. Nothing was done to it, as it needed a new battery, then the poor guy died a few months later. The bike sat in the back lot for the next 9 - 10 years until I bought it. There was still some NASTY gas in the tank, and quite a bit went into the #4 intake. None leaked out of the carbs.
Like Joedrum said, if you can run it once in a while, leave the gas in it. If not, may the force be with your float valves! (Hopefully, not the force of gravity!)
