Rusted Tank Saga

[Condor]

I was going to post this on another thread, but can't find it and what the 'H' it's time to start another.

 

OK I have the tank off the '99 and it's crudy on the inside. God what a mess!! I did get in the replacement tank and it's very nice... On dumping out the dregs of the OEM tank, I got a bunch of garbage. Also when I pulled the fuel pitcock the filament at the top of the taller 'On' position pipe was missing a big chunk of material. So now I'm thinking if this crud got into the lines hopefully it didn't get past the filter..... But.... if it did, I'll pull the fuel lines, and fuel pump, and flush as much as possible. Now to the point. Is there a drain plug for the 2ndGen carbs and if so, where the heck is it located....and is it easy to get to??? BTW I already have a new replacement pitcock, and a Sender unit on order. The sender was a mess also... This is getting to be a very expensive screw up....

PS: Lesson learned. From now on I will be draining the fuel tank on reserve every year as part of PM. With this new fuel it traps water and the water settles to the bottom of the tank. I know there are products out there to get the water to mix with the gas, but better safe than sorry....again..

Edited July 20, 2013 by Condor

[vzuden]

Is there a drain plug for the 2ndGen carbs and if so, where the heck is it located

 

 

Each carb has a drain. Each pair faces outward and slightly downward. You can see them in the V between the cylinders. If you look slightly upward past the two vaccum ports used when syncing the carbs they are at an angle and are a couple inches past the vaccum ports. On my '07 they are allen head.

 

I could have sworn someone posted a picture of them but I just spent 30 min searching and I musy have dreamt it.

[Condor]

Is there a drain plug for the 2ndGen carbs and if so, where the heck is it located

 

 

Each carb has a drain. Each pair faces outward and slightly downward. You can see them in the V between the cylinders. If you look slightly upward past the two vaccum ports used when syncing the carbs they are at an angle and are a couple inches past the vaccum ports. On my '07 they are allen head.

 

I could have sworn someone posted a picture of them but I just spent 30 min searching and I musy have dreamt it.

 

Thanks. I tried to locate them off the parts sams but there's so much going on I couldn't find them. And Y lables the parts as 'screw', not drain screw. The allen will help in locating them.

And.... I just looked at the pic again and it does say plug drain. My bad...old age I guess... ??

Edited July 21, 2013 by Condor

[steamer]

And thats why i run on reeserve all the time now.

[Condor]

And thats why i run on reserve all the time now.

 

 

You can still get water to collect in the bottom, even on reserve. That filament that fits on the top of the valve pipes is there to not only keep the crud out but water too. If it is broken, as in my case, everything gets into the fuel system. Not a good thing. The only way to keep water out of the system is to add some sort of de-icer. It allows the water to mix with the gas, and burn in the engine. I'm not sure how Sea-Foam does with water?? I do know that it works great cleaning out the varnish. I'll have to read up on the water part... I do know one thing. The cr*p I found in the bottom of the oem tank didn't all come from one partial tank of gas... and I'll be running a de-icer from now on. I do not want to go thru this ever again...!!

OK I just looked and found this on the Sea Foam site.

 

Moisture: Fuel can absorb moisture from the atmosphere and from condensation – even more so with the addition of ethanol. Sea Foam fully emulsifies the water in the fuel. Allowing the moisture to burn through the engine and be harmless

Edited July 21, 2013 by Condor

[steamer]

Not true about the filament keeping water out of the system. I drained about a liter of water off the bottom of the tank through the reserve. Where did all that water come from you may ask? From not shifting to reserve every couple of tanks, even when you don't need to. This crap they call gas these days with the ethanol in it, brakes down over a short period of time. So if you don't use the reserve, the bottom of the tank will fill up with water and what ever other crap they put in gas these days. Not to mention the occasional bad gas station in ground tank. So don't find out the way I did. on the road and running low on gas, shifted to reserve and almost killed the engine. Good thing there was a gas station only a mile down the road.

[Condor]

Not true about the filament keeping water out of the system. I drained about a liter of water off the bottom of the tank through the reserve. Where did all that water come from you may ask? From not shifting to reserve every couple of tanks, even when you don't need to. This crap they call gas these days with the ethanol in it, brakes down over a short period of time. So if you don't use the reserve, the bottom of the tank will fill up with water and what ever other crap they put in gas these days. Not to mention the occasional bad gas station in ground tank. So don't find out the way I did. on the road and running low on gas, shifted to reserve and almost killed the engine. Good thing there was a gas station only a mile down the road.

 

I see you have a '99 too. When's the last time you pulled out the pitcock and looked at it? Especially when you've had the bottom of the tank full of grunge and a liter of water.. That filament that fits over the intakes of both the 'on' tube and the 'reserve' does block water from getting down stream. They also break very easily. According to you the water should have been entering your fuel lines. Maybe being stopped by the inline filter?? Just for the heck of it I took my old disassembled pitcock and poured water into the reserve hole of the body. Nothing leaked out of the screen. They do make screens that will allow gas, but not water, to pass through. It doesn't make sense that they wouldn't use it for the pitcock screen material. BTW yes I know where the water comes from.... used Coors beer....

[dacheedah]

just take the screen off and put a water fuel separator in.

[steamer]

No I didn't pull the petcock. Guess I should. I plan on draining the tank once a year from now on. I will check it next time. Thanks.