problem with carburetor maybe?

alex.bowles · March 15th, 2013, 08:58 PM

hey guys i have been having some problems with my 2001 ninja ex250 and i hope you can help.. so it started with me filling up the gas and i then brought it home and did not turn off the peacock and i come out the next morning and about half the tank had leaked on to the ground so i took the carburetors off and cleaned them then put them back on and i started it and it came out the overflow on them so i talked to a buddy and he said it could be the float valves so i changed them and put a new gasket in them. then i started it and it ran fine so i drove it all day and at the end of the day it started acting really funny and now its bad my high range is good and my low is ok and my mid range is really bad it almost sounds like its being flooded and there is vary little power but when i give it more its like its catching up. so i have no idea i hope someone can help.

thanks guys.

alex.s · March 15th, 2013, 09:25 PM

check petcock valving?

alex.bowles · March 15th, 2013, 10:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alex.s

check petcock valving?

yes i did and thats all good

Jiggles · March 15th, 2013, 10:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alex.bowles

hey guys i have been having some problems with my 2001 ninja ex250 and i hope you can help.. so it started with me filling up the gas and i then brought it home and did not turn off the peacock and i come out the next morning and about half the tank had leaked on to the ground so i took the carburetors off and cleaned them then put them back on and i started it and it came out the overflow on them so i talked to a buddy and he said it could be the float valves so i changed them and put a new gasket in them. then i started it and it ran fine so i drove it all day and at the end of the day it started acting really funny and now its bad my high range is good and my low is ok and my mid range is really bad it almost sounds like its being flooded and there is vary little power but when i give it more its like its catching up. so i have no idea i hope someone can help.

thanks guys.

Quote:

Originally Posted by alex.s

check petcock valving?

these two type exactly like eachother and have such similar names yet claim to be different people?

"A" already tried this trick, can't you come up with something better alex?

and cmon, .bowles? obvious

reference.

Alex · March 15th, 2013, 11:24 PM

Different people, no conspiracy here. We've got some pretty neat behind-the-scenes tools to pick up, well, tools.

Jiggles · March 15th, 2013, 11:27 PM

I think alex.s is smart enough to fake his IP, afterall, he posts a lot of videos about robots

Alex · March 15th, 2013, 11:30 PM

**way** past simple IP comparisons, you'll just have to trust me.

Jiggles · March 15th, 2013, 11:36 PM

Lychee · March 16th, 2013, 12:05 AM

Your petcock could be leaking. you shouldn't have to turn it off at the end of the day because it only flows gas when a vacuum is applied. Well, when it works properly that is.

alex.bowles · March 16th, 2013, 01:45 AM

so i know its not that i have 3 of them. it has to do with the carb. oh and i fixed the leaking it just running bad as i said

Motofool · March 16th, 2013, 03:57 AM

Welcome to the site, Alex !!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by alex.bowles

............now its bad my high range is good and my low is ok and my mid range is really bad it almost sounds like its being flooded and there is vary little power but when i give it more its like its catching up...........

When you replace the valves that the floats push up, you should verify the proper level of fuel inside the bowls.

Also, one or both of the diaphragms and/or needles may not be working properly for some reason.

conrya5 · March 16th, 2013, 06:20 AM

Quote:

When you replace the valves that the floats push up, you should verify the proper level of fuel inside the bowls.

Also, one or both of the diaphragms and/or needles may not be working properly for some reason.

Correct me if I am wrong, to measure the fuel levels you can simply use 1/4" OD clear tube.

DaBlue1 · March 16th, 2013, 07:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alex.bowles

....the next morning and about half the tank had leaked on to the ground

With that much gas on the ground, it is possible for some to leak past the piston rings.

Did you check your oil level/condition?
How is your air filter?

alex.bowles · March 16th, 2013, 07:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaBlue1

With that much gas on the ground, it is possible for some to leak past the piston rings.

