The dreaded gas smell

hoodooman · 07-27-2015, 01:00 PM

i'm turning into a posting machine! 05 1600 classic. I'm getting a gas smell when I ride sometimes, and when the bike is parked in the garage i'll get a wiff sometimes also. i recently went on a long ride with some family and the rider behind me said he thought i was running rich. then another rider rode behind me and said the same thing. now, how could my bike be running rich when there is no fuel controller installed? The engine is totally stock, with cobra long shots and the marble trick to stop decel popping.

I also jacked up the back side of my tank to inspect the weld on the tank mount tab. it looks totally fine. No paint missing, bubbling, cracking or signs of any kind that the weld is bad.

I checked out the hoses on the tank as best I could with having the tank still mounted.

What else should I check?

Ridefree · 07-27-2015, 05:04 PM

When you lifted your tank to check the hoses for fuel leak did you turn the key to prime the pump . I found I had a leak at the hose going back to the tank . It's only held by a compression clamp. Priming the pump adds pressure to see where your leak might be . You can prime the pump as many times as you need to and watch for drops of gas. Also check for leaks at the fuel injectors as well . I had a O ring go on my rear injector that I replaced . All is good now !!

This should give you a good start . Others may have more ideas to help you find your issue .. Good luck

hoodooman · 07-27-2015, 06:17 PM

thanks! those are great ideas. i'll try it out and see if i find anything.

hoodooman · 07-28-2015, 12:21 AM

welp, no such luck yet. my 1600 has quick disconnect fuel lines so they do not use hose clamps. i did prime the pump several times and looked around. didn't see anything. so i took the tank off to try and look around more, still don't see anything... guess i'm gonna put er back together tomorrow and just continue riding the rest of the season. it's been like this for about 9,000 miles this past year so hopefully she'll keep on going!

Boscoe · 07-28-2015, 02:43 PM

Air filter clean?

hoodooman · 07-28-2015, 08:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Boscoe

Air filter clean?

Yessir, I cleaned and reoiled my K&N a few hundred miles ago. one odd thing, when i took my tank off, i had to put a hose with a shutoff on the fuel pump. it wasn't gushing fuel, but it steadily dripped. maybe that could be causing a problem? shouldn't the fuel pump not leak at all once disconnected?

Vulcan Bill · 07-28-2015, 09:12 PM

When you reconnected your fuel line snap connector did you hear an audible click? If not it may not be locked on tight to the tank connection.

trickstar · 11-29-2023, 06:32 PM

With age, that quick connect doesn't hold a good seal. I converted to the hose going directly to the tank nipple using the hose clamp. Same with the other hose with the pressure clamp. Use a real clamp, fresh hoses, check the routing to make sure that there's no rubbing or hose kinks.

andyvh1959 · 11-29-2023, 11:15 PM

What gas mileage do you get from your bike. If its actually running rich, or leaking fuel somewhere, I'd expect your fuel mileage to be well less than usual, about 36mpg for general riding. My 1600 Classic at best gets a bit over 38mpg

**plumber63** · 12-02-2023, 06:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by andyvh1959

What gas mileage do you get from your bike. If its actually running rich, or leaking fuel somewhere, I'd expect your fuel mileage to be well less than usual, about 36mpg for general riding. My 1600 Classic at best gets a bit over 38mpg

8 year old post.

andyvh1959 · 12-03-2023, 12:31 AM

Gotta remember to look at the date for the original post.

mick56 · 12-03-2023, 05:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by plumber63

8 year old post.

Still valid today though mate.

07-27-2015, 01:00 PM	#1
hoodooman Member Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Blue Ridge Mountains Posts: 110	The dreaded gas smell i'm turning into a posting machine! 05 1600 classic. I'm getting a gas smell when I ride sometimes, and when the bike is parked in the garage i'll get a wiff sometimes also. i recently went on a long ride with some family and the rider behind me said he thought i was running rich. then another rider rode behind me and said the same thing. now, how could my bike be running rich when there is no fuel controller installed? The engine is totally stock, with cobra long shots and the marble trick to stop decel popping. I also jacked up the back side of my tank to inspect the weld on the tank mount tab. it looks totally fine. No paint missing, bubbling, cracking or signs of any kind that the weld is bad. I checked out the hoses on the tank as best I could with having the tank still mounted. What else should I check? __________________ 05 1600 Classic Viking hard bags Cobra fatty highway bar Cobra long shots thetrailerstore ebay fairing LRS recurve shield Yaffe 10" mini bagger apes Login or Register to Remove Ads
	0

