SuzukiSavage.com - Fuel leaked into air compartment over winter

Neil

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Fuel leaked into air compartment over winter
02/14/21 at 12:43:58

Fuel leaked into air cleaner compartment over winter
Be gentle (I barely know Phillips vs std screwdriver).
Parked in my basement for the winter with an almost full tank, raptor petcock ON (so no vacuum line, from what I understand; just a nipple plugging line on carb on opposite side of bike). Smelled gas, and small fuel puddle under air cleaner compartment, and inside it about a cup to 12 oz Sad

Got my tank drained and totally gas-soaked air filter removed. Wiped out what I could from the air compartment, but still smells strong a day later.
1. How do I begin diagnosing what happened that caused the leak as it sat, or is this a no-brainer to you guys with brains for it?
2. Should get a new air filter? Cheap Hiflofiltro HFA3608 ($15) ok? (https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000WJB1GQ?ref=ppx_pt2_mob_b_prod_image
3. Do I need to change oil (someone says might have gas in it now)?

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verslagen1

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Re: Fuel leaked into air compartment over winter
Reply #1 - 02/14/21 at 13:43:41

Neil wrote on 02/14/21 at 12:43:58:

raptor petcock ON

If you left the petcock "on", then there's your problem right there. Turn to "off" during any long spells of inactivity.

Quote:

1. How do I begin diagnosing what happened that caused the leak as it sat, or is this a no-brainer to you guys with brains for it?

turn it off

Quote:

2. Should get a new air filter? Cheap Hiflofiltro HFA3608 ($15) ok?

That's what I use

Quote:

3. Do I need to change oil (someone says might have gas in it now)?

Is your oil higher than before? does it smell of gas? then yes, change it.

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justin_o_guy2 Serious Thumper Offline What happened? Posts: 55279 East Texas, 1/2 dallas/la.	Re: Fuel leaked into air compartment over winter Reply #2 - 02/14/21 at 13:47:38 Oil is cheap Change it
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Neil Junior Member Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 55	Re: Fuel leaked into air compartment over winter Reply #3 - 02/14/21 at 13:48:34 Appreciated. But this wasn't a leak over days. It was sudden. So something failed. Looking for possibilities
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justin_o_guy2 Serious Thumper Offline What happened? Posts: 55279 East Texas, 1/2 dallas/la.	Re: Fuel leaked into air compartment over winter Reply #4 - 02/14/21 at 14:23:39 Put gas in, leave air filter out, open, watch.. Generally it's the float sticking..
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Neil

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Re: Fuel leaked into air compartment over winter
Reply #5 - 02/15/21 at 03:23:08

Thanks Justin. Unsure what the float is or how it works (got a good link for that?) but when I read "stuck," sounds like it was supposed to move from some position to another when I move something, but it didn't. The bike was stationary for weeks, so I was thinking some seal or hose was cracked or loose, and with temperature expansions/contractions, it finally gave out. Does that affect your guess? Should I still try putting in gas and turn petcock to ON? What would I be watching for? A repeat of gas overflowing into the air chamber, or something farther upstream I should disconnect and monitor?

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stewmills

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Re: Fuel leaked into air compartment over winter
Reply #6 - 02/15/21 at 10:27:12

All it takes is for the float needle/valvevto start leaking then it can crack itself wide open...sort of like a small leak in a dam that once it starts flowing it's all over but the crying Huh

Where are you located (city/state)? Sounds like you could use some in-person Savage 101 assistance if you're close to one of our active/knowledgable members.

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Dave

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Re: Fuel leaked into air compartment over winter
Reply #7 - 02/15/21 at 13:33:18

Before I get too concerned about tearing things apart - I would start with some simple things.

Turning the petcock off at the end of each days ride is a must. You can leave it on for short stops - but at the end of the day it should be turned off.

Check the oil level as others have said - if the oil level is overfull it likely has gasoline in it and must be changed.

Put fuel in, turn on the petcock, and tap the carb, and start the bike up. Watch for any fuel leaks. Don't run the bike too long if you are not going to go for a ride - the engine is air cooled and should not be fun stationary for more than a few minutes.

Hopefully the vibration of the running engine will be enough to shake the float loose if it got stuck.

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justin_o_guy2 Serious Thumper Offline What happened? Posts: 55279 East Texas, 1/2 dallas/la.	Re: Fuel leaked into air compartment over winter Reply #8 - 02/15/21 at 15:35:02 the engine is air cooled and should not be fun stationary for more than a few minutes. Mine was only fun stationary when I sat on it in the showroom. GitchyaSummaTHAT, Daaave...
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Neil Junior Member Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 55	Re: Fuel leaked into air compartment over winter Reply #9 - 02/15/21 at 16:46:42 Pittsburgh area
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Dave YaBB Moderator ModSquad Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 17820 Camp Springs, Kentucky Gender:	Re: Fuel leaked into air compartment over winter Reply #10 - 02/16/21 at 03:30:48 justin_o_guy2 wrote on 02/15/21 at 15:35:02: the engine is air cooled and should not be fun stationary for more than a few minutes. Sorry.....I was doing online Continuing Education for hours and hours yesterday while hiding out from the winter storm. I was a bit foggy eyed last night...........
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justin_o_guy2 Serious Thumper Offline What happened? Posts: 55279 East Texas, 1/2 dallas/la.	Re: Fuel leaked into air compartment over winter Reply #11 - 02/16/21 at 08:48:49 Dude ,don't apologize.. I was having fun Stationary style
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ohiomoto Serious Thumper Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 2689 WTF is JOG?	Re: Fuel leaked into air compartment over winter Reply #12 - 02/17/21 at 19:53:53 Follow Dave's advise and report back. Good chance your problems will be solved.
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Neil Junior Member Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 55	Re: Fuel leaked into air compartment over winter Reply #13 - 02/24/21 at 05:22:37 Gonna try the "tap carb" test in a couple hours. Leave air filter out. Can I leave air box cover off, or too much unresistant air flow?
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Dave YaBB Moderator ModSquad Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 17820 Camp Springs, Kentucky Gender:	Re: Fuel leaked into air compartment over winter Reply #14 - 02/24/21 at 06:34:15 Neil wrote on 02/24/21 at 05:22:37: Gonna try the "tap carb" test in a couple hours. Leave air filter out. Can I leave air box cover off, or too much unresistant air flow? You can leave the filter cover off for a run test - it won't make any big difference for a stationary engine run.
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