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siphon fuel out of your tank for your stove siphon fuel out of your tank for your stove
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TRAVEL Hints and Tips Post your TIPS to travellers - all the interesting little tidbits you learned on the road about packing, where to get stuff, and how to cope with problems. Please make sure the subject describes the tip clearly!
Photo by Hendi Kaf, in Cambodia

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  #1  
Old 9 Jun 2003
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siphon fuel out of your tank for your stove
To siphon fuel out of your tank for your stove (due to some vacuum I dont
really understand no fuel comes out my petcock with the engine stopped) you
can avoid drinking it (I know from experience it tastes bad) a) get a real
long clear tube about 2m long - put end in tank, droop tube down below tank
and up into your mouth - ensure your mouth is above tank level - suck and
watch fuel enter tube - when it is in bottom of tube before letting suction
go, fold tube near mouth to stop it flowing back into tank. You can now lower
folded end of tube below tank level and open to allow fuel flow into your
stove or b) buy ($1.69) a tube with small plastic siphon pump (hand operated)
to pump fuel without using your mouth


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  #2  
Old 26 Jan 2004
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Not having easy access to the petrol tap, I have used a very small hand cranked fuel pump that was spare from the days of model A/C flying. Filter on the end to drop into the petrol filling cap and keep the stove free of blockages.
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  #3  
Old 9 Apr 2004
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This may be a stupid suggestion, but have you tried opening the petcock with the gas cap open or removed? Might eliminate the vacuum effect. Still good to have a siphon long anyways but if you don't have to use it...
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  #4  
Old 9 Apr 2004
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Many motorcycles have a setup where even if the petcock is on, it will not flow fuel unless there is vacuum in the intake manifold. This prevents your engine from filling with fuel if you leave the petcock open, and the carb needle leaks. This is also something to keep in mind if you run the tank bone dry, as you won't get fuel until the engine starts, but the engine won't start until it gets fuel. Ask me how I know. Some bikes have a prime position for this circumstance, where fuel flows regardless if the engine is running.
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  #5  
Old 11 Apr 2004
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I have a quick-connect push fitting in my fuel line. Works fine. The vacuum effect is tenuous anyway, as all fule tanks have breathers to stop the buildup of explosive gas as they warm up. The fitting I have was from TTech.

Anyone know if you can get methylated spirit / meths / white gas in N.Africa and the Middle East?? Cheers.

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  #6  
Old 11 Apr 2004
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Hi, all.
Just a quick follow-on from POB's remarks re quick-connect fittings. There was a time when I kept on getting trouble with crap in the fuel system of my '82 BMW boxer stopping the fuel float needle from shutting off and flooding the carb and pissing fuel on to my shoe. Many times I had to strip the carb by the side of the road and I found it easier to do this by removing the carb from the bike (without disconnecting the throttle and choke cables) The braided rubber fuel lines were just a push fit on to the fittings but were a real bugger to pull off-i.e. virtually impossible. As a result I've always left a 5mm or so gap between the end of the line and the fitting so that I can get something into the gap and be able to push the fuel line off rather than trying to pull it off, it comes off dead easy when pushed off like that. It has never come off accidentally in the following 20,000miles or so.
Cheers
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  #7  
Old 13 Apr 2004
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I just cut into my gasline, put a metal T ineach cut end,put a very short rubber line on the 3rd end and an old syle small brass petcock on that end. Of course I have an old HD without a vacuum.
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  #8  
Old 27 Apr 2004
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Hi John,

getting the fuel float stuck seems to happen often. Just as much as my Whisperlite got clogged when using the bike fuel.
After trying cheap filters between tank & carb on my 80GS I have found filters with sintered metal inlays. This summer I'll see if they're better.

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  #9  
Old 29 Apr 2004
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Hi Vaufi,
Yes, it's annoying that the wretched fault is so persistent, after a couple of months' peace it reocurred again yesterday. I got some new float valves a couple of years ago, but with little improvement- well, fair enough, I suppose, if the fault really is due to crap in the fuel, but I've flushed the tank out. And every time it happens I take the bowl off the carb and remove the float hinge pin, the float valve then drops out and I give the system a quick flushing by briefly opening the fuel cock. I catch the fuel coming out in the float bowl so I can see the crap, but recently there just isn't any to be seen. I do this at the side of the road and it only takes a few minutes, I've done it a few times by now. Also, each time it happens I first of all give the float bowl a tap with a spanner or something just in case its a case of the float or the valve sticking, but that's never worked yet. So I'm getting bloody fed up with it by now. I'm wondering if it would do any good to change the valve seat- any suggestions, anybody? No, I haven't tried filters, they might be the answer, I'd be glad if you could keep me posted, Hans.
Cheers,
John


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  #10  
Old 29 Apr 2004
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Re Filters- I've always used add-on filters, and never had a problem since '81 with floats sticking.

I just use large 35mm diameter and 60-70mm or so long plastic filters available in most auto stores for very cheap.

Simple and effective, and they last a long time. You can easily see when they clog up.

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