Keep turning the fuel off when parked

[dan filipi]

This early Sunday morning, quiet in the garage looking the bike over for a ride.
I hear a very faint gurgling from the petcock area which stops when it's turned to OFF.
There may not be any actual 'flow' of gas but just the same, I'll keep turning the fuel off when parked.

 

[joedrum]

always ....

 

[backyardtrouble]

That was one of the very first lessons i got ....but you know it took a leaky carb to get me started doing it when i was a younger rider...

 

[Joep]

I normally don't cut the gas off when parking... but I put clear tygon (sp) fuel lines on.and see air bubbles in the line.. moving up sand down... so I do turn it off now...

 

[Steve83]

Thanks for remimding me!

 

[mcgovern61]

I always turn mine off. Had flooding when parked issues in the past. Plus, learning the tank pressurizes when running and stays that way after running (just pop your gas cap after running or when left in the sun).

 

[dan filipi]

Good point. The pressure is plenty to push gas in.

 

[sgq700]

As i am Not EPA friendly, i drilled my fuel cap(like old cars) so it is now vented!I like my crank case and fuel tank to be vented. Pressure in those 2 area's cannot be good... in my opinion :ahem:

 

[Ansimp]

+1

 

[Ansimp]

You all had me worried. Hadn't run the Rats Nest since Thursday before Easter and I had left it on the side stand with the fuel turned on. I haven't been turning it Off or to Reserve as the fuel tap has taken to leaking out the front and stops when I reposition the tap. Just fired the Rats Nest up first bang with no choke and a little bit of ATF haze, luckily no bypassing fuel past the float needles. :blush: :good:

 

[Steve83]

She's got a good set of carbs on her.

 

[skiri251]

Dan, didn't you have solenoid fuel valve or something which opens only when ignition is on?

I turn off mine too but now with a single carb sitting fairly high up, I wonder if it's absolutely necessary.
Unless I guess mechanical fuel pump leaks. Is that common?

 

[dan filipi]

I havent put the solenoid valve back on yet.

 

[Omega Man]

Thought you were running an electric pump.

 

[dan filipi]

Yes a 1200 electric but it has no solenoid valve to cut flow per se. I haven't checked if gas can flow through it when off.

 

[backlander]

The 1200 pump should not be able to flow in either direction if the check valves on the inlet and outlet side are working properly. A set of points actuates what I call a servo motor which raises and lowers a stem attached to a rubber diaphragm when the points are told to fire. The pump pulls fuel through the inlet check valve into the canister and and then pumps the fuel through the outlet check valve to the carbs.

 

[Ansimp]

If it is the style pump I think it is ( Facet style) then it is basically a mechanical pump using a solenoid ( plunger inside a coil) instead of an arm or pin to work the diaphragm.

 

[Peter]

Gerry

does the tank pressure maybe cause vapor lock? I noticed Sunday that after a ride and after 20-30 minutes off, the bike had trouble turning over.
Is that why you unscrew the cap as you said??
thanks
Peter

 

[backlander]

1200 pump disassembled.

 

[mcgovern61]

Peter » Mon Apr 28, 2014 4:50 pm[/url]":1vc2qxyr]
Gerry

does the tank pressure maybe cause vapor lock? I noticed Sunday that after a ride and after 20-30 minutes off, the bike had trouble turning over.
Is that why you unscrew the cap as you said??
thanks
Peter

No, it is not why I unscrew the cap, you will notice the pressure when you go to fill your gas tank right after riding. Can the engine vapor or hydrolock? Yep. Especially if the carbs are not quire right and any gas whatsoever is leaking past. You sometimes can tell if it is minor vapor lock because right as it starts you hear a single knock or pop which can often be followed by a puff of smoke (although not always).

When you experience trouble turning over after 20-30 minutes, it is often an electrical problem related to bad connections at the battery, starter, solenoid, and stator plug. If the stator connector has not been removed and the wires soldered, the wires heat up and melt the connector preventing the regulator from controlling the voltage correctly. Sometimes it will charge with too low a voltage, other times it will overcharge and cook the battery (which looks like having trouble starting after sitting.)

Sometimes it is because the starter is going bad and it heats up while riding and then sit with all of that latent engine heat.