Strange fuel(?) problem suddenly...
Cruiser
Joined: Aug 2015
Posts: 108
Likes: 18
From: BC, Canada
Don't see bad gas, but I have fueled up while a fuel truck was filling the station. Won't do that again. Stirred up the water in the storage tanks and I got a dose of water in my tank as I filled up. I had an old glass inline filter on the bike then, and spotted it right away after it sputtered to a stop on leaving the station. PIA. But a good lesson.
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Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 3,113
Likes: 1,145
From: Directly above the center of the Earth
In my 58 years, I've known only one person who actually had some bad gas, water in the main tank of a station he went to once.
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Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 3,113
Likes: 1,145
From: Directly above the center of the Earth
Okay, I took the bowl off just for ***** and giggles (the carb hadn't been cleaned in a year also, which means the bike either, lol) to check the gasket between the bowl and the rest of the carb too to make sure it wasn't deteriorating for some reason.
It seems that draining and removing and simply wiping the old road dirt and slight oil haze off the bowl did the trick. The ride to get my meds and back went really well and I noticed quite a bit of better acceleration once again, so apparently something must have been building up possibly somewhere in the carb and the jerking around yesterday after forgetting to open the petcock loosened whatever it was up.
I'd been noticing a slight lack of power and it running richer and losing a couple of mpg over the past few months but attributed it to just the plugs and low air in the tires once in a while. This was a good wakeup to check things when I start to feel that happen again.
Forgot to pour the gas back into the bowl before putting it back on the carb and wore my battery down a good deal getting it to fill up again, lol. Thanks everyone for the pointers and suggestions!
It seems that draining and removing and simply wiping the old road dirt and slight oil haze off the bowl did the trick. The ride to get my meds and back went really well and I noticed quite a bit of better acceleration once again, so apparently something must have been building up possibly somewhere in the carb and the jerking around yesterday after forgetting to open the petcock loosened whatever it was up.
I'd been noticing a slight lack of power and it running richer and losing a couple of mpg over the past few months but attributed it to just the plugs and low air in the tires once in a while. This was a good wakeup to check things when I start to feel that happen again.
Forgot to pour the gas back into the bowl before putting it back on the carb and wore my battery down a good deal getting it to fill up again, lol. Thanks everyone for the pointers and suggestions!
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 15,705
Likes: 22,718
From: Farmington ,MS
If you buy premium at a station with little traffic no telling how old it is...even stations with a lot of traffic don't sell much premium...
Dirt don't hurt
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 21,065
Likes: 4,561
From: Haslet Texas
Okay, I took the bowl off just for ***** and giggles (the carb hadn't been cleaned in a year also, which means the bike either, lol) to check the gasket between the bowl and the rest of the carb too to make sure it wasn't deteriorating for some reason.
It seems that draining and removing and simply wiping the old road dirt and slight oil haze off the bowl did the trick. The ride to get my meds and back went really well and I noticed quite a bit of better acceleration once again, so apparently something must have been building up possibly somewhere in the carb and the jerking around yesterday after forgetting to open the petcock loosened whatever it was up.
I'd been noticing a slight lack of power and it running richer and losing a couple of mpg over the past few months but attributed it to just the plugs and low air in the tires once in a while. This was a good wakeup to check things when I start to feel that happen again.
Forgot to pour the gas back into the bowl before putting it back on the carb and wore my battery down a good deal getting it to fill up again, lol. Thanks everyone for the pointers and suggestions!
It seems that draining and removing and simply wiping the old road dirt and slight oil haze off the bowl did the trick. The ride to get my meds and back went really well and I noticed quite a bit of better acceleration once again, so apparently something must have been building up possibly somewhere in the carb and the jerking around yesterday after forgetting to open the petcock loosened whatever it was up.
I'd been noticing a slight lack of power and it running richer and losing a couple of mpg over the past few months but attributed it to just the plugs and low air in the tires once in a while. This was a good wakeup to check things when I start to feel that happen again.
Forgot to pour the gas back into the bowl before putting it back on the carb and wore my battery down a good deal getting it to fill up again, lol. Thanks everyone for the pointers and suggestions!
I'd change that as soon as possible.
As for just wiping out the bowl I'd highly suggest getting a can of carb cleaner and shooting some through small passages in the carb because if the bowl had build up in it I bet the passages do too.
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Club Member
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 15,428
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From: Beyond Fucital
My bowl problem was different. The hose between the petcock and carb was starting to degrade internally so I didn't see it.(until it cracked)
I didn't use to shut the petcock (not vacuum operated) and the float got stuck and the bowl over flowed from a small piece of hose holding the needle open.
I no longer leave the petcock open.
I didn't use to shut the petcock (not vacuum operated) and the float got stuck and the bowl over flowed from a small piece of hose holding the needle open.
I no longer leave the petcock open.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 21,095
Likes: 7,622
From: Poolville
It's very common for sediment to build up in the bottom of the float bowl over time and all is usually good until you run the bowl dry. Then that sediment gets sucked into the jets creating your problem. Don't know how much Ethanol you have in your fuel where you are but it will eat away at the fuel line, especially older fuel lines that were around before Ethanol fuel...
Last edited by 98hotrodfatboy; Feb 3, 2020 at 05:33 PM.