Did you check your oil level/condition?
How is your air filter?

yes i did gas did get in to the air box and so from there it went down in to the crank case. so i just had to change the oil

alex.bowles · March 16th, 2013, 07:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Motofool

Welcome to the site, Alex !!!

When you replace the valves that the floats push up, you should verify the proper level of fuel inside the bowls.

Also, one or both of the diaphragms and/or needles may not be working properly for some reason.

ok so i just stick a tube on there and see how far it go's?

oh and thanks

alex.bowles · March 16th, 2013, 08:04 AM

why would it run so well at the beginning and now bad could i have gotten something in the carb like maybe dirt?

alex.bowles · March 16th, 2013, 08:21 AM

Okay just checked it today there's no leaking at all but the throttle response is horrible and then it goes normal when I get high rpm

alex.s · March 16th, 2013, 12:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alex.bowles

yes i did and thats all good

you said it leaked a puddle on the ground. i dont know if the pregen petcock is also vacuum opened but on the newgen, you need vacuum (ie- running engine) for the the petcock to let extra fuel out. so if it leaked a bunch of fuel out wouldn't that mean that the petcock isn't all good? if the petcock is just an open drain line now, and the floats aren't 100%, it would make sense that the carbs would get flooded and it would be all rich and boggy and leak gas everywhere.

alex.s · March 16th, 2013, 12:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jiggles

I think alex.s is smart enough to fake his IP, afterall, he posts a lot of videos about robots

you dont need to fake anything when you can just use the real thing. trying to fake things is a mistake a lot of noobs make.

alex.bowles · March 16th, 2013, 10:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alex.s

you said it leaked a puddle on the ground. i dont know if the pregen petcock is also vacuum opened but on the newgen, you need vacuum (ie- running engine) for the the petcock to let extra fuel out. so if it leaked a bunch of fuel out wouldn't that mean that the petcock isn't all good? if the petcock is just an open drain line now, and the floats aren't 100%, it would make sense that the carbs would get flooded and it would be all rich and boggy and leak gas everywhere.

so how would i test that?

zedzedR · March 16th, 2013, 10:53 PM

Make sure the carb butterfly is properly adjusted

alex.s · March 17th, 2013, 01:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alex.bowles

so how would i test that?

disconnect the tank from the carb... does it leak a bunch of gas out the tube? it shouldn't.

n4mwd · March 17th, 2013, 06:33 AM

Just like Alex.s said, your petcock is bad.

If you ever get gas coming through it when the bike is off, then its bad. The fact that you have a puddle of gas on the floor proves that its bad.

Also, you should never turn your petcock OFF after riding. If it doesn't cut off automatically, then its bad. OFF is there so that people can drain the carbs for the winter by riding it out. People with newgens don't have an OFF and must drain their carbs manually when winterizing.

To test, turn off bike and remove both hoses. Make sure petcock is ON or RES. No gas should come out.

Then put a small length of fish tank or other tubing onto the small port and suck on it. Gas should come out of the big port but not the little one. If you get gas from the little one, or no gas comes out, then the petcock is bad.

Also, you will need to change the oil because it now has gas in it. It you run it like that, you will burn out your bearings and need a new engine.

alex.bowles · March 17th, 2013, 07:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by n4mwd

Just like Alex.s said, your petcock is bad.

If you ever get gas coming through it when the bike is off, then its bad. The fact that you have a puddle of gas on the floor proves that its bad.

Also, you should never turn your petcock OFF after riding. If it doesn't cut off automatically, then its bad. OFF is there so that people can drain the carbs for the winter by riding it out. People with newgens don't have an OFF and must drain their carbs manually when winterizing.

To test, turn off bike and remove both hoses. Make sure petcock is ON or RES. No gas should come out.

Then put a small length of fish tank or other tubing onto the small port and suck on it. Gas should come out of the big port but not the little one. If you get gas from the little one, or no gas comes out, then the petcock is bad.

