As the title says, my spree has started leaking gas out of the carb's overflow hole. The scooter had been running pretty well up until my friend borrowed it to ride home the other night and he reported that it was leaking when he parked it. Sure enough, the spree is now spitting up gas in a constant trickle; I even tried attaching a bit of spare fuel line to the overflow hole and bending it up to keep the fuel from escaping, but the gas just started trickling out of the top of the bowl.
I pulled the carb apart to check the float needle seal, and it passed the "blowing air into the fuel intake" test with flying colors. The petcock is also in proper working order, so I am at a loss. Any ideas?
Thanks in advance!!
'86 spree's carb has suddenly started leaking gas
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Wheelman-111
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Re: '86 spree's carb has suddenly started leaking gas
Greetings:
Did your friend stop somewhere under the expressway overpass for gas, perchance? Grit in the fuel can cause this type of headache. All it takes is a little hole in the petcock screen. Occasionally the rubber lines themselves are molting flecks of oxidized rubber.
Recommend you dump and replace fuel, re-check petcock, replace tired lines if present, install an inline Cone O' Stone filter for starters.
A blow-in-fuel-inlet is not a very sensitive test for Float Valve function. The Float applies only a very light pressure to the valve, owing to its limited buoyant force, much less than you probably applied with your finger. Remember that a float needle can look perfect and not be. You need to sell a Kidney or something to afford a new float needle, but it's worth it. Clean up that seat while you're about it.
The petcock can be iffy, but as long as the float needle seals well you won't have a leak. I recommend you do not "raise" the overflow to "catch" the escaping gasoline, because the other place fuel will go next is into your crankcase, possibly causing hydrolocking, a fiery conflagration, or both.
Did your friend stop somewhere under the expressway overpass for gas, perchance? Grit in the fuel can cause this type of headache. All it takes is a little hole in the petcock screen. Occasionally the rubber lines themselves are molting flecks of oxidized rubber.
Recommend you dump and replace fuel, re-check petcock, replace tired lines if present, install an inline Cone O' Stone filter for starters.
A blow-in-fuel-inlet is not a very sensitive test for Float Valve function. The Float applies only a very light pressure to the valve, owing to its limited buoyant force, much less than you probably applied with your finger. Remember that a float needle can look perfect and not be. You need to sell a Kidney or something to afford a new float needle, but it's worth it. Clean up that seat while you're about it.
The petcock can be iffy, but as long as the float needle seals well you won't have a leak. I recommend you do not "raise" the overflow to "catch" the escaping gasoline, because the other place fuel will go next is into your crankcase, possibly causing hydrolocking, a fiery conflagration, or both.
Wheelman-111
Most of my money is spent on scooterparts. The rest is just wasted.
"ISO": '03 Vespa ET4 Malossi187 74MPH
Flash 9: 2001 Elite SR Contesta 72 ZX Tran, 9:1 Gears, Stock Airbox/Carb/Pipe 58.8 MPH
Punkin: 2010 Vespa/Malossi S78, 61MPH
Most of my money is spent on scooterparts. The rest is just wasted.
"ISO": '03 Vespa ET4 Malossi187 74MPH
Flash 9: 2001 Elite SR Contesta 72 ZX Tran, 9:1 Gears, Stock Airbox/Carb/Pipe 58.8 MPH
Punkin: 2010 Vespa/Malossi S78, 61MPH
Re: '86 spree's carb has suddenly started leaking gas
Thanks for the quick reply, wheelman!
And no, my friend didn't add any gasoline but I had never had this problem before, and was hoping that perhaps something he might have done (hit a bump, or thrown lots of dirt up into the airfilter) could be to blame for this issue.
I replaced the fuel line and added an inline filter to the line last summer after I dug this spree out of a garage, so I have trouble believing that much crud could be entering the carb that way. I fear that the float pin may be failing because of some debris that got through my (admittedly poor) panty hose air filter that I recently switched over to avoid the headache of sealing air leaks in the old air filter box.
