I'm trying to get my F4 cleaned up and ready for the road again. I pulled the air cleaner box and had to disconnect the 4 vacuum lines from the carbs to the air box. A while later I noticed some coolant coming out of one of the vacuum tubes. It's only coming out of the hose from one of the end carbs when the hose end is low and it's not coming out with any pressure behind it. All I have to do is raise the hose and it stops coming out.

Is this normal on carburetor vacuum tubes or is it a sign of a problem?


Thanks for any insights and apologies if this is a stupid question.

Dave

 

Im not sure on the F4, but on an R6 that I had, there were coolant lines that ran through the carbs. The coolant helps keep the carbs cooler in the summer, and keeps them from freezing in cold temperatures. Im sure they are coolant lines and not vaccum lines. Maybe try to find an exploded view of the F4 carb system... that should show what they are.

 

Yes, there are coolant lines to the carbs. I just don't know if it's supposed to run into the vacuum tubes.

These are definitely the lines running up to the air box so it seemed like it was potentially abnormal to have coolant going that direction.

 

So partly I feel like a bit of a newb/idiot, but it all makes sense. The vacuum tubes that run to the airbox are from the intake ports into the engine. The carburetors provide the fuel to the engine by way of the intake ports. I apparently had a stuck float because when I pulled the carbs, the port below the #1 carb (including the little connection to which the tubing is connected) was full of gasoline. I was thrown off thinking it was coolant because I stuck a bit of blue shop towel into the tubing. Since the gasoline is yellowish, the shop towel looked quite green which is why I thought it was coolant.

Anyway, thought I'd provide an explanation of where the vacuum tubes go and why you might see liquid in them.