SuzukiSavage.com - Fuel problem after sitting and at highway speed

JakeB

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Fuel problem after sitting and at highway speed
12/22/07 at 18:46:11

Hi all,

In July I started having a fuel problem with my savage. If it sat for about a week or so without being started the fuel in the external filter would drain out (no drips on floor and no fuel in crankcase) and the bike wouldn't start unless I pulled the gas cap and pressurized the tank to force fuel into the carb. I have a manual converted petthingy and it was in the "off" position while sitting.

Then while riding at about 60-65 mph on a flat road with air temp between 75-80F the bike began to sputter like it was running out of fuel so I switched to reserve but the bike still stalled. While on the side of the road I noticed that there was no fuel in the fuel filter so I took off the gas cap and pressurized the tank forcing fuel into the carb and it was fine till I got home.

Is this a problem with my gas cap not allowing air into the tank or my petthingy leaking air into the fuel line while in "off" position? I noticed the similar "Bizzar" thread but I don't believe it's the same problem because it was not cold at the time and I have a manual petthingy.

Thanks,
JakeB

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gj859 Full Member Alliance Member Offline I love YaBB 1G - SP1! Posts: 158 winchester ky Gender:	Re: Fuel problem after sitting and at highway spee Reply #1 - 12/22/07 at 18:51:26 I'm new to Jake, but did you hear a sucking sound when you removed the gas cap?
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JakeB Junior Member Offline I love YaBB 1G - SP1! Posts: 76 NE Ohio Gender:	Re: Fuel problem after sitting and at highway spee Reply #2 - 12/22/07 at 19:04:44 Nope, no sucking noises when I pulled the gas cap. When I fill the tank and staraighten the bike up I can hear the gas pushing air out through the cap, so it seems like the cap would allow air to replace fuel as it is being used. Unless there is something in the cap acting as a reed valve. Thanks, Jake B
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Reelthing Serious Thumper Alliance Member Offline Fish or ride that is the question Posts: 5397 Houston,Tx Gender:	Re: Fuel problem after sitting and at highway spee Reply #3 - 12/22/07 at 19:11:02 have you had a look at the float? most often they stick open - but that's the only valve left if you manual mod on the petc0ck
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JakeB Junior Member Offline I love YaBB 1G - SP1! Posts: 76 NE Ohio Gender:	Re: Fuel problem after sitting and at highway spee Reply #4 - 12/22/07 at 19:18:18 No, I haven't looked at the float yet. That would make sense for the problem at highway speed, but not sure how it would cause the problem while sitting. Thanks, JakeB
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Reelthing Serious Thumper Alliance Member Offline Fish or ride that is the question Posts: 5397 Houston,Tx Gender:	Re: Fuel problem after sitting and at highway spee Reply #5 - 12/22/07 at 19:24:07 might be stickin hard closed - could just whack the bowl a couple times with it does this and see if it fills up
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JakeB Junior Member Offline I love YaBB 1G - SP1! Posts: 76 NE Ohio Gender:	Re: Fuel problem after sitting and at highway spee Reply #6 - 12/22/07 at 19:30:51 I'll try that tomorrow, hopefully it helps. I put a cheap fuel filter from Autozone on it around the same time the problem started. Do you think the filter could have a leak small enough to leak air but not gas? Thanks, Jake
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Reelthing Serious Thumper Alliance Member Offline Fish or ride that is the question Posts: 5397 Houston,Tx Gender:	Re: Fuel problem after sitting and at highway spee Reply #7 - 12/22/07 at 19:37:30 should flow gas anyway - if that tank is full there's enough presure to pour out pretty strong - unless the petc0ck is acting strange
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gj859 Full Member Alliance Member Offline I love YaBB 1G - SP1! Posts: 158 winchester ky Gender:	Re: Fuel problem after sitting and at highway spee Reply #8 - 12/22/07 at 19:38:12 Please don't think I'm trying to be a smartalec but maybe you should take the fuel filter out of the system and see if that helps.
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Reelthing Serious Thumper Alliance Member Offline Fish or ride that is the question Posts: 5397 Houston,Tx Gender:	Re: Fuel problem after sitting and at highway spee Reply #9 - 12/22/07 at 19:38:57 your gas line just goes pretty much straight down right?
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JakeB

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Re: Fuel problem after sitting and at highway spee
Reply #10 - 12/22/07 at 19:48:39

Yes, the gas line goes pretty much straight down. Also there was a fuel filter on it before and never had any trouble with it. I could try putting the old filter back on pretty easily. If I have some fuel line laying around I will try completely removing the filter. Thanks for all the ideas so far. Hopefully it will be warm enough tomorrow to go for a ride.

Thanks,
Jake

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Reelthing

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Re: Fuel problem after sitting and at highway spee
Reply #11 - 12/22/07 at 20:00:48

NE Ohio! - some of that frozen stuff around there I would think -

if you have a case where there is no gas in the filter (assume it's glass?) and the petc0ck is on - if you take the line off the carb does
gas start to run out of the line? - if so it's a stuck float or needle - if not it's futher up the path

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T Mack 1 - FSO

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Re: Fuel problem after sitting and at highway spee
Reply #12 - 12/22/07 at 20:02:03

Replace the filter.

Had this problem on my sons Rupp mini-bike, which is also a gravity flow system. The filter gets just enough fine dirt in it that it causes a restriction. Then it doesn't let the air that is in the line go either back to the tank or in to the carb. THat's why you had to pressurize the tank. I'm not 100% sure, but it might be call "air locked".

Note: changing the filter is cheap. Do the cheap things first!!!

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Engineers design things, Technicians make them work.
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JakeB

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Re: Fuel problem after sitting and at highway spee
Reply #13 - 12/22/07 at 20:15:44

Reelthing,
It was actually in the 40s today and hasn't snowed for a week so the weather isn't too horrible for riding. I think your right about the stuck float and I will confirm that tomorrow.

T Mack,
Had the same thought but the filter was only on there for a month at most before I started having the problem. If the float isn't stuck I will try running the old filter and no filter and if that fixes it I will replace the filter.

Thanks,
JakeB

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bill67 Serious Thumper Offline old tired Posts: 8517 genoa city wisconsin Gender:	Re: Fuel problem after sitting and at highway spee Reply #14 - 12/22/07 at 20:43:58 Take off the filter and put it back the way suzuki made it and your problems will be over.
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