Help - VX800 Fuel Leak When Running

[nobody]

Hello,

Looking at a 1990 VX800 to buy.

PROBLEM:
Under the seat right in front of the rear wheel is a plastic "box". Out of
the bottom comes a rubber tube down to the ground (not all the way of
course). Start the bike and gas POURS out this tube?!

I think it has something to do with the fuel pump since it doe not do it
when sitting there, except for some run off after shutdown.

This is so bad I would not ride it. A lot of gas!

I am looking to purchase this bike. The owner thinks the float is stuck,
not me.

Any one ever seen this got any adive

Any advice very appreciated.
Thanks,

L

[Tim Morrow]

Post by nobody
Hello,
Looking at a 1990 VX800 to buy.
Under the seat right in front of the rear wheel is a plastic "box". Out of
the bottom comes a rubber tube down to the ground (not all the way of
course). Start the bike and gas POURS out this tube?!
I think it has something to do with the fuel pump since it doe not do it
when sitting there, except for some run off after shutdown.
This is so bad I would not ride it. A lot of gas!
I am looking to purchase this bike. The owner thinks the float is stuck,
not me.

The owner is right. Great bike. Fix the stuck float, and ride it.

[nobody]

Hmmmm you seem very confident, I'm wondering how would one determine which
carb? Or is it common practice to just do both?

Thanks again,

"Tim Morrow" <***@erols.com> wrote in message

<snip>

Post by Tim Morrow
The owner is right. Great bike. Fix the stuck float, and ride it.

[Tim Morrow]

Post by nobody
Hmmmm you seem very confident, I'm wondering how would one determine which
carb? Or is it common practice to just do both?
Thanks again,

I'm confident because I've bought, owned, and worked on enough of bikes that
have sat around and gotten gummed up carbs or bad [hardened] carb float valve
seats or rust from the tank in the float bowl(s) stuck in the float bowl valve
to recognize the symptom.

The reason it doesn't happen when the engine is turned off is because the VX800
(which I have also owned, ridden over 30,000 miles, and think is a great,
underappreciated bike) has a vacumn operated petcock which only opens and allows
gas to flow to the carbs when the engine is running (or when you turn the
petcock to the 'PRIME' position; a good test, by the way).

To figure out which carb it is will probably require pulling the airbox. You
might first try tracing the fuel overflow line (which is where the float bowl
overflow *should* be going, if it is an overflowing float bowl) from each carb
to see if you can see where they go. It's *not* unusual for them to be routed
to the airbox.

I would attempt to drop the float bowls, clean them out, replace the float
valves (they're cheap enough) on both carbs, replace the spark plugs, and then
see if the bike starts, idles, and revs normally. If everything is fine except
the idle (common in bikes that have been sitting) the carbs need to come off,
the idle jets need to be removed and cleaned (or replaced) and the rest of the
carb internals should probably be cleaned up with solvent.

Good luck!

Tim Morrow

[nobody]

Thanks man, will check it out!

Your detail is greatly appreciated.

L

Post by Tim Morrow

Post by nobody
Hmmmm you seem very confident, I'm wondering how would one determine which
carb? Or is it common practice to just do both?
Thanks again,

I'm confident because I've bought, owned, and worked on enough of bikes that
have sat around and gotten gummed up carbs or bad [hardened] carb float valve
seats or rust from the tank in the float bowl(s) stuck in the float bowl valve
to recognize the symptom.
The reason it doesn't happen when the engine is turned off is because the VX800
(which I have also owned, ridden over 30,000 miles, and think is a great,
underappreciated bike) has a vacumn operated petcock which only opens and allows
gas to flow to the carbs when the engine is running (or when you turn the
petcock to the 'PRIME' position; a good test, by the way).
To figure out which carb it is will probably require pulling the airbox.

You

Post by Tim Morrow
might first try tracing the fuel overflow line (which is where the float bowl
overflow *should* be going, if it is an overflowing float bowl) from each carb
to see if you can see where they go. It's *not* unusual for them to be routed
to the airbox.
I would attempt to drop the float bowls, clean them out, replace the float
valves (they're cheap enough) on both carbs, replace the spark plugs, and then
see if the bike starts, idles, and revs normally. If everything is fine except
the idle (common in bikes that have been sitting) the carbs need to come off,
the idle jets need to be removed and cleaned (or replaced) and the rest of the
carb internals should probably be cleaned up with solvent.
Good luck!
Tim Morrow

[moto]

L ...
With a leak that bad, you'd better check the oil for gas contamiation.
If he/she has been riding that bike and just ignoring the problem, there
could be some damage to that engine.
Pull the stick and smell the oil. If you smell gas, you may wanna
reconsider that purchase.




moto

Red, green, yellow, then red again. Red, green, yellow. then red yet
again.

Is that what lifes really all about?
Horns honking, people swearing?


'02 750 Ace..... The Twin
'01 Magna.... Black Magic
'95 750 Nighthawk.Big Red (now 4 sale)
'95 Helix....... Little Red