carbs leaking gas

[Fkat]

I just got my project 1990 gsx600f katana with a 1997 gsf600 bandit engine to start. i can get it to turnover no problem but only stays running if your giving it gas. then dies after a couple of seconds regardless if your giving it gas or not. the a/f screws were turned back 1.5. I had a guy clean my carbs and he taught me as well, but im guessing after reading through some threads that im going to have to open up my carbs again? it leaks quite a bit of gas when i do get my bike started. I'm not exactly sure where the leak is but it seems to come from the float bowl area of the carbs. What should i do about fixing this?

Also i might as well mention another problem that i'm having: My engine produces grey smoke. i read it could be rings? what rings? it comes out my exhaust mostly, but also from under my tank(exhaust not fully installed with gaskets yet but i stuck it on in the mean time). it smells like something is burning

[cintidude04]

Sounds like stuck float valves to me. Time to clean (again) and inspect.

[phantasm]

Be sure to check for the leak around the fuel t's between carbs 1&2 and another between 3&4. mine was leaking there. If the bike was sittig for a while smoke may just be build up and need to either burn off or be washed off.
My bike smoked for a couple of minutes when I first started it. Had been sitting for a while with exhaust off(po doing, not mine). Even blew a mouse nest out one of the pipes

[Fkat]

I tried lightly knocking on the carbs with a rubber mallet to free the floats as i read on another thread. I also noticed a possible vacuum leak that i fixed by tightening the ring around the boot. i tried starting it and it would crank, but won't start now, and it was followed by an extremely loud backfire pop. any suggestions on what i should do to prevent these issues and get my bike running?

[kat600rdr]

I would take the carbs off and Clean them (Carbs 101 in the Wiki) and make sure your float hights are set right.. Mine leaked gas with the float heights not set right and bought 4 carb rebuild kits with new o-rings and needle valves and seats

[arsenic]

A 1990 600 doesn't have needle valve seats. The seat is part of the float. The rebuild kits aren't that good. They include all the o-rings, a new float needle and a new bowl gasket. But they don't include the rubber pilot jet plugs. If you get rebuild kits, you need 4 pilot jet plugs also.

[kat600rdr]

A 1990 600 doesn't have needle valve seats. The seat is part of the float. The rebuild kits aren't that good. They include all the o-rings, a new float needle and a new bowl gasket. But they don't include the rubber pilot jet plugs. If you get rebuild kits, you need 4 pilot jet plugs also.

Wasn't sure on what the pre's had..
Listen to Arsenic.... He is by far superior when it comes to your bike..

[phantasm]

+1 on listening to arsenic. Kinda the carb guru round these parts. Backfire sounds like a flooding out issue so start with the carb cleaning and float height. Be sure to check your oil for any gas that has leaked in there. After I got my carbs straight it still ran like crap till I changed the oil. Old oil had gas in it from flooding. And yeah, the rebuild kits are kinda a waist of $ unless you need float needles or bowl gasket. Other than that you can get the o-ings and rubber plugs alot cheaper by buying seperate.

[Fkat]

I had the fuel lines from the petcock leading into the two top rubber 'T's instead on the bottom plastic 'T's of the carbs... atleast thats what this mechanic pointed out. idk how i misread the fuel hose connection diagram..

BUT it will start up and run, and idle, with no gas leaking from anywhere(tends to bog down a bit when given too much throttle). my headers seem to smoke alot(theyre a bit rusted but otherwise clean) once they heat up. it smokes from the outside of the header pipes and also coming out of the mufflers.. ill add that i can smell gas in the oil(soon to change) and i have a spark plug that is stripped in the head, which im very afraid to touch

Is there a certain reason to the light gray smoke or is it most likely that the bike has sat the past 4 years?

edit: when i say alot of smoke, i mean... alot... of smoke.. once it starts smoking, the engine rises it's idle from around 1.5k to 3k+rpm. it doesn't seem to stop smoking. i don't want to keep it on and possibly ruin my engine

[Fkat]

Smoke has seemed to dissipate. i think it was just from sitting for years. thanks for all your help katriders! got my bike running because of you!!!

getting my license in a couple weeks then ill be an official katrider!