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General Category >> Rubber Side Down! >> Problem with "reserve" after instal of f
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Message started by Jay on 06/03/08 at 00:32:11

Title: Problem with "reserve" after instal of f
Post by Jay on 06/03/08 at 00:32:11

I chose that subject title due to the fuel filter being the only thing I can think of that I've done differently. I've read every post I could find in here on fuel filters, petc0ck, and "reserve", but can't find anything like what I experienced today
Here's the story to date. After reading several posts on fuel and fuel filters (Oldfeller's comes to mind, amoung others), and finding it impossible to get anything other than 10% ethanol laced gas in DFW, I installed one of the acorn shaped pleated paper fuel filters in line. I know someone is probably going to ask what kind, and I'm sorry, I'm at work right now and don't have the info in front of me. It was jsut a run-of-the-mill, clear plastic, acorn shaped, pleated paper filter, that I got at Pep Boys. Simple mod, easily done, have run through 3-4 tanks of gas, no problems. What I haven't done since the filter install was switch to reserve (which in past has always worked fine). No other mods. 87 octane. 2oz Seafoam every third tank. 2008 S40 with 1100 miles.
Today, I'm running on I20 towards Arlington, doing about 65-70mph, in the second lane, butting a head wind. Traffic's doing about 70-75mph. I start to feel the tell-tale hesitation, along with a visual on my odometer, that tells me that it's been about 100 miles, and it's about time for a fill up. Not wanting to have any surprises, I go ahead and switch to 'reserve". Not even a mile down the road and my bike starts cutting out, backfiring like an LA drive by; and I'm losing speed in a hurry. I've got traffic bearing down on me, so I quickly switch on my hazards, try to manuever to the right hand lane to get onto the shoulder of the freeway (which the cager in the Chevy van to my right took as a personal affront, not wanting to let me in til it became apparant I was going to either go in front of him to the shoulder, or under him), and turn the petc0ck to "prime". It spits and sputters for a second, acts like it's going to catch, then dies. By now I'm on the shoulder of the freeway; only marginally safer than stalling on the freeway. I pull the choke to first position, check the status of my petc0ck to be sure I'm on "prme", and crank the starter til I worry about the battery. Finally it spits, sputters, and roars back to life. OK, at this point I think to myself "Well, I must've waited too long to go to "reserve". I push in the choke, switch back to "reserve", get back on I20, and danged if not 2 miles down the road, it does it again! This time I was already in the right lane, so I quickly dodge to the shoulder, switch to 'prime", pull the choke, and catch it before it completely dies. I'm looking at the fuel filter to see if fuel is getting to the carb. It is, a steady trickle. I notice that as I give it throttle, the trickle increases. I leave it in "prime" and make for the nearest gas station. After the fill up (2.37gal/US), and setting the petc0ck to "on", or whatever the normal setting is called, it runs fine. No problems all the way into work.
My question is, would the addition of the fuel filter effect the ability of the petc0ck to get fuel to the carb while on "reserve"? I wasn't able to observe the fuel filter while the petc0ck was on the "reserve" setting, so I don't know if the throttle action was getting fuel to the carb. It definately acted fuel starved, and functioned normally after fillup on the proper petc0ck setting. It also seemed to function properly on "prime". The only difference here, that I can tell, is the bike's behavior on "reserve". From what little I know of the whole petc0ck thing (which is precious little, just what I've read in the posts made here - good info by the way), there should be no difference in the action of the petc0ck in relation to fuel delivery whether on it's normal setting, or on "reserve". Would the fuel filter have made a restriction that the vacuum in the petc0ck was unable ot overcome on the "reserve" setting? Is that even possible? I hate having an already poor fuel situation, created by the size of the Savage's fuel tank, made worse by not having "reserve" as a back up.
Anyone got an idea about this? Thanks.
Ride safe,
Jay

Title: Re: Problem with "reserve" after instal of fuel fi
Post by Jay on 06/03/08 at 00:41:26

OK, after posting this, and re-reading that whole long, sad story, making sure it made sense; I caught something I hadn't before. I've run thru 3-4 tanks of gas w/o going to "reserve". :) I was just siphoning fresh gas off the top, and had really crap gas at the bottom of the tank, didn't I? That was it wasn't it? It's OK, I can take it. I'm a dingbat, huh? :P
If it was something else, I (and my he-man ego) really want to know. If it was the crap fuel thing (K.I.S.S.), then me and my red face will go and quietly stand in the corner til recess. :-[
Thanks guys.
Ride safe,
Jay

Title: Re: Problem with "reserve" after instal of f
Post by mpescatori on 06/03/08 at 02:50:15

Relax... 8-)

OK, so you may have pulled some crud from the bottom... so what ?

It could also be that the filter will be happy about Seafoam...

It could be that the filter is itsy-bitsy, and a larger filter would have managed more smoothly.

I've had filter on all my bikes, and I've always made it a point to use automobile filters for at least three twice the engine size or the power rating of my bike. Why? Because if it can filter gas at those ratings efficiently, it'll do so on my bike just as well, witouut ever getting too close to its flow limit.

So, may I suggest you go as follows:
- empty fuel tank in large canister, possibly by dripping it through the paper filter you have;
- remove petc0ck and clean it;
- remove tank and flush it;
- reinstall everything with a large (ugly but efficient) car-type fuel filter (1600cc, 80hp is a good reference);
- gas up and drive away !!!

Else, there's the Lucas-type fuel filter with the beautiful glass bowl... ;)

Title: Re: Problem with "reserve" after instal of f
Post by Oldfeller on 06/03/08 at 03:21:46

Jay,

I had symptoms similar to yours with reserve at one point in time. When I pulled the petcock it was plugged up with varnish (screen was blocked) down in the reserve area. A previous owner had let a tank of gas evaporate in the tank at one point in time, letting varnish build up on the screen.

I blew the stuff away with a hard spray of carb cleaner and emptied & cleaned the tank by swishing some carb cleaner around inside it (take care of your paint when doing this, carb cleaner isn't good for paint).

End result was a bike that ran "properly" on reserve -- it would still be bitchy to restart if you let it run totally dry, but if you caught it at the first sputter stage you could switch to reserve and it would pick on back up.

Pull your petcock and take a close look at the screen. When you empty the tank, look at the remaining fuel for water content. You got strange going on, that's for sure.

Title: Re: Problem with "reserve" after instal of f
Post by Jay on 06/03/08 at 03:30:12

Thanks mpescatori & Oldfeller.
I'd hoped, at only 1100 miles on a new bike, that it wouldn't involve taking off the tank and petc0ck, but I was going to do the carb mod this weekend anyway. Oh well, no yard work for me! :) "Sorry Hon. Gotta fix the bike." ;)
Thanks guys.
Ride safe,
Jay

Title: Re: Problem with "reserve" after instal of f
Post by verslagen1 on 06/03/08 at 11:31:29

With a fill up of 2.37, you probably were already on reserve when it coughed the 1st time. Check the barely legible labels again. Those that lean to the left will get a little more mileage then those that lean to the right.

Title: Re: Problem with "reserve" after instal of f
Post by Jay on 06/03/08 at 18:41:57

verslagen1,
I thought the same thing. I must've had the petc0ck skeewed to the reserve side all along. I was lucky to make it to the gas station. Close call on the freway. I'm AR ''bout checking the petc0ck position now. Thanks.
Ride safe,
Jay