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Re: [ST] Fuel leak



Sounds like it is a leak in the pressurized fuel line. MY 01 tank developed a leak due to poor construction/layup of the plastic and seeped fuel from the tank shell. Per the wrench that did my warranty work on the seepage, if it is a leak in the fuel line or leak in the fuel delivery system it would "spurt" due to the pressure it is under ((30+psi(?), or something)). 
   
  When the tank is reinstalled it is not too hard to pinch a fuel line if the tank is placed incorrectly. I would check the fuel line furthest from the quick connectors for signs or left hand side. 

iPat <pmdavies@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
  started up this am and had fuel spurting all over the place. Will have
to go back after lunch to look at it. Had it serviced three weeks ago
and with the very wet weather i havent been driving too much but have
had it out and about with no problems.

Bikes a 2000 model so it's either a perishing issue or not put back
properly from the service...as a starter for 10. Service was by an
independent (1/2 the cost and he tends to do the overspill from the
Triumph dealer anyway)

thought id not edit the marvelous post on this previous thread. Hope
you dont mind, but i dont think ill be going to this extreme!

On 9/5/05, Steve Lawler wrote:
> For a while now I have had a slow fuel leak. I could smell it and my
> mileage had dropped from about 190+ miles per tank to about 175 miles.
> The problem showed up a month after I had the fuel fittings replaced
> under the recall. I thought that it might be the cheesy new ones so I
> replaced them with the better steel ones from Team Triumph. That didn't
> solve it. I had removed the tank several times in an attempt to find the
> problem. But could never isolate it.
>
> During my 24,000 mile service I explained the situation to the shop
> manager. They couldn't find anything. The tech told me that my exhaust
> valve shim clearance was too tight and that I might have been smelling
> unburned fuel and that would also explain the decrease in mileage. One
> tankful later and I knew that wasn't the case.
>
> I suspected the fuel pump gasket so I replaced it. I was careful to not
> over-torque the screws as I knew that this was a problem from earlier
> posts. The problem continued. Next I gave every bit in the fuel system a
> good wipe down and went through a few tankfuls. Saturday I removed the
> tank for the umpteenth time this year and closely inspected everything.
> EUREKA! I found crud built up around the fuel pump gasket! I removed the
> pump plate and looked at the gasket. It was fine. I checked the surface
> of the tank and discovered that the areas between the threaded inserts
> were significantly lower than the holes with the threaded inserts.
> Hmmmm. Some of the inserts wee closer to the surface than others. I
> surmised that some monkey had over-torqued the screws and caused this.
>
> I drained the tank and grabbed a small block and some 150 grit sandpaper
> and slowly went to work. After quite some time I started to sand the
> inserts while there were still areas between them that were untouched.
> Between moments of clarity and annoyance I decided to remove the fuel
> sender and look at the inserts there. The gasket was the same type, the
> inserts were well below the surface of the plastic and the areas between
> were depressed. I knew that I had to do something about the raised
> inserts. After trying to gently push one back in I knew it meant surgery.
>
> My Dremel tool was locked safely in the shop at work and going to get it
> would mean over US$10 in gas and tolls. Instead I drove to Sears and
> bought some bits and "borrowed" a Dremel tool.
>
> Back in my driveway, I prepped the patient for surgery. I removed the
> tank cap, irrigated the tank with water followed by a healthy dose of
> compressed air to remove any fumes that might get ignited by a spark,
> propped it up on a furniture blanket and an empty 5 gallon bucket and
> started gingerly grinding away. I used a tungsten ball to remove most of
> the meat and then leveled off the areas with the flat end of a
> cylindrical "diamond point" bit. Only 5 of the 14 inserts needed the
> procedure. Afterwards, I sanded the the surface smooth with some 400
> grit wet-or-dry sandpaper. Irrigated and blasted the patient. Wiped
> where I could reach with paper towels and set it in the sun to dry. I
> closed up the patient and reassembled everything. I should know by the
> end of the week if the operation was a success or not. I'll let everyone
> know.
>
> While waiting for the tank to dry I got bored so I removed the end cap
> on the fuel sender and made an interesting discovery. Inside the tube is
> a float with a small magnet that travels along a printed circuit with
> several magnetic reed switches sealed in glass and several resistors. As
> the float goes up and down it closes different switches and the change
> in impedance tells the gauge where to point. I actually thought that
> that was quite clever.
>
> The other thing I did while waiting for the tank to recover in post-op
> was write on the fuel pump plate in huge letters "6Nm" twice. Once
> upside down.
>
> I will also be writing a letter to the dealership to let them know how
> unhappy I have been lately.
>
> --
> Steve Lawler
> Verona, NJ, USA
>
> 2001 Sprint ST "Blue Devil"
>
> "Mit der Dummheit kämpfen Götter selbst vergebens." (Against stupidity
> the gods themselves contend in vain.)
> -- Friedrich von Schiller
> _______________________________________________
> Triumph Sprint ST/RS mailing list
> Send list posts to ST@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Change your list options at www.Triumphnet.com
>


-- 
Pat Davies
www.amag.org.uk
Most people have the will to win, few have the will to prepare to win.
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