First start of the season: Feul leaking like crazy...

[mijohnso]

So,
After a long long long winter, I finally got the FJ out for a quick warm up (and to check if my new tach works). Before I put her away I filled the tank with Stabil. I started it about a month after I put it away, started fine (for being 10 degrees out), no problems.

Started it today... Had to jump it from my car... Took a long time to start, didn't run well (didn't have it on for to long) and it poured out a good amount of fuel . Not much fun. Fuel flow stopped after I turned it off (luckily). I didn't even look to see if my tack was working! This is a very sad day...

Any ideas what to do?

Thanks!

[Fudge]

Probably a stuck float.  Try tapping on the float bowls gently to see if you can free it up.

[mijohnso]

As in, whack the carbs with a rubber mallet?

[Travis398]

the back side of your screwdriver will work.

[FJmonkey]

As Fudge said, most likely a stuck float. If you have not removed or worked on any part of the fuel system since you last started it, then you most likely have a piece of crud holding a float valve open. Try using a something light weight like the handle of a screwdriver. You are trying to create a sharp short shock wave to make the float move and allow the crud to get pushed past the float valve. A small rubber mallet will work, just don't cave in the float bowls. The carbs are mounted on rubber and should bounce when hitting them. Start gently at first. Keep all sources of ignition away from any spilled fuel and I would keep a fire extinguisher handy. I always do when I work with fuel, never needed it but I won't risk my FJ to some unexpected spark. My fuel petcock is wired and epoxied as well. Good luck, tell us what worked.

[mz_rider]

Seems like this is a common problem when FJs come out of "hibernation". I think that during a lay-up fuel evaporates from the float bowls. When you switch on and the carbs prime the floats don't float for some reason causing flooding. My newer FJ does this. My preferred method is a tap with a hammer on a 1/4" socket extension. Once done the bike will run for the rest of the riding season without problems. On the other hand my older FJ never floods.

Stuart

[mijohnso]

I'll give it a go, hopefully tomorrow. Unfortunately, the bike is in my landlords shop (which is 5 stairs off of the ground), so I can only try it if I get enough manpower to help get it down (I've got a ramp, still scares the crap out of me though).
Imagine my surprise when I started my bike in my landlords shop and 3 cups of gas spewed out all over the wood floor...Not good...

Should I tap it before starting it, or after it is running? I will probably do both (especially if the 1st tap doesn't work), just wondering if there are any tricks I should know about.

Thanks again for the help!

[FJmonkey]

Should I tap it before starting it, or after it is running? I will probably do both (especially if the 1st tap doesn't work), just wondering if there are any tricks I should know about.

Tap first, it might it on the first try.

[scuttleman]

I am experiencing this same problem, EXCEPT: I bought my '89 FJ1200 a week ago. Parked it with 3/4 of a tank of gas 3 days ago. Came home from work and it's DRIPPING with fuel.

Where exactly am I to "tap" the "float Bowls"? This is my 1st FJ and 2nd bike. I'd like to fix this problem myself if possible so I won't have  to get it to a Mechanic, unless NEEDED?

Any and all help will be appreciated.
THANKS!!!

[Fudge]

Take of the side panels to get access to the float bowls.  Then use the back of a long screw driver or dowel and place it against each float bowl and give it a 'gentle tap'.  I would place the bike on a level surface and on the centerstand also when doing this procedure.  With any luck the jarring of the bowl the float will 'unstick' and become a float again. 

[carsick]

Mike,
That sucks!  +2 on the extinguisher, I have found them handy before. You might want to open the drain screws on all the bowls (with a drain pan!!) to let the floats hang down. An overfull bowl is going to raise the float and hold the needle against whatever is stuck in there. If the bowls are dry the rush of fuel to fill them combined with tapping the bowls (I used a wooden dowel) before, during, and after filling may dislodge the crud. This worked on mine after it's first winter storage and subsequent oh shit leakage on startup. Remember to have vise grips or something to crimp the fuel line in case your petcock is not closing. Or you could join the masses and pull your carbs to clean them, see if it's crud or bad needle and seats...
Best of luck,
Doug

[andyb]

You might want to open the drain screws on all the bowls (with a drain pan!!) to let the floats hang down.

Luck on that.  Those screws are frequently frozen hardcore in the soft cast aluminum.  Not always, but you know there'll be one of the set that is.   

Tapping the bowls to unstick a float is pretty easy.  Get the bike on the centerstand, take the seat off, take both sidepanels off, and take either a long screwdriver backwards or a broom handle or whatever (a chunk of 3/4" dowel rod is perfect).  You should be able to peer in to see either the air cleaners or the airbox, depending on which you have.  There's four aluminum bits hanging down in there, that's the bottom of the carbs...the float bowls.  Give them a couple whacks each, start the bike, cross fingers, and hope.

[Mark Olson]

I'll give it a go, hopefully tomorrow. Unfortunately, the bike is in my landlords shop (which is 5 stairs off of the ground), so I can only try it if I get enough manpower to help get it down (I've got a ramp, still scares the crap out of me though).
Imagine my surprise when I started my bike in my landlords shop and 3 cups of gas spewed out all over the wood floor...Not good...

Should I tap it before starting it, or after it is running? I will probably do both (especially if the 1st tap doesn't work), just wondering if there are any tricks I should know about.

Thanks again for the help!

Mike ,

A great way to free up sticky floats is to ride the fj over a couple speed bumps or off a curb or two. This will jar the crud loose and stop the leak so you don't have to pull the carbs.

Since you have the bike stored on the 5th floor I bet if you rode it down the stairs the problem would be solved by the time you hit bottom.

[racerman_27410]

Since you have the bike stored on the 5th floor I bet if you rode it down the stairs the problem would be solved by the time you hit bottom.

bingo!


KOokaloo!

[mijohnso]

Well,
Tried just about everything short of removing and cleaning the carbs. I took Dougs advice   and drained the float bowls while tapping, filled them while tapping, started it while tapping, ran it while tapping.  

First, it started ok and a bunch of gas came flowing out. Then it didn't start ok (sounded like it was firing on only 3 cylinders) but it also didn't leak gas. Then, it ran on 4 cylinders and spewed out gas. Tried the drain the float bowl thing 3 times, result 3 was ultimately what it did every time.

Also, when I drained the float bowls, a good amount of shiny orange material came out, indicating that it surely is rust from the rusty tank. My current theory of what happened is this:

I filled it up to the brim for the first time in a long time before I put it away.

This loosened the rust at the very top of the tank, sitting allowed the rust to settle at the bottom.

When I started it in the middle of the winter, this rust was sucked up into the carbs.

The sitting allowed it to gum everything up.

When I started it after I got it out, this happened. I believe I unstuck the stuck float bowl once during my draining and tapping circuit, but it quickly got more stuck again.

My plan moving forward:

Buy a fuel filter for the short term.
Drain gas in tank, filter it somehow (any ideas? Tried a coffee filter, took a long time), replace the gas.
Remove and clean carbs (maybe not the full overhaul, we'll so how motivated I am to continue when thousands of tiny parts are laying in 4 piles around my house...)
Put everything back together and pray it doesn't happen again soon.

For the long term, I will figure out how to de-rust the tank (using the useful forums posted on this site, of course).

Thanks for all the help...Wish me luck!