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85 spree carb leaking gas from carb
Posted: Sat Mar 26, 2022 7:45 pm
by Father of Spree
Hey guys,
When I let my spree sit for a couple days it leaks gas out of the carb and won't start unless I pull the throttle slide out and inject a few ml of gas.
See the picture, it looks like the gas is leaking from here. I can't find a carb diagram to see if I'm missing a hose. Or what the function of this nozzle is for.
Any advice as to why this is leaking from there or what this nozzle is would be helpful.
Thanks a bunch guys.
Re: 85 spree carb leaking gas from carb
Posted: Sat Mar 26, 2022 8:45 pm
by mousewheels
That's the carb bowl overflow nipple.
http://hondaspree.net/wiki/index.php/Ca ... n_of_Lines
When the overflow leaks fuel when sitting there are two issues present:
- The petcock is not sealing as it should with no vacuum present
- The carb float needle is not sealing against its seat properly
It's a redundant safety system for a fuel leak, with no single fault detection.
It's up to owners or dealer service to periodically verify both fuel shutoffs are functional.
Otherwise we're just a bit of debris from a tank of fuel dumped in the garage...
For me that's where the furnace lives
Re: 85 spree carb leaking gas from carb
Posted: Sat Mar 26, 2022 9:17 pm
by Father of Spree
Thanks for the info!
I just recently replaced the carb float needle. I read that the float can get cracked and let gas in, then it won't press on the needle to seal. So, I'm planning to pull the carb back out and checking the float to see if gas is in it.
For the petcock, I haven't done any maintenance on that since i got the spree. Is the petcock not sealing something that I can fix or better to just buy a new one?
Re: 85 spree carb leaking gas from carb
Posted: Sat Mar 26, 2022 10:16 pm
by mousewheels
I just recently replaced the carb float needle. I read that the float can get cracked and let gas in, then it won't press on the needle to seal. So, I'm planning to pull the carb back out and checking the float to see if gas is in it.
Checking the float is good. The needle seat in the carb body can be an issue too.
I've seen some use a Q-tip and toothpaste to clean the seat. Another idea is sharpening a dowel to the seat angle instead of the Q-tip.
There are pics of some seat issues on the 'wiki - scroll around 2/3 down.
http://hondaspree.net/wiki/index.php/Ca ... ture_Guide
For the petcock, I haven't done any maintenance on that since i got the spree. Is the petcock not sealing something that I can fix or better to just buy a new one?
Sometimes the petcock can be removed and flushed out. There's a fine mesh strainer in the tank you can clean while it's out.
Fix or replace question - if is the original part, 37 years is a long time. However, replacements are all aftermarket.
Re: 85 spree carb leaking gas from carb
Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2022 7:34 pm
by Father of Spree
The carb float seat looks good from what I can tell. The seat issues link you shared had some pictures of what damaged seats look like and mine looks clean. The needle looks good too.
When putting the float body back in, I was careful to look that it was putting pressure on the needle when pushing up.
I took off the petcock and it looks like there is no way in that sucker. When looking in the hole where it connects to the gas tank, I don't see a screen. Couldn't find anything wrong with it but don't really know what to look for.
Thanks for all the help.
- pet cock.jpg (337.61 KiB) Viewed 2921 times
- float seat-min.jpg (541.56 KiB) Viewed 2921 times
- carb-min.jpg (454.53 KiB) Viewed 2921 times
Re: 85 spree carb leaking gas from carb
Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2022 7:34 pm
by Father of Spree
- petcock.jpg (398.99 KiB) Viewed 2921 times
Re: 85 spree carb leaking gas from carb
Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2022 6:58 pm
by mousewheels
Good looking carb you have!
The wiki has a topic and teardown of a petcock. I think the case halves are pressed together, judging by the teardown pics.
http://hondaspree.net/wiki/index.php/Pe ... nd_Anatomy
Tank strainer
No strainer in my area is a problem, as many scooters have rusty tanks. But your area/tank may do much better.