Ok man I will check that. Could that also make it feel like its not getting gas

Also, you will need to change the oil because it now has gas in it. It you run it like that, you will burn out your bearings and need a new engine.

n4mwd · March 17th, 2013, 07:20 AM

If there is gas coming through the little hose, it will flood the engine and cause it to run badly. It might feel like its not getting enough gas.

When you disconnect the little hose, you should see NO gas, not even a drop in the little hose.

More than likely, your diaphragm is bad. Make sure you order the 88-07 kit or diaphragm. The 86-87 kits and the 08+ kits will not fit.

alex.bowles · March 17th, 2013, 08:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by n4mwd

If there is gas coming through the little hose, it will flood the engine and cause it to run badly. It might feel like its not getting enough gas.

When you disconnect the little hose, you should see NO gas, not even a drop in the little hose.

More than likely, your diaphragm is bad. Make sure you order the 88-07 kit or diaphragm. The 86-87 kits and the 08+ kits will not fit.

How can you tell if the diaphragm is bad

n4mwd · March 17th, 2013, 01:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alex.bowles

How can you tell if the diaphragm is bad

If gas comes out when its ON or RES and there is no vacuum applied to the small port. Or ANY gas comes out of the small port at all. If any of those is true, then the diaphragm is bad. Its about $20 at the dealer. If that doesn't fix it then the whole petcock could be messed up somehow.

The petcock knob and the diaphragm are two separate subsystems. The knob controls the flow to the diaphragm, and the diaphragm controls the flow to the carbs. Its very common to have a knob that works fine and a diaphragm that leaks.

So you could have the situation where OFF stops the fuel flow. But the ON still leaks.

alex.bowles · March 18th, 2013, 09:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by n4mwd

If gas comes out when its ON or RES and there is no vacuum applied to the small port. Or ANY gas comes out of the small port at all. If any of those is true, then the diaphragm is bad. Its about $20 at the dealer. If that doesn't fix it then the whole petcock could be messed up somehow.

The petcock knob and the diaphragm are two separate subsystems. The knob controls the flow to the diaphragm, and the diaphragm controls the flow to the carbs. Its very common to have a knob that works fine and a diaphragm that leaks.

So you could have the situation where OFF stops the fuel flow. But the ON still leaks.

Ok so I got a tube on the and sucked and nothing came out on the on and off and RES. What should I do?

n4mwd · March 18th, 2013, 10:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alex.bowles

Ok so I got a tube on the and sucked and nothing came out on the on and off and RES. What should I do?

Are you sure your tank isn't empty?

If there is fuel in there, you should be able to get gas out when sucking on the small port. At least out when on RES.

quicklooker · March 18th, 2013, 10:47 AM

As a side note, I had an issue where I would leak a quarter of my gas on the floor through the "overflow" hose after fill up. The problem was that the little metal tube connecting to the inside of the fuel cap where fuel overspill goes was cracked/damaged resulting in the fuel to leak down to the level of the crack in this metal hose.

The metal hose is thin , runs right through the fuel to the beginning of the overflow hose and is liable to break if rusty or jarred hard enough like drops. The only way to fix it reliably was to replace the entire tank. This may be unrelated to your problem but figured this is good information.

lgk · March 18th, 2013, 10:58 AM

i think you connected the hoses wrong.

zedzedR · March 18th, 2013, 11:11 AM

Is the bike still leaking puddles on the ground? If it is only running rich and dribbling a few drops, make sure that your carbs are synchronized properly. You can either make a manometer to test it, or for a less accurate quick test, take your carbs out and ensure that both butterfly valves are at the same position.

Another simple fix could be that the drain bolt on your float bowl is not tightened enough.

Both of these things have happened to my bike before causing it to not run well at low rpm and to leak out some gas.

alex.bowles · March 18th, 2013, 12:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zedzedR

Is the bike still leaking puddles on the ground? If it is only running rich and dribbling a few drops, make sure that your carbs are synchronized properly. You can either make a manometer to test it, or for a less accurate quick test, take your carbs out and ensure that both butterfly valves are at the same position.

