I need the knowledge of some of you expert mechanics.

Just spent 20 mins kicking my usually reliable fantic section. However it wont start, i tried all the usuall (i think??) i heard some splashing near the rear. it turns out there is a water/petrol mix in there. What could have cause this??

Cheers in advance

Conor

Edited March 24, 200521 yr by ronoc88

the rear?

do you mean the airbox??

Sorry Munch

Yes i meant the air box. The carb was flooded could petrol have come from the carb into the air box if so why??

I have very little mechanical knowledge and this is probably a dumb question, but if one of you experts could give some advice that would be great.

Thanks

Conor

The petrol level is controlled by the floats which pivot and as they rise thay close a needle valve which stops the petrol from flowing in. If your float height is set incorrectly or if your needle valve is damaged then this could cause it to flood. I am not an expert really but it is easy enough to strip the carb apart to have a look.

Have you cleaned the spark plug and tried it running?

I know next to nothing about Fantics but with Betas if you park them downhill then they flood aswell, this might be a problem.

id also drain the carb they may be water in there.

But if you have a spark and your getting fuel into the cylinder then it will run some sense.

james

It may be a water / oil mix in there.

The water from where ever and the oil off your air filter.

James

If there's definitely petrol on the airbox, I suppose it's possible that your overflow hose is blocked AND your float stuck so fuel ran into the airbox.

Stranger things have happened.

If this is the case, it could have flowed in both directions and you could have a lot of fuel in your crank, too.

If fuel is in your airbox, change your oil.

Thanks for the help

It was definatly petrol that was in there. Drained the air box. cleaned the filter. Fitted a new plug. And gave it a few kicks with the plug out to dry it out. Reasembled and she started after a few kicks. However i am still a bit confused(as always).

charliechitlins Posted on Mar 24 2005, 09:24 PM

If fuel is in your airbox, change your oil.

What oil are you talking about here. I know this is going to seem daft but i dont know wat oil your talking about here charlie.

Can anybody explain this to me??

Thanks again lads

Actually...it was late and I probably got it wrong.

Back in Jurassic times (my day), the bottom end of a motor had oil in it to lube the crank, so if fuel mixed with that oil, it needed to be changed.

Now bottom ends are, basically, dry, and only the clutch/trans are in an oil bath.

Although...I'm not familiar enough with Fantics to know if your intake is in the cylinder (and "wet" bottom end) or the crankcase ("dry" bottom end).

HOWEVER....if a carb float were to stick on a bike with crankcase induction, and the bottom were to fill with fuel, it would definitely need to be drained, and I don't know of such a bike with a drain plug for the lower end, so I wouldn't know what advice to give.

Short version: I would say that if there was definitely fuel in your airbox, it is probably in your bottom end, too, and it will not be good for the bike to run it that way.

As for draining the lower end, somebody who knows more about the make/model of your bike will have to step in.

Right...getting daft in my old age.

Gotta stop messing with these ring-dings, they're addling my old brain.

This is what a week in Florida has done to me. Something about the climate down here makes me stupid.

I think winter brings balance.

Back up north tomorrow morning, and back to work on the '38 Indian (wet sump, BTW )

TTFN.

The engine weighs more than my Sherco.

Really!

The Gas Gas Pro uses the tramsmission/case oil to lube the main crank bearings.