Aftermarket petcocks usually come with a screen - or an external filter could be added.
Here's a close-up of the OEM filter screen
- Fuel_Strainer_Cropped_2.JPG (53.72 KiB) Viewed 2897 times
Re: 85 spree carb leaking gas from carb
Posted: Wed Apr 06, 2022 3:14 pm
by Father of Spree
Well guys, bought an aftermarket petcock. It came with a screen but the screen wouldn't fit from the underside of the fuel tank. My tank looks clean and not rusty on the inside and the petcock that was original didn't have a screen so I installed the new petcock without the screen.
I'm still dripping gas out of the same spot as shown above. Is adding a fuel shutoff valve on the gas line into the carb a reasonable option?
Thanks for your thoughts.
Re: 85 spree carb leaking gas from carb
Posted: Thu Apr 07, 2022 4:28 pm
by motormike
Adding an inline petcock is just fine accept for access to operate.
Your new petcock should have stopped the drip.
New petcock not working.
Re: 85 spree carb leaking gas from carb
Posted: Thu Apr 07, 2022 5:19 pm
by Father of Spree
d***. Seems like they're all about 10 bucks for an aftermarket petcock on ebay.
Think I should just try and get a different aftermarket from eBay?
Thanks for the reply Mike.
Re: 85 spree carb leaking gas from carb
Posted: Tue May 10, 2022 12:13 pm
by Ava2
Hi!
I'm having this same problem. I have a 85 spree and it was leaking gas, not sure from where. I replaced the carb with an aftermarket-amazon carburetor. I was able to run it a couple times, but not much because it was cold out (Wisconsin).
Then on the first hot day, it leaked again. It was just sitting there, not running. This time I for sure saw that it was coming out of the carb bowl overflow nipple, as shown in the first post.
Is there something regarding temperature that would cause it to leak? Is there's something obvious I should try? I'm not really one to take things apart. Should I just take it somewhere to get repaired?
Ava
Re: 85 spree carb leaking gas from carb
Posted: Fri May 13, 2022 1:23 am
by motormike
Ava2 wrote: ↑Tue May 10, 2022 12:13 pm
Hi!
Is there something regarding temperature that would cause it to leak? Is there's something obvious I should try? I'm not really one to take things apart. Should I just take it somewhere to get repaired?
Ava
Speaking from experience, yes, rising temps will force fuel through the float & needle, overfilling the bowl and leaking continuously, if the petcock has failed. The petcock should stop that from happening. If it has only leaked a small puddle and stopped, then the petcock is working okay. Several things can cause the scenario. You may need help finding the cause. Good luck with it.... 
....motor
Re: 85 spree carb leaking gas from carb
Posted: Fri May 13, 2022 11:44 am
by Ava2
Thank you for responding!
I watched this video that explained how petcocks work and it does seem to match what I am seeing:
https://youtu.be/suYZ4MabCzk
Does the Honda Spree have the valve to turn the petcock to on/off/reserve or is it always just on like shown in the video?
Is there a petcock you recommend I buy to replace my existing one? I'm open to buying an aftermarket one. Thanks again!
Re: 85 spree carb leaking gas from carb
Posted: Fri May 13, 2022 11:12 pm
by motormike
Ava2 wrote: ↑Fri May 13, 2022 11:44 am
Does the Honda Spree have the valve to turn the petcock to on/off/reserve or is it always just on like shown in the video?
...No, it is a vacuum controlled petcock, no manual lever. Yes, you CAN change to a manual petcock if you want to and can get the right size. Access to the lever is an issue.
Is there a petcock you recommend I buy to replace my existing one?
....Since I don't own Spree, I can't give exact info. The petcock replacement you need is available online, but you must be careful to make sure you buy the correct one for your year Spree. One possible issue is this: has the gas tank been replaced with a different year tank? Being sure of the size and thread of the tank outlet is the key to getting the right one.