"Reserve" tank clogged

[chag67]

I ran out of gas this weekend on I65 northbound (in Alabama mile marker 204). The petcock valve was in the normal position. When I had run out of gas, I had moved the petcock valve to the reserve position and it still wouldn't start. Even after many attempts to crank. So I assumed I was completely out of gas.

 

Luckily a nice couple stopped and took me to the next exit for gas (only 1 mile down the interstate). I put .25 gallons in a small Gatorade bottle and headed back to the bike.

 

When I drive to the gas station and filled up, I fully expected to reach approx 5.3 gallons. To my surprise, it only took 4.3 gallons.

 

I'm thinking the fuel line from the reserve switch is gummed up or clogged and I was out of gas. I just had no way of getting to the gas in the bottom of the tank.

 

Thoughts?

[Hucklecatt]

Since you will need to pull the petcock anyways, throw it away and purchase a sturdy and rebuildable Pingel. It is one of the best modifications I made on my Star and I highly recommend it.

[chag67]

How difficult is that modification to replace the petcock valve?

Do I have to take the gas tank off?

I'm not mechanically inclined at all so if it involves any special tools or stands, I'll have to pay someone to do it.

[Guest tx2sturgis]

Just checking: Reserve is accessed with the longer part of the knob pointing up.

 

[friesman]

Don't ask.....

 

 

Brian

[Condor]

I ran out of gas this weekend on I65 northbound (in Alabama mile marker 204). The petcock valve was in the normal position. When I had run out of gas, I had moved the petcock valve to the reserve position and it still wouldn't start. Even after many attempts to crank. So I assumed I was completely out of gas.

 

Luckily a nice couple stopped and took me to the next exit for gas (only 1 mile down the interstate). I put .25 gallons in a small Gatorade bottle and headed back to the bike.

 

When I drive to the gas station and filled up, I fully expected to reach approx 5.3 gallons. To my surprise, it only took 4.3 gallons.

 

I'm thinking the fuel line from the reserve switch is gummed up or clogged and I was out of gas. I just had no way of getting to the gas in the bottom of the tank.

 

Thoughts?

 

If you haven't used reserve lately you probably have varnish plugging up the screen of the reserve which feeds off the bottom of the tank. It can get really nasty on the tank bottom if you haven't used Sea Foam and rode regularly...

 

Since you will need to pull the petcock anyways, throw it away and purchase a sturdy and rebuildable Pingel. It is one of the best modifications I made on my Star and I highly recommend it.

 

The Venture petcocks are also rebuilable for very little money.

 

How difficult is that modification to replace the petcock valve?

Do I have to take the gas tank off?

I'm not mechanically inclined at all so if it involves any special tools or stands, I'll have to pay someone to do it.

 

The petcock is easy to remove and clean....or rebuild if neccessary. Yes you will need to remove the tank. Also not a big deal unless it's full of gas. It can get heavy....

[chag67]

Yes. I made sure of that before starting to walk.

Honda Yamaha shop is checking it out tomorrow for free. They think they might have pinch the reserve fuel line when servicing it last week.

If it's not their fault, they said they would fix it for me while they have the tank off.

I'll know for sure tomorrow by lunch.

[Condor]

Yes. I made sure of that before starting to walk.

Honda Yamaha shop is checking it out tomorrow for free. They think they might have pinch the reserve fuel line when servicing it last week.

If it's not their fault, they said they would fix it for me while they have the tank off.

I'll know for sure tomorrow by lunch.

 

There is no reserve line to pinch. It all goes thru one line to the filter. Since it ran OK and then quit when you switched to reserve, go to my first post.... Be careful they don't start feeding you something that isn't so and charging you for it.

[chag67]

Thanks for all the advice. I'm assuming it is nasty on the bottom and the screen is clogged. The petcock may need rebuilding or replacing. I have to wait while they look at it so I'm gonna watch to see what it is exactly.

[M61A1MECH]

Just to be crystal clear here, there is no reserve tank, there is no line that can be pinched that would cause the reserve fuel to be unavailable. On the fuel petcock there are two pickup points, the in reserve position fuel enters in at a point that is lower in the tank than when it is in the on position. Both on and reserve pickup points have filter screens. It is possible for the reserve screen or passage to be blocked with debris or varnish, it is also possible and has been reported to have happened recently for the pick up screen on the on position to come loose and fall off in the tank. If this happens the on pick up point is below the reserve pickup point, so there is not fuel available to flow into the reserve pick up point.

 

How much fuel the tank holds is different from what the stated volume of the tank is, there is a sizable air space in the tank to allow for expansion of the fuel when needed.

 

So having said that, I agree that 4.3 gallons is less than I would expect it would take to fill the tank if it were below the reserve pick up point. That is about how much I normally put in if I have switched to reserve before stopping for fuel.

 

Make sure you understand what they do to correct the issue, so you can have some confidence that you are not getting smoke blown up you anal orifice. If they say they had to replace a part, ask to see the old part.

 

Good luck and keep us posted, inquiring minds want know.

