My 500's engine stalled and gas ran out of a hose attached to the bottom of the carb near the float. When I tried to restart gas started running out of the hose again and it sputtered thru the air cleaner. I checked the screw next to the hose - tight. When I loosened it the gas ran out, tightened it and it stopped, but still came out when I tried to start. Is this an overflow drain meaning the needle is stuck open. Thanks.

 

Yes, your carb float is stuck, remove the carb and tear it down and clean it. I would replace the float spring too.

 

I agree. Tear it apart and clean it real good and use a airhose to blow it dry and make sure every bit of grit is out.

 

I'm with Heftylefty and limecat650 on this also , and if this does the job i would install a clear inline fuel filter between the fuel tank to carb to keep it from happening again , it only takes as small as a grain of sand or dirt to cause the inlet needle to stick causing this to happen also !

Good luck and hope this does the trick . and welcome to the forums !........

 

This happened to my Arctic Cat 500 (yr. 2000) when I last ran it. When I shut the quad down, I let it run itself out of gas by turning the fuel valve to off. The next time I ran it, it was fine.

Now, after about 4 months of storage, the quad won't start. I can run it artificially (off an ether can), but the carb is not delivering fuel on it's own (or so it seems).

Would a sticky float cause something of this nature as well? Is it possible that it stuck when I first saw that leaking fuel ... unstuck somehow when I ran it again, and could be stuck now, preventing me from starting the engine?

Any thoughts or suggestions on what I might try are appreciated. My next move at this point was to change the fuel ... although it was new fuel 4 mths. ago, with stabilizer in it. So I don't really know if that's an issue at this point or not.

Thanks in advance.

 

You might try running a bunch of carb cleaner through it... Maybe even take it off and let it soak in some or better yet take it apart and remove all the pastic and boil the sucker in hot water.

 

Check your carb vent hose. If its pinched closed, it will act as a float stuck too. The ethonal in gas, will clog and gum everything in the carb. If you leave it setting for a long time, chances are you need to tear it down.

 

I agree, the gas we have nowadays is terrible. You should see the fits its giving some of the guys in their boats. I use Sta-Bil religiously in my quad, boat, jet ski, lawnmower, even weed wacker and leaf blower. I actually ran into a leakage issue when I went to use my 1999 500 a few weeks ago to move the jet ski trailer into the back for the winter. I figured it was the float but it seems that it was actually the primer leaking. I'm trying to decide if I want to replace the primer itself or just get replace the entire float bowl with one off of an older 454 that had the same carb but no primer. I'll probably just replace the primer, if the original lasted 10 years I figure I can get another ten out of a new one.

John

 

My primer gasket, rotted in just a couple of months!... Replaced it, all is well

 

Hopefully that is all I need to get her ready for winter plowing duty.