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4K views 10 replies 8 participants last post by  Dom0_o 
#1 ·
Hi All,

I fiilled up with fuel the other night, and immediately fuel started coming out of one of the draining pipes at the bottom of the bike.
Thought initially it was a stuck float in the carb, but it turns out the drain pipe (for when you overfill the tank) that runs from the tank cap, through the tank and out the bottom has rusted through around 3/4 up, so any fuel in the tank above this level, just goes straight down the pipe and out the rubber hose and onto the floor. Surprising given the bike has only done 18k miles and been under cover most its life.
On the plus side, this does explain some poor fuel consumption I've been having, I guess it must have been trickling out slowly so haven't noticed it.

I cant currently find a tank on eBay thats not dented/scratched, so I'm thinking about just capping/sealing the outlet and plugging the inlet and just leaving it alone. (and add a fuel filter to catch any rust)

Not ideal, but anyone got any other ideas?

Cheers,
Rich
 
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#4 ·
Sounds unusual wonder just how many people have experienced this, especially on a 2006 bike. Good idea to block the outlet that's what I would do, but it makes you wonder what the rest of the tank is like. Wonder if the pipe was damaged in some way, any water that gets in usually sinks and rots the bottom out. Apparently modern petrol even with only 10% ethanol rots most stuff and makes water :(
 
#5 ·
My theory is.... my dad owned the bike prior to me, but he didnt use it much, so it has often sat for a couple months at a time without moving, so if perhaps the tank was always around 3/4 full, then the moisture above the fuel line has rotted the pipe at that level. I think this is why you're either supposed to leave your tank completely full or completely empty?

I read on a ZXR forum someone had much the same issue, and attempted fixing it by running a new smaller bore copper tube through the original and then soldering it either end to seal it. Didnt work out for him in the end, but seemed like a sensible solution.

I think I'll plug either end, and keep an eye out for any blue tanks on ebay.
 
#6 ·
If it's the drain from the filler neck:
If you block the outlet any rain water that runs past the cap will run into the tank. If you block the end at the cap, wouldn't that mean the area around the cap would fill with water with nowhere to go? How would you refuel after being in rain?

It's not unknown for the drain to block (muck or linked pipe) this would mean moisture sitting in the pipe, allowing corrosion to start.



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#7 · (Edited)
+1 on this ...
It's not unknown for the drain to block (muck or linked pipe) this would mean moisture sitting in the pipe ...
More than once have had to un-bung that drain pipe full of water on a TA, the main blockage was at the bottom, exit end, where road crap etcetera had accumulated enough to solidly seal the drain vent hole.

Special drain tube un-blocking tool used: Coat hanger wire.

Then an application of preservative ACF50 squirted down the drain tube hole.
 
#9 ·
This exact thing happened to my 2000 650.

The cause of mine was blocked tube that drains from the filler through the tank and out the drain hose.

Mine must have filled with water and rusted through to the inside of the tank the only way i could "fix" it was to block the top and botom of the pipe and try to keep rain out of the filler.
 
#10 ·
I've heard of this before and the culprit is a pinched drain hose under the tank preventing the water that collects around the recessed cap from draining out.
If you have a good mate who can dismantle the tank, replace the drain and reassemble the tank, you can get around paying a lot of money for a replacement tank. That said it's still a big job and it will still cost money even with a good matter doing it.
 
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