Fuel continues to leak

ashman · #1 (**permalink**) 24-12-2007, 10:30 PM

Hey

I'm new to the whole pocket bike scene and know very little at all about the bikes. Even so, i've been busy painting my pocket bike over the past week or so and today I decided the give the bike a quick run with none of plastic fernishings on it.

Everything started out good. Engine started up easily, sounded normal. Revved it a little bit to get the fuel pumping through but then after a little while of it idling there, I noticed drops of liquid on the ground right below the engine. I turned the engine off straight away and it was petrol leaking from it. As the bike stood there, engine off but the fuel line open, fuel continued to drip out (about a drop a second) from a pink coloured tube right under the engine. I assume this is some sort of overflow release? So I turned the fuel line switch to 'off' and after a little while the drops finally stopped. After a while, I tried to turn the engine on again and it did start. Almost instantly, fuel started dripping out of the pink tube again. Revving the engine seemed to stop the dripping. Again, after stopping the engine, fuel continued to drip until the fuel switch was turned off.

I've read in other threads here that there can be needle or switch problems with the fuel valve which needs to be 'unclogged'. Two things: would my problem be due to some sort of clog with the needle and if so, where the hell is this located and how do I fix the problem?

Thanks,

SIKKO_X2 · #2 (**permalink**) 24-12-2007, 10:46 PM

when you rev it highly, does it conk out?

ashman · #3 (**permalink**) 24-12-2007, 10:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SIKKO_X2

when you rev it highly, does it conk out?

No, it continues to rev. One thing I found, the engine will not shut off even if the fuel switch is turned to 'off' now. It contines to go and go so fuel must still be being fed into the engine.

SIKKO_X2 · #4 (**permalink**) 24-12-2007, 11:23 PM

well when u turn the tap off, there is still fuel in the carb, so it wont conk out straight away. turn the tap off and leave it running, if it keeps going for more than 5 minutes, then sonmething is wrong with the tap

ashman · #5 (**permalink**) 24-12-2007, 11:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SIKKO_X2

well when u turn the tap off, there is still fuel in the carb, so it wont conk out straight away. turn the tap off and leave it running, if it keeps going for more than 5 minutes, then sonmething is wrong with the tap

That's what I meant sorry. Before any problems occured, it would take just under a minute to turn off once turning off the fuel supply. It now takes over 5 minutes to turn off as I pushed the red 'kill' button after waiting for 5 minutes.

GLEN #159 · #6 (**permalink**) 24-12-2007, 11:48 PM

Take the bowl of the carby...

Now you can see the inside of the carb you will notice a metal fork looking thing, the needle is attached to it and goes into a little hole called the seat.. Just pull it apart, clean it and re-assemble... It only takes the minutest bit of dirt to stop it from shutting off...

Glen · #7 (**permalink**) 24-12-2007, 11:48 PM

the float needle is not closing properly or is jammed with crud.

take the carb off the bike, take the bowl off and you will see the needle float and fuel bowl.. clean it all out with WD40 extremely thoroughly.

what is happening is the fuel float is not closing the needle properly due to poor alignment of the float or dirt wedging it open. thus fuel can still exit this when the fuel bowl is full.

about a 5 minute job

edit - whups other glen beat me to it :?

GLEN #159 · #8 (**permalink**) 25-12-2007, 12:07 AM

LMAO !!!!!!

Great minds think alike .........HaHa.....

The post times are identical ...

ashman · #9 (**permalink**) 25-12-2007, 12:31 PM

Okay, I took the bowl off and a small amount of fuel flowed out from the bowl. Took the fork/prong out and the needle and gave all a thorough clean with WD-40. Fuel bowl also got WD-40. Let everything dry a bit then put everything back on like normal. Decided to just turn the fuel switch on to see if fuel still came out - it flowed out like a tap. Turning the switch to 'off' the fuel slowed to about a drop every couple of seconds.

So it seems to be even worse now

I have a 30-day warranty on the bike and only got it about a week ago now. Would the bike still be covered by warranty seeing as I just took off the plastic fairings and then it started leaking fuel without me touching anything mechanical? If not, does anyone know of any place in Sydney where I would be able to get it looked at by someone who knows what they are doing as I am not completely comfortable with messing about with the mechanical side of the bike.

Glen · #10 (**permalink**) 25-12-2007, 12:49 PM

i have a modified carb here that ive bored out cleaned out and drilled out the drain tap if you want it.

perhaps you need to adjust the float a bit. just bend the thin metal strip ever so slightly until it stops flowing out.

Fuel continues to leak

Posted in Pocket Bikes Discussion