Another simple fix could be that the drain bolt on your float bowl is not tightened enough.

Both of these things have happened to my bike before causing it to not run well at low rpm and to leak out some gas.

There is no leaking gas anymore

n4mwd · March 18th, 2013, 12:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alex.bowles

There is no leaking gas anymore

Then you really need to make it a priority to find out why it was leaking before. Could be the tank itself is punctured.

quicklooker · March 18th, 2013, 12:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alex.bowles

There is no leaking gas anymore

Is there any gas left in the tank?

alex.bowles · March 18th, 2013, 12:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by n4mwd

Then you really need to make it a priority to find out why it was leaking before. Could be the tank itself is punctured.

I know why it was the gas valve

alex.bowles · March 18th, 2013, 12:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by quicklooker

Is there any gas left in the tank?

Yes half tank

quicklooker · March 18th, 2013, 12:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alex.bowles

Yes half tank

Fill it up just a little bit. I suspect it's the same problem I had; a busted overflow tube inside the tank. If it immediately starts to leak after you fill it up a little bit I'll bet that's at least part of the issue if not the entire issue. Only put a little more in like maybe half a gallon (to minimize leaking hazardous fuel everywhere).

You shoulda seen my bike dumping a gallon of fuel everywhere I went after a fill up. It was embarrassing.

alex.bowles · March 18th, 2013, 12:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by quicklooker

Fill it up just a little bit. I suspect it's the same problem I had; a busted overflow tube inside the tank. If it immediately starts to leak after you fill it up a little bit I'll bet that's at least part of the issue if not the entire issue. Only put a little more in like maybe half a gallon (to minimize leaking hazardous fuel everywhere).

You shoulda seen my bike dumping a gallon of fuel everywhere I went after a fill up. It was embarrassing.

Just did it im seeing nothing

quicklooker · March 18th, 2013, 12:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alex.bowles

Just did it im seeing nothing

*shrug*

So, in great detail , what did you do to fix it? It might be hard to figure out why it was leaking before if it's fixed now.

March 15th, 2013, 08:58 PM	#1
alex.bowles ninjette.org member Name: Alex Location: Richmond Va Join Date: Mar 2013 Motorcycle(s): 2001 ninja ex250 Posts: 15	problem with carburetor maybe? hey guys i have been having some problems with my 2001 ninja ex250 and i hope you can help.. so it started with me filling up the gas and i then brought it home and did not turn off the peacock and i come out the next morning and about half the tank had leaked on to the ground so i took the carburetors off and cleaned them then put them back on and i started it and it came out the overflow on them so i talked to a buddy and he said it could be the float valves so i changed them and put a new gasket in them. then i started it and it ran fine so i drove it all day and at the end of the day it started acting really funny and now its bad my high range is good and my low is ok and my mid range is really bad it almost sounds like its being flooded and there is vary little power but when i give it more its like its catching up. so i have no idea i hope someone can help. thanks guys.

March 15th, 2013, 09:25 PM	#2
alex.s wat Name: wat Location: tustin/long beach Join Date: Sep 2009 Motorcycle(s): wat Posts: Too much. Blog Entries: 5 MOTM - Oct '12, Feb '14	check petcock valving? __________________________________________________

March 15th, 2013, 11:24 PM	#5
Alex ninjette.org dude Name: 1 guess :-) Location: SF Bay Area Join Date: Jun 2008 Motorcycle(s): '13 Ninja 300 (white, the fastest color!), '13 R1200RT, '14 CRF250L, '12 TT-R125LE Posts: Too much. Blog Entries: 7	Different people, no conspiracy here. We've got some pretty neat behind-the-scenes tools to pick up, well, tools. __________________________________________________ Montgomery Street Motorcycle Club / cal24.com / crf250l.org / ninjette.org ninjette.org Terms of Service Shopping for motorcycle parts or equipment? Come here first. The friendliest Ninja 250R/300/400 forum on the internet! (especially Unregistered)

