Monobloc carb leak

[Habberley Thumper]

Hi all. When I bought my bike the main fuel tap was stuck shut and the bike was running off the reserve. Not ideal. I have had a few problems getting the bike to tick over consistently and am fairly sure it was a carb problem as it had been standing a while (and getting crud from bottom of tank due to being on reserve) I freed the main tap and got a mate to clean the carb. Reassembled it and when I turn the main tap on fuel goes everywhere (lots of it). On the reserve tap this is not the case. I can’t understand this, as they both join at a union fitting so how can this happen? Also is there a knack to reconnecting the throttle slide assembly as the grip doesn’t spring back as it should. Any help gratefully received

[dave16mct]

Remove the tank and give it a good shaking around with some fuel and a few nuts and bolts. Then fit an in-line filter. It sounds like there's some muck under the little intake needle (under the banjo). The carb flange nuts are easily overtightened and this causes the slide to stick. If you undo them slightly you will probably hear the slide drop with a click. They should only be tightened up enough to compress the O ring.
Dave.

[clive]

Did you put the little brass spacer on the float pin when you rebuilt the carb? If it is missing the float can move across fouling the cover and allowing the carb to flood.

[Habberley Thumper]

Thanks both. Right this was a case of wrong way round. The mate who cleaned the carbs is waiting for a cataract op and put the float in the wrong way round so it was flooding. The reserve tap, contrary to the transfer on the tank, is on the right, so it was the reserve not the main tap which was flooding. Thanks for your support

[Duncan]

Hi Dave, usually the left hand side of the tank is reserve, both taps are normal without an upstand inside the tank as the reserve fuel is formed by the tunnel in the underside of the tank that separates the two sides as the fuel level drops, in practice you can use either side but there is more fuel on the left side than the right hand side.

[dave16mct]

Also you can keep the bike going with your right hand on the throttle while you grapple for the reserve tap with your left hand.
Dave.

[Pompey]

If the tap has not been used for a long time then its cork seals would have dried out. You need to soak them in boiling water to rejuvenate them.
Nick

[Taid]

If you use the right hand side for reserve, as you get towards the end of a tank, it can appear that you have more fuel than there actually is ..