250-500cc Gas leaking from carb drain tubes

After a few long weeks of fixing some issues with my 99WR250 (purchased this winter):

New chain and sprockets
New silencer
Oil change
New brakes
Changed air filter
Stuck chain adjuster bolts

I finally got it to the point where I can start riding it and figuring out what else may need to be done. Filled it up with gas today (after draining the tank for the work that was being done) and noticed that while I was filling the tank, gas was pouring out of the carb drainage tubes.....the pet cock valve was open at the time. Turned the vavle to closed and the leaking stopped. Rode the bike around for a while and it seems as though the problem has fixed itself. What could have caused this?

stuck needle&seat not uncommon on a bike that has sat it dose like to fix itself why did you not clean the carb

^i don't know how....

ooooh nooooooo don't be skeed carbs arn't hard been tear'em apart cleanin up & putin back since i was 8 39 years ago my 8 year old girl can do it no B.S.

Sorry....just learning about all this stuff. My manual should have instructions on this?

You probably had some gunk in the needle/seat and the float was stuck open. Common with carbs that have old fuel sitting in them. Cleaning the carb is EASY, just pull it out and take off the float bowl at the bottom and blow out with compressed air (don't lose anything) and put it back together, Job done.

Probably a good video for you to watch (majority of carbs are the same)

View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbfMEYG8NvM



It's dead easy really... carb cleaner if you don't have an air compressor, mattress air pump, compress air in a can...

The ethanol in the fuel these days is making this a far far more common issue. If the bike sits for more than a full week I suggest draining the carb, running it dry and still hoping for the best. Really the best thing is to set a reminder or something and fire it up religously once a week for a few minutes.

I also had mine stick due to a grain of sand. But same procedure to fix. If it happens on the trail ever, you can knock on the side of the carb to see if it frees up the blockage too. Just don't whack it too hard. The dust gets so fine here that it got pulled into my gas tank via the vent tube. I drained my tank, strained the gas through a coffee filter and sure enough a good accumulation of dirt in the filter. Put an in line fuel filter on between petcock and and carb. Problem solved.