GT380J carbs overflowing/tarnishing (?)

Sonorama · Post by **Sonorama** » Wed Sep 21, 2011 10:53 am

Hi all,

I'm repairing a '72 GT380, and the carbs are giving me some problems. The first issue is that they are constantly overflowing. I had read online that this is usually caused by punctured floats so I'm gonna coat them in POR-15 and see if that helps, although I'm concerned that the added weight of the coating would cause the floats to keep sinking.
Also, the entire float chamber keeps on forming a rough, dull white/gray surface, which I believe is wearing off and clogging some of the jets (though that might have been rust in the gasoline from before I cleaned and POR-15'd the inside of the gas tank.) I don't know whether or not I'm wasting my time working on these old carbs, so any opinions or advice you can offer would be great.

Cheers,
Max

Coyote · Post by **Coyote** » Wed Sep 21, 2011 12:38 pm

New floats are still available from your Suzuki dealer. You need part number 13252-11010

Sonorama · Post by **Sonorama** » Wed Sep 21, 2011 4:10 pm

Thanks man! I'll get some new floats, there's a dealer not too far off. What of the white and gray buildup inside the carbs? Should I have a go at coating them with POR-15, or would I end up regretting that? I could also buy a shiny new set of carbs, floats included. I just want to make sure I'm not replacing something that could be fixed.

Coyote · Post by **Coyote** » Thu Sep 22, 2011 8:53 am

I am confused about the white/grey deposits you are experiencing. I have only seen that on old carbs of a bike that was stored outdoors. How long did you let the tank dry after the POR-15? Did you drain out all the excess?

Sonorama · Post by **Sonorama** » Thu Sep 22, 2011 1:08 pm

I gave the first coat of POR-15 a full day of fresh air and sunlight to dry, then another full day for the second coat. There didn't seem to be any excess, as I turned the tank over periodically to coat the entire interior. This bike was stored in a drafty barn in Wisconsin for almost 30 years. What was the solution for the carbs on that old bike you mentioned?

Coyote · Post by **Coyote** » Thu Sep 22, 2011 5:38 pm

Lime-Away, after a trip through the dishwasher. I think you are seeing dissolved POR-15. 24 hours is NOT long enough for that stuff to fully harden. Why 2 coats? I never heard of doing that. And there is always excess. So if it was puddled and didn't fully cure............................... I don't have a can handy, but I could swear it says 96 hours minimum before adding fuel. I generally leave mine for a couple of weeks and force dry it with a heat gun. A hair dryer will do.

Sonorama · Post by **Sonorama** » Thu Sep 22, 2011 7:10 pm

I actually did use a heater as well, for about 5 hours or so. On the POR-15 can, it said it would require 6-8 hours to dry for each coat, and it recommended multiple coats. I had also removed the fuel tap and propped up the tank in a position where anything inside would drain out, but nothing did. Is Lime-Away a pretty common product? I mean, would Canadian Tire or Home Hardware have it? I don't have an automatic dishwasher, I guess a bucket of hot soapy water will work alright.

Cliff · Post by **Cliff** » Thu Sep 22, 2011 7:43 pm

White/grey deposits are signs of moisture. Aluminum will oxidize or rust when there is moisture on the surface.

Sonorama · Post by **Sonorama** » Fri Sep 23, 2011 6:33 pm

Isn't aluminum oxide regarded as a protective coating? If there's too much, would some of it flake off?

GT380J carbs overflowing/tarnishing (?)

GT380J carbs overflowing/tarnishing (?)

Re: GT380J carbs overflowing/tarnishing (?)

Re: GT380J carbs overflowing/tarnishing (?)

Re: GT380J carbs overflowing/tarnishing (?)

Re: GT380J carbs overflowing/tarnishing (?)

Re: GT380J carbs overflowing/tarnishing (?)

Re: GT380J carbs overflowing/tarnishing (?)

Re: GT380J carbs overflowing/tarnishing (?)

Re: GT380J carbs overflowing/tarnishing (?)