[boomer_95]

dont bother with the premium. and flogging basically means red line it for a little in a high gear to put a huge load on the engine. pull the plugs, add the cleaner nd if that doesnt clear it up then a carb clean may be in order

[Wild-Bill]

I wouldn't suggest holding the bike at red line, just running it all the way there before shifting. You want to accelerate hard through the gears several times with the throttle going all the way open on each gear. (Do watch the speed/road conditions/cop presence. You're trying to heat up the plugs/head/valves, not get thrown in jail or in an ambulance.)

[Giaco]

The Saga Continues...

Yesterday, the nice 90 degree weather in dayton was met with the constant sounds of bike on the highway, and me cursing at my kat in the shade...
I pulled the plugs, they were a little fouled, but not all that bad, so i cleaned them off and put them back in. my #2 plug was not really tightened down at all when i pulled them either. I also thought that i was low on oil, then realizing that i was in fact already overfilled on oil, decided to drain a bit off. When i pulled the plug, the oil no-kidding GUSHED out of the bike. The bike had not been run, and the oil was running like water. I drained it all out, then filled it up with some mobil 1, and fired it up... no problems, bike ran like a dream. I then re-filled the bike, as my gas has mysteriously disappeared, and she kept on running fine.
My thoughts are that perhaps when i switched the petcock from reserve back to normal last time, i went too far with it, and left it more towards prime than normal, causing my tank to drain all over the pavement, and some of it drain into my sump, diluting the oil. I have been checking the bike every few hours this time around, and have not seen any more disappearing gas. Will probably fire up the bike for a quick test run today after work as well. Hopefully this thread is almost closed...

[Kreylyn]

Yesterday, the nice 90 degree weather in dayton was met with the constant sounds of bike on the highway, and me cursing at my kat in the shade...
I pulled the plugs, they were a little fouled, but not all that bad, so i cleaned them off and put them back in. my #2 plug was not really tightened down at all when i pulled them either. I also thought that i was low on oil, then realizing that i was in fact already overfilled on oil, decided to drain a bit off. When i pulled the plug, the oil no-kidding GUSHED out of the bike. The bike had not been run, and the oil was running like water. I drained it all out, then filled it up with some mobil 1, and fired it up... no problems, bike ran like a dream. I then re-filled the bike, as my gas has mysteriously disappeared, and she kept on running fine.
My thoughts are that perhaps when i switched the petcock from reserve back to normal last time, i went too far with it, and left it more towards prime than normal, causing my tank to drain all over the pavement, and some of it drain into my sump, diluting the oil. I have been checking the bike every few hours this time around, and have not seen any more disappearing gas. Will probably fire up the bike for a quick test run today after work as well. Hopefully this thread is almost closed...

You need to fix your carb float/needle issue that allowed fuel to flood into your engine. The carbs are what prevents this, not the petock setting.

Krey

[Giaco]

You need to fix your carb float/needle issue that allowed fuel to flood into your engine. The carbs are what prevents this, not the petock setting.

Krey

Could it drain if i had left the petcock on prime? I've been watching it pretty closely, and haven't seen any signs of fuel loss.

[DClark]

Could it drain if i had left the petcock on prime? I've been watching it pretty closely, and haven't seen any signs of fuel loss.

Prime will cause it to drain, disconnect the fuel hoses from the petcock, turn it to prime and watch as the gas steadily pours out.
This is one of those instances where I advocate using the cheapest oil you can get by with (like Rotella 15-40 from walmart). Use it, drive a little on it then once you are sure that you have solved the oil dilution problem, replace with something better (or at least something else).When bike is hot and not running, remove oil cap to let gas vapors out, smell to see if there are a lot or little.
You really want to get all the gas out of the oil.