07-27-2015, 06:17 PM	#3
hoodooman Member Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Blue Ridge Mountains Posts: 110	thanks! those are great ideas. i'll try it out and see if i find anything. __________________ 05 1600 Classic Viking hard bags Cobra fatty highway bar Cobra long shots thetrailerstore ebay fairing LRS recurve shield Yaffe 10" mini bagger apes
	0

07-28-2015, 12:21 AM	#4
hoodooman Member Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Blue Ridge Mountains Posts: 110	welp, no such luck yet. my 1600 has quick disconnect fuel lines so they do not use hose clamps. i did prime the pump several times and looked around. didn't see anything. so i took the tank off to try and look around more, still don't see anything... guess i'm gonna put er back together tomorrow and just continue riding the rest of the season. it's been like this for about 9,000 miles this past year so hopefully she'll keep on going! __________________ 05 1600 Classic Viking hard bags Cobra fatty highway bar Cobra long shots thetrailerstore ebay fairing LRS recurve shield Yaffe 10" mini bagger apes
	0

07-28-2015, 02:43 PM	#5
Boscoe Member Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Jefferson City, Missouri Posts: 372	Air filter clean? __________________ 2011 Voyager 1700, Ebony/Pearl Meteor Gray Bridgestone Exedra Max tires in stock sizes Heated Avon grips with Throttle Mod Cobra Scalloped Slip-ons Thunder Mfg. Intake Gasket DEI Titanium exhaust header wrap Corbin heated seat. Polk Audio db521 speakers Mobil 1 Racing 4T 10W-40 with Mobil 1 M1-110 filter Kuryakyn Longhorn Offset Dually Highway Pegs Chrome passenger running board covers All new fluids and lube. Login or Register to Remove Ads
	0

07-28-2015, 09:12 PM	#7
Vulcan Bill Sr. Member Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Mesa Az Posts: 1,400	When you reconnected your fuel line snap connector did you hear an audible click? If not it may not be locked on tight to the tank connection. __________________ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- '05 1600CL. Originator 18" Harley wheel mod, Dobeck TFI, True Duals, Mutazu hardbags, Flanders handlebars n' a bunch more. *Sometimes I miss the good ol' days but most times I'm just glad I survived them*
	2

07-27-2015, 05:04 PM	#2
Ridefree Sr. Member Join Date: May 2015 Location: Saskatchewan , Canada Posts: 1,441	When you lifted your tank to check the hoses for fuel leak did you turn the key to prime the pump . I found I had a leak at the hose going back to the tank . It's only held by a compression clamp. Priming the pump adds pressure to see where your leak might be . You can prime the pump as many times as you need to and watch for drops of gas. Also check for leaks at the fuel injectors as well . I had a O ring go on my rear injector that I replaced . All is good now !! This should give you a good start . Others may have more ideas to help you find your issue .. Good luck
	1

11-29-2023, 06:32 PM	#8
trickstar Jr. Member Join Date: Nov 2023 Posts: 1	With age, that quick connect doesn't hold a good seal. I converted to the hose going directly to the tank nipple using the hose clamp. Same with the other hose with the pressure clamp. Use a real clamp, fresh hoses, check the routing to make sure that there's no rubbing or hose kinks.
	1

11-29-2023, 11:15 PM	#9
andyvh1959 Advanced Member Join Date: Dec 2017 Location: Green Bay WI Posts: 755	What gas mileage do you get from your bike. If its actually running rich, or leaking fuel somewhere, I'd expect your fuel mileage to be well less than usual, about 36mpg for general riding. My 1600 Classic at best gets a bit over 38mpg __________________ My $1200 Vulcan, to start from.
	0

12-03-2023, 12:31 AM	#11
andyvh1959 Advanced Member Join Date: Dec 2017 Location: Green Bay WI Posts: 755	Gotta remember to look at the date for the original post. __________________ My $1200 Vulcan, to start from.
	0