Ok,

I’ve been working on this bike for a while now and it’s giving me fits. It sat for about 10 years. Tore it apart. Rebuilt the carb, new fuel lines, and removed the tank and cleaned it thoroughly. Starts with about two cranks of the starter. Idles great. Runs like a top. Take it around the block and park it, it starts to flood and shuts down. Pulled the air filter and the breather box is filling up with gas.

I have ave been reading and apparently these have a vacuum operated petcock...and they have issues.

Pulled the vacuum line off the carb and the carb is puking gas. Everything I read was that if the petcock was faulty, you would have fuel in the vacuum line. I assumed that the fuel would be coming from the petcock side though. Not the other way around? Is this just a simple float/needle sticking?

After the bike sits for a bit, the fuel stops flowing into the air box and it goes back to idling correctly and no fuel running into the box. That only happens after you ride it for a minute.


Any ideas would be awesome...I’m ready to torch it.

 

Firstly what position do you have the "petcock" in? You should only have it in prime for the first start after the carb has been emptied, then it should be put on run and left on run. If the float needle is dribbling fuel into the airbox when running, but that vacuum line isn't leaking fuel, either the float needle is faulty or you are getting dirt through from the tank which is jamming the needle open. I would fit an in-line filter and see if that cures it. Not a perfect fix, as the paper element type air lock if run dry, so run out of fuel and you may not get fuel to flow after re-filling or going onto reserve.

 

I’m running in the “on” position. I have an in-line filter that I actually just replaced right before all these issues.

I did notice that the on position of the petcock doesn’t totally stop the flow of gas. When I pull the fuel line it still drips never actually sealing off. Could that be the issue? That the vacuum keeps pulling it in?

 

Be very sure the petcock is leaking, they all seem to drip a bit for a while when you take the pipe off, but this is just fuel already inside dripping out. If it is leaking, dismantle it, probably just needs a clean. However they are quite tricky and easily damaged, so be careful when taking it to pieces. Your main problem is that leaky float needle, did you fit a new one when you rebuilt the carb? If not, it may be time to try a new needle and make sure it's seat is clean.