Hello fellow FJOwners,
Last week bought 1985 Fj1100, 13K miles, looked good and ran good as well.
Today I added a gallon of fresh gas, started fine and I let her warm up then idle for good 15 mins ( to run old gas off).
Afterwards, I shut the engine off and put her away in the garage. Soon started noticing gas dripping from right side, near the foot brake.
I took the right fairing off and noticed right side carb overflow tube keeps dripping. The other 3 carb tubes seem OK - not dripping.
Any idea? Is the whole carb shot? Did I buy a lemon?
Appreciate feedback ...
The carb that is dripping probably has the O-ring which mounts and seals the needle seat split or perished. Could also be float height level is too high on that carb and/or that there is crud between the inlet needle and the seat.
Best advice I can give you is to get the SS socket head screw and O-ring kit from RPM (see vendor area). The carbs could likely use a full clean and adjust.
Arnie
Nice buy with that sort of mileage.
No, you didn't but a lemon and no, the carb isn't shot and 15 mins is waaaaaaay too long to leave an FJ idling with no air flowing over it.
This is a common and minor problem.
If you are in a country with ethanol in the fuel the carbs will be gunked up and will need a thorough clean.
A ride and a rev may see it come good, a tap on the bowl of the offending carb will fix it, removal and cleaning is probably the best long term fix.
Mine did this intermittently for a couple of years until I got around to overhauling and cleaning the carbs. It was no big deal I would just tap the bowl a few times with something metallic and it would go 5Km's or 5000k'm's before doing it again.
Noel
Welcome. 15 minutes is a long time for a air cooled engine to sit and idle. You will cook your valves.
Perhaps you just to need to clean your float needle seat.
Hawk,
Welcome to the show!
Do you have any idea how long the bike may have been sitting unused? Did the previous owner ride it much, or recently?
13,000 miles huh? Could it be 113,000 or 213,000?
What kind of shape is it in?
Pictures?
As previously stated, rap on the carb to dislodge any crud on the float valve seat, check/change the oil/oil filter, then take it for a spirited ride!
Don't panic. Follow the advice given, and we'll help get it sorted.
Steve :hi:
You didn't change the muffler bearings did you????
Quote from: FJmonkey on March 28, 2013, 08:06:28 PM
You didn't change the muffler bearings did you????
WTF are muffler bearings :wacko1: :biggrin:
Quote from: baldy3853 on March 28, 2013, 08:23:04 PM
Quote from: FJmonkey on March 28, 2013, 08:06:28 PM
You didn't change the muffler bearings did you????
WTF are muffler bearings :wacko1: :biggrin:
Those are the bearings that are attached to the muffler that spin when you ride...... :blush: :blush: :pardon:
CraigO
Craig, we ride on Sat in your nick 'O' the woods with a new member (Frank form Long Beach, custom 84') if you can make it...
Quote from: Steve_in_Florida on March 28, 2013, 08:02:23 PM
Hawk,
Welcome to the show!
Do you have any idea how long the bike may have been sitting unused? Did the previous owner ride it much, or recently?
13,000 miles huh? Could it be 113,000 or 213,000?
What kind of shape is it in?
Pictures?
As previously stated, rap on the carb to dislodge any crud on the float valve seat, check/change the oil/oil filter, then take it for a spirited ride!
Don't panic. Follow the advice given, and we'll help get it sorted.
Steve :hi:
Thanks for good feedback. The tube kept dripping until I tapped the carb with a screw driver - now it is almost stopped. I think letting it idle for 15+ mins was way too long. Hopefully I did not cook anything else. The bike is in good condition - does not appear 13K mileage to be tampered with. PO was a mechanic type - rode it every summer. The bike had been sitting in his garage (heated) - although riding season is over in MI by mid to late September. I will post the bike picture in my profile.
I contacted a local mechanic and hopefully tomorrow he will pick it up and get carb cleaned.
Hawk welcome to the forum. A simple carb clean and fresh gas should fix this also use a fuel stabilizer like seafoam. If the bike sits for only a month modern gas can plug the carbs. Don't forget to have the carbs synced after cleaning. Hope this helps.
Kurt
Quote from: FJmonkey on March 28, 2013, 09:34:30 PM
Craig, we ride on Sat in your nick 'O' the woods with a new member (Frank form Long Beach, custom 84') if you can make it...
I'm in :good2: Where do we hook up and what time?
CraigO
Quote from: craigo on March 29, 2013, 06:02:45 AM
Quote from: FJmonkey on March 28, 2013, 09:34:30 PM
Craig, we ride on Sat in your nick 'O' the woods with a new member (Frank form Long Beach, custom 84') if you can make it...
I'm in :good2: Where do we hook up and what time?
