small gas leak
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Tourer
Joined: Feb 2012
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From: ohio
small gas leak
So I'm hoping this is just my own stupid mistake. On every other bike I've always turned the petcock to off everytime I shut the bike off. After reading some posts on here of people saying they never turn them off I've started in the last week leaving mine on if I'm just stopping for a bit or planning on riding later in the day. Well this morning I rolled into the garage at 7:15 am (I work 3rd shift) and parked leaving the fuel on planning on taking the wife to breakfast a couple hours later. I ended up going to sleep and not getting up till the evening then did some work around the house. At 10:30 pm I go out to the garage and smell fuel. I'm pissed because I just replaced a fuel line on the 75 vette that was dryrotted and leaked. My buddies little phillipino wife actually had to be talked thru it because it was where the line was coming out of the fuel pump and none of our hands would fit down there and I was trying to drive it back from CO the next morning. Anyway I thought it had popped loose. Well as I get up to the bike I realize my petcock was still on and sure enough there was maybe half a cup of fuel puddled on the ground under it. I have a 96 Heritage Classic that I just picked up maybe 3 weeks ago. It's got an S&S carb and runs like a champ. Is this just a smack on the head and turn your fuel off dummy or is their another problem? The bike fired right up and rode to work just fine.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2010
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From: Coromandel Peninsula New Zealand
You don't have the vacuum fuel tap that prevents this issue then?
Make sure you tunr it off and if it never happens again its all good mate ;-)
If it does then your carby float level will need setting and its innards cleaned...no biggie.
Make sure you tunr it off and if it never happens again its all good mate ;-)
If it does then your carby float level will need setting and its innards cleaned...no biggie.
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Tourer
Joined: Feb 2012
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From: ohio
By the way Spanners39 I was in Australia (I know not New Zealand but close) for some training when in the military. I stopped into a Harley dealership and holy cow do you guys get hosed on pricing. People in the US bitch about price but I remember thinking that it was nuts down there. I know your guys minimum wages and what not are higher down there but it was definately sticker shock.
Road Master
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 1,123
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From: NJ
If you leave the gas on and have a leak then you have a problem. Just be cause it does not leak when off does not solve anything. It should not leak either way, the off feature of the petcock is just insurance.
Ds
Ds
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2010
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From: Coromandel Peninsula New Zealand
By the way Spanners39 I was in Australia (I know not New Zealand but close) for some training when in the military. I stopped into a Harley dealership and holy cow do you guys get hosed on pricing. People in the US bitch about price but I remember thinking that it was nuts down there. I know your guys minimum wages and what not are higher down there but it was definately sticker shock.
Tourer
Joined: Mar 2008
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From: Rockys
I never turn the petcock off and have never had a leak either, as others have said you have another issue with the carb, like the float level.
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Tourer
Joined: Feb 2012
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From: ohio
Well now I'm a bit torn. Since I turned off the petcock I've had no leak between riding, but I don't want to leave something wrong alone if there is something. I'm also waiting on my service manual to come in having never worked on a carb besides adjusting the mixture screw on my sportster. Although I'm not sure that'll help me with the s&s. Also I'm in the middle of a major home remodel so time is tight. All city driving my last tank I only averaged 32 mpg which I wasn't sure if that was low for city riding too.
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From: ohio
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