I've got 35,000 on my 01 RK, FLHR, Rienhart pipes, K&N air cleaner, jetted carb. While traveling in Canada last summer, I was pulling a pretty good grade, two up, loaded, and gas began 'pouring' out of the carb. I thought the float was stuck. A little road side service, and I was back on the road. When I got back home, I replaced the fuel valve, adjusted the float and thought I was set. I noticed a slight gas leak, from the air cleaner, after a ride with my sons, in which we were 'riding hard'. Again, I checked the float adjustment. Then, I was riding two up, loaded, up a grade near home, and again gas began 'pouring' out of the carb. Right out the front, into the air cleaner, like the float was stuck. I'm thinking the fix is a new carb. Any suggestions?

 

Good posibility that even though you tried different remedies that your trouble could be a vented gas cap not venting or some crud in the tank causing the needle to unseat .

 

If thats the case, why does the problem only present itself when I'm pulling a grade, two up?

 

Good question, wish I had an answer, maybe more heat from harder work and not venting causes pressure to push gas out??? It's difficult to tell people what their problems are over the internet without testing certain things, but yours is going to take some patients and testing to isolate it. It's a process of elimination

As stated before, this kind of problem could be caused by crud in the tank , venting, float level ( you adjusted it) faulty needle or seat, ( think you replaced it) just have to be patient and test things, try switching a gas cap with a friend with the same bike and see if this changes anything or if his bike starts to leak gas.

You made mention "again gas began 'pouring' out of the carb. Right out the front, into the air cleaner"
That almost sounds like reversion , which is caused by the exhaust pulses reverberating back up the pipe, did you install the exhaust shortly before this problem started?? Or change/ remove the baffles.
Also were you low on RPM's when this happened (ie lugging it a bit) or were you downshifting to keep the rpm's up and to what rpm ?

 

The first time I had different pipes on. I changed pipes and the problem was still there. I down shifted, r's around 3,300. I think your right, process of elemination. I thinks it's time to tear it down, check all the parts, ie. float, needle, float motion and setting, diaphragm, etc. Or, is it time for a new carb? Not sure if the the gas was actually pouring out the front. There was gas dripping from the air cleaner cover.

 

..........There was gas dripping from the air cleaner cover.

I'm still leaning towards reversion ( 2 up and uphill grind with R's at 3300) and a new carb will do nothing here for that. It's gonna be a tough one to beat. Possible your first experience was a problem with the float, you took care of that, then you changed exhaust and now have a problem that looks the same but it is being caused by something else(reversion) Just a thought!