run out of gas

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tc358
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run out of gas

Post by tc358 »

i have a 87 kdx 200,bought few months ago,
previous owner told me to turn off fuel,
let idle till run out of gas,after each ride,
his reason was keep carb clean,
i am concerned about lubrication,
what are your thoughts about this practice?
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rbates9
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Post by rbates9 »

Well, The lack of lube could be an issue. But letting gas sit in the carb could also cause an issue. (And yes I know the whole "I left gas in my carb for 82 years and it started first kick" crap will probably come out.) But I can remember my grandfather ALWAYS shut the gas off on his out board boat engines to run them out of gas every time he pulled it out of the water and never had any carb issues or engine problems.

Probably a to each there own type of thing. I would leave the gas in the carb if it was going to be a little while but could see draining the float bowl if it was going to be a long while.
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diymirage
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Post by diymirage »

i think time is the deciding question here
how long will the bike sit between rides?

if its less then a few weeks i wouldnt bother to drain the carb, if you are putting her up for the winter...well then i would drain it somehow
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Draining the carb?

Post by Deseret Rider »

I think the carb storage problems are caused by bacteria---and that it is a good idea to run some stabilizer (STabil or Sea Foam) mixture into the carb before you shut down for the winter------that done I don't think it matters if you drain the carb or not.
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OLHILLBILLY
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Post by OLHILLBILLY »

When I'm putting it up for a week or 2, I will run it until it starts to speed up from going lean, then hit the kill switch. Not letting it run completely out, but enough that there will only be a very small amount left in the bottom of the float bowl.
If I'm not going to be riding it for several weeks, I'll take the drain bolt out to finish removing any fuel left in there.
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Post by Mr. Wibbens »

We must have better fuel around here

I've let my bike sit for months on end and it always starts right up

Never used fuel stabilizer
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Post by OLHILLBILLY »

I seem to have had more than the normal amount of clogged pilot jet problems in the past, so I hope for the "ounce of prevention" thing by running most of the gas out. Though the station I was getting my gas at when I was having all the carb problems probably had more to do with it than anything. Changed where I filled up at, no more problems.
The Busa on the other hand set for almost a year with the same gas in it, and started up just fine. And that was on normal 10% alchy 87 octane.
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frankenschwinn
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Post by frankenschwinn »

I never let my bike sit for months.
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Post by cornishwrecker220 »

toward the end of my ride i always turn the fuel off just when i`m nearing my house to help drain the carb of gas..i also drain the fuel in the tank & put it into a gas can ready for my next ride which sometimes is within a week or two, as if its left sitting about in the tank it will separate from the oil ..i find it easier to re-mix the fuel/oil by shaking the can rather than the whole bike + i have piece of mind knowing the fuel/oil has mixed properly if i do it that way ...ive always been taught this from an early age..old habbits die hard..
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Post by Julien D »

If I know it's going to be sitting for a few weeks, I turn off the fuel and crack the carb drain. I'm not comfortable letting it run out of fuel and lean out. I've had a bike blow a piston from that before. Sometimes when it leans out the RPM's will peak and the kill switch wont work or anything. No lube, high RPM, boom. It's easy enough to crack open the drain on the bottom of the carb, and much safer.
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Post by SteveWR450f »

I am too paranoid to run the bike out of gas. Probably not too much wear but i love my bike too much to do. I use stabil for 5 years now and no issues. I would recommend using stabil. Never drained the bowl but its a good idea.
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Post by rbates9 »

>|<>QBB<
Mr. Wibbens wrote:
I've let my bike sit for months on end and it always starts right up
I knew there would be some one that would say that. (Refer to my first post.) :mrgreen:
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Julien D
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Post by Julien D »

yeah, pay no attention to the man behind the curtain. In his little world, big bore thumpers are better in the woods than 2 strokes, and fuel NEVER goes bad.

:mrgreen:
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Post by skythrasher »

>|<>QBB<
Mr. Wibbens wrote:We must have better fuel around here

I've let my bike sit for months on end and it always starts right up

Never used fuel stabilizer
Since we're jumpin on the man behind the curtain.....

I'm with Wibs. I think it has more to do with fuel and oil quality. I have several bikes and some set for long periods, I have never used any stabilizer and have no problems. The gas will get old and stink like hell, but they still run.

I am not doubting the benefits of stabilizer and draining and all that. I just think that for some it is a fix for problems you don't have. That is the case for me anyway.

I run Amsoil Interceptor with 93 octane no corn pump gas.

You guys can flame me and Wibs all you want, just make sure the fuel you use is fresh and includes stabil. :mrgreen:

Also, lots of the fast, tight woods, regional pro's around here have gone to the 450's also. Just sayin'.
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Post by Julien D »

So, I picked up a 1971 CB750 out of my grandfathers garage after he passed away. It had been sitting for about 6-7 years. Prior to that, he rode it pretty regularly. I figured I ought to go through the carbs before I tryed to start it up. When I pulled the bowls off the carbs, two of the floats were just sitting in the bottom of the bowls. The posts that are cast into the carb body to hold the fload bowls had corroded completely off.

I understand most people don't leave their bikes sitting for years upon years, but that proccess didn't just magically happen after some given amount of time, it started from day one that the bike sat, and progressed until I brought the bike home and removed the carbs to find the carnage that remained.
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Post by OLHILLBILLY »

Also, lots of the fast, tight woods, regional pro's around here have gone to the 450's also. Just sayin'.
Most of us here aren't fast regional pros though. :wink:
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Post by Julien D »

For the record, I wouldn't flame you guys. Maybe a bit of friendly ribbing from time to time though.... :partyman:
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Post by rbates9 »

Also no flaming intended. But the gas available across the country is not the same. Some people will have better luck than others with letting gas sit around. With the higher ethanol levels of some gas it will start to attack different parts of the fuel system like the rubber parts quicker. And yes it will still burn and you can get the engine to run but it couldn't hurt to try to prevent the negative effects of the ethanol.

And if the ethanol scare was just made up then why do all auto makers limit the ethanol levels to 10% to maintain warranty? (Unless it is a multi fuel car.)
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Post by Brian »

I think shutting off the fuel petcock makes the biggest difference in how well the carb holds up in storage. There have been numerous times that I removed the float bowl from a bike that has been sitting for a week or two (with the petcock off) and the float bowl was empty. I think the fuel evaporated.

If the petcock is left on the fuel will keep trickling into the float bowl to replace what has evaporated. I think tha is what causes the problem. As the fuel breaks down it leaves some varnish residue and when you keep adding a small quantity of fuel the varnish keeps building up. Add in some alcohol and it's ability to attract water and now you have corrosion.

A buddy of mine had a dirtbike that had been sitting for a number of years with the petcock on and fuel in the tank. The fuel was really stale and when I pulled the carb apart the float bowl was so corroded it looked like someone had filled it with chalk.
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