Is this normal?

This may sound like a silly question to some people,but I am new at fixing my own bike. Can some one tell me what the small hoses are for that are coming out of my carbs. There is one hose per carb and each one comes out of the bottom of the carbs. The other ends are not connected to anything and every now and then they drip a little gas. Is this normal? My bike is a 77 KZ1000 LTD.

Post edited by: LTD, at: 2006/04/02 17:05

Those are the drain hoses for the carb float bowls, and helps prevent the carbs from overflowing into the engine and airbox and instead drain off through them.
And no, it isn't normal for them to drip any gas if everything is at it should be.
More than likely one or more of the float valves are either worn, sticking, or clogged with debris.
You should be able to remove the float bowls without having to remove the entire carb rack to examine the float valves and clean/inspect the float valve seats.

And there's no such thing as a silly or stupid questions here, but you'll be guaranteed some questionable answers ocassionally. :laugh:

Only a few members here (WiredGeorge for instance) seem to have been fortunate enough to have been born with an infallable all-encompassing knowledge of motorcycles :laugh: :whistle:.
Actually WiredGeorge is KZr's resident carb guru and a pretty good guy.
And don't worry, we all had to start somewhere. And even now are STILL learning as we go along. And if we're lucky enough, we eventually are able to share what we learned with others such as yourself who are new to motorcycles.

Post edited by: RetroRiceRocketRider, at: 2006/04/02 17:21

If I trace the line that is leaking gas to the carb it comes from that is the one I should check out? Also if it is a little while before I can fix it will it hurt anything? Thank you for the info to.

Post edited by: LTD, at: 2006/04/02 17:33

Yes, that would be the one you'd want to check out.

But if the bike has sat for any length of time with gas still in the fuel tank and carbs (a month is sometimes all it takes for gas to start going bad and/or absorb condensation and gunk stuff up), then it would be a good idea to examine and clean all of them out to be certain.

If the leak is just an ocassional drip, I'm pretty sure that the worst that can happen until you repair it will be the mess that it will create where ever you park your bike, and the amount of gas you will lose (at todays gas prices it can add up :ohmy: ).

Also be sure to remove the oil fill cap on the top of the right side engine cover (clutch cover) and check to see if it smells like gas in there. If so, then it's also leaking into your engine which should be taken care of ASAP before riding it again. Since the fuel will contaminate the engine oil and not allow it to lubricate like it's designed to - which can cause your clutch to slip, and also premature wear/heat damage to the bearings and associated metal surfaces within. And if gas has drained into the engine oil, then good chances are it also found it's way into the air filter box.
All easy fixes, and not at all to time consuming.

Post edited by: RetroRiceRocketRider, at: 2006/04/02 18:10

LTD wrote:

If I trace the line that is leaking gas to the carb it comes from that is the one I should check out? Also if it is a little while before I can fix it will it hurt anything? Thank you for the info to.<br><br>Post edited by: LTD, at: 2006/04/02 17:33

yes, the line(s) that drip lead directly to the problem carb(s). Im not sure if it will hurt anything to have them dripping (except mileage) because the reason that they are dripping is to "fix" the problem of over filling the carb bowls with gas. but this isnt a true fix, its best to get at the root of the problem, having dripping gas isnt exactly a safe thing. if its not too bad, and you cant get at it for a couple weeks, I think it would be ok to leave it for a short while, just shut off your petcock when the bike isnt running to prevent constant dripping.
(haha I see R4 is a faster typer than me...)
Scott

Post edited by: 77KZ650, at: 2006/04/02 18:07

Thanks for the advice guys. Thats what I needed to know.