March 15th, 2013, 11:27 PM	#6
Jiggles Jigglin' your Jiglets Name: Sean Location: San Jose, Ca Join Date: Jun 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2009 K1300S, 2013 Ninja 300, 2011 Ninja 250R, Faster than Unregistered's ninjette Posts: Too much. Blog Entries: 1 MOTM - Apr '13	I think alex.s is smart enough to fake his IP, afterall, he posts a lot of videos about robots __________________________________________________ If the Ninja 250 doesn't have enough power for you, then you don't know how to ride it. AFM #676 Supersports are for n00bs

March 15th, 2013, 11:30 PM	#7
Alex ninjette.org dude Name: 1 guess :-) Location: SF Bay Area Join Date: Jun 2008 Motorcycle(s): '13 Ninja 300 (white, the fastest color!), '13 R1200RT, '14 CRF250L, '12 TT-R125LE Posts: Too much. Blog Entries: 7	way past simple IP comparisons, you'll just have to trust me. __________________________________________________ Montgomery Street Motorcycle Club / cal24.com / crf250l.org / ninjette.org ninjette.org Terms of Service Shopping for motorcycle parts or equipment? Come here first. The friendliest Ninja 250R/300/400 forum on the internet! (especially Unregistered)

March 15th, 2013, 11:36 PM	#8
Jiggles Jigglin' your Jiglets Name: Sean Location: San Jose, Ca Join Date: Jun 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2009 K1300S, 2013 Ninja 300, 2011 Ninja 250R, Faster than Unregistered's ninjette Posts: Too much. Blog Entries: 1 MOTM - Apr '13	__________________________________________________ If the Ninja 250 doesn't have enough power for you, then you don't know how to ride it. AFM #676 Supersports are for n00bs

March 16th, 2013, 12:05 AM	#9
Lychee sail away Name: Jon Location: San Jose Join Date: Jul 2012 Motorcycle(s): gixxer (sold), ninjette (upgrade!) Posts: 964 Blog Entries: 8	Your petcock could be leaking. you shouldn't have to turn it off at the end of the day because it only flows gas when a vacuum is applied. Well, when it works properly that is. __________________________________________________ Unregistered found this post helpful. Track Day Preparation Checklist 1. Financial 2. Mental 3. Physical 4. Gear / Bike

March 16th, 2013, 01:45 AM	#10
alex.bowles ninjette.org member Name: Alex Location: Richmond Va Join Date: Mar 2013 Motorcycle(s): 2001 ninja ex250 Posts: 15	so i know its not that i have 3 of them. it has to do with the carb. oh and i fixed the leaking it just running bad as i said

March 16th, 2013, 08:04 AM	#16
alex.bowles ninjette.org member Name: Alex Location: Richmond Va Join Date: Mar 2013 Motorcycle(s): 2001 ninja ex250 Posts: 15	why would it run so well at the beginning and now bad could i have gotten something in the carb like maybe dirt?

March 16th, 2013, 08:21 AM	#17
alex.bowles ninjette.org member Name: Alex Location: Richmond Va Join Date: Mar 2013 Motorcycle(s): 2001 ninja ex250 Posts: 15	Okay just checked it today there's no leaking at all but the throttle response is horrible and then it goes normal when I get high rpm

March 16th, 2013, 10:53 PM	#21
zedzedR ninjette.org member Name: Ibrahim Location: GTA, Ontario Join Date: Aug 2012 Motorcycle(s): '01 ZZR 250 Posts: 38	Make sure the carb butterfly is properly adjusted

