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I replaced my old mikuni butterfly (stuck) carb with a mikuni VM on my 81 GN400 Suzuki- single cyl. It has run great but what a pain. One day it is leaking gas out of its three hoses, another day from one as soon as I open the gas line up. I've had it off and cleaned it - air and carb cleaner- kept doing it, then I bent the tang so the float would shut off faster. It worked. 3 days later its stalling on acceleration - easy or hard- (not enough gas I guess). The tank is rusty and I think rust is getting into the carb and messing the tips of the needle up when it tries to seat itself. I am going to try another filter in the gas line, and maybe flush out the tank and coat it with something to stop the rust.

Can rust do this or is this mikuni VM carb just a fussy thing to play with? I am just guessing my way through it- not sure that when I'm done it -just may be the same money for another brand of carb- so I am wondering. Anyone have rust problems?

Well I found the problem- the reserve tank filter screen had come off the (new) petcock that I had put in earlier this summer. The rust plugged the line and had been messing with the carb. I shook the screen out of the tank and put it back onto the petcock with a little gasket cement to hold it(?for how long!). It runs great now-- live and learn.