Did I boil my fuel?

blumpkin · Jul 24, 2011

:?: Hey guys,
Sorry for for sounding so ignorant but... I was riding in some pretty hot weather (106 degrees) and after a long hill climb I smelled fuel. I looked down and saw fuel pouring down the front of my bike. I would guess it was coming from the fuel tank breather hose and running down the inside of the frame. I looked for any leaky fuel injection fittings, holes in the tank, anything obvious. Nothing. The fuel stopped pouring out shortly after I stopped, but it happened again later in the day under similar conditions. I lost quite a bit of fuel, and it is a bit troubling. I have a 70 degree aux tank, the bike is a 2010 FE450, the header pipe is ceramic coated front to back,& my tank has the heat shield applied...
Thanks,
Blumpkin

DaleEO · Jul 24, 2011

Did you remove the ball check valve in the stock tank cap per the instructions?

If you did not, the main gas tank is getting hot and forcing the fuel into the sub tank and out the vent.

Remove the stock cap and undo the three screws on the inside of the cap and take out the little plastic ball, and re assemble.

blumpkin · Jul 25, 2011

No, I didn't remove the check ball from inside the fuel cap. I sure hope it's as simple as that!

Thanks Dale!

Blumpkin

Bergenstein · Aug 5, 2011

Gas boils at a higher temp if it is pressurized that is why that ball is there meaning you will ride longer before the boiling gas. I would like to read the post on why to remove the ball in the cap. I may be wrong but I was under the impression that that is why it was there.

blumpkin · Aug 6, 2011

Bergenstein said:
Gas boils at a higher temp if it is pressurized that is why that ball is there meaning you will ride longer before the boiling gas. I would like to read the post on why to remove the ball in the cap. I may be wrong but I was under the impression that that is why it was there.

I would agree. Most liquids will need to reach a higher temp to boil when under pressure. However, I think that in this case, the check ball is removed to vent the excess pressure and avoid the situation that I had. The fuel was pressurized and forced back into the subframe tank, and out the subframe vent tube, I think if there had been a path for the vapors to vent, (out the fill cap) it might not have been so bad. I'm not saying the fuel wouldn't have boiled, I just suggesting that it might not have lost so much out the subframe vent.

But I could be wrong... 8O

Blumpkin

berger · Aug 6, 2011

blumpkin said:
Bergenstein said:

Gas boils at a higher temp if it is pressurized that is why that ball is there meaning you will ride longer before the boiling gas. I would like to read the post on why to remove the ball in the cap. I may be wrong but I was under the impression that that is why it was there.

Click to expand...

I would agree. Most liquids will need to reach a higher temp to boil when under pressure. However, I think that in this case, the check ball is removed to vent the excess pressure and avoid the situation that I had. The fuel was pressurized and forced back into the subframe tank, and out the subframe vent tube, I think if there had been a path for the vapors to vent, (out the fill cap) it might not have been so bad. I'm not saying the fuel wouldn't have boiled, I just suggesting that it might not have lost so much out the subframe vent.

But I could be wrong... 8O

Blumpkin

Both true. I'm of the opinion that if you are not running a subframe tank, leave the check ball in the cap.

LadyBerg · Aug 6, 2011

Both true. I'm of the opinion that if you are not running a subframe tank, leave the check ball in the cap.

I agree with that! My fuel "percolates" regularily but now I'm used to it. I did remove the check valve in the fuel line and that calmed things down and eliminated the explosion of gas when the cap is removed when hot.

DaleEO · Aug 6, 2011

I am of the opinion that there should not be a check valve of any kind in the vent line............

I run my vent line all the way down to the skid plate.

I don't want any pressure building up in the tank at all and I want it to vent properly on vacuum. I have seen numerous instances of those check valves getting clogged and causing vacuum lock.

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Did I boil my fuel?

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