Do these float pins tend to fail spontaneously like my problem suggests?
Thanks in advance!
And no, my friend didn't add any gasoline but I had never had this problem before, and was hoping that perhaps something he might have done (hit a bump, or thrown lots of dirt up into the airfilter) could be to blame for this issue.
I replaced the fuel line and added an inline filter to the line last summer after I dug this spree out of a garage, so I have trouble believing that much crud could be entering the carb that way. I fear that the float pin may be failing because of some debris that got through my (admittedly poor) panty hose air filter that I recently switched over to avoid the headache of sealing air leaks in the old air filter box.
Do these float pins tend to fail spontaneously like my problem suggests?
Thanks in advance!
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Wheelman-111
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Re: '86 spree's carb has suddenly started leaking gas
Greetings:
The float needle valve is tipped with a cone of 25 year-old rubber. Yes they can go bad without provocation, but look for a bit of debris as a more likely cause. Some have reported that the actual float body in the bowl can crack over time, causing the float uh... not to.
The float needle valve is tipped with a cone of 25 year-old rubber. Yes they can go bad without provocation, but look for a bit of debris as a more likely cause. Some have reported that the actual float body in the bowl can crack over time, causing the float uh... not to.
Wheelman-111
Most of my money is spent on scooterparts. The rest is just wasted.
"ISO": '03 Vespa ET4 Malossi187 74MPH
Flash 9: 2001 Elite SR Contesta 72 ZX Tran, 9:1 Gears, Stock Airbox/Carb/Pipe 58.8 MPH
Punkin: 2010 Vespa/Malossi S78, 61MPH
Most of my money is spent on scooterparts. The rest is just wasted.
"ISO": '03 Vespa ET4 Malossi187 74MPH
Flash 9: 2001 Elite SR Contesta 72 ZX Tran, 9:1 Gears, Stock Airbox/Carb/Pipe 58.8 MPH
Punkin: 2010 Vespa/Malossi S78, 61MPH
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outofcontrol
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- Location: Portland, OR
Re: '86 spree's carb has suddenly started leaking gas
I would guess that you have a bad float valve and a bad petcock valve. both would have to fail to let gas continually flow. I'm leaning toward the idea that some rust or other debris got past the petcock screen before you replaced the fuel line. All it would take is 2 tiny grains of sand to get in the way. If this spree was sitting in a garage for a while, it can develop some funny materials from rotting gas. I would take apart both elements and give them a thorough cleaning before I started buying parts. Carb cleaner, a vacuum pump (or your mouth), and compressed air should do the trick.
Any way you could post a picture of your Panty Hose Air Filter? I don't think debris could get to your float bowl through the air side of the carb, but I'm interested to see the panty hose fix.
-Kevin
Any way you could post a picture of your Panty Hose Air Filter? I don't think debris could get to your float bowl through the air side of the carb, but I'm interested to see the panty hose fix.
-Kevin
1985 Honda Spree NQ50
Re: '86 spree's carb has suddenly started leaking gas
Ah! I found a little speck of gunk on the float pin seat!
I cleaned it out well and let it soak in a bit of sea foam, problem solved! I put on a real air filter too, so this problem shouldn't be back anytime soon. If anyone else runs into this problem, make sure to check and clean that float pin seat super well!
Thanks again, Wheelman
ps - the pantyhose filter was just a double layer of pantyhose held over the carb's air intake with a twisty tie... pretty basic and rough. I now installed a HEPA filter meant for a vacuum cleaner haha.
I cleaned it out well and let it soak in a bit of sea foam, problem solved! I put on a real air filter too, so this problem shouldn't be back anytime soon. If anyone else runs into this problem, make sure to check and clean that float pin seat super well!
Thanks again, Wheelman
ps - the pantyhose filter was just a double layer of pantyhose held over the carb's air intake with a twisty tie... pretty basic and rough. I now installed a HEPA filter meant for a vacuum cleaner haha.