QuestionFalcon,my buddy has a 77 kawasaki kz650 he changed a float in 1 carb then ran some 100 octain gas road for 50-60 miles the carbs are so gummed up that you can hardly open the throttle.
he also put stuff in the gas tank to take care of some rust he said it was for gas tanks.now the gummy stuff is green in color like lock tight but he said it felt like rubber cement.bad fuel?
thanks for any help.
Nitro
AnswerHi Nitro.
Fuel doesn't just turn to varnish overnight like that, so my initial thought is that the fuel ate away the green stuff he put in the tank and reacted badly to it. If the fuel had been bad, other than water in the fuel, then you would have noticed when it went into the tank
Perhaps the additive that he put in was formulated to work with automotive fuel rather than avgas (100+ octane fuel).
If your friend wanted to get rid of rust in the tank, then he should have just resealed the tank. It only takes a 24 hours to cure and dry and it is totally resistant to fuel when it's completely dry.
Fact is, that motorcycles, while able to run avgas, shouldn't be using it unless they are specifically designed to run the higher octane fuel. It can damage an engine from the higher combustion rate and the hotter running from the higher combustability of the fuel. It can damage valves, seals and pistons that are not designed specifically for racing bikes (not replica racebikes like the newer Ninja's, GSXR's, CBR's, etc.).
Your friend is definitely going to have to clean the carbs again. He should stay away from avgas for the sake of the engine. He should also clean and reseal the tank. Resealing will also secure the remains of the green stuff and rust away from all future refuels.
Good luck.
FALCON
