On Thu, 14 Apr 2005, codyblake0 wrote:
> Well I just got back from a trip where I purchased a KLR and rode it
> home. It seems pretty solid although I have a little problem now. On
> the way home I noticed that it wasnt getting its normal 50mpg or close,
> but only 33 or 34. I found this out after almost running out of gas in
> the arizona desert. So now I am home and I fired the bike up in the
> garage but it wont start with the choke. In fact the only way to get
> it going and keep it going is to gas it manually and hold it on or else
> it wont idle at all, but die. At that time I noticed that the clear
> tube coming from the carburetor, for excess fuel I assume, is leaking
> gas all over the floor of my garage. What is up with that? If anyone
> can help I would appreciate much.
Float valve is stuck. Probably some dirt in the line got stuck in the
float valve and is holding it open. Correct by removing the float bowl,
remove the floats by pushing out the pin that holds their pivot (CAREFUL!
These are fragile, and the float valve will fall out when you do this!),
catch the float valve when it falls out (NOTE WHAT END FALLS OUT! The
sorta triangular end will go up, the springy end is what will touch the
tab on the float valve), then clean everything with carb cleaner. Squirt
carb cleaner into a small glass container and, wearing nitrile gloves and
wielding a worn-out toothbrush, scrub any corrosion gently off the float
valve (WARNING, these cleaners contain ether so do this in a well
ventilated area!). Squirt carb cleaner up in the hole that the float valve
came out of, and run a toothpick around it to scrub off any corrosion then
squirt again. Re-assemble everything, and I bet you'll be fine.
-E