March 17th, 2013, 06:33 AM	#23
n4mwd ninjette.org certified postwhore Name: D Location: Palm Beach, FL Join Date: Oct 2010 Motorcycle(s): 2006 Ninja 250R, 2007 EFI Ninja 250R Posts: A lot. Blog Entries: 1	Just like Alex.s said, your petcock is bad. If you ever get gas coming through it when the bike is off, then its bad. The fact that you have a puddle of gas on the floor proves that its bad. Also, you should never turn your petcock OFF after riding. If it doesn't cut off automatically, then its bad. OFF is there so that people can drain the carbs for the winter by riding it out. People with newgens don't have an OFF and must drain their carbs manually when winterizing. To test, turn off bike and remove both hoses. Make sure petcock is ON or RES. No gas should come out. Then put a small length of fish tank or other tubing onto the small port and suck on it. Gas should come out of the big port but not the little one. If you get gas from the little one, or no gas comes out, then the petcock is bad. Also, you will need to change the oil because it now has gas in it. It you run it like that, you will burn out your bearings and need a new engine. __________________________________________________ My Ninja Blog Proud member of ABATE.My NYC Road Rage documentary - CENSORED!

March 17th, 2013, 07:20 AM	#25
n4mwd ninjette.org certified postwhore Name: D Location: Palm Beach, FL Join Date: Oct 2010 Motorcycle(s): 2006 Ninja 250R, 2007 EFI Ninja 250R Posts: A lot. Blog Entries: 1	If there is gas coming through the little hose, it will flood the engine and cause it to run badly. It might feel like its not getting enough gas. When you disconnect the little hose, you should see NO gas, not even a drop in the little hose. More than likely, your diaphragm is bad. Make sure you order the 88-07 kit or diaphragm. The 86-87 kits and the 08+ kits will not fit. __________________________________________________ My Ninja Blog Proud member of ABATE.My NYC Road Rage documentary - CENSORED!

March 18th, 2013, 10:47 AM	#30
quicklooker ninjette.org member Name: J Location: Dallas Join Date: Aug 2012 Motorcycle(s): Ninja 250R '07 Posts: 81	As a side note, I had an issue where I would leak a quarter of my gas on the floor through the "overflow" hose after fill up. The problem was that the little metal tube connecting to the inside of the fuel cap where fuel overspill goes was cracked/damaged resulting in the fuel to leak down to the level of the crack in this metal hose. The metal hose is thin , runs right through the fuel to the beginning of the overflow hose and is liable to break if rusty or jarred hard enough like drops. The only way to fix it reliably was to replace the entire tank. This may be unrelated to your problem but figured this is good information.

March 18th, 2013, 10:58 AM	#31
lgk ninjette.org certified postwhore Name: Jason Location: Norfolk, VA Join Date: Dec 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2012 EX250, 2014 EX300 Posts: A lot.	i think you connected the hoses wrong. __________________________________________________ Ethioknight Memorial Fund- Sticker sale http://www.ninjette.org/forums/showthread.php?t=111700

March 18th, 2013, 11:11 AM	#32
zedzedR ninjette.org member Name: Ibrahim Location: GTA, Ontario Join Date: Aug 2012 Motorcycle(s): '01 ZZR 250 Posts: 38	Is the bike still leaking puddles on the ground? If it is only running rich and dribbling a few drops, make sure that your carbs are synchronized properly. You can either make a manometer to test it, or for a less accurate quick test, take your carbs out and ensure that both butterfly valves are at the same position. Another simple fix could be that the drain bolt on your float bowl is not tightened enough. Both of these things have happened to my bike before causing it to not run well at low rpm and to leak out some gas.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Problem with draining the carburetor! Please help!	htsang07	2008 - 2012 Ninja 250R Tech Talk	14	September 5th, 2012 09:43 PM
Carburetor / Valve Problem?	kingkang204	2008 - 2012 Ninja 250R Tech Talk	19	August 15th, 2012 06:50 PM
Carburetor Diaphragm	kingkang204	Motorcycle-related	4	September 21st, 2011 07:20 PM
carburetor bolts	james250ninja	2008 - 2012 Ninja 250R Tech Talk	3	September 2nd, 2011 01:53 PM