spyd3rm4n
Well-Known Member
I bought my blue 2004 FZ1 last year with 2600 miles on it, the bike was stored a long time with 20 year old gasoline doing it's thing to the fuel tank and carbs. I bought a carb rebuild kit and did my thing, doing the RavenRider carb modifications at the same time. I didn't bother replacing the fuel rail o-rings between carbs because there was no leaking, however I replaced the float needles, float needle seats, and bowl o-rings, along with cleaning out the pilot jets which were clogged solid (hence the engine cutting out as soon as I gave it any throttle.)
I did my best to get all the rust out of the tank, and have been riding the bike for the past year quite often, and even changed the fuel filter numerous times since it was still picking up some rusty sediment from the tank. However at one point a few months ago one of the pilot jets got clogged with debris so I had to remove the carbs again to clean it up. All good!
Then I parked the bike and haven't ridden it since October. I just went for a ride and couldn't start the bike, heard the fuel pump prime a LONG time, but then the starter wouldn't turn it over, felt like the engine was locked up. Then I realized maybe I have a cylinder full of gasoline. I waited a moment and hit the starter again, it turned the engine and then fired right up, but now there's gasoline leaking out of the #2 carb, though I can't tell exactly where. I'm thinking a needle valve isn't sealing and filling the cylinder with fuel. The needles and seats are still fresh, so I doubt it's the rubber, maybe just a piece of junk stuck in there.
I'm going to try riding it first, but prepared to pull the carbs again for the third time in just over a year! It's not time for a Tracer 9 yet, I got this.
(Meanwhile my 20 year old Harley that's been sitting in an storage lot and auction lot for who knows how many years before I bought it fired right up on the first attempt; though I had fuel leaks on that too from deteriorated o-rings on the fuel line between the tank and throttle body!)
I did my best to get all the rust out of the tank, and have been riding the bike for the past year quite often, and even changed the fuel filter numerous times since it was still picking up some rusty sediment from the tank. However at one point a few months ago one of the pilot jets got clogged with debris so I had to remove the carbs again to clean it up. All good!
Then I parked the bike and haven't ridden it since October. I just went for a ride and couldn't start the bike, heard the fuel pump prime a LONG time, but then the starter wouldn't turn it over, felt like the engine was locked up. Then I realized maybe I have a cylinder full of gasoline. I waited a moment and hit the starter again, it turned the engine and then fired right up, but now there's gasoline leaking out of the #2 carb, though I can't tell exactly where. I'm thinking a needle valve isn't sealing and filling the cylinder with fuel. The needles and seats are still fresh, so I doubt it's the rubber, maybe just a piece of junk stuck in there.
I'm going to try riding it first, but prepared to pull the carbs again for the third time in just over a year! It's not time for a Tracer 9 yet, I got this.
(Meanwhile my 20 year old Harley that's been sitting in an storage lot and auction lot for who knows how many years before I bought it fired right up on the first attempt; though I had fuel leaks on that too from deteriorated o-rings on the fuel line between the tank and throttle body!)
