502z wrote on 08/05/08 at 09:29:48:I have a 2000 savage with 7500 miles. I bought it about two months ago. The bike has been taken care of and is in excellent condition. I have the a/f mixture screw set at 1 1/2 turns out and live at 7000 feet. The bike runs great until I hit 65 miles per hour. I ride about 10 miles one way on the interstate to work. Without fail the bike runs dry on fuel when using the vacuum setting on the pet thingy. I posted my problem and was told it was the vacuum line. I replaced it and used hose clamps at both ends. The problem persists. The bike runs without fail on the gravity feed setting and has never run dry. After reading a lot of posts this seems to be a fatal flaw for several other Savage riders. What is the fix??? I don't mind the gravity flow but that eliminates the reserve and I have run out of fuel twice. Now that I know what mileage I get I know when it's time to fill er up. It just bugs me that the bike won't run the way it should on primary....what is the fix???
When you say gravity flow, do you mean Prime ("PRI")? The reason I ask, the whole fuel delivery is gravity flow, just in "RES" and "ON" is it switched by a vacuum actuated plunger/diaphragm.
If it runs in prime (PRI), the next test is to see if it runs in "RES" to test to see if you have a varnish build up on the screen in the tank. Both "RES" and "PRI" have same fuel port in the tank. If it doesn't run in "RES" but does in "PRI", then you still have an issue with the vacuum actuated fuel switch. If it runs in "RES" then you most likely have a varnish build up on the screen reducing fuel flow in "ON" and will need to run a fuel system cleaner thru the tank. Seafoam or STP or the likes. It should say that it cleans varnish build up.
NOTE: I have a 2001 w/14K miles, and have no issues going 70 mph. I use STP fuel system cleaner (white bottle), 1.5 oz in a full tank maybe once a month.