[Snaggletooth]

Just to be crystal clear here, there is no reserve tank, there is no line that can be pinched that would cause the reserve fuel to be unavailable. On the fuel petcock there are two pickup points, the in reserve position fuel enters in at a point that is lower in the tank than when it is in the on position. Both on and reserve pickup points have filter screens. It is possible for the reserve screen or passage to be blocked with debris or varnish, it is also possible and has been reported to have happened recently for the pick up screen on the on position to come loose and fall off in the tank. If this happens the on pick up point is below the reserve pickup point, so there is not fuel available to flow into the reserve pick up point.

 

How much fuel the tank holds is different from what the stated volume of the tank is, there is a sizable air space in the tank to allow for expansion of the fuel when needed.

 

So having said that, I agree that 4.3 gallons is less than I would expect it would take to fill the tank if it were below the reserve pick up point. That is about how much I normally put in if I have switched to reserve before stopping for fuel.

 

Make sure you understand what they do to correct the issue, so you can have some confidence that you are not getting smoke blown up you anal orifice. If they say they had to replace a part, ask to see the old part.

 

Good luck and keep us posted, inquiring minds want know.

 

Good advice there. Yep. Pinched line my butt. LOL.

 

From my Droid wherever I may happen to be at any given moment.

[GAWildKat]

Just to be clear from my POV....are we talking 1st gen or 2nd gen? the petcock on Mike's 87 is frozen in the on position and we debated replacing or repairing it when we tear it down.

[Snaggletooth]

His profile shows a 2007 RSV.

 

Trisa. The petcock in my '84 was frozen when i bought the bike in the on position. Got it to move a bit but it started to seep. Kept messing with it until it moved and it finally quit leaking if i got it in exactly the right spot. I ended up leaving it in the Res position all the time. As far as I've found there are no rebuild kits for the OEM petcocks.

 

When the Lower pickup screen failed i found a decent used one at Pinwalls for $9.00.. much cheaper than an OEM replacement.

 

If it is in the ON position and not leaking your probably gonna be fine for a long time. Would be nice to have the extra range with the RES.

 

How many folks shut off the fuel on these bikes all time anyway?

 

From my Droid wherever I may happen to be at any given moment.

Edited October 16, 2013 by Snaggletooth

[Flyinfool]

Fortunately mine is frozen in the RES position, I have no reason to ever try to move it.

[Condor]

Both on and reserve pickup points have filter screens. It is possible for the reserve screen or passage to be blocked with debris or varnish, it is also possible and has been reported to have happened recently for the pick up screen on the on position to come loose and fall off in the tank. If this happens the on pick up point is below the reserve pickup point, so there is not fuel available to flow into the reserve pick up point.

 

Maybe just a little correction on this point for a 2ndGen. Both positions.. 'Reserve' and 'On'... feed off the bottom of the tank. MOF they actually sit below absolute tank bottom as the petcock is mounted to the outside bottom of the tank, and on the sidestand side for a reason. The difference between the two is that the 'on' feed has a 60mmx5mm bronze stand pipe with a 1.5"x .25" tall filter screen mounted to top of the pipe. So it is possible to lose the 'on' screen and still get fairly clean fuel out of the tank. The stuff that does get by should be filtered out by the inline filter prior to the fuel pump. However, if some sort of a fuel conditioner isn't used to keep the varnish soluable and moisture suspended in the fuel, and that fuel run thru the engine on a regular basis, it will gather on the bottom of the tank. So sloshing the fuel around by riding also helps a lot in keeping the bottom of the tank fairly clean. Now to the stand pipe. If there's any way that thing can fall out of the petcock flange I'll kiss you're ...... That thing is swetted into the flange and takes an act of God to remove it...... On the other hand if the screen breaks or falls off the 'reserve' feed you could be in trouble.... However regularly running fuel thru the system still could keep things OK... Unless.... you get a load of fuel that's bad. Then you need all the help you can get....

Sorry for the long response...

[chag67]

Everything was fine and clean. Apparently a gallon of gas gets "trapped" on the right side of the tank.

[chag67]

I'm thinking of connecting the sides using a fuel line and a hole on each side. HD's and GW's have a connection like that so no fuel gets trapped on that side.

[BOO]

I don't know what's going on but I don't believe there is a gallon of gas in those tanks after you run out.

I have put in over 5 gals of gas more than a couple of times without running out.

I don't switch mine back and forth, just leave it on reserve like a lot of others.

If yours is leaving a gallon I would be looking for gas at 150 miles on the tank.

BOO

[Condor]

I'm thinking of connecting the sides using a fuel line and a hole on each side. HD's and GW's have a connection like that so no fuel gets trapped on that side.

 

 

The way the tank sits with the slightly elevated front, and the small side difference at the rear, the best you might gain is access to a cup of fuel before putting it on the side stand. Not worth the effort.

[chag67]

When I full up is when the light comes on. I have done this since I've owned the bike (about 5 months). Every time I fill up it is right at 4.3 gallons.

 

I'm gonna leave the petcock turned to reserve and drive until I run out of gas (with a gallon in a gas can in the trunk of course). Then fill up and see how much goes in the tank (+ the 1 gallon I'll add when I run out).

 

Something just isn't making sense through all this.