[Giaco]

Prime will cause it to drain, disconnect the fuel hoses from the petcock, turn it to prime and watch as the gas steadily pours out.
This is one of those instances where I advocate using the cheapest oil you can get by with (like Rotella 15-40 from walmart). Use it, drive a little on it then once you are sure that you have solved the oil dilution problem, replace with something better (or at least something else).When bike is hot and not running, remove oil cap to let gas vapors out, smell to see if there are a lot or little.
You really want to get all the gas out of the oil.

well, i completely drained it, and its got Mobil 1 in it now, so there is no gas that has not come from the new fill up. Im praying it was just me being stupid and leaving it on prime... I guess the big question is can gas drain into the oil if left on prime, before i go tearing into my carbs and/or spending hundreds to have someone else do it.

[scottynoface]

well, i completely drained it, and its got Mobil 1 in it now, so there is no gas that has not come from the new fill up. Im praying it was just me being stupid and leaving it on prime... I guess the big question is can gas drain into the oil if left on prime, before i go tearing into my carbs and/or spending hundreds to have someone else do it.

If you have a stuck float, yes it can.

[Kreylyn]

Could it drain if i had left the petcock on prime? I've been watching it pretty closely, and haven't seen any signs of fuel loss.

Your carb floats/float needles are what stop and meter the flow of fuel into the carbs. Once the bowl is full, the floats raise up and push the needle into the seat to stop the flow of fuel. If this doesn't happen, then the bowl will continue to fill and overflow. There are NO overflow drains on a Kat, so you flood the engine or airbox instead with fuel.

The petcock operating normally flows fuel anytime there is vacuum. Prime allows fuel to flow anytime. If your floats are stuck, you flooding the engine in any setting.

Everytime the motor turns over, you open the fuel flow... That flow is higher than what your carbs normally will use, so the flow will overflow while the bike is running. You will add fuel to the airbox, to the engine, and not all of it will blow out the cylinder. Some will wash down into the crank case. It may be slower when not left in prime, but it is happening everytime you turn that motor over.

Your bike will run worse, you may foul out plugs, you will get crappy mpg, and rarely could cause major issues since the oil is being heavily contaminated and not able to do it's proper job.

A simple test will tell you that there is an issue. Pull the tank, fill the fuel lines, blow on them. If you can blow air through the line... the float needle did not seat to seal off the fuel flow. On a pre, this will let you narrow down which set the problem is on. On the post (1 fuel line) you have to check all 4 if it's on the bike. If you do the test on the workbench, you can see which carb has fuel flowing out of it when you do it.

Krey

[MylesJr]

Hey guys well the tune up was new plugs and wires with airfilter, plus tore the carbs apart cleaned all the jets out. Seems the floats are working fine manually and under pressure, reeds are good and chattering away. bike runs at idle good revs out good and rides for about 30 seconds then the bike just dies out with no power and shuts off. After awhile she will start back up rev out good, take her for a ride and she shuts back off. Then, sometimes the bike will ride 20 miles fine and then shut off. It's really getting annoying trying to figure out. As of yesterday I changed the plugs again, put new fuel filters on, tank is clean, all new gas, plus seafoam trying to clean everything up. Could this be an air/fuel mix problem? any ideas? because I am definately running low on them.

[Kreylyn]

Fuel flow issue is the first thing that comes to my mind. Check your petcock is working right, and no kinks in the fuel lines.

Krey

[Giaco]

Alright Krey.. i am sufficiently convinced... pulling the carbs next chance i get.... at least im not allowed to ride it till the 30th anyway.... Thanks a lot for all your diagnoses and help.

[boomer_95]

only if your needles in the carbs leak. which could explain the gas in the oil problem. prim alows free flow of gas threw the petcock. were "on" and "res" are technically off untill the engine is running or turning over (when it gets vaccum) but krey is right the petcock may still leak in all positions, get the carbs not leaking and your on your way

[Giaco]

After reading through Special K's 98+ carb cleaning, i called up my local shop, and they said they would clean my carbs for $120. I've never dealt with anything more than small engine carbs before, and with a short fuze, i think i'll probably just have them do it right. Is that a rip off for cleaning carbs (im removing and putting back on)? Im assuming they are roughly 60/hr, which is what most mechanics charge these days.

[mreedohio]

just dont take your bike to EPC in dayton http://katriders.com/vb/showthread.p...ght=screw+shop