CraigO
Check your PM
Tapping the offending carb. didn't work for me, but blowing down the overflow pipe seems to have "cured" it now. Should I have just said that? Will the bike know? :wacko2:
Quote from: ELIMINATOR on March 29, 2013, 01:02:33 PM
...blowing down the overflow pipe seems to have "cured" it now.
I had a couple of issues like this with my `92 FJ, after I had the carbs rebuilt. Picked the bike up following service, and the next morning, a puddle of gas when I started it.
This was my fix back then. No problems since.
Quote from: Steve_in_Florida on September 18, 2011, 12:15:06 PM
I had the same issue recently, and tried all the aforementioned with no joy. (`92) After considering the fuel flow pattern, I disconnected both fuel lines at the electric pump, ran the float bowls dry, and applied a gentle shot of compressed air to the fuel line to the carbs.
Hooked everything back up and it's been running fine ever since. No carb removal necessary.
Yep, you guys cleaned out debris from the float needle seat...thus my recommendation.
It only takes a spec or two, to cause the float needle from not closing against the seat.
Might be a good idea to install an inline filter...old tanks have lots of Sh#t that will cause issues.
A filter on a 84/87 needs to be really free flowing, the carbs depend on gravity to get fuel.
Also, just FYI. If you've got rust in the tank, there's no filter fine enough to keep it all out. You've got to fix the tank or you'll have continuing carb problems.
DavidR.
Wow!!
2 Days ago, I became the owner of a 1988 FJ1200. It needs a little cosmetic attention, but runs sweet and rides well.
I filled it with fuel after taking it out on the first day, then parked it in the garage and went to work. When I got back, there was a strong fuel smell in the garage, and when I turned on the ignition, the fuel pump started up and a puddle formed under the bike.
I couldn't tell exactly where it was coming from, so I drained the fuel, removed the air box (does that really have to be so difficult?), and hit the ignition again - fuel was pouring from number 4 carb (right hand side of the bike - is this number 4, or number 1?? ). Figured there was an issue with the carb, but wasn't sure what and didn't want to start stripping it just yet (I plan on stripping the entire bike to powder coat the frame and pretty it up again, and to do a full clean/service of the engine/gearbox, but not so soon - I want to ride it a few months first).
I reassembled it to move it into the workshop, then jumped on here and did a search of the forum and found this thread... I couldn't believe it, it described my symptoms exactly. I took the advice and tapped the fuel bowl on the number 4 carb. I also tried to blow back into the breather/overflow tube. I hit the starter again, and sure enough, the leak has stopped. Guess it is either a stuck jet, or similar. I will be looking into getting a kit to redo all the carbs when I do finally get to overhaul it, but for now, I am getting ready to take her for a ride.
Next time I will be searching this site before I pick up the spanners - might have saved me a couple of hours work this morning. Thanks to all who contribute
Quote from: keithsc1012 on April 26, 2013, 09:33:28 PM
Wow!!
2 Days ago, I became the owner of a 1988 FJ1200. It needs a little cosmetic attention, but runs sweet and rides well.
I filled it with fuel after taking it out on the first day, then parked it in the garage and went to work. When I got back, there was a strong fuel smell in the garage, and when I turned on the ignition, the fuel pump started up and a puddle formed under the bike.
I couldn't tell exactly where it was coming from, so I drained the fuel, removed the air box (does that really have to be so difficult?), and hit the ignition again - fuel was pouring from number 4 carb (right hand side of the bike - is this number 4, or number 1?? ). Figured there was an issue with the carb, but wasn't sure what and didn't want to start stripping it just yet (I plan on stripping the entire bike to powder coat the frame and pretty it up again, and to do a full clean/service of the engine/gearbox, but not so soon - I want to ride it a few months first).
I reassembled it to move it into the workshop, then jumped on here and did a search of the forum and found this thread... I couldn't believe it, it described my symptoms exactly. I took the advice and tapped the fuel bowl on the number 4 carb. I also tried to blow back into the breather/overflow tube. I hit the starter again, and sure enough, the leak has stopped. Guess it is either a stuck jet, or similar. I will be looking into getting a kit to redo all the carbs when I do finally get to overhaul it, but for now, I am getting ready to take her for a ride.
Next time I will be searching this site before I pick up the spanners - might have saved me a couple of hours work this morning. Thanks to all who contribute
I just fell out of my chair..... Welcome mate, may the Kookaloo be the force that guides you....
Welcome mate, you would be the first I remember that's read first and solved a problem, , good luck with the ol girl, may the kookaloo be with you :hi:
That's good news. Ridden the bike a few hundred miles now, and the problem hasn't returned. This is of course, after I bought a carb repair kit. maybe the bike saw me put it away , and didn't like the idea of me stripping the carbs off. :flag_of_truce:
http://www.fjowners.com/index.php?topic=4641.msg76796#msg76796 (http://www.fjowners.com/index.php?topic=4641.msg76796#msg76796)