How do i stop this leak?

ok, i'm not sure where all this is coming from. I suppose its gas leaking from the bowl. Not sure if there isnt also oil leaking down low also, it appears pretty thick under the round cover there (not sure what to even call it!)

also, what's the best/safest thing to clean the engine with?

 

Looks like leaky float bowls.

 

Put a set of new gaskets on the Float bowls.
Seal the Gasket to the Float Bowl side with a good sealant.
Leave the Gasket clean on the Carb Body side and smear some light oil on the mating surface before you reattach the Bowls.

The sealant will attach the gasket to the Bowl and make removal easier next time you have to go in there.
The Oil makes the Gasket spread so that the Ridge Line in the Body will make firm contact all around and give to a Fuel Tight sealing of the Bowl top the Body.

Do a Float Level check to be sure that that isn't seeping out an overflow.
If the Gaskets aren't torn ... just doing the sealant and oiling could do the trick.
But, that serious a leak make me thing the gasket got pinched and/or
not seated properly last time the Carb Bowl was off.

 

How to do a float level check? Would you recommend doing them all, or just let sleeping dogs lie?

Also, do you clean your engine with reg engine cleaner? The kind you just warm the bike up, spray on, and wash off?

 

Let the sleeping dog lie until you familiarize yourself with the Procedure.
You need the carbs off the bike and hook-up a see-thru hose to the drain nipple or space.
Then you open the drain screw and observe the level of fuel that fills the see-thru hose held up against the carb body.

You can use a Spray on degreaser.
STP makes a biodegradable one that will wash off and not harmm the flowers.

Spray it on a warm engine
wait 15 minutes and scrub the real bad spots
respray the scrubbed areas
Wash-off with the hose.

 

I gotcha. Hold the hose up to view the level inside the bowl. I'll start with just the gasket replacement.

thanks as always.

 

got to love the search feature, that what I was looking for, my bike just started doing the same thing.

I took the carbs off last night, they are a little dirty, but the gaskets look good, I'm going to have to check the floats, seems like on mine it's coming all from the #3 carb.

 

I would bet that the shaft that spins the butterfly's is leaking at the seals as well. While mine is not as bad as yours I Cleaned the grim off around the shaft and now I can see it seeping out. It doesn't even drip yet so I am also trying to make it to winter before I tear the carbs apart again. If it gets much worse I won't be able to wait would hate to have a fire and ruin the bike.

 

took another stab at mine last night, I found two things......

1 I put a small piece of vynle hose from the tank to my fuel filter, with no clamps, I notice when it bent a little bit it would leak. I changed it out for a pice of fuel line with clamps.

2 the float was stuck in my number 2 carb, I think that maybe happend after I took the carbs off, because that carb seemed to be good before.

I have it back together and working, too bad it's raining today. I wanted to drive it to work again today.
:-(

 

ok, it was still leaking for me.......

what I found out, the o-rings were bad, on the tee where the fuel line connects to the carbs. my yamaha dealer never carries parts. so I went to the local hardware shop, and picked up some o-rings. they seem to work.

but now I have another problem........
I have a small oil leak off the bottom of the transmision cover, right where the shift lever connects. I notice it running down the kick stand and pooling on the floor of my garage. it's not much, but enough to make a mess.

 

Careful on the 'hardware' store o-rings, they need to be 'fuel rated' to work over the long haul. I'd check a local auto parts store for replacements before you go much further.

The oil leak would be the shift rod seal. Check with Chacal for a replacement and gasket for the cover.

 

You should be looking for a Viton or Buna-N rated o-ring to use with fuel systems. Check out McMaster Carr's website, they have a good tutorial on rubber types and acceptable exposure limits.

 

I'll have to check to see what ones I got. they were in the automotive department..... but who knows........

they were cheep.... so I'm guessing they were not the right ones.....